Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-05-29
Lured 6y Babies.

"We used TO have great sport in India
going out after crocodiles with Hindoo
babies for bait" said an ex officer Of the
British army. The baby wasn't baited
on a hook like m,nnow or fish-worm,
but simply secured on the river bank SO
that il couldn't creep or toddle away OF
tumble into the river. Some babies didn't
like their being made crocodile bait of, but
that fact increases their value to sports
men, for then they yelled and made a
great noise, which was just what the cro-
codiles were waiting to hear, and they'd
come hurrying from all directions TO have
chance at the babies.
"Where did we get these babies for
bait From their mothers. All the fell
lows who wanted to go crocodiling had to
do was to noise abroad his intention, and
it wasn't long before native women would
flock in with their babies TO be rented out
for bait The ruling price per head for the
young heathern was about cents for the
day. Some mothers require guarantee
that their offspring should be returned
safe and sound, but the most Of them ex-
act no such agreement. The babies were
brought back all right as rule, but once
in while some sportsman was n tritle
Sow with his rife, or made bad shot,
and the crocodile got away with the bait,
but that didn't happen often.
"If your bait is in good form for crOco-
diling, and starts in with protesting yells,
you may expect to get your crocodile very
soon, but if the baby proves to be what is
known as a sulker and takes the situation
in quietness and patience, you may have
to wait sometime before you get shot,
used TO have the option on an Indian
baby that was the most killing bait for
crocodies in all that part Of India. |
killed more than one hundred crocodiles
with that youngster as lure before she
ouigrew her usefulness She had the
most persistent and far.reaching yell |
ever heard come out Of mortal being, and
no crocodile could resist it. She was
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 up. That dusky infant always COM
manded 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 the
sportsman to hide behind convenient
bush or blind and wait for his game. If
his bait was lively and Of good lung he
would not have long 10 wait. I've seen
halt q dozen crocodles come hurrying
from as many different parts Of the river
toward baby five minutes after = was
set. With such rush as that. though,
the sport becomes irihe trying TO the
eyes of the baby, but generally the frat
crack of the rifle will scare the big rep
tiles back into the water, all except the
one you have sent your bullet into, and
he, if your aim has been good, will Hop
over and tbresh about for few second
and then give up the ghost. But in
short time back will come the others again,
and if 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 soolhe it and refresh it from a
nursing bottle, which is part Of crocodile
hunters equipment. have killed six
crocodiIes over that favorite baby lure
If mine in less than quarter Of an hour.
81 was in Florida year or so ago and
tried to hire a baby TO experiment with
for alligators after the method in lnda'
but folks who owned babies down there
didn't seem TO enter into the spirit Of the
sport, and couldn't get one. / compro-
missed on a rather lively and complaining
dog. He was success, and bad quite a
lot Of fun, although the sport was good
deal tamer than it would have been If
had only had baby for bait"