Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-06-27
TRICKS q HURTING.

TRICKS ~ HUNTING
Cussas MstAsas q Dsoelvine osne Ussa
n the CAaso.
The hunter in every land has long
used deception and rue teenahle hin
TO get within reasonables distasoe 81
his game. Hunting BY Initiating tt
animal to be caught is very commoi
among the natives Of many tribea IN
Africa we find the curious dwarfs.
the Akkas, discovered by DR.. Schwein.
furth. hunting ostriches In this man
ner. An ostrich skin il taken and
drawn over one of the hunters. whc
supports the neck either with . stick
or one arm. a bow and arrow being
held ready for use. Fitted in this way
the human ostrich moves over the
plain, pretending to feed. and imitat-
ing the motions Of the live birds 20
well that in many cases they approach
closely enough to bring them down
with well-aimed arrow.
A family of these little people, who
arc not over four or five feet in height
was recently brought to Europe, and
in Berlin gave a representation before
some scientific men of their method Of
taking ostriches. which was considered
very ingenious.
The ostrich, though stupid. is not
always deceived, and an instance il
related where one of the birds becom-
ing enraged. either at the supposed
bird or the hunter, rushed at it and at
a single kick knocked over the un-
fortunate Aka and tore his ostrich
ekin in shreds while trampling him
under foot, and it was with consider
able difficulty that the bird was driven
off and the bogus ostrich rescued
Some curious tactics have to be
adopted in hunting the crocodile in
eastern countries. One method among
the native tribes is to fasten a native
baby-a fat. plump one-to stake
near the shore. and when the huge
reptiles, attracted by its screams. come
out of the water, they are shot. In
other places the hunters attach
branches to their heads and crawl
along until they are within reaching
distance. This is often attempted
with birds, and the so-called floating
blinds are often merely boats covered
with branches; the wind taking the
latter carries it down among the un.
birds.
Very few animals are caught
mapping, unless the hunter displays re-
markable talents in deception. When
q herd of elephants is feeding it invari-
ably is protected by a guard of watch
full sentinels. So with monkeys.
When they are devastating q corn
field the sentinels are stationed about
TO give warning at the slightest noise,
when the whole band will go pell-mell
over the fields in the direction of the
forest
/ have often noticed this among
birds. especially the California quail:
he moment 1 approached the sentinel
bird would pipe up and tell all tho !
'est that danger was nigh. The most |
striking example of this guardian
;hip I observed on the Pacific coast.
about four miles south of the town of
Santa Monica. A mile away I saw a
lock of pure-white cranes, and wish
ng to secure one rode up the beach
lpon the ocean side. there left my
lorse, and began my walk over the
and dunes The majority of the flock
we're in a secluded portion of little
'ay, presenting the appearance from a
distance of white sheet upon the
lark shore.
When within an eighth of a mile of
hem found that there were half a
ozen sentinels posted at various
'laces. Every slight elevation near
he flock bore very wide-awake
'ird. and my only Ct ance to ap.
roach them was by hiding behind
he sand hills and crawling from one
o another. This did for at least
oAA OH AOuis AohAuS pOCudpo GWV |
hundred feet, and then ventured to
ook up. fairly held my breath, as
ot ten feet away was beautiful
7hite sentinel He saw me immedi-
tely, gave a note of warning. and at
he moment the air was filed with
7aving wings and the long white
ecks of the birds.
It is very evident that the birds have
language understood by themselves.
his system of placing sentinels is
ne of, the best evidences of it, and
hows that our feathered friends are
ar more intelligent than We general
= suppose.-Philadelphia Times.
The Craze for City Life.
One hundred years ago our leading
len, our men of wealth and culture.
-opo roor1v o1l oo,,n<rv, l