The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-07-19
BABIES USED AS BAlT.
A british Sportsman Tells How He
Hunted CrocOdiIes inIndia.


A british Sportsman Tells How He
Hunted CrocOdiIes inIndia.
"We used to have great sport In India
going out after crocodiles with Hindu
babies for bait" said an ex-olicer of
the British army to New York Sun
reporter. 1.-THE baby wasn't baited on
hook like q minnoW or fish worm,
but simply secured on the bank SO that
1t couldn't creep or tOddle away or tum-
bic into the river. Some babies don't
like their being made crocodile bait of,
but that fact increased their value to
the sportsman, for then they yelled and
made great noise, which was just
what the crocodiles were waiting to
hear, and they'd come hurrying from all
directions to have chance at the ba-
bies. Where did we get these babies
for bait? From their mothers. All the
fellow who wanted to 60 crocodiling
had to do was to noise abroad his In
tention, and 1T wasn't long before the
native women would flock 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 required a guarantee
that their offspring should be returned
safe and sound, but the most of them
eXacted no such agreement. The ba-
bies were brought back all right as
rule. but once i'm a while some sports
man was a trifie slow with his rife,
or made bad shot, and the crocodile
got away with the bait, but that did
not happen often.
IF your bait is in good form for cro-
codiling and starts in with protesting
yells, you may expect to get your croco-
die very soon; but If the baby proves
to be what is known asa sulker and
takes the situation In quietness and pa
thence, you may have to wait some
time before you get shot. ! used to
have the option on an Indian baby that
was the most killing bait for crocodiles
in all that part of India. l killed more
than one hundred crocodiles with that
youngster as a lure before she outgrew
her usefulness. She had the most per-
sistent and far-reaching yell / ever
heard come out of mortal being, and no
crocodile could resist it. 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
ways commanded premium in the
market and her mother was very
proud of her indeed.
After he had secured his baby at a
proper spot it was the custom of his
sportsmen to hide behind a convenient
bush or blind and wait for the game.
If his bait was lively and of good lung
he would not have long to wait. I've
h01 n
rying from as many different parts Of
the river toward a baby five minutes
after it was set. With such n rush as
that, though, the sport becomes trife
trying to the eyes of 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, if your aim has
been good, will flop over and thrash
about for few seconds and then give
up the ghost. But in a short time
back will come the others again, and
if you have the time you can eventual
ly stretch them all on the bank. A
considerate sportsman, though, will
not work his baby more than fifteen
minutes at time Then he will have
his native servant soothe it an refresh
it from nursing bottle, which is part
of a crocodile hunters equipment.
killed six crocodiles over that favorite
baby lure of mine in less than a quar-
ter of an hour.
Il was in Florida a year or so ago
and tried to hire baby to experiment
with for alligators, after the method
in India, Eut folks who owned babies
down there didn't seen to enter into
the spirit of the sport, and l couldn't
get one. 1 compromised on a rather
lively and complaining dog. He was a
success, and l had quite lot Of fun,
although the sport was good deal
tanner than it would have beer if l had
only had baby for bait"