Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-15
STALKING A LION.
Sport in South African
Jungles.
HUNTERS "REMINISCENCES.
Stories of Hunting Trips After
the King of Beasts and
Other Big Gamo.
HUNTERS "REMINISCENCES.

Il
Africa was with u party / had con.
| scented to manage on condition that all
hands should be absolutely under my
| supervision. We had encamped far out
on tho veldt, and our scouts having
| brought in news that there were plenty
Of deer feeding at no great distance.
we decided to be up and at EN- as
| the saying ", by daylight in the morn
ing.
Thinking 1t would be advisable 70
| divide the party, 1 arranged to take
two, sending the others with one of
my best men as guide.
| Daylight next morning found us MS
| fresh ms paint, and all anxious and
ready In every detail, so each party
moved of. wishing the other success.
| determined to take out with us two
| small trained Scotch cross-bred collie
| dogs, 10 try the experiment OF their
| being able, in lion fashion. to encircle
and drive the deer to where we lay
concealed As these dogs were won
| derfully well trained showing SUI
| peror intelligence and being thorough
| ly relinble and most Obedlent, we
thought the plan might prove success
| ful.
After quietly jogging along for a
! little while we refined up to take
binocular view, which revealed deer IN
| sight. feeding quietly and uuconcern-
! eddy In the open. The next important
| question was To get near enough to
them without being seen or winded
| by them.
Advancing cautiously as near as we
! dared we dlsmounted and proceeded
| TO stalk In the usual manner. Greatly
| TO the relief Of our minds, we found
| the ground admirably adopted To this,
| being undulatlng, which admitted Of
| our walking leisurely. under complete
| cover, to within comparatively easy
! range to some OF those In View, our
only anxiety being ms to the wind,
! which ufttimes Worries the poor hunter,
| giving the advantage to the animals,
! who are off like IA flash, Just a. the
! moment when YOU feel sure OF success,
after patient and careful stalk OF
some hours over Il difficult line OF
country.
on we trudged, every now and again
stopping to let one of the paTty creep
! cautiously up and look over the top
of the mound to see how the land lay
before proceeding further on.
At last We felt we had approached as
near az we dared 10. considering the
cccontriclty OF the wind, which had n
! tendency 10 be variable and which
! might at moments notice frustrnte
all our plans. After few moments
rest we all crept cautiously up to the
| top of the mound, taking precdutlon
10 place wells the color of the ground
over our heads to conceal our faces
| from view,
judged that i've OF the deer were
Within $50 yards, and told thcm to
sight at that. The positions the ami
. mails were standing In rendered It an
easy matter for each without trouble
90 select his deer to IRE at. this being
! clearly Understood, 1t was arranged
for all to aim at the same moment,
taking the time to fire from the first
shot. and Independently Of one another
on the occasion VI the second.
Lacking aUNln fbUf tho
sentinel deer evidently smelt rat, as
the saying ~, and was apparently, by
the smiling and tosalng OF It's head and
stamping OF It's foot becoming sus-
piclous ~ the approach OF danger I
soon discovered that there had been a
slight change Ia the wind, which ne
cpssitated immediate action on our
part or loss Of all chance, So on my
signal We all took steady aim and
fired Just In the very nick of time. for
as I gave the signal the whole herd
was or full gallop. Nevertheless. We
We're fairly successful the result being
three struggling where they mad fallen,
and one llmplng on, badly wounded,
vnlnly cndcayored to catch up with
| his comrades who were OF like so
much CREASED lightning,
The dogs all the while, thanks TO Il
perfect training remained crouched
as steady as old Time, never moving
from whore they had been ordered to
lie down. yeellng sure that we could
easily track the wounded deer we maid
our attention to sklnnlng and cutting
up those we had secured, not caring to
send either Of the dogs on the trail
until we were ready; Indeed, judging
NJ we did the nature Of the wound. we
felt convinced that II let alone tho
beast would wander on tu some near
by secluded aud quiet spot to lie down
and die In peace.
We all thought the result OF the shots
satisfactory enough under the clrcum-
stances, four direct hits anyway out
Of six shots, and the question renamed
Go bee proved whether or not the wound
ed deer had not received the other two
bullets In the hurry OF the second
firing.
! The skinning and cutting up belnp
, completed, we advanced with the dogs
to attract the wounded animal. The
, dogs were soon on the scent, quietly
: and noselessly tracking him, although
4 he had evidently wandered on d
greater distance than We had antici
y patod.
/ At last on rounding corner whal
/ should we behold but n huge nal,
. Hon, with tail erect. Just about nifty
/ yards from ua dash out from the cover
evidently on the track OF our wounde,
deer,
| need hardly say that We withdrew
preelpitately, hoping that our prcsenc,
uAh ubt httu UutlCtus HoE lhe llll
being, Judging by the lions actions
= he was too intent on following tn
t deer to bother with or think about US
= 20 that all we had 20 DO was TO con
o alder plans TO get the lion in place o
i our wounded deer
5 Creeping cautiously In the direction
Is he had taken. We discovered hin
q about 200 yards from the cover busli!
n engaged as We had expected
= We thought the surest and best plal
would be to let him enjoy his meal Ii
= peace, the chances being that n
= would retire to the brush and take
e quiet siesta after his repast. there be
e ing no others present to dispute hi
a rights, So we decided TO lie concealc,
e and watch with our glasses
The noble beas, seemed in no speoia
n hurry TO finish his meal, Judging b!
the number OF times he stopped to lool
r. around licking his lips with grow
. Of contcntment, hut with all this W
A could see that he looked sumowha
2 suspicious, as he kept continually sniff
e iing. although the wind was In on
q favor, However alert he may hayl
= been. he did not let It interfere Will
4 his appetite for by the time he ma,