Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-25
SPORT In CALIFORNIA.
SHOOTING JACK RABBITS WHILE
RIDING At FULL oALLoP.

Pleasures ~ Hunting on the Pacific Coast
Voice OF Dying Victim Experience 81 |
nm Enthusiastic Ensiishman-L Assosng |
m Angry Bear.
The following day we found horses at the |
door and pack OF hounds. II am going to
show you, gentlemen said our host, some
California sport after my own ideas. Bring
up the horses, Bob," he shouted, and Bob
forthwith led up three mustangs. fully sad
died, that appeared to have been kept in the
stable for months on highly cxcitable diet
for cur especial benefit.
Finally we mounted, and the host put his
nag at the fence several times. just to warm
him up. Now, gentlemen he said as We
Hoped along the hard road, 1.-THE country out
here a way is well supplied with jack rabbits,
and the scheme is TO ride them down on
horseback and shoot them with the rifle
The colonel had supplied US with rifles and,
like certain Pickwickians, we were in for it.
The country was gently rolling. and we
soon came out into a low brush. with patches
Of cactus here and there. All at once
small brown creature, with black cars darted
up, and in moment was away like q fash
The horses caught the infection, and In a
second were upon a dead run, fairly crazed
with excitement, snorting, their eyes blazing,
and running like the wind
.sLook out for holesr' shouted the colonel,
as his horse took badger burrow But it
was too late; one OF the mustangs landed
knee deep in burrow, stopped short, while
the rider kept on. He was an old hand at
this sort Of thing, however, and clearing him
self merely landed on his feet and ran twenty
or thirty feet to return and examine the
mount. Luckily, no bones were broken, and
leaping into the saddle the field was away
again. The jack had escaped in the mean
time, but another took his place, and horses
and riders were soon making the hard ground
shake. To hit an animal so small as rabbit,
at full run, with rifle, was seemingly an
impossibility, yet the valiant colonel did it.
His horse took him within twenty feet of the
flying jack, when, dropping the lines, he
raised the light weapon which had been hung
upon the saddle, and in an offhand way fired
The jack bounded three feet into the air like
ball, and fell, moaning like child
1.-The rifle was loaded with shot, colonel
shouted some one. Zone shot" laughed the
colonel, as he stopped from the saddle aud
picked up the game by tie ears. s'It's mere
practice; any one can do it, but will confess
have been about ten years getting into the
habit There goes anotherln and away went
the horses, who knew a rabbit half mile
away, and enjoyed the sport as much as the
riders. Jacks appeared as if by magic; every
bush seemed to afford cover for one or more.
The sharp reports of repeating rifles began
to sound in rapid succession, and little clouds
of dust puffs like smoke rose here and there
all about the flying game showing how diff
| FL y RI, yrsar t
There is no use in trying to take accurate
aim," said the .'shot," as the horses came uE
and rounded to. 1T is matter of intuition
believe take no aim, but point the rife
| where think the rabbit will be when the
bullet gets there, and in some way they man
/ age to make connection
| Riding across country at such speed in
| the clear. bracing air was most exhilarat
ing sport, and the Excitement it caused wa.
astonishing. The horses fairly went mad.
There is something unpleasantly human
| about the voice of dying jack. The first
\ ever took in coursing was i'll the valley, an6
my greyhound had started to the east anf
| gone out OF sight. A deep arroyo stopped
my horse. and was standing in the saddi.
trying TO follow her with my eyes when
| heard piercing screams and then means from
the road directly behind me. Thinking tina
a child had been run ever or in iured in SOM
way, dropped into the saddle and made TO
the road, TO find my dog standing over
dead jack She had circled and turned him
and brought it to a finish Immediately be
hind me- Often when shot on the run tn
jack will utter piercing, half human shrek
and bound into the air to fall dead: SO to al
oversensiUive person the slaughter of hun
dreds is by no means pleasant sight.
As the hot sun began TO pour down W
wendell our way back to the ranch, AM
whiled the time away listening to the yarn
reeled off by the colonel, whose experience
had been rich and racy.
Talking about sport he said, 'sremind
me of a little experience | had with Al
Englishman some Years ago up in the mai
range. He came down from Frisco with
letter of introduction to me, and wanted t
get into the heart of the big game country
1t SO happened that had 400 or 500 head c
cattle up a valley and a camp there: SO too
him up and introduced him TO half doze
cowboys-regular old timers-and the
guaranteed to show him all the bear b
wanted. They got it into his head that
was unsportsmanlike to shoot a bear an
that it should be taken with a lariat; so b
practiced with a rope at steers, dogs, stu.nr
and men until he was a very fair hand at i
and finally one day went off on a regula
bear hunt
1T so happened that the boys knew wher
there was large patch of wild grape ths
black bears are fond Of and they made fC
it, fairly sure to find one or more, and SUI
enough they did. Coming down little sic
CANYON, they came out into level spot, wit
a patch of trees covered with vines in ii
' center Some of the dogs were put i'll, al
in a few minutes out came an old brow
bear, snarling and showing her teet
9 in a terrible fashion 'Now's yoC
chance yelled the boys, and the
all stood back to give my new frieil
a chance. tell you he was no SLOUGH;
= put his horse up as near the critter as
would go, and riding around, dropped h
rope over the bears shoulders the minu
she rared up. When she felt the rope 81
! grabbed at it, but the pony settled bacl
then down she went, and began just VIII
the boys expected, the rolling bushes
Y Over and over she went, winding the ROY
S about her, getting snarled up, but comm
y nearer and nearer the pony all the tim
}. The pony was the first one to tumble to
:, as the boys saw, and began to snort al
|. buck; but it was no use, the old bear kel
coming, getting more ard more entanglt
every moment, and finally the pony turnt
4 tail and began to drag her, she yelling al
q whimpering and scratching gravel, the hor
, crazed; and in this shape they came TO Il
ii side of the hill Over the horse went, buc
: | ing, the Englishman cusslng things uni
n they were blue When half way down, Il
II rope broke, and, fearing the bear would z