The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-21
HUNTING THE GIRAFFE
B. A. Dryden Describes an Exciting
Chase in South Africa.
HOT RUN OVER THE DESERT
How the Gigantic Beasts Founder
Through the Sand With Swaying
Necks and LAUNDERING Gait. Yet
Outstride the Swiftest Horses.


Bacheller)
Far up country in South Africa, In
the wild western portion OF Khama's
country - Bamangwato stand two
hunting wagons, outspanned by foul
and scanty pool of water. 1t is pale
dawn and the desert air is chill, but
already the camp is stirring, for
camel" are to be hunted to-day The
Beers, so soon as they become ac-
uainted with the tall giraffe, forthwith
dubbed IL in their quaint way "ka-
meer'-the camel-and as camel the
giraffe is still known throughout the
length and breadth of the South Afri-
can hunting veldt.
A hasty breakfast is swallowed by
the owners of the wagons, their spurs
are buckled on, the rifles got down
from their wagon hooks and cartridge
belts fastened across the flannel shirts.
The giraffe In his native haunts. where
his coloring is strangely protective,
takes a deal of finding. Even the
bushmen is deceived by the play of
light and shade, and the resemblance
of the great creatures dappled hide
TO its surroundings, as 1t stands half
hidden and utterly motionless in the dun
forest. The two white men, as you may
see, each carry slung over their backs
a light field glass. The rife, water
bottle fastened to the saddle, a short
sjambok Colonial whip of giraffe hide
attached. to the riders wrist and a few
biscuits complete the equipment.
There are six men of the party. the
two Engllshmen, a mounted Bamang-
wato hunter, who accompanies them to
direct the spoorers and translate, and
three desert-b Masarwa bushmen |
These latter are to conduct the spoor-
ing operations. and no better men will
you find for the task the world over
IL must be a marvellous beast, indeed. |
whose scantiest footrint shall escape |
the keen eyes and instincts of these |
desert children. Five feet four or five
inches in height, lean, thin-legged and
with no great muscular development !
these Mararwas look as keen as
hawks. They are good sportsmen. and
although they themselves WELD no
heavier weapon than the spear, tiny
bow and poisoned arrows of their fore
fathers, they love beyond all things to
show the white man sport, and to see
him gallop and shoot down his game. |
1t means much flesh and many ban
quets to them and theirs. Each of
these bushmen carries his native
Ratchet. assegai and skin cloak; one
of them carries as well calabash of
water; and, as a point of honor always
observed in the veldt, each of them
further insists upon bearing the rifle of
the mounted hunter to whom he at
taches himself.
Just as the suns rudy streamers
flash into the pale green sky of sun
rise. the party quits the wagons and
strikes into the fiat and trackless des-
ert. For three hours the bushmen
walked at a brisk pace stead
lily in front of the horsemen.
The sun once risen, quickly as
serts his powers, and the veldt
grows hot. Sheer desert IL seems like
low, only one vast wearisome, water
less fiat, masked here and there with
bush and low forest: above, only the
hard, pililess glare of the pale blue sky
with the sun marching steadily across
towards the northwest. The desert is
very hot now: the spoorers drip sweat;
the hunters sit loosely I'm their sad
dies. pull forward the brims of their
large felt hats, and sometimes cheat
the monotony with a pipe of Trans
vaal tobacco. These long rides-often
10 or ~ hours under a burning sun
are nowadays the penalty of South
African hunting. The beasts of chase
become ever more weary and more diff
ficult to find. and to kill heavy game
the hunter must be prepared for long
days of toll
After three hours n short halt is
called and the nags are off -saddled for
half and hour. The bushmen have now
neared the veldt in which they know
giraffe CNghabe. they call them) are
feeding, and every precaution has 10
be taken. There is scarcely a sugges-
ton OF wind. and what little there is
comes warm In their faces as the hunt
ers remount and silently follow the
spoorers. The aspect OF the ground has
at length changed In place of grey
sand and shrivelled mopani trees, the
party are travelling over soil of red
Lob
open forest of the spreading giraffe
acacia-the kameel Doom (camel
thorn) OF the South African Beers.
The LEAKAGE of this umbrella-like tree
Is dark green. Here and there are
great open glades OF grass and patches
OF bush and underground. Typical gi-
raffe country this. in which, for untold
aeons of the past. these giant man.
mails have wandered free and undls-
turbed.
1t is not very long before the BUSH
men have found fresh spoor. A small
troop OF CRATES have been feeding
here at early morning-you may see
their footprints clearly in the soft red
sand. The tracks are very curious
reminding one somewhat of a huge
and very elongated cows foot That
imprint under the trees there-you
may see where the tall creature has
stretched himself on tiptoe to secure
some lofty, tempting bit of foliage-is
10 good inches long and is the spoor of
the bull OF the troop. Things now
brighten up wonderfully; all are alert.
girths are frightened. the buShmen's
eyes are cleaning excitedly and pres
emily they begin TO trot briskly upon
the warming trail
In less than 10 minutes one of the
mounted hunters spies above some
high bush in front of the necks OF five
or six great giraffes. which, in the
same instant. have described their
pursuers. The rifles are now snatched
from the Masarwa spooers. and as
the CRATES. in some cofnmotion. swing
off. and, with waving necks and
strange shutting gate glide into the
open forest, the hunters press in their
spurs. shake up their nags and gallon
after them. If you will look at that
efrarlp1 fr,lnlara ~ Giant 49,. =. -.