Imperial Valley press., 1944-10-15
Soldier Reeounts
Bic Come Hunt

we all stopped about the same
distance apart in small valley. we
climbed to the top of small hill
and waited. We were waiting for the
action to start. The game was to be
driven TO US instead CT us going TO
find ii. -. The object was to drive
/ the game over the crestG of the
ridges opposite us and down into
the valleys. From there on it was
up TO us.
My first indication that game
was near was ferociouS Snarl
which seemed to be about lC feet
away. 1t closely resembled the bat
tie cry of some of the larger MEM
barS of the eat family had heard
in ZOOS back in the states. q.
Whatever it was got away unseen,
Those with me pointed at the
opposite slope. I could see nothing
About this time I heard two shots.
Afterwards I found that Fletcher
had wounded bear and then fired
q futile second shot as 1t struggled
into deeper foliage.
NV guide said Boca,' which was
the one word Mr. Singh had told
us TO remember. 1t meant elephant
But Boca' failed to put in an APP
pearance. 1 lad mixed feeling Oh
relief and regret.
TRAVEL toe FAST
Il then started scanning the ter
rain on my own hook. My guide
was too sharp for me. He could see
and hear too many things l could
Mt. On the opposite slope I caught
a glimpse of three members of the
cat family darting across a small
clearing too fast for a shot. They
were about 300 yards away and
seemed to be about the same size
and color of our western mountain
lion. I also saw a few monkeys and
a wild peacock Now, there evidently
was plenty of game near us, but we
could neither see nCr hear 1t. MI.
Singh told US later that we were
about two months late for good
hunting for there were few leaves
on the trees then and person
could see plainly for good distance.
He assured us that elephant, bear,
leopard, deer and wild bear were
the rule rather than the exception.
No tigers. There were a few teas
and a few rests farther on.
However, as is usual when l go
hunting, our luck was not good that
day.
My bodyguard's weapons includ-
ed a bow of bamboo and three
nasty-lCoking arrows. l felt much
safer with him than you can expect
for he really knew his way around
and could hit a dime at a hundred
feet with those arrows Every move
ment of every twig meant something
to him.
USED SHOTGUN
by the way, Mr.. Singh didn't use
a rifle but a double -barreled, .12-
gauge shotgun with solid shot. He
likes close-in shooting best but
when he lets GO he really wants to
stop what he's aiming at instead of
merely drilling a small round hole
which may or may not do much
more than make a wild boar, say,
fighting mad and come looking fer
+ trouble.
"On the way back my guide in
duced me to shoot a couple of times
at a fair-sized bird flying around
at range of about 300 yards, but
did not seem interested in the re-
suits. you're right, I miSsed) as
retrieving the empty cartridge shells
with which he seemed delighted.
THE remainder of our walk to
our last tea spot was made without
incident. I was able to get in about
10 minutes Of rest on my bed before
Samuels and Fletcher arrived with
their tales Of woe, similar to mine.
1t was getting dark and our mutual
thoughts were-the jungle at night
is no place fer uC-So we persuaded
Mr.. Singh to start the return trip at
once.
The return trip was made the
same way we came but without the
stops for rest and tea. Mr.. Singh
seemed a little disturbed by this,
so rudely kicking over the traces of
custom, but all in all, bore up under
t very well.
I'VE are invited to go again and
also to a leopard hunt at night, but
that will be another story"
Enr;,I;e4 ch;nf