The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-25
SPORT IN THE ANTIPoDEs.
uniting the Kangaroo and the Excite
ment of Chase.
From the Brooklyn Times.

menu OF u CnaSe.
From the Brooklyn Times.
The characteristic animal of Australia is
the kangaroo. He is like the fox in all that
makes him worth hunting. He is vermin
when allowed to live, he has no use when
dead, no more than Reynard. He is swift
on the hoof; he is full Of strategy; heputs
to the test the endurance of men and dogs
and horses Therefore, is the kangaroo In
highest favor with the centaur race of
Englishmen which is growing up beneath
southern stars. They have a phrase which
one will never hear elsewhere, Roll
up" is colonial idiom for an invita-
ton to all neighbors within a radius
of several hundred sparsely settled
miles to come together for a few DAYS
pleasant meeting. Rarely do they roll up
without having a kanga 90 drive. Upon
the plain Is built large inc.oSure of stout
fences wing fences OF brush extend far
away on either side. Men and boys and
black fellows ride out in the afternoon a
score of miles away and form a line of
heaters as far as they can extend in open
order. During the night their dogs, well
trained TO the sport, drive the wandering
kangaroo within the beaters' line At day.
break the horsemen begin to drive the
great hoppers before them toward the wide
opening of the fences, the dogs operating
all covering the bare fianks.
At first one sees here and there blue or
black animal hopping out of sight among
the trees or outlined upon the edge of the
plain. But as the chase continues the kan
garoos are more numerous; the horses take
the hunting fever as they see before them a
mad stampede. The fences are reached. the
stampede becomes a living stream of terri-
fed animals crowded closer and closes on
the ever narrowing way; at last they pour
into the Enclosure painting and worn, they
look about them from their gentle eyes and
see nothing but the shouting mob of men
who stand upon the fences and club the
beasts to death. The drive is sport if only
there were not that trap at its further goal;
the end is simple butchery.
The kangaroo can give better sport than
in the drive, chase in which it has an
even chance for its life, a chase venture
some enough to satisfy the most danger
loving. With three or four hounds tie
hunter rides in search of his game, never
far to SEEK The timid animal shifts dam
ger, takes alarm aud starts across country
In long graceful leaps which seem almost
tireless. Ho Sc and hounds follow on his
track, no slight barrier will cause the 1.-the
leaper to swerve from his path; few leaps
can the chase make in which the pursuer
will not rival him. Miles fly backward I'M
der hopping legs and running legs alike un>
til after burst of fifteen or twenty miles
one begins to fail to the other It is a
fair chance; the horse may weaken and the
prey escape or the kangaroo may fall and the
hunter riding to him as the hounds Jump
for the gray neck gives his head the death
blow with the knobbed crutch of his riding
crop. None but Australian dogs and Aus
trallan horses can enter the chase. There is
not another strain of horse flesh trained to
jump an almost invisible wire fence without
{ killing the rider. No other dogs than the
Australian kangaroo hounds have the wind
and pace and courage TO hunt this swift ami
NAL. 1t is as mild as sheep and twice as
timid, but brought to bay with its back
against tree the kangaroo has no longer
fear of dogs and men, and often does deadly
work with the single steely claw which arms
each hind foot. 1t is common to see dogs
ripped open from breast TO haunch and fatal
accidents to men and horses are by no means
of rare occurrence.