The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-02-09
How Apaches Hunt Deer.

M eA-lIoutleIsHan tellS New York
San reporter how the Apache Indian hunts
the deer. He says:
"When an Apache hunter goes out for
hunt he dispenses with even the scant
attire he assumes in his ordinary daily
walk in life. He needs no dog, for his
quick eye detects the trail of the deer as
readily as the hounds does, no matter how
keen its scent. On the trail, he follows
it as silently as a shadow, for he knows he
will soon come in sight of the game, either
feeding or lying at rest among the bushes.
When he sights the deer he steals to within
safe gunshot. If the deer's head is turned
away from the hunter, the latter, first
taking aim, shufies his foot on the ground.
If the deer is lying down it springs to
its feet at the sound, and wheels around
facing the direction from which the sound
came. If it is standing, it turns around
quickly. The Apache hunter is always
desirous of killing deer by shooting it as
nearly in the center of the forehead as he
can. So, when the deer turns toward him,
he fires at that spot. His aim is rarely at
fault, but sometimes the deer is quicker to
discover the cause of its alarm cnan the
hunter is to fire, and ~tsa1ns for safety in
fight. An ApacbsSs gun, also, not infre-
quently misses fire, and the deer fees on
the 'aIngs of the wind. To permit deer
to escape after it is once discovered is some
thing that no Apache hunter is expected
to do, and it is against their code to fire the
second time. The hunter, failing to kill
his game at the first attempt, must run it
down, and it is very rare that he fails in
this chase. As the deer starts away in
its flight, leaping from twenty to thirty
feet at time, the Indian drops his gun,
and, with hideous yells, starts in pursuit
The deer at first leaves the hunter far be-
hind, putting forth its greatest efforts to
that end. But its trail is as plain to the
Indian as turnpike road is to a white
man, and he follows. As is its nature, as
soon as the deer is out of sight and sound
of threatening danger, it stops and waits
for developments. The sight of the pur-
suing hunter starts it on its way again.
Every halt of this kind tells against the
deer, for it is not of sufficient length to
give it any beneficial rest, and at every new
start it is sitter and less active The In
dian never halts. There are runners among
the Apaches who can run for twenty-four
hours without stop, and can make their
five miles every hour of the time After
the deer has run for two or three hours,
its thirst prompts it to make for the near
est water This the relentless hunter
knows to be inevitable, and when the deer
reaches this stage of the chase the Indian
considers the victory won. There is no
hope for the deer after it stops to drink,
for it takes into its parched stomach all it
can. Having ladened itself with this
weight of water the deer is unable to take
long leaps, and cannot extend its run be-
tween halts more than half the former dis
tance The Indians tongue may hang
swollen and white from his mouth, and his
mouth be as dry as dust, and his stomach
burning up with heat, but he never stops
to drink. He scoops handful of water
from the stream as he dashcs across it, and
carries it to his mouth, where he holds it
moment and elects it without taking swal-
low. If he is obliged to swim, he let's the
water run in his mouth, but keeps it from
his stomach.
''After running an hour or so, after the
deer has quenched its thirst, the Indian
knows it is time to find some evidence of
the animals weakening. These he is sure
to find along the trail, in the shape of blood
spots on some rock where the deer has
tumbled on its knees, or "a patch of hair
clinging to some sharp projection, showing
that the deer's strength has failed so that
~ f,,r, w of fha Of
obstacles. Now the Indian increases his
speed. He knows that the deers race is
run. In time he overtakes the deer, which
is now Looping feebly along. A yell starts
it into momentary burst of speed. Then,
as if appreciating the fact that it were use
less to prolong the race, it stops and turns
with all the defiance its exhausted nature
can assume, and awaits the approach of the
hunter. Sometimes, however, the deer
runs until it drops dead or dying in its
tracks. If it turns upon the Indian, the
latter keeps right on at full speed. He
knows the deer can do him no harm, its
inclination to the contrary notwithstanding.
He seizes it boldly, throws it to the ground
with ease, and cuts its throat. Without
moments delay, whether the deer is dead
or dying, the Indian cuts from behind the
fore shoulder large piece of meat. He
sucks the warm blood from it and devours
the mursel, keeping constantly on the move.
If the carcass of the deer is not too heavy,
he throws it across his shoulder and starts
Immediately for home. He does not rest
a moment, for fear of becoming too stiff to
make the return trip If the deer is too
heavy for him to carry, he cuts out the
choicest parts, hides the remainder in Sc
cure place, and brings in the former. In
this case another member of the tribe is Sc
lected to take his back track on the arrival
of the hunter in camp, and bring in the
venison left behind.
eff deer is young an Apache hunter
will run it down within distance of sixty
miles, but they have been known to pro-
long chase for 100 miles. The course
taken is always devious and circuitOus, and
may end within a mile or so of the starting
place.
SALT WITH NUTs-As this is the sea-