The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-02-03
TWO UGLY ANIMALS.

Trapping the big felines Is child's
play compared with the work OF cap.
turing those lumDering. colossal ami
mails Of the big pig family, the rhi-
noceros and the hippopotamus.
Too stupid to tame or to break to a
halter and too heavy to transport
through hundreds of miles Of wilder
ness. it would take man half a life
time to bring one of these FIVE to six
thousand pound creatures out of a
jungle into civilization. Therefore the
experts only chance is to find a COW
with calf and to capture the young
one.
Compared with the alert, grim ex,
terror of the felines, there is little IN
the appearance of phlegmatic. pom
aerous pig like rhinoceros to indi-
cate its real foreclosures. There is
hardly wild animal In existence
which is more dangerous than this
rarest of all our menageric captives.
Awkward as the great creature ap,
pears when at rest. once aroused IT
dashes through the densest thickct
with the irresistible speed of an ex-
press train
To catch a rhinoseros the trapper
proceeds with preparations much as
would an explorer bound for two or
three year expedition in the interior
of an unexplored continent for the
difficulty confronting him is the three
fold one of first penetrating thou
sand or more miles into the interior;
second, Of finding not only rhinoce-
ros, but rhinoeeros COW with calf
old enough to capture. and, lastly. of
transporting his prize across hills and
mountains and plains. over rivers and
ravines, across swamps and through
forests to civilization.
Skirting swamps and rivers, the
men are ever on the lookout for the
deep. round spoors, like pie plate
driven into the mud, for in this wet
ground the rhinoceros loves TO wal
low. Frequently FIVE or six months
elapse before the tracks OF COW and
a cali are picked up
NDiseless and from well to leewari,
the trappor and his men gradually
steal nearer until the COW and the
calf are inclosed in a circle. From
ahead ont Of the maze of cane and
creeper. sounds the uneasy stamping
OF tie COW. With a half snort half
grEnt. in an instant the rhiLoceros rs
al attention Head raised and nos
'rils shifting she searches the air
steadily. At sight OF enc OF the sava-
ges the COW dashes with the speed of
a race horse at the man. charging
the human decoy and az that instant
the trappers rife is heard. and her
furious charge is over. provided the
bullet reaches the heart by striking
Just behind the left foreleg-the only
vulnerable point in the inch thick ar
nor with which the beast Is clad.
Now and then IL happens that the
trspper falls TO Kill in time-his gun
may miss fire. intervening trees may
interfere or the rnarksman may miss
his aim. Then the life Of the decoy
depends upon his own agility. To run
90 one side before the rhinoceros Is
almost on top Of him woul dbe fatal.
for the swift brute would overtake him
with a few bounds. His only hope Is
60 wait until the deadly horn is al.
most at his feet and then with the
swiftness OF a mongoose lodging the
aim Of cobra. to leap to one side
while the ponderous creature. unable
70 turn short In time. dashes onward
under It's own impetus. Twice. three
times. a clever native hunter win
dodge in this way. giving the trapper
ample time to bring down the rEinoce.
roc.
Then comes the tracking Of the
frightened calf. which had fed at the
FIRST sign Of trouble. and soon Il Is
pushed. prodded and showed up a
bridge Of log skids into cage Of the
bullock cart.
But even more dangerous Is the
trapping Of the hippopotamus. for. az
though IN itself the "rhIno" is more
savage antagonist than the river
horse" the trapper hunts the former
nr land and brings down at a safe dis.
lance. whereas In the case Of the hip
popotamus he must fight 70 the same
primitive fashion that saYages lave
used for ages. Hand 10 nav. as II
we're. be must engage this two ton
monster while standing in the bow u
frail canoe. for the hippopo.amus.
IS IT'S name. the river horse means
8 land and water animal and mus.
be harpooned and brought ashore be-
fore Il expires. otherwise Il would
sink at once 10 the bottom Of the riv.
er. the coveted calf escaping among
the other hippopotamuses instead Of
following the stricken COW to shore.
50 that the youngster may be caught.
"A. W. Roller in st. Nicholas.
THE UMPIRE WAS GAME.
Speaking OF the doIngs Of he veter.