The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-06

Hters close in on the exhausted rabbit and catch 1t by hand. in many eases bringing if in alive to show that It was caught fairly. Savage and fero- cious as they are, these aborigines have nevertheless the true sporting instinct of fair play, which deems 1t discredit- able to take game animals without giving them chance to escape or or defence.
 Deer are also captured by Seri In- dians on foot and in much the same manner as the youngsters catch jack rabbits. Usually several are required to capture a deer by running, scatter ing at sight of the quarry. surround ing it gradually, bewildering the frightened animal by confronting 1t at all points, and finally closing in and seizing 1t with the hands. But Pros lessor McGee relates an instance where he witnessed a single seri capture a deer alive.
 The savage had left the ranch where Professor McGee was visitor, saying that the spirit of catching a deer had come upon him and promis- ing to bring in the animal to the ranch alive.
 Two hours later the host and his guest were astonished to see the Seri huntsman driving in a full grown
 
 this way and that on approaching the dwelling place, but the hunter kept it under control. heading it off at ev- cry turn and relentlessly working 1t nearer, until at a sudden turn he rush.
 ed upon 1t and caught it. He whirled
 the animal over his brawny shoul-
 ders and carried 1t into the ranch house. while the beast kicked and struggled to be free.
 ny, WinF1 prnfAaGnr Mo Gees host offered a horse to the Seri | band. which was camped in a friendly proximity to his ranch in one of ths rare intervals of peace between them and the ranoheros, on condition that a single member of the band should catch 1t within fixed distance from the gateway of the corral. His offer | was accepted promptly. To make the l test of fleetness a fair one vaquero ! went into the corral to start the horse running around the enclosure, while a
 hoy stood by the gate ready to drop the bars when the horse attained a good speed.
 when It had reached it's best speed
 the bars were dropped. the horse dash
 ed through the open gateway and out for the plains. Before the brute had reached the two hundred yard limit,
 however, the Seri had overtaken it., leaped upon its withers and thrown 1t
 to the ground, breaking it's neck in- stantly:
 The last instance adduced by Mir. McGes showing the marvellous fleet ness and endurance of these primitive
 savages has a note of pathos, as snow inE the worldwide and world-old mo- ther of love existing even In one of the
 mothers of this degraded tribe. This
 same host of the scientist had left
 the ranch house one morning with some attendants for Hermisille, leav-
 ing behind them, among others. Seri
 woman with a sick infant about a
 year old.
 In the evening the ohilds condition grew worse and the mother, beoom- ing alarmed, took the trail Of the white man about dusk that she might obtain medicine from the senor for her
 baby. At dawn next morning she had overtaken the travellers forty-flve miles from the ranch. bearing on her back her baby and jack rabbit which
 she had run down and caught on her
 journey and now brought es a peace ! offering.
 But with the great physical propor-
 tfons and the fieetness. endurance and power those physical proportions give | him. the catalogue of the Seri's excel | fences begins and ends. He has nc mind above the grosser and less in- telIigent animals; he lacks almost all the lovable qualities of the domesti, 1 beasts. The tribe have hereditary hat | of all aliens. To sbed alien blood fl | in their sight the most Virtuous of ac- lions. To transmit their own blood | into the veins of foreign person on | the other hand is the blackest oi | crimes, and to kill stranger is con | sidered as right and as matter oi course as the killing of a venomoui serpent.