The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1915-06-04

HyNYFWI was III Africa some years ago. l
,fSdI was in the ivory trade--that is, |
was engaged in killing elephants for
their tusks, a perlous but very profitable
business
About fifty thousand of the huge beasts
are killed every year for this purpose and
gradually they are becoming more and more
difficult to find. II often happens that when
this game is scarce the rhinoceros is killed
for its hide and for various purposes, and to
my mind, it is the most dangerous Of all tho
large game,
Gone day, when we were travelling slowly
along under the hot sun, the men called my
attention to little bird that was flying about,
and soon saw that il was honey-guide or
Indicator, one Of the most intelligent of all
African birds.
at would fly up in front Of the animals
and men. steady itself in the air, and then
dart off, flutterng its wings as if to call us
away. In fact, it was trying to get us to fol-
low it,
"For some time the men paid no attention
to it, mpposng that the honey guide had
merely, as usual, found a nest of honey, and
wanted us to 60 and open it, and give il
share. But its actions became so violent that
at last my head tracker said that perhaps
the bird had found an elephant, and that we
had better go.
FINALLY consented and three Of us
started off on horseback, the little bird fly
ing ahead, stopping every few moments to SEQ
il we were coming, and then flying on, TAX
ing us toward a dense wood.
=" AS soon as we reached it, the bird plung-
cd in. but we were forced to remain outside.
II soon returned, however, and flew TO an
open spot or lane, and into this we went.
az think il was at least three-fourths OF a
mile that we followed over a country so rough
that we often thought Of abandoning It, and
| was about to suggest doing so when one
of the men, faithful Kaifir that ! had had
for several years, held up his hand, upon
which We all stopped
''For the last hundred yards we had been
in the spoor or trail Of some animal, or OF
many. and were evidently leading down TO
a pool ,uL-,4-.eu..
honey birds Just ahead and we knew whaI-
ever il was had been found. ..
"Cocking my gun and dismounting, gave
,,v horse 10 the third man and started for
,rard leaving them in a little glen or open
place. IL ri.s. u,o s,,oor
ord took 10 the BUSH and walking slowly on
sor few moments, | came suddenly to a
s;abt that brought me up with what the sail
s,n coll round turn. was fortunately be
ia large tree, and as | looked around,
III Law in the soft mud gigantic black
.b;nocercs the borele or keitoa OF the, ma
I'm one of the most vicious Of its kind.
..1,bo big brute Law upon his side, parity
...L,,,ar,ed in the mud, and upon his back
suone saS,.or,i white cranes, busily engaged in
N WIZ az Tho various insects with which II
ploNi;n51 osted and under which operation the
VIZ ,naros seemed 10 be calmly sleeping
rn .sVSbaD I recovered from my surprise, |
saw that | had fair shot al tue shouioe''
,bo most vulnerable spot l
'ne ~, NJ f;rst impression was to 60 back and
", . ~ Inc men, but as | deliberated, the
gel one ;,,,ai moved This determined me,
grea. am, over rest formed by branch,
fired. -.i,.... ,boro came he'd.
l 10. sopnds-the shrie,ing Of birds and
ether small animals-and IN Tue ullg vs. VI al
a snort as from a steam ENGINE, as ~ eu ~
mons form Of the rhinoceros rose irom tue
black mud, -. .,ood looLing about
,hsn seeing the smoke lowered MS heau anu
dashed at me. .-.o, aida when the
81 had Just uinc " Nv nrotection. and il
,;c;ous animal struck my pI1.sv.. .h :, an
ts;ng old went completely vl. nu . H. i t,"t
nc On The other side. Vne OF w i + Sall raj
sscaped me and to avola! ,i I9 iov,sr, th;s ~
h he rrass and kept still' KNOWING '''' "
he nv only chance .,..,.a himself in a mo-
ne I,', 800 breathing hard, and eould
mcnl, anu 81 - him there but, untOr-