The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-12-18
Albert H. Modrick.

connected with Lincoln park" said
Animal Keeper Randolph Schillings
whose hunting experiences are such
as to make President Roos evelt's
feats see mtame, 81 was in the old
world hunting wild beasts in the
Businesses Of the steppe, and never
to be forgotten by me are the hours
which spent in 1899 following the
track of IA lions. l had never be-
fore met such a number of lions in
one troop. The impressions made
by the mighty paws of the animals
were clearly defined in the fine dust
which covered the dry ground-an
expressive writing for the we'll
trained hunter.
There is a strange fascination,
as may be supposed, in following
the traces of wild beasts into the
Businesses of the steppe, in the case
of my tracking the Ia lions this
eagerness was alloyed with a
goodly amount of anxiety. Ones
imagination loves to picture the
possible situation and outcome
which the pursuit of the beasts may
bring about. So did mine on that
occasion.
Having reached the top of hill
| saw the lions resting among the
rocks in the shade of some locust
trees. But, alas!-or, perhaps,
should l not rather say fortunately
the animals withdrew from sight
as soon as they had become aware
of my presence. l often had similar
experiences that the lions were SO
nea rand yet so far.
zone of the most blood-stirring
adventures l had was with a leo.
pard near Pangani, when | set out
on my journey into the interior in
| the same year. | had gone back
to town, accompanied by but one
man, and, returning toward evening
to my camp, my attention was
drawn to a tree on which a crowd
of balloons were shrieking with all
their might.
at may not be generally known,
but, since monkeys are preyed on
by the leopard, concluded that the
! balloons were directing their wrath
against one of the stealthy cats in
a nearby thicket.
81 penetrated a few feet into the
jungle, when something ahead OF
me began to move, while the mon
keys followed in the tops Of the
trees. The thicket grew less dense
and | soon found myself on the
edge of a ravine, when l saw, about
80 feet away, a strong leopard drag,
glng half grown DaDO0n.
81 raised my rifle, but before
| could fire the beast had dropped
the monkey and escaped with
mighty leap into the ravine.
at is very hard to hit fleeing
leopard-it is surely better for the
| h,,v, 70 mic a
merely to wound it, as a wounded
leopard is a most dangerous en-
envy when it turns and charges the
hunter; it's movements are as quick
as lightning, hardly allowing one
to take aim. Although | knew this
from personal experience, and al
though | had made up my mind tc
shoot leopards only under most
favorable conditions, always
yielded to the temptation whenever
| got a chance to shoot.
"On one occasion my foolharIi
ness brought me within an inch OF
losing my life. noticed in the
sand of the steppe the track Of q
leopard dragging its prey. They
led me to the high bank of a ravine
washed out by rain. | went al
around it and found the animal had
not left it. Soon made out the
leopard lying with it's prey, small
antelope, in a hole under the roots
of a tree.
but the beast had noticed me
also, and, leaving its prey behind
tried to steal away, at the same
moment | fired. A trail Of bloodt
proved that | had hit the animal
but had not killed it.
Going along the high and steer
embankment, noticed the beas
covering half hidden by the roots
of a tree, the distance between US
being about Is feet At the same
moment that | raised my rifle t.
take a telling shot, the leopard
leaped toward me quick as light
ming. | saw the beast clawing thu
edge of the ravine and almos
| III f11t