The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-08-02

of South Australia 1t is recorded
that when a party Of explorers un-
der Flinders first landed on Kan
~ CARGO island, about Is miles from
Adelaide. they found great numbers
of kangaroos which, never having
seen man before, were so tame and
unsophisticated that they simply
stood about and waited to be knocked
on the head, with the result that in
a few hours 81 were killed, the small
est Of which weighed 60 pounds. a
continuance of these primitive con-
ditions wUuld be highly appreciated
by the BLACK fellow" who, naturally,
looks upon the kangaroo simply as
an animated bundle of meals. The
mere slaughter of animals for food,
however, does not constitute sport,
and your white settler of sporting
proclivities is better pleased with
~present-day conditions-that is to say,
in most districts of the common
wealth, where the kangaroo is just
scarce enough and wild enough to
provide the necessary excitement and
uncertainty VI TIE CudSS.
Every u%p-country station keeps a
couple of speedy hounds, very like
g%reyhounds in build, but bigger and
heavier. They are the regular k&r~
CARGO dogs, though used as stock
dogs also. The modus operandi of
kangaroo-hunting with dogs resembles
coursing in some respects. The
sportsman, mounted on a nag Of met
tie, rides into the open plain, the dogs
trotting at his horses heels. Pres
emily, above the tall kangaroo grass
or among the sandal-wood bushes he
sees the heads of kangaroo bObbing
about, perhaps q mob" OF four or
five. A sharp word to the dogs and
they dart forward silently. But the
quick ears and scent Of the kangaroo
warn them Of approaching danger,
and they scatter in all directions. If
they get a good start and n hap
pens to lag behind the others, the
two dogs may take after the one, In
which case the run is likely to be
short; but, as a rule each dog selects
a particular victim and runs It to a
~standstill.
Not a Coward.
When a fullgrown male kangaroo
Is rushed by a dog he will often make
a bolt for 1t, as would a frightened
doe; not because he Is a coward, but
simply to avoid trouble, and as he
bounds away he might be saying:
I don't want to fight,
But by lingo If do
I've got the arms, I've got the hands.
I've got the courage too.
No self-respecting kangaroo, however.
will allow himself to be pulled down
while on the run; consequently. as
soon as 1t becomes evident that, In
spite of his huge leaps, the dog Is
overhauling him, or II he is headed
off by another dog, he m to a
halt and prepares to fight for his life
like the gallant "old man" that he is.
AS a matter Of choice the fighting
kangaroo, when he is "bailed up"
likes to get his back against a tree,
but when overtaken In the open he
Just makes the best Of a bad job.
At first sight one would think that
ever the biggest and strongest "old
man" kangaroo had not the ghost of
a chance when 1t came to a tussle
with a powerful animal such as the
regular kangaroo dog; and, as a mat
ter Of fact, when the said dog Is an
old hand 1T the business and up to all
the trick0 Of the marsupial, the final
result Is a foregone conclusion. The
kangaroo stands up to fight with his
forearms held forward, and his five
fingered hands spread GU ready to
dutch, much In the same way as does
a wrestler. The inexperienced dog,
guided only by his natural instincts,
circles round the kangaroo and, when
he thinks he sees an opening, flies
straight at his throat. But the willy
quarry by a skilful movement wards
Of the threatening fangs and, at the
same time, imprisons the dog in a
vice like grip with his forearms: then.
bringing up n of his hind feet-the
middle toe of which Is armed with a
formidable toe-nail, strong and sharp
like a pruning-knife-he Sits the un-
fortunate dog open and the fight is
ended.
The well-trained and experienced
kangaroo dog. however. we'll knows
the peril of the kangaroo's embrace
ard. watching his opportunity, makes
a sudden spring. Selling one of the
"old mans" forearms in his powerful
Jaws, with a cruel wrench he breaks
the bone. and not until he has dis
abled the remaining arm does he at.
tempt to pull down his victim by the
throat. With both forearms disabled,
the unhappy kangaroo. no longer
able to protect his most vulnerable
spot. II speedily pulled down, and his
frantic sndeavors &c bring his cutting.
toe into play are unavailing. and
whether there be n or two dogs,