The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-01
A BOYS BIG
GAME
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

trict of the Transvaal and was laid mp
at the house of a bnrgher named
Kloopenfedt for a full week. The
burgher had but one child, and be was
a boy fourteen years old aud named
Carl
thought myself something of a hunt
er for big game. but ! soon discovered
that the boy, young as he was, knew
thing or two in that Tine.
am going TO tell you what he did
on two occasions. The farmer had 100
head of cattle. which were turned out
during the day on the rich grass and
at night were herded in a strong pen.
These cattle were exposed TO one enc
my by day and another by night, IL a
wandering rhinnceros came ne IT the
herd by day he would select an rnimaI
and charge him. Once in awhi one
would be overtnken and killed. ut in
most circumstances. being more agile
than the rhinoceros. the cattle made
good their escape. The boy. Carl. had
watched these performances for some
time. and on the second day OF my ar
AAfRi hN "hS " HhA ~ pau AhNC NACNhT
tion. There was 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 a
straight line. but zigZagged. while the
rhinoceros in pursuit never deviated
from a straight course. At particu-
lar spot the boy dug a pit. 1t was long
nd "a ~ 10
week to complete 1t. Half a mile TO
the east OF this pit was thicket from
which the rhinoceros bad always
charged. Just after noon on the Sec
ond day the boy caught the white OK.
and. tying rope aroung his horns for
bride. he mounted him and rode away
10 the thicket. He was going TO
draw" for rhinoceros.
"If a rhinoceros charges the boy be
may be overtaken and killed." ] said
10 the parents.
Il 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 a 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 bis "steed"
straight for the pit. but just before
reaching IL he sweryed TO the left and /
passed II in safety. Not so with the |
'rhino." however The big beast ran
in straight line with bis head down.
Instead OF following the swerve OF the
OK he kept straight on. aud in Eve sec
onds he had landed at the bottom OF
the pit
The old gun was brought out. and
the bullets were fred into the rhinoce-
ros until he was dead and he was then
covered in. ! tried TO pat the boy on
the back and magnify bis deed. but
couldn't make him believe that be was
hero
Each night as soon as the sun went
down there was a great bowling on all
sides from hyenas and jackals. and an
hour or two later the lions would begin
20 roar. on the second night OF my
stay ! wounded one by 6ring from a
kitchen window. and on the third |
killed one that was proving within /
thirty feet OF the back door The BOer .
was glad enough 90 have them dispOs- i
ed OF. but yet be bad au eye TO busi-
ness. A dead lion was worth only his
-. Far
$3.50 cash TO the men supplying zoolog- :
zeal gardens and menageries ! was
asked not 10 do any more shooting. and
on the afternoon OF the fourth day
the boy set about preparing a trap.
The cattle pen wns twelve feet high.
constructed of stones. hogs and thorn a
bushes. At one spot Il was pu 4
down until about dve feet high. Un Il
the inside was constructed stout pen &
OF stakes. having q length OF ten feet 2
and a breadth ~ FIVE or six The idea I
was that ~ a lion leaped the wall he
would land rs this pen II was open 7
nj the top. however. and pointed out
TO the boy that the lion would be no 4
sooner 10 than out again =
"But yen shall see how ] viii keep f
him in." be replied. and Il was true
that soon did see and was amazed q
over a. b
He constructed a sort Of net OF stakes q
Bnd old telegraph wire. and this bet
was TO Re drawn over the top OF the q
pen after the lion was Gagged To draw 4
L one must b. inside the cattle pen.
Just at nightfali the boy took up !,
bis position IN the zen among the cat
.le. An hour Or 50 later we heard i've 4
linerent lions roaring az once By and a,
1y I caught sight o. two skuiklng =,
around. and but for the remonstrances
II the Boer ! should have fred upon IA
hem He wouldn't hear u Il. and we Al
iad q big male lion fun under our eye "
When the animal approached the open- q
ne and leaped the wall. The frighten- e
q cattle beloved and rushed about IN
heir terror. and u vas fully ten min y
ties before We beard from Carl Then =
,e came ont u the pen BY the biz gste
md calmly Informed Us that the lion
lad heen safely trapped tried again /.
,ef0re : eft % make the boy under
tand that BE- bad exhibited the great
- braverJ tn doing what be did. but
Ie modesfly replied
~But ] had % b. there 20 draw the
Iet or TIRE bon would have escaped-
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