Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-10
ALONC AFRICAN CANE TRAILS
Theodore Roosevelt's Experience
Hunting the Big Beasts.
sURvvArs OF THE ELDER WORLD
effect ~ suniinht on shs CoIors ~
Animals in the wtids--stop-
pins the Wush of
aio.

/ WI NNNNN must ENAtN fAAAANAN Nht'NNt"f
and most naturalists believed m the ex-
istence Of two species of prehensiie-lpped,
or so-cailed black" rhlnoceros one with
the front horn much the longer one with
the rear horn at least equal 20 the front
II was selous slneularly clear-sighted
ana keen observer. who frat proved con-
clusiveiy that the difference was purely
imaginary. Now, the curious thing Is that
these experienced hunters usually attributed
entirely different tempersments 10 these
two imaginary species. The frat kind, that
with tile long front horn. they described
az a miracle OF dangerous ferocity, and the
second as comparatively mild and in
offensive: and these veterans CDrummond
Is an instance) persuaded themselves that
this was true, although they we're writing
In each case OF identically the same ami
mali sss
survivals Of the Elder world.
Soon sfterward we made out three rhlno
mile away. They were out In the bare
plain, alternately grazing and enjoying a
noontide rest; the bull by himself the COW
with her calf a quarter Of a mile off There
was not a scrap Of cover. but we walked up
wind 70 within $50 yards OF the bull. Even
then he did not seem 10 see us. but the tick
birds. which we're clinging to his back
and Sides gave the alarm, and he trotted
70 and fro, uncertain as 20 the cause Of
the disturbance. II Heller had not had
his hands full with the giraffes might
have shot the bull rhino; but his horn and
bulk OF body, though fair, we're not re-
niarkable. and did not molest him. He
went toward the COW, which left her calf
and advanced toward him In distinctly
bellicose style: then she recognized him,
her calf trotted up. and the three animals
stood together, tossing their heads, aud
evidently trying to make out what was
near them. But we were down wind and
they do not see well, with their little
twinkling pig eyes. We were anxious not
TO be charged by the COW and calf as her
horn, was very poor, and II would have
been unpleasant to be obliged to shoot her;
and so we drew off.
Next day, when Kermit and / were out
alone with our gun bearers we saw another
rhino a bull. with a stubhy horn. This
rhino like the others of the neighborhood,
was enjoying his MONDAY rest. In the open,
miles from cover. Look at him." said
Kermit. standing there in the middle
OF the African plain. deep in prehistoric
thought" Indeed the rhinoceros does seem
like survival from the elder world that
has vanished; he was in place in the
pliocene; he would not have been out Of
place in the miocene; but nowadays he can
only exist at all in regions that have Jagged
behind. while the rest Of the world, for
good or for evil, has gone forward. -
stopping a Charging Lion.
The lion stopped and lay down behind a
bush; jumping Off took a shot at him at
200 yards, but only wounded him slightly
in one paw, and after a moments sulIen
hesitation off ne went, lashing his tail.
We mounted our horses and went after
him; Tarlton lost sight OF him, but
marked him lying down behind grassy
ant hill. Again we dismounted at a dis
tance of 900 yards; Tarlton telling me that
now he was sure to charge. In all East
Africa there is no man, not even Cunning
hame himself, whom 1 would rather have
by me than Tarlton IL in difficulties with
charging lion; on this occosian, however,
am glad to say that HIS rifle was badly
sighted, and shot altogether too low.
Again knelt and fired; but the mass OF
hair on the lion made me think he was
nearer than he was, and / undershot. in
flieting a flesh wound that was neither
oripilng nor fatal. He was already grunting
savagely and tossing his tail erect, with
his head held low; and at the shot the
great sinewy beast came toward us with
the speed OF a greyhound. Tarlton then,
very properly, fired, for lion hunting is no
child's play, and II Is not good to run
risks. Ordinarily It is a very mean thing
to experience Joy at a friends miss; but
this was not an ordinary case, and l felt
keen delight when the bullet from the
badiy-slghted rifle missed. striking the
ground many yards short. I was sighting
carefully. from my knee, and I knew had
the lion all right; for though he galloped
at a great pace. he came on steadily-ears
laid back, and uttering terrific coughing
grunts-and there was now no question Of
making allowance for distance nor, as he
was out In the open, for the fact that he
had not before been distinctly visible The
bead Of my foresight was directly on the
center OF his chest as pressed the trigger.
and the bullet went as true as II the place
had been plotted with dviders. The blow
brought him all up standing. and he fell
forward on his head The soft-nosed Win
chester bullet had gone straight through
the chest cavity. smashing the lungs and
the big blood vessels Of the heart Pain
fully ho recovered his feet. and tried to
come on, his ferocious courage holding out
70 the last.
sunlight and COIoFa.
] ~ q distance the sunlight plays pFanks
with the colorlng Of the animals. Cock os-
triehes always show jet black, and are
visible at a greater distance than any Of
the common game; the neutral tint Of the
hens making them far less conspicuous.
I Both cocks ana hens are very wary, sharp
sighted. and hard to approach. Next TO
the cock ostrich In conspicuousness comes
the wlldebesst, because Il shows black In
most lights; yet when headed away from
the OnIooker. the sun will often make the
backs az herd look whitish In the ais
tance. Wfidebeest are warier than most
other game. Round this camp the topl
were a. tame as the hartebeest; they look
very dark IN most lights. only less dark
than the wildebeest. and 20 are also con-
spleuous The hartsbeest change from a
deep brown 20 a iight foxy red. according
10 the way they stand toward the sun;
ana when a herd was fesding away from
ns. their white sterna showed when q very
long way off The 1ebra's stripes cease
to be visible after he is three hundred
yards off. but o. many lights he EiistenS
white IN the FAR distance and q then very
conspicuous; on fhis day 7 came acrosa