Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-06-04

and found the doc ut a stand on tho
bank of a muddy pool keeping off the
dogs who were bounding from one side
to the other barking Mt her cautiously
and keeping out Of the reach of her
paws. The moment her eye caught sight
OF the figure of the foremost horse
man, she darted with maddencd fury
toward him and struck his horse with
snch force IS to bring both horse and
hunter to the ground. The Infatuated
animal stumbled owe her PROSTATE foes,
and as she was gaining her feet for a
fresh attack was salutcd with a vollcy
from our revolvers and killed.
Having secured the tails of the kangar
roos rust killed to our saddles Us addi
tional trophies, we set out upon our re-
turn to Heathcote. Coming to a fine
spring of water, we dismounted and re-
freshed ourselves and horses, as we wele
considerably fatigued, having ridden
over thirty miles. Our company nov
consisted of nine hunters and five dogt,
the rest of the club having been sepat-
ated into small squads and dispersed fir
and wide. After Il half hours rest we
leaped into our saddles again and turned
faces homeward, riding leisurelb
along near the base Of the mountainA
keeping a lookout for any stray kangaI
roes that might be within chasing disA
lance. We had not proceeded far be-
fore We espicd through the ficld-glass a
number OF them grazing about three
miles distant. By keeping close to tho
mountains we perceived that we would
be able to get within less than q mile of
the game without disturbing them.
whereas if we should make straight for|
them we had reason to expect a long
and lively chase. We chose the former
plan of action, and, after passing
round mountain projection We
came within easy distance upon the
game and Immediately gave cha,e. The
ground was smooth and covered with q
short, thick greensward. whidh offered
a splendid opportunity for testing the
relative speed of dog, horse and kanga-
roo. After a sharp race of three miles
we overhauled the game and succeeded
n killing two very fine specimens. These
We're the last we captured. The day had
we'll advanced. and as we began to feel
the promptings of our appctites, and as
our horses wore pretty we'll worn out,
VIC again took up the homeward line of
march and reached Heathcote Hotel a
little after the noon hour. We had
scarcely got our horses unsaddled and
entered the hotel when different squads
of the club began to arrive, all highly
gratitied with the success of the hunt;
many claiming that itshad been one of
the most successful expeditions Of the
kind upon the Australian plains. The
entire party had forty-eight trophies
which of course represented forty-eight
%kangaroos taken in the hunt.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who was y
young man about twenty-five years of
age, and a thoroughly '.good fellow"
expressed his qualification with tho
days exploits in the highest terMs, 1t
had long been his desire to participate
in a kangaroo hunt, and this had, been
the fulfillment of his highest cxpecta-
tons. He had with his own hand killed
four k%angaroos, and no doubt has many
times. since referred to the experiences
of the day with feelings of pleasure if
not Of pride. On my part it was an oc-
casion long to be remembered, as it at
forded a great degree of pleasure on the
n hand, and or the other taught me
some of the dangers to be encountered
IN kangaroo nunGlnS.
The gray and red kangaroo are the
largest animals indigenous to the Aus
tralian continent, and when the natives
hunt them they get together IN large
force AID make preparations for the
hunt much as though they were pre-
pairing for. war on a large scale. They
provide themselves with boomerangs,
muskcts and spears. and range them
selves in q wide semi-circle at one end of
Il valley, if possibie-if not upon a
plain; each native in the first instance
being at Il considerable distance from
the other upon either side of him, but
they gradually come closer together as
they advance toward the center of the
semi-oircle. The juveniles then set out
for the mountains upon either side of
the opposite end of the valley, and by
dint Of yelling, %screeching and making
such a hideous noise that only the willy
savage can do, they drive the kangaroo
into the valley. They then close in be-
hind the game, and drive it toward the
native h.inters stationed at the Other. ex-
tremity Of the valley, who also advance
pace BY pace, aided by the barking of
their dogs. When the animals are thus
1OICcu lIlGO ~ StllllClCilLIJ oulIl1 SpSICC Ill
the center of the circle of natives, the
attack begins, and what with spear.
boomerang and musket, the holo-
caust oftcntimes is well nigh complete.
Sometimes the battuc is made more
effective by setting fire to the grass and
brushwood around the circle, and in
deed this is quite frequently done.
The aborigines also hunt the kanga-
roo slnglc-handed, but owing to its
natural Wariness, this method Of hunt
ing is considered very difficult, and is
only adopted by the most skillful Of
native hunters, and usually by only
such of those as may be SO fortunate us
to possess muskets. The equipment of
the native who hunts singly is at once
simple and grotesque. He ties a bunch
of long prairie grass upon his head,
with nlusket in hand, and sallics forth
in pursuit of the game. Seen at a dis
lance thus equipped, the swarthy savage
appears even to the discriminating eye
of man, very like the tufted head and
blackened trunk of the grass tree, which
it is the design of the savage hunter to
simulate. Not much wonder then that