Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-28


stock-riders, who dearly love to see the ar
rival Of city folks on the station. for they
are generally rather in dread OF the horse
his back very long. But yet had TO saddle my
horse and place the crupper in position, and
this was only accomplished after long strug-
gle with the prepossessing brute had chanced
upon, which plunged and bvck- k-jumped at every
attempt to draw tight the girths. by screwing
the animal up against the rail and keeping him
there by main strength.
OFF FOR THE HUNT.
But now everything is ready for start to
the habitat of the kangaroo; half dozen grey
hounds, large framed. long limbed. slnewy
brutes. specially reared for such work, the re-
suit of years of judicious blending OF the
coursing greyhound strain with that OF the
bloodhound, possessing the keen nose OF the
latter with the speed of the former, note the
tightening of girths and fixing OF surclngle
withintelligent interest as final preparations
are made. Our party is select one, CONSISTING
trained thoroughbreds reserved Tor their use;
the superintendent, stockman and the squat
ter and myself. The dogs are signaIled 70 the
rear and we move off under tue guidance OF
the stockman who had located small tribe OF
kangaroos during his mornings ride in gully
a few miles from the homestead.
Half an hours easy ride brings us In the VI
cinity of the marsupials and the stookman is
sent ahead to reconnoiter. He moves eau
tiously forward to where few rocks rise sud-
denly up ont ofa growth OF brush. and d,H Is seen
above the undergrowtn with ears erect, keenly
shifting around as If scenting danger. His In
stinct is not at fault, for, at signal, the
dead timber, a rustling IN the underground, fol-
lowed by the thud, thud of the leaping long
tails as they bound away with enormous Jumps.
the dogs at first. dividing and chasing, sever
ally. three or four of the herd, but they are
quickly called of and set on the trail OF the
patriarch who is quickly putting yards at
time. at every jump, between him and ms pur-
suers.
ACROSS COUNTRY.
With very little urging of our steeds we are
soon in hot pursuit, with all the conditions
favorable to rattling run. The country here
abouts is fairly open, what timber there is be-
ing scattered and of small growth, there is very
little underground, and we speed away with
ever-increasing zest for the hunt, now
getting momentary glimpse OF our game
as he springs across an opening far
ir advance Of MS, and now flying over Che bed
of driedup creek. Fortunately for the full
enjoyment Of our fair companions, the long
tailed gentleman whom we are chasing keeps
in the open line of country, and they are
enabled TO live, for once. with the men, be-
cause In riding through tlmbered country they
have to proceed with more caution owing to
their side seat. On this occasion they all but
lead us. their speedy thoroughbreds skmming
the grass tufts in as keen appreciation of the
sport as their lightbearted and hght-limbed
riders, bearing them over the brush fences and
popping across yawning chasms with all the
precision of old hunters. But we Nimrods are
not far behind our fair Dianas, exchanging
with them jest and repartee. quip and joke as
we swing along in fullest enjoyment of the ex-
hilarating work and with the deepest relish for
the character of our surroundings, drinking in
deep draughts of the pure air with every stride
of our nags in the clear mild atmosphere of
the Australian winters day On we gallop,
hardly keeping the swift-running hounds in
view, now breasting an eminence from which
we see that our kangaroo is making for the
timbered country to the right, and now coursing
along gully, clearing the small creek at
the bottom in one stride. But rapid traveller
though the kangaroo is his bolt is soon shot
ter of staying for miles across country for the
pleasure of human kind, and the old man, who
has given us a better run than ordinarialy, be-
gins to falter in his speed; the HOUNDS are even
now at his quarters and as we ride up, making
our way through the thick scrub, we find him
'bailed up as the Australian expression has it.
against massive gum tree, and
FIGHTING vICIoUsLY
with his short forearms and powerful legs. Our
chase is ended, but as sportsmen we will not be
The method employed by the aborigines in
dispatching the kangaroo when in extremis is
by handing him waddy or short club. which
the animal seizes, as would a monkey, with his
fore arms, and then striking him with another
on the head This king of the marsupial order,
though timd and gentle when unmolested. is
dangerous adversary in fight. Using his long
tail as lever, he is capable Of dealing telling
blow with either of his long, powerful legs. and
before the unequal combat, Of which we were
now spectators, had progressed very far howls
of pain.from the hounds and their bleeding
sides bore testimony to the trouble which the
"old man" was making for them. But IL was
only prolonging the agony of the prey to allow
the dogs to worry 1t any longer; shot from a
revolver dropped him TO earth, and the knife
Of the stockman quickly removed his scalp and
ears. Well pleased with our days sport, we
pursued our way leisurely homeward, and after
the .bill," equaling any other in quality, being
a soup made from the tail of our kangaroo.
FRANK KEMPSTER-