Evening star., 1909-05-23

across the border were getting worse and
worse.
To cut my story short however. and
get down to a fast series of sngle-hand-
ed leopard kills. after following the dra-
soons up as far MafekIns To no pur-
pose, | returned to Kimberley and the
Orange river I conceived the idea of
constructing raft and thus transporting
my few necessary effects, camping on the
banks as inclination led me. or as fam
cied the locality favored sport | had had
too much experience among floating logs
while numbering in America not to fesl
at home al this kind of work, and all
in all. though l did not travel far, spent
one of the most exciting trips | ever had.
All along either side of this fine river
in a wide belt of .Wait-a bit thorns and
bush timber. which lovely green bee
ties played in great profuSion, | caught
numbers. every one 1f which brought me
In I'd in Cape Town. for jewelry purposes.
] had seen beetles set up III a similar
fashion I'm Rio de Jaueiro and 50 had
eye TO possible business: as also, we
used TO get alligators' teeth down III .Nia-
bama and Florida. but these creatures
have got scarce now that it hardly
pays - hunt them.
Having got everything fixed on my raft,
and as the river hereabouts was familiar
to me, ] had difficulty in making a
landing. as l had proposed some twenty
miles further down, passing the ford t.
Hope Town my way. Among other
things I had with me a hammock and
a poncho which l had used out in the
Banda Orientale, both of which. beSidnS
being of the greatest use. went into very
small compass. After taking a cup of
coffee without milk and snack or two of
-hnL
my carbine beside me and my dog curl
ed up at my feet to be lulled TO sleep
by sounds as familiar as those heard on
a summer day at home.
AS the sun rose 1t speedily dissipated
the river mist, and little way out on
the veldt and beyond the timber it was
as sultry as ever could spy some
small specks away to the southwark, and
AS fresh bit of venison would be an
agreeable change / started after what |
knew would furnish me Herewith, If |
could manage to circumvent them. This
was not particularly difficult. for l could
keep myself covered by one ant-hill or
another. and 1 got my buck all right,
sending the rest bounding away with tre-
mendous jumps.
The ominous darkening Of the horizon
had not escaped my notice. but almost be-
fore l was aware of 1t the hot sand came
stinging like so much small shot against
my face. In such cases the only thing to
be done is to throw yourself flat on your
chest and hold your breath till the hot
blast has blown over. The sandstorm
did not last many minutes, but the thun-
derstorm Immediately burst in such way
as il only does in South Africa, and L
speak from experience both of this as well
as other parts of the world. 1t was over
almost as soon as IT came. and Tor a
short space the sandy veldt looked like a
sheet of water. which. however, was
sucked up in no time. the sun bursting
forth in all its splendor and drying me.
drenched as l was. before l could get my
buck back 10 camp
After sknning my buck and making the
hind portions into nam and getting a
meal of fresh meat 1 set out along the
bank of the river to see If | could hit
upon any leopard spoor. ! had not gone
far before | came to the remnants of a
porcupne. Leopards appear to have a
great partialty for the flesh of these ami
mails. and they are common enough
along the Orange river 1t doubtless ac-
counts for the presence of their perse-
cutors. j hunted for the rest of the day
without finding any more signs. although
! felt satisfied that there We're some
leopards In the neighborhood. so l could
only postpone my search until the mcr-
row. In the morning / got afioat once
more. and dropped about four miles down
to the place l had turned back from the
day before This did not occupy long.
and I was soon fast again in KIND OF
backwater, with my traps once more on
dry land. I was eager to follow up the
leopard which I was confident had gone
down, not up, the river; indeed, | had
hardly proceeded a quarter OF mile be
fore found pug marks. and quite fresh
ones too where he had gone down to
drink This time the heavy rains had
not washed all trace of spoor and scent
away, and my dog was able to pick it up
easily. Seeing that my carbine was all
right and everything in Its place to my
hand, followed Snap with some diff
Guilty, for I did not want him to come to