Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-10-01
A BOYS BIG
GAME
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

my foot while hunting in the lion dis
trict of the Transvaal and was laid up
at the house of n burgher named
Kloopenfeldt for full week The
burgher had but one child. and he was
n boy fourteen years old and named
Carl.
thought myself something Of hunt
err for big game. but | soon discovered
that the boy, young ms he was. knew
n thing or two In that line.
I am goingfo tell you what he did
on two occasions. The farmer had 100
head of cattle. which we're turned out
during the day on the rich grass and
Mt night were herded in n strong pen.
These cattle were exposed TO one enc
my by day and another by night. If a
wandering rhinoceros came near the
herd by day he would select an animal
and charge him. Once I'm awhile one
would be overtaken and killed. but In
most circumstances. being more agile
than the rhinoceros. the cattle made
good their escape. The boy. Cnrl. had
watched these performances for some
time, and on the second day OF my ar
rival he was to put plan into eXecu-
ton. There was n big white OK among
the cattle who had been chased several
times. and he always ran for the pen
when charged. He did not run IN
straight line, but Zigzaggcd. while the
rhinoceros In pursuit never deviated
from n straight course. At n partlcu-
hr spot the boy dug pit. 1t was long
and wide and deep. and It took him II
week to complete It. Half n mile to
the east Of this pit was n thicket from
which the rhnoccros Ind always
charged. Just after noon on the sec
ond day the boy caught the white OK.
and. tying n rope nroung his horns for
bride. he mounted him and rode away
to the thicket. He was going to
draw" for rhInoceros.
"lf rhinoceros charges the boy he
may be overtaken and killed. ! said
to the parents
II have no fear for Carl" replied the
father.
For half an hour the lad rode the OK
along the edge of the thicket, and then
a rhinoceros suddenly broke cover with
a fierce snort He was after the OK
like wild locomotive. and for the first
two minutes my heart was In my
mouth. Then the OK got his speed up
and held his own. while the boy kept
laughing and shouting. BY means OF
the ropes young Carl held his "steed''
straight for the pit, but just before
reaching 1t he swervcd to the left and
passed It In safety. Not 80 with the
"rhino." however. The big beast ran
in n straight line with his head down.
Instead of following the swerve of the
OK he kept straight on. and In FIVE sec
onds he had landed ut the bottom of
the pit
The old gun was brought out. and
the bullets were fred into the rhlnoce-
ros until he was dead, and he was then
covered in. tried to pat the boy on
the back and magnify his deed. but |
couldn't make him believe that he was
a hero.
Each night as soon as the sun went
down there was II great bowling on all
sides from hycnas and jackals. and an
hour or two later the lions would begin
to roar. On the second night of my
stay | wounded one by firing from
kitchen window, and on the third |
killed one that was prowling within
thirty feet of the back door The Boer
was glad enough to have them dispos-
ed Of. but yet he had an eye to bust
ness. A dead lion was worth only his
skin. while II live one could be sold for
$50 cash to the men supplying zoolog-
ical gardens and menageries, | was
on the afternoon OF the fourth day
the boy set about preparing trap
The cattle pen was twelve feet high.
constructed of stones. logs and thorn
bushes. At one spot 1t was pulled
down until about Ave feet high. On
the inside was constructed stout pen
OF stakes. having n length OF ten feet
and breadth of Eve or six. The idea
was that IL lion leaped the wall he
would land in this pen. 1t was open
at the top. however, and pointed out
to the boy that the lion would be no
sooner in than out again.
but you shall see how l will keep
him In" he replied. and 1t was true
that soon did see and was amazed
over It.
He constructed sort of net of stakes
and old telegraph wire. and this net
was to be drawn over the top OF the
pen after the lion was Gagged To draw
1t one must be inside the cattle pen,
Just Mt nlghtfall the boy took ~
his position in the pen among the cat4
tie. An hour or SO later we heard five
different lions roaring Mt once. BY and
by caught sight Of two skulking
around, and but for the remonstrances
OF the Boer should have fred upon
them He wouldn't hear OF It. and we
had a big male lion full under our eye
when the animal approached the open.
ing and leaped the wall. The frighten-
ed cattle beloved and rushed about In