Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08


west Of the safari in hope of seeing roam, l
sighted a topi wearing what looked to me a rec
ord pair of horns. The best could do was to
get a three hundred and ffty-yard shot; but
down he tunlbled and, after several inefect ual
efforts to rise, lay still. Having learned nothing
yet from experience. turned to call up my
Size and mule. only to be mud ed by my gun
bearer, who pointed out a cleaning russell
flank disappearing into the bush.
Quickly Habia picked up the blood stained
trail For three hours we followed it; but never
once had he lain down, and only once, from a
hilltop. did sight him with my glasses droop-
ing slowly along in the valley beneath u.s. BY
the time we could climb down he was gone
gone for good, as the blood flow had stopped and
he had reached a maze of trails made by other
bucks.
Trophies Stolen by Leopard
SWINGING to bear off toward Toroni's. we
had not gone half-mlle before | sighted
real prize, a Lichtenstein hartebeest bull fine
big old chap. On this fellow took no chances
and rained lead into him until he collapsed and
lay still, and at that it took five nine-mm. soft
nose Mauser bullets to do the work. notw1th-
standing the first in the shoulder and the
second fair center chest shot. His horns were
nineteen inches on the outer curve, seven inches
in spread. ten and three-quaTters inches at base
while from tip of nose to tip of horns he meas
ured thirty and one-half inches.
But like many another hard won, dear loved
treasure the fates refuse to spare one, my
ownership of the Lichtensten SO brief that
| scarcely had time to get well acquainted with
it. That night the head skin was carefully re-
moved and skull and under jaw cleaned. the
skin sheltered from the dew, and the jaw and
skull and horns placed top of one of the
boys grass huts. six feet from the ground.
within circle of bush no more than thirty feet
in diameter, close about which at least a dozen
of us were sleeping the only gap between huts
and tents being filed in by the tethered mules.
our two docs lolling among u.s.
During the night nothing unusual happened,
except that my boy Salem, sleeping near the
mess fire and next the hut that held the tro-
phes. awakened toward morning, heard near at
hand soft leopard purr. and, looking about.
saw pair of glowing eyes taking in the camp:
but the two three flrebrands he threw at it
sent it scampering away, and shortly he dozed
off again.
But when morning came the Lichtenstein
skull and horns were gone,-gone for good, not
outstanding all my pOrterS and lot OF IOronlS
Masa were out all day searching grass and bush
for them,-gone in spite of the fact that the
skull stripped clean of meat except tiny
clinging fragments that, altogether would
scarcely surfeit a mouse,-.apparently filched
by the leopard out of sheer devment, for about
the boys fires were many sticks loaded with
cooked meat of the DAYS ki-or perhaps he
had tasted their cooking and dsapproved it.
That it was the leopard certain, for no
tracks but his were found near camp
Thus still remain the possessor of fine
Lichtenstein under jaw and head skin; but
fear | shall always lack a skull and pair of
horns to fit it.
Nothing Safe from Hycnas
INDEED, in the African bush one cannot be
too careful of anything he values, else he IS
sure sooner or later to fall a victim of one or
another of the night marauders of the jungle.
While most of the night providers are after meat
alive or dead, to the hyena all is fish that enters
his et,-boots leggings, or gun cases are to him
attractive types of entrees while brides, sad
dies, or curing hides substantial pieces that
he appears to adore. Really, after learning, on
wholly trustworthy authority of an incident of
the Joint Anglo-German Boundary Survey four
years ago, | am puzzled to fancy what can be
safe against mighty hyena Jaws
One evening, Hauptmann Schlebach, the inn
perial German Commissioner, had some meat
cut up on the lid of fifty-pound chop box that
stood Immediately before the door of his tent.
In the morning the box gone; but search
soon discovered deeply imprinted hyena
tracks, which, followed, led to the missing chop
box, lying eighty yards outside the camp, its
lid licked clean. deep teeth marks at one corner
showing how it had been lifted and carried.
.inothey Of Mr.. Bronson's hunting stories.
".Snrronnded by Wild Elephants" uiH appear
Sunday after newt.