Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-03-12
aslisesllaneuus 2eaaing.
AFRICAN HUNTING.
An Englishman Tells of Experience
After Bio Game.

partments were discussing president
Roosevelt's prospective trip to Africa
and the English tourist was an inter
ested listener. 1t was, he admitted
his first visit to the United States, and
he displayed a painful anxiety to learn
all about us and our country. If he
| ever writes a book based upon the in
formation acquired during ten days In
a Pullman between New York and
San Francisco, it will make entertain
ing reading for his fellow travellers
were pleased to tell him all that he
wanted to know, and to add by way
of garnishment any ornamental de-
tails they happened to think of.
There's no use o. talking" said
the passenger from Guthrie, with one
eye on the Englishman. There's
just no use in talkin', our Teddy's got
'em all skinned when it comes to
huntin'. I remember when he was
down in Oklahoma on that wolf hunt.
Me an him got separated from the
crowd one day, when all Of a sudden
/ Va
us and took out across the prairie like
streak o. lightnin'. We went right
after it on the dead run. but we
couldn't make no way until Teddys
horse stuck his foot in a prairie dogs
hole an went down. Mr.. President,
he lit runnin', an he didn't stop to
see what the damage was to his horse.
He JUS KEEP a-goin', and be-doggon-
ed If he didn't run so fas' he overlook
that big lobo wolf, grabbed it by the
hind legs, tumbled it over on its back
an set right down on it. When ]
come up, with my horse all covered
with sweat, he was fannin' himself
with his hat in one hand and writin'
message to congress with the other" "
Wonderfully" exclaimed the Eng
lishman. Really it's almost incred-
ible, don't you know. Sat on the wolf
and wrote a telegram-deucedly clev-
er that Reminds me Of some of the
exploits Of my old friend Fred Sell
GUS"
Who's Fred Selous?" asked the
passenger from Guthrie grumpily.
Why" broke in the red-headed
man in the corner, isn't that the fell
low who is going to show Mr. Roose-
welt the ropes when he gets to Ugan-
da?"
"Of course" answered the English
man. Nobody would think of hunt
ing in Africa without consulting Sell
Gus, don't you know. But as for
Uganda you don't have to hunt. Real
ly you don't. All you need to do is
to find a comfortable place and sit
down and wait. The game will hunt
you. / remember one time-oh, yes,
indeed, I've hunted bit all over AT
rica and bagged some rather big ones
in my time-but as 1 was about to
say, 1 remember one time l was out
on a shooting trip all alone with the
exception of two native boys to carry
my traps. We camped one night near
the bank Of a little river that flowed
into Lake Victoria. Early in the
morning 1 arose and went down to
the stream to take my bath, leaving
my boys still sleeping. The water was
quite cold, but 1 plunged in and was
soon enjoying myself so much that
didn't notice what was going on
around me. was aroused by cry
from my boys, and looking up l saw
them disappear in the jungle. The
cause of the alarm was nearer to me
Standing on the bank were nine lions
all watching me with the greatest in
terest. I turned my head to the other
bank of the stream, and there were
nine more lions, all observing me with
equal curiosity"
Nine on a side, like a baseball
game" remarked the redheaded man
in the corner; must have taken you
for the umpire"
Really, 1 don't know as to that,
said the Englishman, "but it was quite
embarrassing, don't you know, to be
stared at in that way. The lions on
the eft were between me and my
guns and of course didn't have any
kind Of weapon in the water with me
1 swan down the stream a ways,
thinking 1 might get around them,
don't you know, but they strolled down
with me. So then 1 swan back to the
point from which l had started and
they also returned and stood in two
solemn rows as before.
"I didn't know what to do, but
was becoming chilled to the bone and
had to do something. Quite providen-
TALLY, it seems to me, ] thought of a
trick that I had been told was quite
common among you Americans and
resolved to try 1t. l rushed suddenly
out of the water with a great deal OF
splashing and shouting. This unex-
pected move naturally startled the
lions and they turned as If to retreat
At the same moment 1 caught the
largest lion by the tail and began to
twist it. And 1 twisted with all my
might; 1 really did. The lion did not
roar-he screamed. 1 never heard
such a deuced lot of noise in my life
as he made. 1t frightened all the
other lions half to death and they
scampered away as fast as they could
go. Then 1 turned the big lion loose
and jumped for my guns, expecting
him to put up a bit Of a fight. But
he tucked his tail between his legs
and went off squealing like kicked
puppy. 1 didn't have the heart to
shoot him; really didn't
The picture of an Englishmar
twisting the lions tail was highly en-
tertaining to the red headed man in
the corner, but the passenger from
Guthrie was dissatisfied.
whats all this got to do with that
fellow Selous you was talkin' about?'
he demanded.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all, 1 as
sure you," responded the Englishman
II mentioned that little incident mere
ly to show the frequency of big game
in Uganda Selous would never have
done anything so commonplace as