Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-10-07
sporting instincts.


that the big game had be- I'm 10 moye, ard
1 stood ready with both barrels of my
gun cooked"
Almost before could realize it saw a
Zig kangaroo jumping toward me. He
came like cyclone, easily covering from
Is Ia 30 feet at every leap.
Bang!
But my first shot missed,
Then took careful aim with the other
barre, and pulled the trigger just as be
was in front of me. The shot caught him
in vital spot, aud over he rolled and lay
dead.
Before could,load again | was fairly
surrounded with frightened kangaroos.
lIun1reds Of them were in plain sight. 1t
was hard to tell which one TO shoot Mt,
and they were hard to hit, because they
| jumped he. c and there, and bumped into
one another as they looked for safe
place to get through the deadly line of
shooters.
BY this time the kangaroos had got
within range Of all the hunters, and near
~ hundred guns were pouring out a
leaden hail OF death. The banging OF the
guns was As incessent as n battle, and the
field in front was rapidly piling up with
dead kangaroos.
In my position l could not load fast
enough To stop the procession OF bound
ing animals i'm front Of me. kangaroos
were on all sides of me, and kept pouring
out of the forest III front. seemingly IN an
erdl0ss stream | took no shots except
at those that came!near enough for me to
be absolutely sure of killing. Once or
twice stopped to rest, and each time a
kangaroo went past me.
For about an hour this sort of thing
kept up, and then there was "A lull. The
game that was easy to get at had all been
driyen out Of the forest, and the drivers
had to 90 in deeper and scare out the tim
id ones.
The sport now was not exciting, but
there was just as much fun in il. 1t was
more of competition to see who would
kill the most kangaroos. Each hunter
had Dragged his game into something of
a heap, SO that all could see his prowess.
Late i'm The day there was nothing to
shoot but straggers. The drivers had
secured the country, and even gone after
those that had managed to get through
the lines. BY evening | don't believe
there were a dozen kangaroos left in the
district that we had shot over.
When The drivers came up each shooter
gathered his trophies Of the battle, and a
tally was kept Of the number each had
slain. Usually there is a sweepstake on
the limit Of the days shooting, which Of
course goc. TO the "topnoicher." After
drivers aud shooters exchange fluctuations
another drive is arranged, and so on all
day long till the dusk Of evening puts an
end to the days sport.
The number of kangaroos man can
Kill in one of the drives depends largely
ON luck. The game may not come near
one, and another may have all he can DO
to load So, position counts for a
good deal,
On the day when nearly 600 were xii
led, one man scored 81, and another scored
10. Its just as man gets the chance to
shoot.
On such occasions that important
branch of all expeditions, the commssar-
lat is well looked after At this big one,
a large wagon from the homestead had
brought great hampers or tempting viands.
AT shady grove in the ample forest all
hands and the cook spread themselves out
on mother earth and ate and enjoyed the
good things, and drank, without stint
British beer and American lager, and
smoked our pipes and felt as happy and
contcnted as mortal man can.
The carcasses Of the dead kangaroos in
these drives are usually skinned and sold
10 dealers. The bodies arc used for differ,
ent chemical purposes. The hides are
quite valuable, and make shoes Of a fine
quality.
1t was a glorious day. The sun shonC
out brightly, and was not too warm. The
drivers did their work we'll and at tn,
conclusion Of the days sport those of u
who belonged to the house party headeC
our horses for the homestead. The ma
iority of drivers and shooters assembled a
the spacious woodshed, and there. to thu
music Of coEccrtina, played tunefully by
"A sheep shearcr. they danced with the Sc
lecLors daughters, who had come from
far and near To help wind up the Celebra
lions OF the day.
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