The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-07-21

~ The most dangerous hunting oc-
ours when n attempts to capture his
animal alive. Many animals, harm
hess and timid under ordinary circum-
stances, become demons when cap
tured. The mildest looking antelope
will put up a fierce fight when once
over it's first fright; the ostrich Will
kick a man to pieces, raining It's
blows with lightning-like rapidity.
do not know one African animal that
can be called cowardly.
l was commissioned by a German
naturalist society to capture n OF
each species of African Quadrumana.
= A German professor accompanied me
on my expedition, which set forth in
a direct line from Oar es Salaam.
Arriving at a Belgian army post, a
pygmy prisoner told US where we
could find a gorilla, and an hours
travel from the post brought us to
the place where the animal made its
home. Beaters went out in all d.
rections searching for the gorilla. At
4 last some deep, wide scratches were
II found on a cluster o. vines. IN close
4 examination the unmistakable hair
of the gorilla was found on a broken
twig. After some hours We found the
tree where the gorilla lived. We
could tell it by the greasy appearance
of the bark, made so by the repeated
rubbing of the gorilla's body. We
could tell by the fresh marks, with
sap still wet, that the animal had
recently assembled the tree. The
scratches were short and deep, show
ing that it had lifted itself up and
did not slide down, which would have
made a long, shallow scratch.
We spread a strong net around the
tree in a circle sloping upward on the
outer side. Around the top there
were drawn ropes from four direc-
lions held by half a dozen natives
hidden in the bush. These were to
bring the top of the net together and
thus bag u game.
After waiting some hours the
leaves above rustled and then opened,
as a six foot male gorilla descended
unsuspectingly and entered the trap.
I ~signalled, the four ropes were pulled
at once, and we had our animal-for
q moment. He roared in fury, twist
Ing, jumping and biting the rope into
pieces. The natives were pulled
about like dolls as he tried to reach
first one and then another. The pro-
lessor jumped about in excitement,
trying to focus a camera on the in
furiated animal.
At last the mighty arms of the
gorilla broke a hole through the net,
and he tore the rest from him as
though it were a rotten rag. Most of
the natives fled in dismay. The pro-
lessor dropped his camera and tried
to escape; in a moment the gorilla
seized him in its terrible hands.
seized my rifle and fired in the air
to brighten the animal. In my posi-
ton 1 could not shoot at him without
hitting my friend. For a moment the
gorilla stood still, holding the now
unconscious man as though he were
a baby, the brute's lips drawn back
from his glistening teeth. I thrust
another cartridge in my rifle. AS I
did so there was a buzz in the air,
and an arrow, shot by a native,
pierced the gorilla's side. A roar
burst from his red throat and he
dropped his victim. Like a fash, be-
fore I could shoot, a native sprang
FrNro tho 1aoy-oc ond ha1f thrnutnn
half thrusting, drove an assagai into
the gorilla's heart. With a groan
the brute fell dead.
Examining the professor, I found
that his right arm was broken and
that some of his ribs were crushed
into his lungs. We gave up the effort
to get a live gorilla, and, placing the
Injured man in a hammock, carried
him back toward the East Coast. He
died on the road.
On Trail of a Lion.
One day, just as the blue haze Of
morning was lifting from the forest,
I saw a flock of vultures sailing in
the air and %swooping from time to
time. l knew there was dead meat
somewhere near. I started out in
search. In a quarter of an hour,
right under where the vultures were
circling, I heard the crunching of
bones in a clump of rocks half hidden
in the high grass. There was that
unmistakable sound of some large
animal eating and tearing flesh.
After m%aneuvring for some time I
came across a wide trail of crushed,
blood stained grass, showing that
some large animal must have been
dragged. No animal but a lion could
drag a body big enough to make such
a large trail.
Cautiously approaching the rocks,
I heard the animals satisfied growls
and saw the ravenous vultures, hook
beaked and hungry eyed, perched on
the points of vantage, awaiting their
chance to swoop down. I had to be
careful, for if the vultures gave the
danger signal, all chance of getting
the game would be lost. After crawl
ing a few yards further I got a peep
haTupeD tho roofs Tyino damn with