Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-10
LURED BY BABIES.
How British sportsmen Hunt Crocodiles
In India.
New York SUM-

(New York SUM-
I'VE used to have great sport in India
going out after crocodiles with Hindu
babies for bait" said an ex-ofiicer of the
British army. THE baby wasn't baited
on a hook like minnow or a fish-worm,
but simply secured on the river bank so
that il couldn't creep or toddle away or
tumble into the river Some babies don't
like their being made crocodile bait OF. but
that fact increased their value to sports
men. for then they yelled and made
great noise which was Just what the
crocodiles were waiting to hear, ana
they'd come hurrying from all directions
10 have a chance at the babies.
Where did we get these babies for
bait? From their mothers. All the TEL
low who wanted TO go crocodiling had to
do was TO noise abroad his intention, and
il wasn't long before native women would
fiock in with their babies to be rented out
for bait. The ruling price per head for the
Young heather was about cents for the
day. Some mothers require guarantee
that their offspring should be returned
safe and sound, but the most OF them
exacted no such agreement. The babies
were brought back all right as ruie'
but once In a while some sportsman was
a trifie slow with his rifle, or made bad
shot. and the crocodile got away with the
bait but that didn't happen Often
eff your bait IL in good form for croco-
diling. and starts in with protesting yeiis'
YOU may expect To get your crocodiie very
soon. but If the baby proves TO be what
ia known as a sulker and takes the situa-
ton in auietness and patience, you may
have to wait some time before you get
a. shot / used to have the option on
an Indian baby that ~as the most khnns
bait for crocodiles in all that part OF lndin'
I killed more than one hundred crocodiies
with that youngster as a lure before she
outgrew her usefulness. She had the
most persistent and far-reaching yell l
ever heard come out of mortal being, and
M crocodile could resist II. She was a
real siren In Turing the big reptiles to their
fate and / was sorry to see her grow
and get too big for bait and have to give
her I'D. That dusky infant always com
manded a premium In the market, and
her mother was very proud or her IN
deed.
AFTER he had secured his baby at a
proper spot II was the custom or the
sportsman to hide behind convenient
bush or blind and wait for his game. III
his bait was lively and OF good lung ne
would not have long to walt. I've seen
half a. dozen croco1ilcs come hurrying
from as many different parts of the river
toward n baby five minutes after II was
set With such rush as that. though.
the snort becomes n trihe trying to the
ewes for the baby. but generally the first
crack Of the rife will scare the big reptiles
back into the water, all except the one
YOU have sent your bullet into, and he,
II your aim has been good, will flop over
and thrash about for a few seconds and
then give up the ghost But in short
time back will come the others again,
and II you have the time you can eventu-
ally stretch them all on the bank A
considerate sportsman, though, will not
work his baby more than fifteen minutes
at a time. Then he will have his native
servant soothe IT and refresh it from
nursing bottle, which is part OF croco'
die hunters equipment | have killed
six crocod.les over that favorite baby lure
Of mine in less than quarter OF an hour.
IL was in Florida year or so ago and
tried TO hire a baby TO experiment with
for allgators after the method in India,
but folks who owned babies down there
didn't seem to enter into the spirit of the
sport and I couldn't get one. l compro-
missed on a rather lively and complaining
dog He was a success, and ] had quite
a lot of fun. although the sport was a
good deal tanner than II would have been
II had only had baby for bait"