The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-04-23

abound. A flock of vultures, soar
ing In the air, tells OF lion roam
ing on the dusty lain. These birds
wait to pick the bones of the lions
kill. The country is alive with them.
but few fear them as they give man
wide birth at all times. Only
when wounded and escape is dis
puted will the king Of beasts show
fight. All through the night the cry
of the lion may be heard in this
territory, and 1t is no uncommon
thing for party Of these beasts to
sit out side of house all night and
roar. Skins Of lions that have not
been SCARED in combat with foes or
torn In breaking through the thorny
underbrush are rare. Having OBJ
tanned q good lion skin the hunters
guard 1t carefully from the rayages
Of the white ant, which will destroy
skin In night. The lion prefers
the plain where his yellow hide does
not contrast with the brush and nm
dergrowth.
In point Of danger the natives OF
this territory regard the buffalo
herds as the most dangerous to en-
coulter, and where travelling
party Of porters will scarce notice
the roars Of lion, the sounds OF q
buffalo herd will send them into a
panic. This much dreaded beast Is
tricky and brave, and a huntsman
needs all his skill to- make his kill.
Wounded, the buffalo resorts to
ruse Of retreating into the brush,
tempting the huntsman to follow
him. Wheeling suddenly about,
the wounded animal charges the on
coming hunter who, unless he sends
a bullet into the brain OF the beast,
10 most likely to be gored and tram
pied to death under the animars
hoofs. In hunting the buffalo 1t is
customary for the hunter to post
his shikaris in the tree tops to in
form him Of the trail Of the beast.
The hunting Of elephants is much
restricted in the territory which the
Roosevelt party will cover, and me
killing Of these mammoth is regarded
as little less than slaughter. Mod
ern rifles make the killing of ele-
plants easy to accomplish, and with
out much danger to the hunter.
Hunting for hippopotamii is also
limited, as the animal is hard to
locate, and is only found in remote
places along the rivers and lakes.
The hippo" is timid and not con-
sidered dangerous unless his escape
to the water is cut off or he is wound
ed.
The "rhinop is very near-sighted.
but is possessed with remarkable
sense Of smell and acute hearing; in
fact, his attack is entirely guided by
these senses. Seeming danger from
afar the Infatuated animal charges
in a straight linz, trampling down
underbrush and small trees in his
path as il he were making a trail
through nothing more than flower
garden. Caught in the whirlwind
rush, native hunters sometimes
stand still, hoping the animal will
mistake them for a tree and pass on,
which the beast not infrequently
does. The charging animal can
only be halted with well directed
bullet through the eye or heart.
1t is expected that the American
party will make every effort to bag
the much discussed white rhinoceros,
which has been killed off from his
original range in British East Africa.
Besides "rhinos," buffalos and other
large animals, the hunting game in
cludes giraffes leoards, zebras and
antelopes. The antelopes Of Africa
are most interesting from a hunts
mans viewpoint, as they are extreme
ly difficult to shoot, very shy and
quick, 1t requires an unerring aim
to bring them down, and only the
best shots are successful.
In this rare hunting ground the
American party Will find three spe-
cies of the hartebeest, the oryx, the
sable antelope, the roam antelope,
the oribi, the lesser reed buck, the
water buck, the steinbuck, the
Gland, the greater and lesser kubdu.
the gnu and the bushbuck. ALL
these various species of antelopes
have keenly developed escaping
faculties. Water hogs, jackals, hy-
enas, together with host Of cranes,
buzzards and other feathered va
rieties, all help swell the population