Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-18

Il rem, on the middle Amazon river,
that had my first experience in hunt
ing deer at night. / had begun my
breakfast when Captain Valdez, my
host, entered with:
Something which promises us a lit
tie sport happened last night. Jose, my
hunter, says that herd OF deer was
in the cornfield."
81 suppose they eat great DEAL"
remarked
"Eat!" he replied. "They would be
welcome to all they could eat. They
play and dig and dust themselves and
roll like horses in the soft soil, which
they cannot find in the forest. We'll
go up after breakfast and you shall
see for yourself. Now they have found
1t, they will keep coming while any
corng is left standing"
Taking along two men with axes and
a coil of rope, we crossed the creek,
where the Valdez home stands, and
after going short distance through
the woods came to the hili, whicn
looked more like man-made rampant
than any natural mound. 1t was as
steep as gravel banks can be made to
stand, and covered with dense growth
of bushes and small trees. A marrow
road cut into this embankment wound
upward, often doubling upon itself, ana
led us to an abrupt shoulder at the top
which stood more than 400 feet above
the level of the surrounding country.
was amazed at what lay before me
fifteen-or twenty acres of cultivated
land. level as a prairie, where were
growing many familiar garden vege-
tables and as many more of which
knew neither the name nor use. A lit
tie cluster of tool sheds and cattle
stalls stood near where our road en-
tered this garden spot.
Prairie on Mountain Top
"How in the world did this bit of
prairie get up here on the top of a
Brazilian mountain" I asked.
II can only tell you what the wise
men say about hundreds of similar
hills, which extend along the river for
a hundred miles. They generally be-
lieve them to have been part of the
plateau north of the Amazon, sep
arated by the action of the river. III
water could be found they would make
The best possible sites for our homes.
Crossing the "roca" to the cornf1eld
we found circular spot some thirty
feet across, where there was not stalk
of corn left standing; the ground had
been dug up and leveled again by the
deer rolling and dusting-apparently
great luxury, as no broken ground can
be found in the woods.
pretty bad for a first visit, but now
that they've found it, unless they're
stopped more will come, until there's
not a stalk left standing said the
captain, as he led US by the path they
had made to the edge of the woods,
where there was a cart track running
back into the heavy timber. We fel=
lowed this until we reached q spot
where it was more open. Here we
are" he exclaimed. Nov, boys, cut
a strdng pole that will reach from one
of these to the other" indicating as he
spoke two small trees, one upon either
side of the road. While they were away
on this errand the captain explained
his plans to me.
1.-THE deer entered the field here; they
will continue to do SO until stopped.
A queer thing about them is that while
more than half that are killed are
caught by oncas which drop upon
them from overhanging trees or limbs,
as they pass along their paths, the
stupid creatures, though SO alert and
watchful in other ways, have never
learned to look for danger higher than
their own heads. If they don't wind
them they'll walk under man or a
jaguar, or a boa constructor. though
not more than six feet above the
ground, however plainly in sight-pro-
Vided only no movement draws atten-
ton and startles them. Today the wind
in blowing toward the corn from tho
woods. If 1T holds that way our chance
is good.
"I shall lash pole between those
trees, about fifteen feet from the
ground. On this shall hang two ham,
mocks, giving head room enough be-
tween them so that both of us can see
ana shoot. AS soon as 1t begins to get
dark we'll climb to our vantages and
wait for our game"
Procuring a light ladder from the
tool house the pole was dashed in place
and the hammocks hung. Last of all,
a small rope was tied to the top of the
ladder, by which to draw 1t up AMI
lower 1t when we were at our posts.
Prey Was Unsuspecting
won't the mosquitoes eat us up?"
asked
"There are none on these hill-teps-
too far from the pools where they
breed" was the reply.
Just at sunset Valdez and took each
: rife and blanket ut is cool on these