Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-28

L
may sight a rhinoceros standing
sleepily under clump of mimosa-
thorn, with the rhinoceros birds keep
ing watch on his neck; an animal so
strangely blind that you can crawl
unperceived within a few yards Of
him, yet so keen scented that II he
| gets your wind he may come crushing
furiously out Of the bush and scat
ter your caravan almost before you
have realized his presence.
In the big green reed covered
swamp there is the huge African buff
falo wallowing in the mud, coming out
morning and evening to feed In the
open; he is when wounded, perhaps
the most vicious and dangerous of all
African game. And IL fortune is kind
you may sight big herd Of ele-
plants on the march, forming a su-
perb spectacle with their high mass
i've head, huge, towering bodies, long
white tusks. and gigantic. Tapping
ears. They jog along over the plain
In. long single file. all superbly indif-
ferent to everything around, tramp
ing straight ahead through or over
all obstacles, swaying their great
| trunks.
The greatest excitement, Of course,
comes in an encounter with danger
Gus game. There is the thrilling con-
sciousness of danger when you fol-
low a lion through long grass, catch
ing only bare glimpse Of him as he
bounds along, hearing now and then
a sullen growl Of anger, but never
knowing exactly where ne is, wheth-
er still retreating. or lying In wait
for a sudden spring when you come
within reach. His tawny skin blends
perfectly with the color Of the dry
grass. and the first clear sight you
get of him may be at few yards
distance, as he stands crouching for
attack. his powerful body quivering
with rage, his head set low upon his
chest. He looks the embodiment Of
threatening ferocity, with his fierce
open mouth. cruel teeth and savage
eyes. as he snarls and growls with
maddened fury, twisting his tail
ominously, or raising 1t stiffly above
his back. as he does when about TO
charge.
A beast fully as dangerous, and Of
ten harder to kill, is the buffalo. You
come perhaps on his spoor in the
midst of thick bush. and II the ground
is at all soft his heavy weight and
deeply marked feet leave trail that
is easily seen. You follow it eagerly
as 1t winds up and down. knowing
from the fresh impress that the beast
cannot be far OF, your fingers Itch
ing on the trigger. your eyes striving
to pierce the density Of the branches
around; and then, perhaps, as you
are growing weary and losing hope,
your men suddenly scatter on every
side, leaping like monkeys up the
prickly bushes, and the buffalo
crashes furiously out Of the under
growth where you least expect to
see him.
Thrilling, too, is the stalking Of
rhinoceros and elephants. Rhinoce-
roses are usually found on the plains
OF in the more open bush, but ele-
plants must often be followed In the
depth Of the forest, where the tang
led foliage produces the dim gloom
of cavern, adding a strange ghostly
feeling to the sense of the risk that
must be faced. Both rhinoceros and
elephant are furnished with very
thick hides and wonderful tenaclty OF
life; they are very difficult to kill
with q frontal shot, so that 1t is wise,
II possible, to get the first shot into
the brain or heart by creeping close
up to them before attempting to
shoot. The danger involved Is some-
what lessensd by the fact that they
cannot see clearly over fifteen or
twenty yards, but on the other hand
a slight shift In the wind may bring
them charging down on you.
You crawl onward with wary
stealth, watching the wind anxiously,
wondering as you gain the cover OF a
tuft Of grass IL you cca ever hope to
cross the next open patch unperceiv-
ed; lying motionless, hardly daring
to breathe Il the animal seems to
grow suspicious. feeling as you look
at his huge bulk that you are ridic-
ulously puny and feeble, and that your
powerful Express rifle is little more
a. an a pop-gun, and longing for the
! moment for the crack Of the rife to
break ~ . silence and dissolve the un-
easy tension that the long stalk and
wait can hardly fail to produce.
The most critical and thrilling ex-
| perience is the following up Of a saw
age wounded beast driven desperate
by pursuit and maddened by It's hurt.
Then risks must be taken and must
be met by unceasing vigilance and
wariness and perhaps the moment
may come when you have to face the
nerve shaking charge Of the furious
animal, when there is no time for
thought or calculation, and your life
depends on your capacity for instant
decision, and quick and accurate
shooting. A successful day after
dangerous game is not day that you
| forget.
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