New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-01
TRAPPING BIG GAME.

The most dangerous ptIrsufr~fn the world Is
not hunting as Colonel Theodore Roosevelt IS
hunting now, killing his game with an express
rife at distances varying from fifty TO two hum
6red yards. There is another kind OF hunting,
not where one might encounter danger but
where danger is 8 necessary part OF the bust
ness. and facing death and dying part OF the
daily routine.
Few who do this hunting live 70 write of it, or
even 10 tell the tales OF their encounters. There
Gre dozens Of books big game that tell Of
rife hunting expeditions after ivory and spec-
mcns-hunting in which the game is killed But
] do not know Of one book that deals with the
most dangerous, death haunting profession in the
world, in which one must have brutal dlsre-
gard Of hts own safety, In which he must XIII
only as a last extremity-and that is the pro-
fesston OF trapping big game IN Africa.
Amateurs hunt with the rifle for pleasure
They initiate the professional ivory hunters for
the excitement they get out Of IL. but no one
except those IN the business ever undertakes 70
trap big game This is a convincing proof OF
the dangerous nature Of the calling There are
r1en who viii risk almost anything for the de-
lirium Of danger, who will gamble with death
when they have a chance, but African animal
trapping is much like suicide that can
count on ten fingers the men that engage in IT.
capture are lions. They viii fight till they fall
from exhaustion and often till they die II was
on one OF these animals that the hypodermic in
lection was first tried and proved practicable.
our caravan of four hundred men with NIarais
Ct the head. had marched through the swetering
heat for four months into the heart Of the animal
driven the animals inland. and the caravan had
"a follow them through swamps and noun
tains. hacking through the forest. At last we
struck the SpOOr ftraCks) OF our quarry in the
country where the drouth had ceased. The
sh!karees scouting ahead Of the caravan brought
IN news Of lions. Immediately we made plans
20 make a capture. A Wei found. and
around it IN the soft mud. the SpOor OF a lion.
We dug pit about yard from the edge of the
Wet
The pit a rough circle about twelve feet in
diameter and ten feet deep over il spread
Of Of 20 hui rFrrT MI ,fs oil
beeswaNed Around the edge Of the net a
powerful elastic band pegged out with wooden
pins which were driven in the ground at an
angle OF fOrty-fiye degrees. These pins would
give way under heavy blow the middle of
the net. To conceal the net we covered il with
palm leaves and grass.
In r. mean time some of the Kaffirs had gone
10 q native village for bait with which TO lure
the lion into the trap They brought back a
Young goat for which they had paid a few
handfuls OF beads, although for the same price
the chief was kind enough 10 offer child he
had recently captured in a war. / have never
been with party that used a human being as
bait 70 lure lions but I have known this 10 be
done by natives. I have even seen some Of the
brave young negroes volunteer their services as
bait 10 aid in capturing maneater.
These men, when the probable drinking place
az maneater is discovered, will take I'D a posi-
ton at the waters edge and cry through the
might. Initiating the voice Of a child In this
way the lion is drawn into the trap Sometimes
native. wishing TO show his proWess will wait
Till the lion is near and then with nothing bur
hiding place and attack il. The fight is gener-
Ally short and sharp. couple OF blows and II
Is all oVer-the Kaffir or the lion is dead-Cap-
tain Fritz Duquesne in Hampton's