The Red Cloud chief., 1901-01-04
To Be Protected by
Powers of
Europe.


utter q sound under any circumstances,
even when wounded, As a runner II Is
famous, and only a good horse can
ovcrtake 1t.
Tho EIaDd nearly Extinct.
The Gland IL threatened with cx-
tinction largely because of its great
size. II is the biggest of all the ante
lopes, being almost as large as a cow
and Is slow and clumsy compared with
most OF It's congeners. Its flesh being
very good to eat, 1t has been much
hunted on that account. Already 1t Is
exterminated in cape Colony, Natal. the
Orange Free State and the Transvaal.
In the Kalahari desert there are still
a good many of these animals. and Oc-
c~asionally herds of them wander out
Of this desolate retreat In search OF a
certain kind of bush, the leaves of
which they are very-fond OF. In the
desert a small wild melon containing
"a considerable quantity OF water
grows plentifully, and 1t is supposed
that this serves to assuage the thirst
Of the Glands and CRATES In the hot
and dry season.
The brindled gnu is another large
antelope. and is one of the most re-
markable ant interesting quadrupeds
of South Africa. From the front II
looks somewhat like a small *, and
from the real like a horse. The Hot
tentots call II Baas, meaning master,
on account Of It's bold and fierce bear
ing. II has a near relative called the
white-tailed gnu. and both species for
merry inhabited In enormous multi
lures the grassy plains north Of the
Vaal river. After the summer rains
zach year they advanced in large herds
as far as the southern branches OF the
Orange river. and on reaching that
stream the white-tailed gnus would
cross over into Cape Colony. to be
slaughtered In great numbers by hunt-
ers. For some reason unknown the
brindled gnu never passed the river.
The brindled gnu Is now extremely
scarce in the Transvaal and practical
ly extinct in the Orange Free State, 1t
Is still met with in B"echuanaland,
along the edge Of the Kalahari desert,
and In some other localities. Owing
to the open character Of the country
In which It lives, II is one OF the most
difficult beasts to stalk. II has suf-
fered greatly from the cattle disease
which. while causing such loss OF do
mesticated beasts. has wiped out i'm
mense numbers OF game animals OF
many kinds in South Africa. includ-
ing CRATES and Glands.
The African elephant. though not
yet on the verge OF extinction, can not
long escape determination unless pro
tected In some way. Within the past
few years the demand for ivory has
greatly increased, and IL Is reckonet
that each t,welvemonth 100. 900 OF thu
giant pachyderms are slain to suppl,
the market with this commodity, TIL,
African elephant grows a foot higher
than the Asiatic pachyderm. At birth
1t weighs 225 pounds and its aver
age length of life IL so years. A pail
vi NuShH Iiph a. run tA'"h pNuo' VIZ
weigh 225 pounds.
Elephant Must Bc Protected.
There were formerly in South Africa
three very interesting animals related
to the horse-the Quagga, the noun
tain zebra. and Burchell's zebra. Only
80 years 4 the quagga roamed In i'm
mense herds in the lowlands Of Capt
Colony. II was easily tanned and might
have furnished a domestic quadrupet
most useful to man; but II was ruth.
lessly shot down and exterminated foi
the sake NJ its hide, and now 1t is be.
lieved that not a single specimen sur
wives in the world. The mountain re
bra. formerly so abundant in th'
mountainous parts of Cape Colony tina
II was called the common zebra" |,
now very rare. The few survivors
protected by law from hunters. seel
the widest and most sequestere,
spots, and. being fleet OF foot, are yer!
difficult to approach. Burchell's zebri
has been to some extent domesticated
and Is used in coach teams.