Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-11

so. Just as we got over the ridge froze up
like pointer dog, for there, about 600 yards
to my left, his beautiful curved horns out
lined against the soft blue Of the sky, saw
a noble koodoo bull (strepsiceros kudu). Even
at that distance-for, as YOU know, my eyes
are very keen-I could distinctly see the white
stripes upon its side when the light fell upon
it and its large and pointed ears twitch as the
flies worried it. -..
$50 far so good; but how were we to get
at it! 1t was ridiculous to risk shot at that
| great distance, and yet both the ground
and the wind lay very i'll for stalking. It
seemed to HE that the only chance would
be to make a detour of at least mile or
more and come up on the other side Of the
koodoo. called Harry to my side and ex-
planned to him what thought would be our
best course, when suddenly, without any
delay, the koodoo saved US any further
trouble by suddenly starting off down the
hill like a leaping rocket. don't know what
had frightened it; certainly we had not.
| Perhaps hyena or leopard-a tiger as we
call it there-had suddenly appeared; at any
rate off it went, running slightly toward US,
and I never saw O buck 60 faster. As for
Harry, he stood watching the beautiful ami
mails course. Presently it vanished behind q
patch of bush, to emerge few seconds later
about 500 PAGES from US, on stretch OF come
paratively level grohnd that was strewn with
bowlders. On it went taking the powders
in its path in succession Of great bounds
that were beautiful to behold. As it did so
happened to look round at Harry, and per-
ceived to my astonishment that he had got
his rifle to his shoulder.
"'You foolish boyn calculated, surely
you are not going to'-and just at that mo-
ment the rifle went off.
"And then think saw what was, in its
way, one of the most wonderful things I ever
remember in my hunting experience. The
koodoo was at the moment in the air, clearing
a pile of stones with its fore legs tucked up
underneath it. All in an instant the legs
stretched themselves out In a spasmodic
fashion, and it lit on them and they doubled
up beneath it. Down went the noble buck,
down on to its head. For moment it seemed
to be standing on its horns, its hind legs high
in the air, and then over it went and lay still.
"'Great heavensr said, why, you've hit
him! He's dead
"As for Harry, he said nothing, but
merely looked scared, as we'll he might. A
man, let alone boy, might have fired
thousand such shots without ever touching
the object, which, mind you, was springing
and bounding over rocks quite 500 yards
away, and here this lad, taking a snap shot
and merely allowing for elevation by in
stinct, for he did not put up his sights, had
knocked the bull over as dead as door nail.
Well, I made no further remark-the occa-
| 4oo yor toll b,f ,,,oro11y
led the way to where the koodoo lay. There
he was, beautiful and quite still, and there,
high up, about half way down his neck, was
neat, round hole The bullet had severed
the spinal marrow, passing right through
the vertebre and away on tho other side.
lit was already evening when, having cut
as much Of the best meat as we could carry
from the bull, and tied @ red handkerchief
and some tufts of grass to his spiral horns,
which, by the way, must have been nearly
FIVE feet in length, in the hope Of keeping
jackals and aasvogels (vultures) from him,
we finally got back to camp to find Pharaoh,
who was getting rather anxious at our alb
sence, ready to greet us with the pleasing in
telligence that another OK was sick. But
even this dreadful bit Of intelligence could
not dash Harry's spirits, the fact Of the mat
ter being that, incredible as it may appear,
do verify believe that in his heart Of hearts
he set down the death of that koodoo to the
credit of his own skill. Now, though the lad
was a tidy shot enough, this Of course was
ridiculous, and I told him so very plainly.
"By the time that we had finished our sup
per of koodoo steaks (which would have been
better if the koodoo had been little younger)
| fn
deress again. All the afternoon Pharaoh
told us the unfortunate OK had been walking
round and round in q circle as cattle in the
last stages of redwater generally do. Now it
had come to q standstill, and was swaying to
and fro with its head hanging down. So we
tied him up to the stump Of the tree as on the
previous night, knowing that if the ioness
did not kill him he would be dead by morn
ing. Indeed, I was afraid that he would be
Of little use as bait, for a lion is sports
manlike animal, and, unless he is very hun
cry, generally prefers to kill his own dinner,
though when once killed he will come back
to it again and again.
"Then we repeated our experience Of the
previous night, sitting there hour after hour,
till at last Harry went fast asleep, and even
| 7, though am accustomed to this sort Of
thing, could scarcely keep my eyes OPEN
Indeed, was just dropping off, when Pha-
raoh gave me shove.
"'Listenn he whispered.
II was all awake in second, and listening
with all my ears. From the clump Of bush to
the right of the lightning shattered stump to
which the OK was tied came faint cracking
noise. Presently it was repeated. Something
was moving there, family and quietly enough,
but still moving perceptibly, for in the in
tense stiffness of the night any sound seemed
loud.
II woke up Harry, who instantly said:
Where is she! Where is sheP and began to
point his rifle about in fashion that was
more dangerous to us and the oxen than to
any possible lioness
"'Hush upn whispered savagely; and as I
did so with low and hideouS growl flash
Ct yellow light sped out of the clump Of bush,
past the OK, and into the corresponding clump
upon the other side The poor sick brute gave
sort Of groan, and staggered round and then
began to tremble. could see it do so clearly
in the moonlight, which was now very bright,
and felt brute for having exposed the un-
fortunate animal to such terror as he must
undoubtedly be undergoing. The lioness, for
it was she, passed so quickly that we could
not even distinguish her movements, much
less shoot. Indeed at night it is absolutely
useless to attempt to shoot unless the object
is very close and standing perfectly still, and
then the light is so deceptive and it Is so diff
cult to see the foresight that the best shot
will miss more often than he hits.
"'She will be back again presently said:
look out, but for heavens sake don't fire un-
less tell you to-
Hardly were the words out Of my mouth
when back she came and again passed the OK
without striking him.
What on earth is she doingF whispered
Harry.
"'Playing with it as cat does mouse, I
suppose. She will kill it presently
GAS spoke the lioncss once more flashed
out Of the bush, and this time sprang right
over the doomed OK. 1t was an exciting
sight to see her clear him in the bright moon
light, as though it were q trick that she had
been taught.
"I believe that she escaped from a circus,
whispered Harry; it's jolly to see her jump
~ said nothing, but Thoughts to myself
that if it was Master Harry did not quite ap-
preciate the performance, and small blame
to him. At any rate, his teeth were chatter
ing bit.
"Then came longish pause, and began
to think that she must have gone awey,
when suddenly she appeared again, and
with one mighty bound landed right on to
the OK and struck it frightful blow with