The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-22

Kllled nad been bent on slaughter;
but have it to say that since first
began to collect l have never killed a
single specimen, mammal or bird, that
did not either preserve or eat. No
one can accuse me of wantonly MUIR
derlng game OF any kind And that is
what made my Christmas day hunt
IN the Animallais SO peculiar thatnow
1T seems to ME like dream"
"Now,' said the Star man, "that is
what | would like to hear about"
"Well," said Mr.. Hornaday, II
don't think it's of any interest to any.
body except to me; but just wish I
could have the same chance this
coming Christmas, that's all. If the
National Museum wouldn't have
valuable accessions in the shape of
Indian bison and Of er things to the
tune OF two or three wagon loads or
more, then don know myself, that's
ALL" s.~ - ,.@
The reporter having now started a
train OF "reminiscences leaned back in
MS chair an attentive listener, and
MIR. Hornady went on.
"YOu see at that time, ten years
ago next Sunday, was literally sur
roundered by big game. I was then
at d little camp OF huts called Sun
gam, in the heart of the forest, and
had just wound up my hunt on the
Animallai Hills by killing, skinning
and skeletonizing a fine old tusker
elephant. We had carried the skin
out to Sungam, thinned it down nice
ly, and we waited for the carts to
come up and haul us down.
81 was living in a wretched old bam-
boo hut, wretchedly enough to be
sure. The northwest moon soon had
burst upon us, and it rained about
half the time
'"The whole force of the forest de.
partment had fled from the hills. and
| and my gang of Mulcers were literal
~ monarchs OF all we surveyed. 1t
was lonesome enough, too, with my
old friend Theobald, and all of the ele.
plants clean gone out OF the country.
The grass in the glades that was only
a foot high in August, and then five
feet in many places, and with begin
ming Of the heavy rains the elephants
and bison had come down from the
higher ranges literally in hosts, and
fairly surrounded the abandoned ele-
plant camp.
II had hoped to get out ofthe forest
in time to spend Christmas in COIN
batore, but it was not to be, and the
25th found me still fighting off the
jungle fever with quinine and pale ale,
and holding the fort. There was no
white man within thirty miles OF me,
and the only man in my gang who knew
Christmas when he saw it was Doray-
sawmy, the 'Gentleman's God! He
was my body servant and cook, and
| a. downright-good fellow, too, ifhe was
a Madrasee.
christmas morning came along,
and by good luck it was bright and
clear. Iresolved to go out hunting
with my gang for positively the last
appearance and final farewell perfor-
nance before leaving the country I
had enoug h specimens already, and
di2n't propose to kill any game at all
unless we should chance to run foul
OF tiger, Or leopard, or bear. de-
termined to just 60 out for stroll
and look at game. Rather ridiculous
notion Tor g. hunter, wasn't It? It
will sound like a whopper in print,
| know.
"When called up my five Mulcers,
and told them we would go out to find
game, they seemed little surprised,
but said nothing, and after tightening
their loin clothes and doing up their
back hair, they were fully equipped
for the chase. AS my servant handed
me my gun said.
Doray sawmy, do you know it's
Christnas?'
This day, sahib?'
Yes, this day. Too bad we can't
have big dinner, isn't it? Well, give
us the best you've got, as usual So
off we went.
''There was one great charm about
hunting in that forest which never
found elsewhere. Whenever we went
out for a hunt weWere absolutely GER
tain to see big game of some kind be-
fore returning, and possibly several
kind. Pm sure no Sportsman ever
had finer bill OF fare than that the
Animallais served up alive and kick.
ing every day. On going out it was
merely question as to what we would
see, and how many. There was AL
ways a glorious uncertainty about
what was coming next, the same as
with Walt Whitman's poetry. 1t
might be a deer, or it might be an ele-
plant; it might be bear, elk, a tiger,
bison, wild hog, wild dog, Or almost
anything in fact except what one ex-
pected TO see.
"Well, we struck off in single file as
usual, my best tracker leading the
way, with me at his heels, and the
other natives following close after.
We went along as silently as possible,
and every man was on the alert. We
usually found the most OF the big
game in the more open parts OF the
forest, where there was no underbrush
at all scarcely" but only huge bare
tree-t trunks, with their tops 100 feet
above us, and big thorny clumps OF
bamboo. In many places it was just
like hunting through the Smithsonian
Park, and [ never look across that
beautiful open glade where the urn is,
in front OF the National Musetim,
without my thoughts flying back to
the Animallai forest. 1t was in Just
such glades as that we usually found
the herds Of spotted deer.
Before we had gone q mile that