THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

m

7

.~<r

'6,

OLD WORLD AND IE NEW.

THRILLING ADVENTURES

OF

HUNTERS,

IN THE

OLD WORLD AND THE NEW.

BY HENEY C. WATSON.

AUTHOK OF " HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES," " CAMP
FIRES OF THE REVOLUTION," &C., &C.

BOSTON:

KELLEY & BROTHER.

1853.

ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by
KELLEY & BROTHER,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Dis
trict of Massachusetts.

PREFACE.

THE life of the hunter possesses the charm, without the
crime, of the warrior's career. There is a " fierce and far
delight," in the chase, which causes the heart to beat quick
and the blood to bound in the veins. Yet this pleasure is
obtained without the infliction of injuries upon mankind.
When the prize is gained, and the hunter feels the proud
thrill of triumph, there are no groans of dying men, or wails
of widows and orphans to mar his noble enjoyment. We do
not wonder that in all countries, savage and civilized, hunting
is a favorite sport, as well ,as a source of subsistence.

IV PREFACE.

Thrilling adventures are frequent in the life of the hunter.
The perils to which he is exposed during the chase, cannot
always be surmounted with ease and safety, and, occasionally,
his own daring brings him into straits from which the most
consummate address, or the special interposition of Provi-
dence, alone can extricate him. Such adventures are epochs
to our hunters of the Rocky Mountains. Thay are often
heard to say that an event occurred " so many months after
the bear-fight, or a terrible contest with a buffalo."

Although various kinds of knowledge, according to the
character of the game, are requisite in hunters of both the
Old World and the New, the qualities of both head and heart
absolutely demanded are the same every where. A clear,
cool head, quick to see and cautious to devise, — a firm, indo-
mitable heart, which no dangers can appal, are necessary to
the successful hunter. He may be a bad shot or a poor
rider ; these defects he may remedy by persevering practice.
But a dull, slow head, or a timid heart, unfits him entirely
for the chase.

The hunters of our own land will compare favorably with
any to be found upon the face of the globe. Those of the
western prairie have hardy frames, formed for an existence
of strife, activity, and exposure — and souls that actually
seem insensible to fear. In the midst of the most imminent
dangers, they retain their courage and caution, and often
effect an escape when such an achievement seems beyond
human exertion. One of them believes himself equal to two
grizzly bears, or several Indians, and will not hesitate to
encounter them. These hunters are a bold, high-hearted
race, and our country has reason to be proud of them.

PREFACE. V

The object of the present work is to illustrate the perils of
the hunter's life, in the Old World and the New. In carry-
ing out our design, we have endeavored to give, not merely a
bald account of the dangers of the chase, but such adventures
as show how men may triumph over them, together with
others that illustrate the different characteristics of hunters
in various parts of the world. We believe that the enter-
tainment and instruction to be derived from such a work
must be obvious to all. The engravings, which are nume-
rous, will, it is hoped, increase the attractions of the book,
while they serve to impress many thrilling scenes lastingly
upon the memory.

CONTENTS.

PREFACE, 8

TREEING A BEAR, 13

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR, 21

A MODERN PUTNAM, 23

ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR, 27

MINTER' FIGHT WITH A BEAR, 30

ADVENTURE WITH A GRIZZLY BEAR, 39

A BEAR FIGHT, THE TEST OF COURAGE, 41

HUNTING THE MOOSE, 46

HUNTING THE ELK, 57

fvii)

Till CONTENTS.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST, 59

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES, 109

A PANTHER ADVENTURE, 145

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY, 148

KANGAROO HUNTING, 177

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, 187

HUNTING THE NARWHAL AND WHALE, 231

THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE, 247

REMARKABLE TIGER HUNT, , 262

ADVENTURES WITH WOLVES, 269

MR. CUMMING'S HUNTING ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA, 272

FISHING FOR ALLIGATORS, 283

THE ADVENTURES OF A CHAMOIS HUNTER, 286

HUNTING IN MAINE, 293

THE JAGUAR, 300

GIRAFFE HUNTING, 306

BISON HUNTING, 314

ELEPHANT HUNTING, 328

HUNTING THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE, 347

NOVEL ATTACK ON A CROCODILE, 355

BUFFALO HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA, 365

HUNTING THE ORYX, 372 x

HUNTING THE KOODOO, 374

HUNTING THE ZEBRA AND RHINOCEROS, 378

HUNTING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS, 386

HUNTING SEALS AND MORSES, 390

TIGER HUNTING, 405

ADVENTURE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 418

THE RANGERS OF THE WOODS, 425

WOLF CATCHING, 442

PECCARIES, 447

THE BOA CONSTRICTOR, 449

ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES, 456

HUNTING THE CROCODILE, 464

CONTENTS.

IX

HUNTING THE PORCUPINE,

HUNTING THE TIGER, IN INDIA,

ADVENTURE WITH A PYTHON,

GERARD, THE LION-SLAYER,

HUNTING OSTRICHES AND HORSES, . .
DIRK MARCUS AND THE ELEPHANT,..

THE INDIAN AND THE BEARS,

THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP

467
470
480
486
492
499
502
511

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

THE bear is the lord of the American forests. The pan-
ther alone is capable of disputing his dominions, but usually
succumbs to the bear's superior courage and perseverance. In
strength and ferocity, the grizzly bear of the Rocky Mountains
may be considered a rival of the lion and tiger of the Old
World, while, being more active, he is more to be dreaded.
Bear hunting has been a favorite sport and a profitable occu-
pation in many parts of North America, and is so still in the
western and northwestern parts of the United States and
South America. The danger which attends it is one of its

2 (13)

14 BEAR HUNTING.

strongest attractions to those who have been bred in the wil-
derness, and who delight to exercise their strength and skill.
Many wild and thrilling stories are told of the achievements
of the hunters, and their toils and sufferings, while following
their exciting vocation, which furnish many instances of he-
roic daring, and presence of mind, and illustrate the habits
of the bear. In the " Incidents in the Life of Ichabod
Merritt," a noted hunter, communicated to the " American
Pioneer," by his friend, Major Churchill, we find two adven-
tures narrated, worthy of quotation.

Mr. Ichabod Merritt was born in Massachusetts, in June,
1786. In 1804, his parents removed to the district of Three
Rivers, in Canada. At that time there was an abundance of
game in that part of Canada, and also in the adjoining
parts of Vermont. For many months during the fall and
winter, hunting and trapping was a regular and profitable
business. It was here, and in his youthful days, that Mr.
Merritt inured himself to hardship, and self-possession in case
of difficulty. He usually spent his winter in the woods, either
trapping the martin and sable for their fur, or in hunting the
bear, moose, or deer, with which those woods abounded. In
the fall of 1815, he, with a brother, killed ten bears, the
skins of which they sold for one hundred dollars. We give his
account of his killing one of them, as something of a specimen
of the rest. "Two dogs," (for a hunter in those days could
not hunt without two, and sometimes more dogs,) he remarked,
" had started a bear, and it appeared to be coming partly
towards me. I moved in a direction to head it. Soon it
came in sight, and when about twelve rods from me, it jumped
upon a log, and turned to look and listen for the dogs. At
this time I fired at it. The ball struck the jaw-bone, and
glancing, lodged in the skin of its neck. The bear was but
little hurt, and continued her course, coming near where I
was loading. The dogs overtook and seized it. In my haste
to load I had not watched them ; but the moment I had fini

BEAR ATTACKED BY DOGS.

BEAR HUNTING.

17

shed loading, I looked up, and the bear had got clear of the
dogs and was pitching at me. She was not eight feet off.
I sprang and ran a short distance, every step of which I could
not help cringing, for I almost felt the embrace of the bear,
and expected every instant to see her huge paws coming
round me. As soon as I dared to look behind me, I found
my faithful dogs had seized the bear, and she had turned to
fight them. This gave me the very chance I wanted, and I
let drive at her head, and shot her square through. She
died instantly." In Canada the bears usually den up in
winter, and lie in something of a torpid state. During a
thaw, they sometimes venture out, but that is seldom. In
warmer climates they ramble more while snow is on the
ground.

The same person was very successful in hunting the elk,
and displayed his courage in many desperate encounters with
that beast, so formidable when at bay.

2*

Jl-eetyg

IN December, 1820, there being a light snow, Merritt, with
two other companions, one of whom had been a sailor, while
upon a hunting excursion, came upon the track of a full
grown bear, which after following for a time, they found had
ascended a huge white-wood, or poplar tree. This had been
broken off some seventy feet from the ground, and it was
supposed that the bear must have secreted itself within its
hollow at the top. Unwilling to lose their game, and ready
for any daring enterprise, they looked about for ways and
means to accomplish their object. They first proposed cutting
the tree down. But this at the root was sound and riot less
than eighteen feet in circumference. This with only one axe,
(18)

TREEING A BEAR. 19

and that a dull one, they could not accomplish that day, and
if left over night the bear would escape. The sailor pro-
posed that if a smaller tree could be felled and lodged against
the larger one, he would climb to the top and shoot the bear.
A beech tree was then cut and lodged agreeably to their
wishes. The sailor, who had often ascended the waving
mast, had now a chance of showing his intrepidity upon a
forest tree. He prepared himself for the enterprise, and now
he began to think should he succeed in gaining the top, and
miss his first shot, his situation would be dangerous in the
extreme. The enraged bear would undoubtedly claim the
premises, especially should it be a she one with her cubs,
she would doubtless claim her right and title to that elevated
position, and a battle would ensue. In this case all would
agree that the bear would have its choice of location and the
advantage of position. In the struggle, too, the beech might
be dislodged from the white-wood, and he would either fall
with it to the ground, or be left at the top of the tree. The
first would be certain death, and the other would be no en-
viable situation. These were solemn thoughts for the sailor,
and they probably weakened his nerves so much that it was
found when he attempted to climb, that he could not ascend,
after repeatedly trying, one inch beyond the assistance qf his
own companions.

This so vexed Merritt, that he told him to come down, and
he would try what he could do towards climbing the tree.
He then slung his rifle to his hunting belt, with the muzzle
downwards and began to ascend the tree. This he succeeded
in doing, and in getting from the topmost branches of the
beech upon the limbs of the white-wood, just high enough to
look over into the hollow. It was dark, and all he could see
was a pair of eyes several feet below him'. After informing
his companions and charging them to shoot the bear the mo-
ment it came out of the tree, and that he should depend upon
them for protection if he missed, he fired into the tree, and

20

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

then retreated back into the top of the beech and immedi
ately reloaded. While doing this, the bear and the two cubs
came out of the hollow of the tree. At this moment one of
those below fired, but being much agitated, he missed. This
person, in his precipitation broke his ramrod, and likewise
his knuckles, and could not get his bullet down. He thought
all was over with Merritt, and jumped around, crying out,
"You are gone, Ick, you are gone, Ick !" — which Ick
never heeded, but calmly reloaded. The cubs took to a limb,
while the old bear made towards Merritt. She was in a
menacing attitude and but a few feet above him when he
made a second fire. This proved fatal and the bear fell. In
falling she just brushed against him. Another hunter now
coming up, shot one of the cubs, and Merritt at his leisure
reloaded and shot the other. He then succeeded in getting
safely to the ground.

Cioge

biffy

THE following story we cut from a recent newspaper. A
day or two since, as Mr. Solomon Reed, of Dorset, Vermont,
was cutting wood at some distance from his house, a very large
bear stole up behind him, and ordered him to stop. He let fly
his axe at Bruin, who in turn, let fly at him. Solomon then
seized a club, and laid the blows upon his shaggy adversary
so heavily that it broke, and he began to think he should
have to knock under. Not having the wherewithal to knock
him with, he made use of his fists, expecting every moment
that he should be compelled to cave in. A dreadful hug
followed, and the two rolled over on the ground like a couple
of wrestlers in a ring. Not liking to bear it in this fashion,

21

22 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

Solomon, by a desperate effort, got Bruin under him, holding
his head down, and sitting plump astride of the beast. The
latter, however, soon began to "bear" up ; and all at once,
took to his heels like an infuriated bull, Solomon all the while
astride, and compelling the bear to follow his nose with as
slight a deviation of his jaws from a straight line as possible.
On they drove at a furious rate — the rider and the ridden —
the former endeavoring to make a bridle out of the bear's ears
and the bear striving as hard to make a bit out of the man's
arm. Solomon began to fear, at the rate he was going, that
his steed was fast taking him into a whole nest of bears, and
probably soliloquised —

" Better to bear the ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of.

While in this predicament, Mr. Reed's son happened to
overtake them on their journey, and settled all uncertainties
by immediately knocking the bear in the head with his axe.
Mr. Solomon Reed got some scratches in the scuffle, and
Bruin s fat carcass to boot, which, by the way, he imme-
diately salted for family use.

A LARGE black bear was traced to a cavern in the Round
Mountain, and every effort made for three days without suc-
cess to smoke or burn her out. At length a bold hunter,
familiar with the spot, volunteered to beard the lion in his
den. The well-like aperture, which alone could be seen from
without, descended for about eight feet, then turned sharp
off at right angles, running nearly horizontally for about six
feet, beyond which it opened into a small circular chamber,
where the bear had taken up his quarters. The man deter-
mined to descend, to worm himself, feet forward, on his
back, and to shoot at the eyes of the bear, as they would be
visible in the dark. Two narrow laths of pine wood were
accordingly procured, and pierced with holes, in which can-
dles were placed and lighted. A rope was next made fast
about his chest, a butcher's knife disposed in readiness for

* From " Bentley's Miscellany."

(23)

24 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

his grasp, and his musket loaded with two good ounce bullets,
well wrapped in greased buckskin. Gradually he disappeared,
thrusting the lights before him with his feet, and holding the
musket ready cocked in his hand. A few anxious moments —
a low stifled growl was heard — then a loud, bellowing, crash-
ing report, followed by a wild and fearful howl, half anguish,
half furious rage. The men above wildly and eagerly hauled
up the rope, and the sturdy hunter was whirled into the air
uninjured, and retaining in his grasp his good weapon ; while
the fierce brute rushed tearing after him even to the cavern's
mouth. As soon as the man had entered the small chamber,
he perceived the glaring eyeballs of the bear, had taken
steady aim at them, and had, he believed, lodged his bullets
fairly. Painful moanings were soon heard from within, and
then all was still ! Again, the bold man determined to seek
the monster ; again he vanished, and his musket shot roared
from the recesses of the rock. Up he was whirled ; but this
time, the bear, streaming with gore, and furious with pain,
rushed after him, and with a mighty bound cleared the con-
fines of the cavern ! A hasty and harmless volley was fired,
while the bear glared round as if undecided upon which of
the group to wreak his vengeance. Tom, the hunter, coolly
raised his piece, but snap ! no spark followed the blow of the
hammer. With a curse, Tom threw down the musket, and
drawing his knife, rushed forward to encounter the bear single
handed. What would have been his fate had the bear folded
him in his deadly hug, we may be pretty sure ; but ere this
could happen, the four bullets did their work, and he fell ; a
convulsive shudder passed through his frame, and all was
still. Six hundred and odd pounds did he weigh, and great
were the rejoicings at his destruction.

THE following narrative of an encounter with a bear is given
by Mr. William Galloway, a surveyor in the west : On a
cloudy day, in January, 1804, I surveyed a tract of one
thousand acres of land on the Little Miami, which included
the old Chilicothe town, assisted by William and John Steven-
son, or Stinson, as they were commonly called, as chainmen,
both of whom were old hunters.

In running the back line of the survey, which was mostly
through a large thicket, I was about one hundred yards in
advance of the chainman and marker. Having halted to set
the compass, my attention was attracted by a pile of fresh
earth, at the root of a large white oak, about twenty yards
distant, which had fallen several years before ; the trunk of
which gradually rose from the root till about twenty-five feet
back, it was elevated several feet from the ground. A small

(27)

28 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

dog which acompanied us ran to the place and commenced
barking quite freely. I hastened to see what the dog had
discovered, and, springing upon the fallen tree, and looking
over it, I discovered, a large bear, snugly enconsed in his den,
within six feet of where I stood, staring at me with no very
pleasant countenance, which induced me to retreat in double-
quick time ; but finding I was not pursued, I halted when 1
reached the compass that I had left standing.

The chainman and marker hastened up, and inquired what
was the cause of my running so fast ? Upon informing them
that I had found a bear, they accompanied me back to the
log, which we all mounted and had a fair view of him in his
den, while he calmly returned our gaze, without showing any
sign of either fear or hostility ; supposing, no doubt, that his
den was impregnable, as the tree in falling had raised several
cart-loads of earth on it roots, which time had settled in the
shape of a regular mound ; under which he had excavated
a cavern several feet in depth, sufficiently large to turn round
in, and to lodge comfortably.

A council of war was held forthwith to devise a plan for
attacking Bruin, One, proposed by John Stinson, was with
the marker's tomahawk and my steel-pointed Jacob staff; but
William Stinson, the oldest and most experienced hunter of
the party, objected, saying, that from his great size and
strength, if the bear was insulted with such puny weapons,
he would certainly be the death of some of us ; and this
plan was abandoned by common consent. What then was
to be done ? To leave him undisturbed in his nest was not
to be thought of by old hunters. After further hurried con-
sultation, it was agreed that John should go home for his gun
and dogs, while the rest remained to keep watch over Bruin's
movements.

Accordingly, John set off at a long trot, while we who re-
mained kindled a fire and patiently waited for his return. In
about an hour he gave notice of his approach by a shout,

ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. 29

which we promptly answered. He was accompanied by Wil-
liam McFarland, a near neighbor, both on horseback, armed
with their trusty rifles, and followed by some half dozen dogs
of known pluck and eager for a row. Our armed heroes, on
joining us, hastily dismounted and were rejoiced to hear that
Cuflfy still remained in his den. John claimed as his right
the honor of leading the attack and giving the first shot, and
instantly mounted the log, while I at the same moment fol-
lowed his example and stood close behind him. Unfortu-
nately, his nerves had become so much disturbed by his long
race and excitement of the moment, that when he raised
"Betsy," as he called his rifle, to his shoulder, he could not
hold her steady, but shook and wabbled so much that he hesi-
tated for some seconds to shoot. Seeing the tremor which
had seized him, I entreated him to give me the gun ; but this
he refused. I then told him to make a sure shot, and " give
it to him" above the eyes ; he instantly fired, and the ball only
glanced the side of his mouth, although the muzzle of his gun
was not more than three feet from the bear's head. " Quick
as wink" he gave a " tremendous" snort and sprang at John,
who at the same moment jumped off the log and fell at full
length on the ground. We all thought his hour had come,
as the bear, with open mouth, flew on him ; but fortunately,
McFarland, on seeing John's trepidation before he fired, had
cocked his gun, and, before Bruin could seize his prostrate
foe, put the muzzle against his side and shot him through the
lungs, while the dogs seized him at the same instant and
saved John's life. After a brief scuffle with the dogs, whom
he knocked about as if they had been mere puppies, while the
blood flowed in streams from his side, mouth, and nose, he
entered his cavern, and soon breathed his last. On dressing
him, he was found to be in prime order, and weighed near
four hundred pounds.

CAPTAIN JOHN MINTER, from Kentucky, one of the early
settlers in Radnor, and brother-in-law of Colonel Crawford,
who was burnt by the Indians, was, in his younger days, a
great hunter, and became famous for a terrible bear fight, in
which he came very near losing his life. When hunting
alone one day, he came across a very large bear and fired at
him. The bear fell, and reloading his gun, Minter advanced,
supposing him dead, and touched his nose with the muzzle
of his gun, when the bear instantly reared upon his hind legs
to seize him. Minter fired again, which increased his rage,
only inflicting a flesh wound, and then threw his hatchet at
him ; and as the bear sprang forward to grasp him, he struck
(30)

MINTER FIGHTING WITH THE BEAR.

MINTER'S FIGHT WITH THE BEAR. < 33

him on his head with the rifle with all his might, producing
no other effect than shivering his rifle all to pieces. Too late
then to escape, he drew his big knife from its sheath and
made plunge a at his heart, but old Bruin, by a stroke of his
paw, whirled the knife into the air, and enfolding its weapon-
less owner with his huge arms, both rolled on the ground.
A fearful struggle then ensued between the combatants : one
ruled by unvarying instinct, and the other guided by the dic-
tates of reason. The former depended wholly upon hugging
his adversary to death, while the latter aimed at presenting his
body in such positions as would best enable him to withstand
the vice-like squeeze till he could loosen the grasp. He was
about six feet in height, possessing large bones and well de-
veloped muscles, and being properly proportioned, was very
athletic.

The woods were perfectly open and clear of underbrush, and
in their struggle they rolled in every direction. Several
times he thought the severity of the hug would finish him ;
but by choking the bear, he would compel him to release his
hold, to knock off his hands, when he would recover his breath
and gain a better position. After maintaining the contest in
this way for several hours, they, happily for him, rolled back
near where his knife lay, which inspired him with buoyant
hope, but he had to make many ineffectual efforts before he
could tumble the bear writhin reach of it. Having finally re-
covered it, he stabbed him at every chance till he at last bled
to death, only relaxing his hold when life became extinct.
He attempted to get up, but was too much exhausted, and
crawling to a log, against which he leaned, his heart sickened
as he contemplated the scene. Not a rag was left on him,
and over his back, arms, and legs, his flesh was lacerated to
the bones by the claws of the bear. By crawling and walk-
ing, he reached home after night, with no other covering than
a gore of blood from head to foot. His friends, who went
out the next morning to survey the ground and bring in the

34

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

trophy, said the surface was torn up by them over the space
of at least half an acre. After several weeks he recovered,
but he carried with him the cicatrices and welts, some of
them were more than a quarter of an inch thick, till he died,
about 1830. He never desired another bear hug, but gave
up hunting, and turning his attention to agriculture, left his
children a comfortable patrimony and a good name.*

*"0hio Historical Collections."

GRIZZLY BEAR.

totty

I NOW took a long farewell of the horse, and turned north-
ward, electing a line close in by the base of the hills, going
along at an improved pace, with the view of reaching the
trading-post the same night ; but stopping in a gully to look
for water, I found a little pool, evidently scratched out by a
bear, as there were foot-prints and claw-marks about it ; and I
was aware instinct prompts that brute where water is nearest
the surface, when he scratches until he comes to it. This was
one of very large size, the foot-marks behind the toes being
full nine inches ; and although I had my misgivings about
the prudence of facing a great grizzly bear, still the " better
part of valor" was overcome, as it often is, by the anticipated
honor and glory of a single combat, and conquest of such a

* Kelly's " Excursion to California."

4 (37)

38 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

ferocious beast. I was well armed, too, with my favorite rifle,
a Colt's revolver, that never disappointed me, and a nonde-
script weapon, a sort of cross betwixt a clay-more and a bowie-
knife ; so, after capping afresh, hanging the bridle on the horn
of the saddle, and, staking my mule, I followed the trail up a
gully, and much sooner than I expected came within view and
good shooting distance of Bruin, who was seated erect, with
his side towards me, in front of a manzanti bush, making a
repast on his favorite berry.

The sharp click of the cock causing him to turn quickly
round, left little time for deliberation ; so, taking a ready
good aim at the region of the heart, I let drive, the ball (as I
subsequently found) glancing along the ribs, entering the
armpit, and shattering smartly some of the shoulder bones. I
exulted as I saw him stagger and come to his side ; the next
glance, however, revealed him, to my dismay, on all fours,
in direct pursuit, but going lame ; so I bolted for the mule,
sadly encumbered with a huge pair of Mexican spurs, the
nervous noise of the crushing brush close in my rear convinc-
ing me he was fast gaining on me; I therefore dropped my
rifle, putting on fresh steam, and reaching the rope, pulled
up the picket-pin, and springing into the saddle with merely a
>hold of the lariat, plunged the spurs into the mule, which,
much to my affright produced a kick and a retrograde
movement ; but in the exertion having got a glimpse of my
pursuer, uttering a snort of terror, he went off at a pace I did
not think him capable of, soon widening the distance betwixt
us and the bear ; but having no means of guiding his motions,
he brought me violently in contact with the arm of a tree,
which unhorsed and stunned me exceedingly. Scrambling
to my feet as well as I could, I saw my relentless enemy close
at hand, leaving me the only alternative of ascending a tree ;
but, in my nervous efforts, I had scarcely my feet above his
reach, when he was right under, evidently enfeebled by the
loss of blood, as the exertion made it well out copiously. After

ADVENTURE WITH A GRIZZLY BEAR. 39

a moment's pause, and a fierce glare upward from his blood-
shot eyes, he clasped the trunk ; but I saw his endeavors to
to climb were crippled by the shoulder. However, by the
aid of his jaws, he just succeeded in reaching the first branch
with his sound arm, and was working convulsively to bring up
the body, when, with a well-directed blow from my cutlass, 1
completely severed the tendons of his foot, and he instantly
fell with a dreadful souse and horrific growl, the blood spout-
ing up as if impelled from a jet ; he rose again somewhat
tardily, and limping round the tree with up-turned eyes, kept
tearing off the bark with his tusks. However, watching my
opportunity, and leaning downward, I sent a ball from my
revolver with such good effect immediately behind the head,
that he dropped ; and my nerves being now rather more
composed, I leisurely distributed the remaining five balls in
the most vulnerable parts of his carcass.

By this time I saw the muscular system totally relaxed, so
I descended with confidence, and found him quite dead, and
myself not a little enervated with the excitement and the
effects of my wound, which bled profusely from the temple ;
so much so, that I thought an artery was ruptured. I bound
up my head as well as I could, loaded my revolver anew, and
returned for my rifle ; but as evening was approaching, and
my mule gone, I had little time to survey the dimensions of
my fallen foe, and no means of packing much of the flesh.
I therefore hacked off a few steaks from his thigh, and hew-
ing off one of his hind feet as a sure trophy of victory, I set
out towards the trading-post, which I reached about mid-
night, my friend and my truant mule being there before me,
but no horses.

I exhibited the foot of my fallen foe in great triumph, and
described the conflict with due emphasis and effect to the
company, who arose to listen ; after which I made a transfer
of the flesh to the traders, on condition that there was not to
be any charge for the hotel or the use of the mule. There

40 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

was an old experienced French trapper of the party, who,
judging from the size of the foot, set down the weight of the
bear at fifteen hundred pounds, which, he said they frequently
over run, he himself, as well as Colonel Fremont's exploring
party, having killed several that came to two thousand pounds.
He advised me, should I again be pursued by a bear, and
have no other means of escape, to ascend a small-girthed tree,
which they cannot get up, for, not having any central joint
in the fore-legs, they cannot climb any with a branchless stem
that does not fully fill their embrace ; and in the event of
not being able to accomplish the ascent before my pursuer
over took me, to place my back against it, when, if it and I
did not constitute a bulk capable of filling his hug, I might
have time to rip out his entrails before he could kill me,
being in a most favorable posture for the operation. They
do not generally use their mouth in the destruction of their
victims, but, hugging them closely, lift one of the hind feet,
which are armed with tremendous claws, and tear out the bowls.
The Frenchman's advice reads rationally enough, and is a fea-
sible theory on the art of evading unbearable compression ; but,
unfortunately, in the haunts of that animal those slim juve-
nile saplings are rarely met with, and a person closely con-
fronted with such a grisly vis-a-vis is not exactly in a tone
of nerve for surgical operations.

, ffre fesf of

THE best "bear story," which has come to our knowledge,
is made up of events which happened in the vicinity of the
Pyrenees, in France. Just after the battle of Fontenoy, in
1745, the young Baron de Villetreton, who had distinguished
himself by his courage and virtue, was publicly insulted by
M. De Malatour, who envied the young man's popularity.
Villetreton was, in principle, opposed to duelling, and he re-
fused to challenge his enemy. But to prove his courage and
disprove that of Malatour, he proposed that they should join
in a bear hunt, on the Villetreton estate, among the preci-
pices of Clat, in the Eastern Pyrenees. The proposal was
accepted, and De Malatour with a number of others repaired
to the chateau.

The morning following their arrival, a body of trackers
and scouts, provided with all manner of discordant instru-
ments — trumpets, saucepans, drums, &c. — were assembled

4* (41)

42 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

tinder the walls of the chateau, with the pareur at their head ;
while by his side stood the mandrin, who proudly guarded a
dozen large mastiffs, held in leash by his vigorous helpers.
The young baron and his friends, armed with carbines and
hunting-knives, had scarcely appeared, when, by a sign from
the pareur, the whole troop moved silently forward. The
dogs themselves seemed to understand the importance of the
movement ; and nothing was heard but the confused tramp
of feet, blended with the noise of the distant torrent, or, at
intervals, the cry of some belated night-bird flying heavily
homeward in the doubtful glimmer of the yet unopened day.

As the party reached the crest of the mountain which im-
mediately overhung the chateau, the first rays of the sun
breaking from the east glanced on the summit of the Pyre-
nees, and suddenly illuminating the landscape, discovered
beneath them a deep valley, covered with majestic pine-trees,
which murmured in the fresh breeze of the morning.

Opposite to them, the foaming waters of a cascade fell for
some hundreds of feet through a cleft which divided the moun-
tains from the summit to the base. By one of those caprices
of nature which testify the primitive convulsions of our globe,
the chasm was surmounted by a natural bridge — the piles
of granite at each side being jointed by one immense flat
rock, almost seeming to verify the fable of the Titans ; for it
appeared impossible that these enormous blocks of stone could
have ever been raised to such an elevation by human agency.
Sinister legends were attached to the place ; and the moun-
taineers recounted with terror that no hunters, with the ex-
ception of the pareur, had ever been posted at the bridge of
Maure without becoming the prey of either the bears or the
precipice. But the pareur was too good a Christian to par-
take of this ridiculous prejudice ; he attributed the fatality
to its real cause — the dizziness arising from the sight of the
bears and the precipice combined, by destroying the hunter's
presence of mind, made his aim unsteady, and his death the

A BEAR HUNT. 43

inevitable consequence. He could not, however, altogether
divest himself of fears for his young master, who obstinately
persevered in his intention of occupying the bridge with hia
antagonist.

After placing the baron's companions at posts which he
considered the most advantageous, the pareur rejoined his
men, and disposing them so as to encompass the valley facing
the cascade, commanded the utmost silence to be preserved
until they should hear the barking of his dog. At that signal
the mastiffs were to be unleashed, the instruments sounded,
and all to move slowly forward, contracting the circle as they
approached the cascade. These arrangements being made,
the pareur and his dog, followed by the mandrin alone, dis-
appeared in the depths of the wood.

For some minutes the silence had remained unbroken, when
suddenly a furious barking commenced, accompanied by low
growling. Each prepared his arms ; the instruments sounded ;
and the mastiffs being let loose, precipitated themselves pell-
mell in the direction of the struggle. Their furious barking
was soon confounded with the cries of the hunters and the
din of the instruments, mingled with the formidable growling
of the bears, making altogether a hideous concert, which,
rolling along the sides of the valley, was repeated by the
distant echoes. At this moment the young baron regarded
his companion, whose countenance, though pale, remained
calm and scornful.

"Attention,, sir," said he, in a low voice. "The bears
are not far from us ; let your aim be true, or else"

" Keep your counsels for yourself, sir !"

"Attention!" repeated Villetreton, without seeming to
notice the surly response "he approaches !"

Those who were placed in front of the cascade, seeing the
animals directing their course to the bridge, cried from all
parts, "Look out, look out, Villetreton !" But the breaking
of branches, followed by the rolling of loosened stones down

44 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

the precipice, had already given warning of the animal's
near approach. Malatour became deadly pale ; he, however,
held his carbine firmly, in the attitude of a resolute hunter.

A bear at length appeared, with foaming mouth and glar-
ing eyes, at times turning as if he would fain struggle with
his pursuers ; but when he saw the bridge, his only way of
escape, occupied, he uttered a fearful growl, and raising him-
self on his hind legs, was rushing on our two hunters, when
a ball struck him on the forehead, and he fell dead at their feet.

Malatour convulsively grasped his gun — he had become
completely powerless. Suddenly new cries, louder and more
pressing, were heard.

"Fire, fire! he is on you!" cried the pareur, who ap-
peared unexpectedly, pale and agitated, his gun to his shoulder,
but afraid to fire lest he should hit his master.

The latter perceiving his agitation, turned round ; it was
indeed time. On the other side of the bridge, a bear, much
larger than the first, was in the act of making the final rush.
Springing backward, he seized the carbine of the petrified
companion, and lodged the contents in the animal's breast ere
it could reach them. He rolled, in the death-struggle to where
they stood. All this was the work of an instant. The knees
of the hardy old pareur shook with emotion at the escape of
his master ; as for Malatour, his livid paleness, and the con-
vulsive shuddering of his limbs, testified the state of his mind.

" Take your arms," said the young baron, quickly replac-
ing in his hands the carbine ; " here are our comrades — they
must not see you unarmed ; and, pareur, not a word of all
this."

" Look !" said he to his companions, as they gathered
around, pointing to the monstrous beasts — "one to each.
Now, Monsieur de Malatour, I wait your orders, and am
ready to give the satisfaction you require."

The latter made no reply, but reached out his hand, which
Villetreton cordially shook.

A BEAR HUNT.

45

That evening a banquet was given to celebrate the double
victory. Towards the end of the repast, a toast to " the
vanquishers" was proposed, and immediately accepted. Mon-
sieur d'Argentre, glass in hand, rose to pledge it, when Ma-
latour, also rising, held his arm, exclaiming, " To the sole
vanquisher of the day ! — to our noble host ! It was he alone
who killed the two bears ; and if, through his generosity, I
have allowed the illusion to pass so long, it was simply for
this reason : the affront which I gave him was a public one —
the reparation ought to be public likewise. I now declare
that Monsieur de Villetreton is the bravest of the brave, and
that I shall maintain it towards all and against all."

" This time, at least, I shall not take up your gauntlet,"
said Monsieur d'Argentre.

" There's a brave young man," cried the pareur, whom
his master had admitted to his table, and who endeavored to
conceal a furtive tear. " Nothing could better prove to me,
sir, that, with a little experience, you will be as calm in the
presence of bears, as you are, I am sure, in the face of an
enemy."

THE MOOSE.

the

IN the wilder parts of our country to hunt and kill the
moose is always an object with the hunters. The moose is
an animal similar to the deer, or elk, except vastly larger.
Their color is a dark gray. The horns of the male are pronged,
and very large in proportion to the size of their bodies. The
body is thick-set, tail short, and they have a very large upper
lip. Their usual gait is a trot, swinging their legs out so as
(46)

HUNTING THE MOOSE.

HUNTING THE MOOSE. 49

to form a half-circle in the snow when it was three or four feet
deep. " I have often," says Merritt, " measured their steps
in the snow, and found them seven feet apart." A man, five
and half feet high, could walk under the belly of a full grown
one. They usually bring two young at a time. In winter, they
herd together, and as the snow increases they form yards, living
upon browse, the twigs and bark of trees. Sometimes they
will take a strip, following some ridge or swamp, feeding upon
the brush until they fill themselves, and then lie down, the
next day progressing on further.

" The last moose which I killed," said Merritt, " was out
back of Brompton Lake in Canada. I was hunting with J.
Bonney. It was near night when we came upon a moose-yard.
We had taken provision but for one day. We were not ex-
pecting then to chase them, but merely to find the place of
yarding, and then wait until the snow became deeper before
we disturbed them. When the snow was deep, and par-
ticularly, when there was an icy crust, we could soon run them
down and shoot them. Bonney was for giving immediate
chase. I persuaded him to camp that night, and in the morn-
ing to ascertain where we could get some provisions, before
we started them, as the chase might last, as it frequently did,
when there was but little snow, five or six days. The next
day, it took us until about noon before we could find any
thing to eat. We then obtained three quarts of Indian-meal,
and about four pounds of bull-beef. We had with us a small
kettle, with the aid of which we made our meal into porridge.
Our dogs shared our provisions with us. We did but little
this day, the second of our trip, except to get back upon the
trail. The third day we gave chase; but, before night,
Bonney was for giving up the pursuit. I persuaded him to
continue, told him that he had been fierce to begin the pur-
suit when we had nothing to eat, and now when we had beef
and porridge, I was for goin^ ahead. Near night the dogs
came up with them, but too late for us to get a shot at them.

5

50 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

We again encamped. The next day, after following five miles
further we overtook them back of a hill, which, by the sound,
they appeared to be going around. I immediately ran to the
opposite side of the hill to meet them. They came around as
I expected, and I partly met them. As they turned, a large
one ran upon the ice of a creek and broke in. As he rose
upon the ice I was ready, and cut loose upon him, and shot
him square through. This stopped his running. After se-
curing our prize, and getting a hearty meal of fresh meat, we
returned."

In the summer the moose frequents swampy or low grounds,
near the margins of lakes and rivers, through which they de-
light to swim, as it frees them for the time from the annoy-
ance of insects. They are also seen wading out from the
shores, for the purpose of feeding on the aquatic plants that
rise to the surface of the water. At this season they regu-
larly frequent the same place in order to drink, of which cir-
cumstance the Indian hunter takes advantage to lie in ambush,
and secure the destruction of the deer. During the winter,
the moose, in families of fifteen or twenty, seek the depths of
the forest for shelter and food.

The moose is generally hunted in the month of March,
when the snow is deep and sufficiently crusted with ice to
bear the weight of a dog, but not a moose. Five or six In-
dians, provided with knapsacks and snow-shoes, containing
food for about a week, and all necessary implements for making
their camp at night, set out in search of a moose-yard. When
they have discovered one, they collect their dogs and encamp
for the night, in order to be ready to commence the chase at
an early hour, before the sun softens the crust upon the snow,
which would retard the dogs and facilitate the escape of the
deer. At daybreak the dogs are let on, and the hunters,
wearing large snow-shoes, follow as closely as possible. As
soon as the dogs approach a moose, tbey assail him on all
sides, and force him to attempt his escape by flight. The

HUNTING THE MOOSE. 53

deer, however, does not run far, before the crust on the snow,
through which he breaks at every step, cuts his legs so much
that the poor animal stands at bay, and endeavors to defend
himself against the dogs by striking at them with his fore-
feet. The arrival of the hunter within a convenient distance
soon terminates the combat, as a ball from his rifle rarely
fails to bring the moose down.

I will now close the account of the moose with an anecdote
I once heard of a hunter.

The hounds had been put into the woods for the purpose
of scenting a deer — a business with which they were well
acquainted, whilst the hunter placed himself in a convenient
spot, suitably near the deer's run-away, so as to be able to
bring it down at a shot, as it fled at the noise of the dogs
from the mountain to the river. The spot he selected to wait
in ambush was on a certain flat, very near the foot of a
steep hill. This flat was about three-quarters of a mile in
length : at one end was the hill by which our hunter stood ;
at the other, a steep bank along the edge of the river. The
hunter had chosen his position well; he had narrowly ex-
amined the contents of his rifle, and made sure that the
priming was in good order ; he had rubbed the edge of his
flint on his hat to make it brighter — all was in readiness, and
he stood in a listening attitude, with his ear turned towards
the hill, and his mouth slightly open to assist his hearing.

He had not waited in his hiding-place long, when the dis-
tant cry of the hounds struck his ear. He now knew that
but a few minutes would pass before a deer would be seen
bounding along in the path of their run-away, for the dogs
had given tokens of the chase by their yells. He was not
deceived ; he heard plainly the rapid, but heavy bounds of a
deer, which in an instant after he perceived, as it broke over
the brow of the hill, with its majestic antlers thrown back
over its neck. Now comes the decisive moment ; one leap

more and his noble breast is exposed to death, within a few

5*

54 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

yards of the fatal gun which has already been brought to the
hunter's cheek, while his eye looked steadily along the smooth
barrel. The trigger was touched — a blaze, and the death-
ring struck sharp and shrill on the air. The fugitive, a
noble buck, fell, and the hunter, in a moment, to secure his
victim, having dropped his gun and drawn his knife, sprung
across his back in order to cut his throat.

But, behold ! the ball had struck one of his horns only near
the root, which stunned the animal and caused it to fall. He
recovered his feet again before the hunter had time to wound
him with his knife, and, finding his enemy on his back, he
rose and sprung off with the speed of an arrow ; while the
hunter, having full occupation for his hands in holding fast
by the horns, found no time to invade his throat. So, cling-
ing with his feet under the belly of the deer, he was borne
away at a fearful rate the whole length of the flat, till he
came to the steep bank of the river, at which place he had
no sooner arrived, than, with his rider, the deer plunged with
a tremendous leap into the deep water.

Here a scuffle ensued between the hunter and the deer ;
the deer endeavoring to push him under water with his fore-
feet, while the hunter was striving to hold its head, and at
the same time cut its throat. This he soon accomplished,
and, swimming ashore, drew his prize after him, declaring to
his companions, who had witnessed the sport, and were now
assembled on the river's bank, that he had had a " most
glorious ride."

This man's name was John McMullen, and he is well
remembered even now by many of the old inhabitants along
the Susquehanna.

the

WHEN Merritt came to the state of Ohio, in 1815, there
were numerous elk in the forests of this state. The elk is of
the deer species, although much larger, the male, like that of
the deer, only having horns. They feed in the winter mostly
upon coarse grass, and the bark of trees. They usually go in
droves. In 1823, says Merritt, " I started three in the north-
west corner of this township ; after following them around
awhile, one separated from the others. I followed that one,
and at night came within two miles of home. I went home
and slept, and the next morning I took my brother with me,
and a rope, determining to catch and bring it in alive. We
took its track, there being a little snow, and often came in
sight of it. Many times we might have shot it ; but we deter-

(57)

58 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

mined to halter it. The next night found us about fifteen
miles from home. The third, the elk became worried and
hungry, as we had not allowed it to eat. During the day it
ran into a cleared field, and the dogs there stopped and held
it. It was a cow elk. I came up and caught my right arm
over its neck, and with my left hand I took it by the nose,
She soon cleared herself from the dogs, and I found I had a
wild colt to handle. She carried me with ease — frequently
striking at me with her fore-feet. I managed, so that her
feet usually went one upon each side of me when she reared
and struck, so that I was but little hurt. I would then have
been glad to be out of that scrape ; but the difficulty was in
letting go. We soon arrived at the opposite side of the field,
where was a high and strong fence. With my weight the elk
could not jump the fence, and I here, with my left hand,
caught around a rail, and I found I was able to hold the
creature down until my brother came with the rope. When
this was fastened to her, both of us could her. With the aid
of a crotched stick, to keep her off, we led her to a log stable,
and there confined her. After getting help so as to have one
with a halter upon each side, and one behind to whip up, we
succeeded in leading her home, a space of twenty-eight miles."
Merritt says, that he has killed or caught with ropes, over
thirty elk, in and near this place. They have now, for more
than eighteen years, all disappeared from these parts, and it
will soon only be known by tradition, or from history, that
such animals ever roamed our forests.

of % T^ir dllegii

UPON the great western plains of the United States, and
in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains are found a class of
men, unlike any other upon the face of the earth. They are
whites, and generally speak a language which might be called
English ; but they possess more of the nature of the roving
red men than of the feelings and habits pertaining to the civi-
lized members of thefr race. To nerves of steel, which fit
them to endure without a murmur extremities of toil and tor-
ment, they unite a daring and restless spirit, for which there
cannot be too much excitement. War and the chase have
for them charms possessed by nothing else in the world.

(59)

60 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

Their character has its humorous side, also. No persons can
put a broader estimate upon fun, however originated, and
around their camp-fires, jokes and stories are cracked and
spun, with a keen relish. Their exaggerated accounts, ridicu-
lous metaphors and comparisons, and slang-phrases, are truly
mirth-provoking. No one has more accurately drawn the
character and life of these men of the prairies and mountains,
than George Frederick Ruxton, a young Englishman, who
spent a considerable time among them, and joined in all their
pursuits and pleasures, with a sympathetic spirit. His nar-
rative, "Life in the Far West," has all the correctness of a
good history, and the picturesqueness of a good romance.
The following account of an attack upon the camp of the
hunters, by the Indians, and the manner in which it was
revenged, will illustrate the truth of our comments.

Away to the head waters of the Platte, where several small
streams run into the south fork of that river, and head in the
broken ridges of the "Divide" which separates the valleys
of the Platte and Arkansas, were camped a band of trappers
on a creek called Bijou. It was the month of October, when
the early frosts of the coming winter had crisped and dyed
with sober brown the leaves of the cherry and quaking ash
belting the brooks ; and the ridges and peaks of the Rocky
Mountains were already^ covered with a glittering mantle of
snow, sparkling in the still powerful rays of the autumn sun.

The camp had all the appearance of permanency ; for not
only did it comprise one or two unusually comfortable shan-
ties, but the numerous stages on which huge stripes of buf-
falo meat were hanging in process of cure, showed that the
party had settled themselves here in order to lay in a store
of provisions, or as it is termed in the language of the moun-
tains, "to make meat." Round the camp fed twelve or fif-
teen mules and horses, their fore-legs confined by hobbles of
raw hide ; and, guarding these animals, two men paced back-
ward and forward, driving in the stragglers, ascending ever

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 61

and anon the bluffs which overhung the river, and leaning on
their long rifles, while they swept with their eyes the sur-
rounding prairie. Three or four fires burned in the encamp-
ment, at some of which Indian women carefully tended sundry
steaming pots ; while round one, which was in the centre of
it, four or five stalwart hunters, clad in buckskin, sat cross-
legged, pipe in mouth.

They were a trapping party from the north fork of Platte,
on their way to wintering-ground in the more southern valley
of the Arkansas ; some, indeed, meditating a more extensive
trip, even to the distant settlements of New Mexico, the
paradise of mountaineers. The elder of the company was a
tall, gaunt man, with a face browned by twenty years' expo-
sure to the extreme clime of the mountains ; his long black
hair, as yet scarcely tinged with gray, hanging almost to his
shoulders, but his cheeks and chin clean shaven, after the
fashion of the mountain men. His dress was the usual hunt-
ing-frock of buckskin, with long fringes down the seams, with
pantaloons similarly ornamented, and moccasons of Indian
make. While his companions puffed their pipes in silence,
he narrated a few of his former experiences of western life.

As all the mountaineers sat cross-legged round the fire,
pipe in mouth, and with Indian gravity, listened to the yarn
of the old trapper, interrupting him with an occasional wagh !
or with the exclamation of some participators in the events
then under narration, who would every now and then put in
a corroborative — " This child remembers that fix," " or hyar's
a niggur lifted hair on that spree," &c. — that a whizzing noise
was heard in the air, followed by a sharp but suppressed cry
from one of the hunters.

In an instant the mountaineers had sprung from their
seats, and, seizing the ever-ready rifle, each one had thrown
himself on the ground a few paces beyond the light of the
fire, (for it was now nightfall ;) but not a word escaped them,
as lying close, with their keen eyes directed towards the

6

62 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

gloom of the thicket, near which the camp was fixed, with
rifles ready cocked, they waited a renewal of the attack.
Presently the leader of the band, no other than Killbuck, who
had so lately been recounting some of his experiences across
the plains, and than whom no more crafty woodsman or more
expert trapper ever tracked a deer or grained a beaver-skin,
raised his tall, leather-clad form, and placing his hand over
his mouth, made the prairie ring with the wild, protracted
note of an Indian war-whoop. This was instantly repeated
from the direction where the animals belonging to the camp
were grazing, under the charge of the horse-guard. Three
shrill whoops answered the warning of the leader, and showed
the guard was on the alert, and understood the signal. How-
ever, with the manifestation of their presence the Indians
appeared to be satisfied ; or, what is more probable, the act
of aggression had been committed by some daring young
warrior, who, being out on his first expedition, desired to
strike the first coup, and thus signalize himself at the outset
of the campaign. After waiting some few minutes, expecting
a renewal of the attack, the mountaineers in a body rose
from the ground and made toward the animals, with which
they presently returned to the camp ; and, after carefully
hobbling and securing them to pickets firmly driven into the
ground, mounting an additional guard, and examining the
neighboring thicket, they once more assembled round the
fire, relit their pipes, and puffed away the cheering weed as
composedly as if no such being as Redskins, thirsting for
their lives, was within a thousand miles of their perilous
encampment.

"If ever thar was bad Injuns on these plains," at last
growled Killbuck, biting hard the pipe-stem between his teeth,
"it's these Rapahos, and the meanest kind at that."

" Can't beat the Blackfeet, any how," chimed in La Bonte,
from the Yellow Stone country, a fine handsome specimen
of a mountaineer. " However, one of you quit this arrow

A BLACKFOOT WARRIOR.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 65

out of my hump," he continued, bending forward to the fire,
and exhibiting an arrow sticking out under his right shoulder
blade, and a stream of blood trickling down his buckskin coat
from the wound. .

This his nearest neighbor essayed to do ; but finding, after
a tug, that it "would not come," expressed his opinion that
the offending weapon would have to be " butchered" out. This
was accordingly effected with the ready blade of a scalp-knife ;
and a handful of beaver-fur being placed on the wound, ^nd
secured by a strap of buckskin round the body, the wounded
man donned his hunting-shirt once more, and coolly set about
lighting his pipe, his rifle lying across his lap, cocked, and
ready for use.

It was now near midnight — dark and misty ; and the clouds,
rolling away to the eastward from the lofty ridges of the
Rocky Mountains, were gradually obscuring the dim starlight.
As the lighter vapors faded from the mountains, a thick
black cloud succeeded them, and settled over the loftier peaks
of the chain, faintly visible through the gloom of night, while
a mass of fleecy scud soon overspread the whole sky. A hol-
low moaning sound crept through the valley, and the upper
branches of the cotton woods, with their withered leaves, be-
gan to rustle with the first breath of the coming storm. Huge
drops of rain fell at intervals, hissing as they dropped into
the blazing fires, and pattering on the skins with which the
hunters hurriedly covered the exposed baggage. The mules
near the camp cropped the grass with quick and greedy bites
round the circuit of their pickets, as if conscious that the
storm would soon prevent their feeding, and already humped
their backs as the chilling rain fell upon their flanks. The
prairie wolves crept closer to the camp, and in the con-
fusion that ensued from the hurry of the trappers to cover
the perishable portions of their equipment, contrived more
than once to dart off with a piece of meat, when their peculiar

6*

bb THRILLING ADVENTURES.

and mournful chiding would be heard as they fought for the
possession of the ravished morsel.

When every thing was duly protected, the men set to
work to spread their beds, those who had not troubled them-
selves to erect a shelter getting under the lee of the piles of
packs and saddles ; while Killbuck, disdaining even such care
of his carcass, threw his buffalo robe on the bare ground, de-
claring his intention to " take" what was coming at all hazards,
and "any how." Selecting a high spot, he drew his knife
and proceeded to cut drains round it to prevent the water
running into him as he lay ; then taking a single robe he
carefully spread it, placing under the end farthest from the
fire a large stone brought from the creek. Having satisfac-
torily adjusted this pillow, he added another robe to the one
already laid, and placed over all a Navajo blanket, supposed
to be impervious to rain. Then he divested himself of his
pouch and powder-horn, which, with his rifle, he placed inside
his bed, and quickly covered up, lest the wet should reach
them. Having performed these operations to his satisfaction,
he lighted his pipe by the hissing embers of the half extin-
guished fire (for by this time the rain poured in torrents,)
and went the rounds of the picketed animals, cautioning the
guard round the camp to keep their " eyes skinned, for there
would be 4 powder burned' before morning." Then return-
ing to the fire, and kicking with his mocassoned foot the
slumbering ashes, he squatted down before it, and thus
soliloquized —

" Thirty years have I been knocking about these mountains
from Missoura's head as far sothe as starving Gila. I've
trapped a 'heap,' and many a hundred pack of beaver I've
traded in my time, wagh ! What has come of it, whar's the
dollars as ought to be in my possibles ? Whar's the ind of
this, I say ? Is a man to be hunted by Injuns all his days ?
Many's the time I've said I'd strike for Taos, and trap a
squaw, for this child's getting old, and feels like wanting a

KAPAHO INDIANS.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 69

woman's face about his lodge for the balance of his days ;
but when it comes to caching of the old traps, I've the smallest
kind of heart, I have. Certain, the old state come across my
mind now and agin, but who's thar to remember my old body ?
But them diggings get too overcrowded nowadays, and it is
hard to fetch breath amongst them big bands of corncrackers
to Missoura. Beside, it goes against natur to leave bufler
meat and feed on hog ; and them white gals are too much
like picturs, and a deal too ' fofaraw' (fanfaron.) No ; darn
the settlements, I say. It won't shine, and whar's the dollars ?
Howsever, beaver's 'bound to rise;' human natur can't go
on selling beaver a dollar a pound ; no, no, that arn't going
to shine much longer, I know. Them was the times when
this child first went to the mountains : six dollars the plew —
old 'un or kitten. Wagh ! but it's bound to rise, I says agin;
and hyar's a coon knows whar to lay his hand on a dozen
pack right handy, and then he'll take the Taos trail, wagh !"

Thus soliloquizing, Killbuck knocked the ashes from his
pipe, and placed it in the gayly ornamented case that hung
round his neck, drew his knife-belt a couple of holes tighter,
resuming his pouch and powder-horn, took his rifle, whicUTie
carefully covered with the folds of his Navajo blanket, and
striding into the darkness, cautiously reconnoitered the vici-
nity of the camp. When he returned to the fire he sat him-
self down as before, but this time with his rifle across his lap ;
and at intervals his keen gray eye glanced piercingly around,
particularly towards an old, weather-beaten, and grizzled
mule, who now, old stager as she was, having filled her belly,
stood lazily over her picket-pin, with her head bent down and
her long ears flapping over her face, her limbs gathered under
her, and her back arched to throw off the rain, tottering from
side to side as she rested and slept.

" Yep, old gal !" cried Killbuck to the animal, at the same
time picking a piece of burnt wood from the fire and throw-
ing it at her, at which the mule gathered itself up and cocked

70 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

KILLBUCK'S MULE.

her ears as she recognised her master's voice. " Yep, old
gal ! and keep your nose open ; thar's brown skin about, I'm
thinkin', and maybe you'll get roped, (lassooed) by a Rapaho,
afore mornin'."

Again the old trapper settled himself before the fire ; and
soon his head began to nod, as drowsiness stole over him.
Already he was in the land of dreams ; revelling among bands
of "fat cow," or hunting along a stream well peopled with
beaver ; with no Indian " sign" to disturb him, and the merry
rendezvous in close perspective, and his peltry selling briskly
at six dollars the plew, and galore of alcohol to ratify the
trade. Or, perhaps, threading the back trail of Jiis memory,
he passed rapidly through the perilous vicissitudes of his hard,
hard life — starving one day, revelling in abundance the next;
now beset by whooping savages thirsting for his blood, baying
his enemies like a hunted deer, but with the unflinching cou-
rage of a man ; now, all care thrown aside, secure and for-
getful of the past, a welcome guest in the hospitable trading
fort ; or back, as the trail gets fainter, to his childhood's
home in the brown forests of old Kentuck, tended and cared

KILLBUCK AT A TRADING POST.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 73

for — his only thought to enjoy the hommony and johnny cakes
of his thrifty mother. Once more, in warm and well remem-
bered homespun, he sits on the snake fence round the old
clearing, and munching his hoe-cake at set of sun, listens to
the mournful note of the whip-poor-will, or the harsh cry of
the noisy cat-bird, or watches the agile gambols of the squirrels
as they chase each other, chattering the while, from branch
to branch of the lofty tamarisks, wondering how long it will
be before he will be able to lift his father's heavy rifle, and
use it against the tempting game. Sleep, however, sat lightly
on the eyes of the wary mountaineer, and a snort from the
old mule in an instant stretched his every nerve. Without a
movement of his body, his keen eye fixed itself upon the mule,
which now stood with head bent round, and eyes and ears
pointed in one direction, snuffing the night air, and snorting
with apparent fear. A low sound from the wakeful hunter
roused the others from their sleep ; and raising their bodies
from their well-soaked beds, a single word apprised them of
their danger.

"Injuns!"

Scarcely was the word out of Killbuck's lips when, above
the howling of the furious wind, and the pattering of the rain,
a hundred savage yells broke suddenly upon their ears from
all directions round the camp ; a score of rifle-shots rattled
from the thicket, and a cloud of arrows whistled through the
air, while a crowd of Indians charged upon the picketed ani-
mals, " Owgh, owgh — owgh — owgh — g-h-h." "Afoot, by
gor !" shouted Killbuck, " and the old mule gone at that. On
'em, boys, for old Kentuck !" And he rushed toward his
mule, which jumped and snorted, mad with fright, as a naked
Indian strove to fasten a lariet round her nose, having already
cut the rope which fastened her to the picket pin.

"Quit that, you cussed devil!" roared the trapper, as he
jumped upon the savage, and without raising his rifle to his
shoulder, made a deliberate thrust with the muzzle at his

7

74 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

naked breast, striking him full, and at the same time pulling
the trigger, actually driving the Indian two paces backward
with the shock, when he fell in a heap, and dead. But at the
same moment, an Indian, sweeping his club round his head,
brought it with fatal force down upon Killbuck ; for a moment
the hunter staggered, threw out his arms wildly into the air,
and fell headlong to the ground.

" Owgh ! owgh ! owgh-h-h !" cried the Rapaho, and strid-
ing over the prostrate body, he seized with his left hand the
middle lock of the trapper's long hair, and drew his knife
round the head to separate the scalp from the skull. As he
bent over his work, the trapper named La Bonte saw his
companion's peril, rushed quick as thought at the Indian, and
buried his knife to the hilt between his shoulders. With a
gasping shudder the Rapaho fell dead upon the prostrate
body of his foe.

The attack, hoAvever, lasted but a few seconds. The dash
at the animals had been entirely successful, and, driving them
before them, with loud cries, the Indians disappeared in the
darkness. Without waiting for daylight, two of the three
trappers who alone were to be seen, and who had been within
the shanties at the time of attack, without a moment's delay
commenced packing two horses, which having been fastened
to the shanties had escaped the Indians, and placing their squaws
upon them, showering curses and imprecations upon their
enemies, left the camp, fearful of another onset, and resolved
to retreat and cache themselves until the danger was over.
Not so La Bonte, who, stout and true, had done his best in
the fight and now sought the body of his old comrade, from
which, before he could examine the wounds, he had first to
remove the corpse of the Indian he had slain. Killbuck stil]
breathed. He had been stunned ; but, revived by the cold
rain beating upon his face, he soon opened his eyes, and
recognised his trusty friend, who, sitting down, lifted his head
into his lap, and wiped away the blood that streamed from the

SCALPING.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS IN THE FAR WEST. 77

wounded scalp. "Is the top-knot gone, boy?" asked Kill
buck; "for my head feels queersome, I tell you."

"Thar's the Injun as felt like lifting it," answered the
other, kicking the dead body with his foot.

" Wagh ! boy, you've struck a coup ; so scalp the nagger
right off, and then fetch me a drink."

The morning broke clear and cold. With the exception of
a light cloud which hung over Pike's Peak, the sky was
spotless ; and a perfect calm had succeeded the boisterous
storm of the previous night. The creek was swollen and turbid
with the rains ; and as La Bonte proceeded a little distance
down the bank to find a passage to the water, he suddenly
stopped short, and an involuntary cry escaped him. Within
a few feet of the bank lay the body of one of his companions,
who had formed the guard at the time of the Indians' attack.
It was lying on the face, pierced through the chest with an
arrow which was buried to the very feathers, and the scalp
torn from the bloody skull. Beyond, but all within a hun-
dred yards, lay the three others, dead, and similarly muti-
lated. So certain had been the aim, and so close the enemy,
that each had died without a struggle, and consequently
had been unable to alarm the camp. La Bonte, with a glance
at the bank, saw at once that the wily Indians had crept
along the creek, the noise of the storm facilitating their ap-
proach undiscovered, and crawling up the bank, had watched
their opportunity to shoot the four hunters on guard.

Returning to Killbuck, he apprised him of the melancholy
fate of their companions, and held a council of war as to
their proceedings. The old hunter's mind was soon made up.
"First," said he, "I get back my old mule; she's carried
me and my traps these twelve years, and I aint a goin' to
lose her yet. Second, I feel like taking hair, and some
Hapahos has to ' go under' for this night's work. Third We
have got to cache the beaver. Fourth We take the Injun
trail, wharever it leads.

7*

78 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

No more daring mountaineer than La Bonte ever trapped
a beaver, and no counsel could have more exactly tallied with
his own inclination than the law laid down by old Killbuck.

" Agreed," was his answer, and forthwith he set about
forming a cache. In this instance they had not sufficient time
to construct a regular one, so they contented themselves with
securing their packs of beaver in bnfialo robes, and tying
them in the forks of several cotton-woods, under which the
camp had been made. This done, they lit a fire, and cooked
some buffalo meat: and, while smoking a pipe, carefully
cleaned their rifles and filled their horns and pouches with a
good stock of ammunition.

A prominent feature in the character of the hunters of the
far west is their quick determination and resolves in cases of
extreme difficulty and peril, and their fixedness of purpose,
when any plan of operations has been laid, requiring bold and
instant action in carrying out. It is here that they so infi-
nitely surpass the savage Indian, in bringing to a successful
issue their numerous hostile expeditions against the natural
foe of the white man in the wild and barbarous regions of the
west. Ready to resolve as they are prompt to execute, and
combining far greater dash and daring with equal subtlety
and caution, they possess great advantage over the vacillat-
ing Indian, whose superstitious mind in a great degree para-
lyzes the physical energy of his active body ; ^nd who, by
waiting for propitious signs and seasons before he undertakes
an enterprise, often loses the opportunity by which his white
and more civilized enemy knows how to profit.

Killbuck and La Bonte were no exceptions to this charac-
teristic rule ; and before the sun was a hand's-breadth above
the eastern horizen, the two hunters were running on the trail
of the victorious Indians. Striking from the creek where the
night attack was made, they crossed to another, known as
Kioway, running parallel to Bijou, a few hours' journey west-
ward, and likewise heading in the " divide." Following this

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 81

to its forks, they struck into the upland prairies lying at the
foot of the mountains ; and crossing to the numerous water-
courses which feed the creek called " Vermilion," or " Cherry,"
they pursued the trail over the mountain spurs until it reached
a fork of the Boiling Spring. Here the war-party had halted
and held a consultation, for from this point the trail turned at
a tangent to the westward, and entered the rugged gorges of
mountains. It was now evident to the two trappers that their
destination was the Bayou Slade — a mountain valley which,
is a favorite resort of the buffalo in the winter season, and
which, and for this reason, is often frequented by the Yuta
Indians as their wintering-ground. That the Rapahos were
on a war expedition aganst the Yutas, there was little doubt ;
and Killbuck, who knew every inch of the ground, saw at once,
by the direction the trail had taken, that they were making for
the Bayou in order to surprise their enemies, and, therefore,
were not following the usual Indian trail up the canon of the
Boiling Spring river. Having made up his mind to this, he
at once struck across the broken ground lying at the foot of
the mountains, steering a course a little to the eastward of
north, or almost in the direction whence he had come : and
then, pointing westward, about noon he crossed the mountain
chain, and descending in a ravine through which a little rivulet
tumbled over its rocky bed, he at once proved the correctness
of his judgment by striking the Indian trail, now quite fresh,
as it wound through the canon along the bank of the stream.
The route he had followed, impracticable to pack-animals, had
saved at least half a day's journey, and brought them within
a short distance of the object of their pursuit ; for, at the
head of the gorge, a lofty bluff presenting itself, the hunters
ascended to the summit, and, looking down, described at their
very feet the Indian camp, with their own stolen cavallada
feeding quietly round.

" Wah !" exclaimed both the hunters in a breath. "And
thar's the old gal at that," chuckled Killbuck, as he recog-

82 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

nised his old grizzled mule making good play at the rich
buffalo grass with which these mountain valleys abound.

" If we don't make i a raise' afore long, I wouldn't say so.
Thar plans is plain to this child as beaver sign. They're after
Yuta hair, as certain as this gun has hind-sights ; but they
arn't a-goin' to pack them animals after 'em, and have crawled
like 4 rattlers' along this bottom to cache 'em till they come
back from the Bayou — and maybe they'll leave half a dozen
4 soldiers' with 'em."

How right the wily trapper was in his conjectures will be
shortly proved. Meanwhile, with his companion, he descended
the bluff, and pushing his way into a thicket of dwarf pine
and cedar, sat down on a log, and drew from an end of the
blanket, strapped on his shoulder, a portion of a buffalo's
liver, which they both discussed, raw, with infinite relish ;
eating in lieu of bread, (an unknown luxury in these parts)
sundry strips of dried fat. To have kindled a fire would
have been dangerous, since it was not impossible that some
of the Indians might leave their camp to hunt, when the
smoke would at once have betrayed the presence of enemies.
A light was struck, however, for their pipes, and after enjoy-
ing this consolation for some time, they laid a blanket on the
ground, and side by side, soon fell asleep.

If Killbuck had been a prophet, or the most prescient of
"medicine-men," he could not have more exactly predicted
the movements in the Indian camp. About three hours before
" sun-down," he rose and shook himself, which movement was
sufficient to awaken his companion. Telling La Bonte to lie
down again and rest, he gave him to understand that he was
about to reconnoitre the enemy's camp ; and after carefully
examining his rifle, and drawing his knife-belt a hole or two
tighter, he proceeded on his dangerous errand. Ascending
the same bluff whence he had first discovered the Indian camp,
he glanced rapidly around, and made himself master of the
features of the ground — choosing a ravine by which he might

INDIAN COUNCIL.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OP THE FAR WEST. 85

approach the camp more closely, and without danger of "being
discovered. This was soon effected ; and in half an hour the
trapper was lying on his belly on the summit of a pine-covered
bluff, which overlooked the Indians within easy rifle-shot, and
so perfectly concealed by the low spreading branches of the
cedar and arbor-vitae, that not a particle of his person could
be detected ; unless, indeed, his sharp twinkling gray eye
contrasted too strongly with the green boughs that covered
the rest of 'his face. Moreover, there was no danger of their
hitting upon his trail, for he had been careful to pick his steps
on the rock-covered ground, so that not a track of his moccason
was visible. Here he lay, still as a carcagien in wait for a
deer, only now and then shaking the boughs as his body
quivered with a suppressed chuckle, when any movement in
the Indian camp caused him to laugh inwardly at his (if they
had known it) unwelcome proquinity. He was not a little
surprised, however, to discover that the party was much
smaller than he had imagined, counting only forty warriors ;
and this assured him that the band had divided, one half tak-
ing the Yuta trail by the Boiling Spring, the other (the one
before him) taking a longer circuit in order to reach the
Bayou, and make the attack on the Yutas in a different
direction.

At this moment the Indians were in deliberation. Seated
in a large circle round a very small fire, the smoke of which
ascended in a thin straight column, they each in turn puffed
a huge cloud of smoke from three or four long cherry-stemmed
pipes, which went the round of the party; each warrior
touching the ground with the heel of the pipe-bowl, and turn-
ing the stem upward and away from him as "medicine" to
the Great Spirit, before he himself inhaled the fragrant kin-
nik-kinnik. The council, however, was not general, for only
fifteen of the old warriors took part in it, the others sitting
outside and at some little distance from the circle. Behind

each were his arms — bow and quiver, and shield hanging from

8

86 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

a spear stuck in the ground, and a few guns hung in orna-
mented covers of buckskin were added to some of the equip-
ments. Near the fire, and in the centre of the inner circle,
a spear was fixed upright in the ground, and on this dangled
the four scalps of the trappers killed the preceding night ;
and underneath them, affixed to the same spear, was the mys-
tic " medicine-bag," by which Killbuck knew that the band
before him was under the command of the principal chief of
the tribe.

Toward the grim trophies on the spear, the warriors, who
in turn addressed the council, frequently pointed — more than
one, as he did so, making the gyratory motion of the right
hand and arm, which the Indians use in describing that they
have gained an advantage by skill or cunning. Then pointing
westward, the speaker would thrust out his arm, extending
his fingers at the same time, and closing and reopening them
repeatedly, meaning, that although four scalps already orna-
mented the "medicine" pole, they were as nothing compared
to the numerous trophies they would bring from the Salt
Valley, where they expected to find their hereditary enemies
the Yutas. " That now was not the time to count their
coups," (for at this moment one of the warriors rose from his
seat, and, swelling with pride, advanced toward the spear,
pointing to one of the scalps, and then striking his open hand
on his naked breast, jumped into the air, as if about to go
through the ceremony.) " That before many suns all their
spears together would not hold the scalps they had taken, and
they would return to their village and spend a moon relating
their achievements, and counting coups."

All this Killbuck learned — thanks to his knowledge of the
language of signs — a master of which, even if he have no
ears or tongue, never fails to understand, and be understood
by, any of the hundred tribes whose languages are perfectly
distinct and different. He learned, moreover, that at sun-
down the greater part of the band would resume the trail, in

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 87

order to reach the Bayou by the earliest dawn ; and also,
that no more than four or five of the younger warriors would
remain with the captured animals. Still the hunter remained
in his position until the sun had disappeared behind the ridge ;
when, taking up their arms, and throwing their buffalo robes
on their shoulders, the war party of Rapahos, one behind the
other, with noiseless step, and silent as the dumb, moved
away from the camp. When the last dusky form had disap-
peared behind a point of rocks which shut in the northern
end of the little valley or ravine, Killbuck withdrew his head
from the screen, crawled backwards on his stomach from the
edge of the bluff, and, rising from the ground, shook and
stretched himself ; then gave one cautious look around, and
immediately proceeded to rejoin his companion.

" Lave (get up,) boy," said Killbuck, as soon as he reached
him. "Hyar's grainin' to do afore long — and sun about
down, I'm thinking."

" Ready, old hos," answered La Bonte, giving himself a
shake. "What's the sign like, and how many's the lodge ?"

" Fresh, and five, boy. How do you feel ?"

" Half froze for hair ! Wagh !"

" We'll have moon to-night, and as soon as she gets up,
we'll make 'em ' come.' '

Killbuck then described to his companion what he had
seen, and detailed his plan. This was simply to wait until
the moon afforded sufficient light, then approach the Indian
camp and charge into it, " lift" as much " hair" as they could,
recover their animals, and start at once to the Bayou and
join the friendly Yutas, warning them of the coming danger.
The risk of falling in with either of the Rapaho bands was
hardly considered ; to avoid this, they trusted to their own
foresight, and the legs of their mules, should they encounter
them.

Between sundown and the rising of the moon, they had
leisure to eat their -supper, which, as before, consisted of raw

88 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

buffalo liver; after discussing which, Killbuck pronounced
hiinself "a 'heap' better, and ready for "huggin'."

In the short interval of almost perfect darkness which pre-
ceded the moonlight, and taking advantage of one of the fre-
quent squalls of wind which howl down the narrow gorges of
the mountains, these two determined men, with footsteps
noiseless as the panther's, crawled to the edge of the little
plateau of some hundred yards square, where the five Indians
in charge of the animals were seated round a fire, perfectly
unconscious of the vicinity of danger. Several clumps of
cedar bushes dotted the small prairie, and among these the
well-hobbled mules and horses were feeding. These animals,
accustomed to the presence of whites, would not notice the
two hunters as they crept from clump to clump, nearer to the
fire, and also served, even if the Indians should be on the
watch, to conceal their movements from them.

This the two men at once perceived ; but old Killbuck knew
that if he passed wTithin sight or smell of his mule, he would
be received with a hinny of recognition, which would at once
alarm the enemy. He therefore first ascertained where his
own animal was feeding, which luckily was at the father side
of the prairie, and would not interfere with his proceedings.

Threading their way among the feeding mules, they ap-
proached a clump of bushes about forty yards from the spot
where the unconscious savages were seated smoking round the
fire ; and here they awaited, scarcely drawing breath the while,
the moment when the moon rose above the mountain into the
clear cold sky, and gave them light sufficient to make sure
their work of bloody retribution. Not a pulsation in the hearts
of these stern, determined men beat higher than its wont ; not
the tremor of a nerve disturbed their frame. They stood
with lips compressed and rifles ready, their pistols loosened
in their belts, their scalp-knives handy to their gripe. The
lurid glow of the coming moon already shot into the sky above
the ridge, which stood out in bold relief against the light ;

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 89

and the luminary herself just peered over the mountain,
illuminating its pine-clad summit, and throwing her beams on
the opposite peak, when Killbuck touched his companion's arm,
and whispered, "Wait for full light boy."

At this moment, however, unseen by the trapper, the old
grizzled mule had gradually approached, as she fed along
the plateau ; and, when within a few paces of their retreat,
a gleam of moonshine revealed to the animal the erect forms
of the two whites. Suddenly she stood still and pricked her
ears, and stretching out her neck and nose, snuffed the air.
Well she knew her old master.

Kilbuck, with eyes fixed upon the Indians, who was on the
point of giving the signal of attack to his comrade, when the
shrill hinny of his mule reverberated through the gorge. The
Indians jumped to their feet and seized their arms, when Kill-
buck, with a loud shout of " At 'em, boy ; give the niggurs
h — !" rushed from his concealment, and with La Bonte by
his side, yelling a fierce war-whoop, sprung upon the startled
savages.

Panic-struck with the suddenness of the attack, the Indians
scarcely knew where to run. and for a moment stood huddled
together like sheep. Down dropped Killbuck on his knee, and
stretching out his wiping-stick, planted it on the ground at the
extreme length of his arm. As methodically and as coolly as
if to aim at a deer, he raised his rifle to this rest and pulled
the trigger. At the report an Indian fell forward on his face,
at the same moment that La Bonte, with equal certainty of
aim and like effect discharged his own rifle.

The three surviving Indians, seeing that their assailants
were but two, and knowing that their guns were empty, came
on with loud yells. With the left hand grasping a bunch of
arrows, and holding the bow already bent, and arrow fixed,
they steadily advanced, bending low to the ground to get
their objects between them and the light, and thus render
their aim more certain. The trappers, however, did not care

8*

90 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

to wait for them. Drawing their pistols, they charged at
once ; and although the bows twanged, and the three arrows
struck their mark, on they rushed, discharging their pistols
at close quarters. La Bonte threw his empty one at the head
of an Indian, who was pulling his second arrow to its head,
at a yard's distance, drew his knife at the same moment, and
made at him.

But the Indian broke and ran, followed by his surviving
companion ; and as soon as Killbuck could ram home another
ball, he sent a shot flying after them as they scrambled up
the mountain side, leaving in their fright and hurry their
bows and shields on the ground.

The fight was over, and the two trappers confronted each
other — " We've given 'em h — !" laughed Killbuck.

" Well, we have," answered the other, pulling an arrow
out of his arm — " Wagh !"

" We'll lift the hair any how," continued the first, " afore
the scalp's cold."

Taking his whetstone from the little sheath on his knife-
belt, the trapper proceeded to "edge" his knife, and then
stepping to the prostrate body, he turned it over to examine
if any symptoms of vitality remained. " Thrown cold !" he
exclaimed, as he dropped the lifeless arm he had lifted. " I
sighted him about the long ribs, but the light was bad, and I
couldn't get a 'bead' i off hand' any how."

Seizing with his left hand the long and braided lock on the
centre of the Indian's head, as he passed the pointed edge of
a keen butcher-knife round the parting, turning it at the same
time under the skin to separate the scalp from the skull ;
then with a quick and sudden jerk of his hand, he removed it
entirely from the head, and giving the reeking trophy a
wring upon the grass to free it from the blood, he coolly
hitched it under his belt, and proceeded to the next ; but see-
ing La Bonte operating upon this, he sought the third, who
lay at some little distance from the others. This one was

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 91

still alive, a pistol-ball having passed through his body, with-
out touching a vital spot.

" Gut-shot is this niggur," exclaimed the trapper; "them
pistols never throws 'em in their tracks ;" and thrusting his
knife, for mercy's sake, into the bosom of the Indian, he like-
wise tore the scalp-lock from his head, and placed it with the
other.

La Bonte had received two trivial wounds, and Killbuck
till now had been walking about with an arrow sticking in
the fleshy part of his thigh, the point being perceptible near
the surface of the other side. To free his leg from this painful
encumbrance, he thrust the weapon completely through, and
then cutting off the arrow-head below the barb, he drew it
out, the blood flowing freely from the wound, A tourniquet
of buckskin soon stopped this, and, heedless of the pain, the
hardy mountaineer sought for his old mule, and quickly
brought it to the fire, (which La Bonte had rekindled,) lavish-
ing many a caress, and most comical terms of endearment,
upon the faithful companion of his wanderings. They found
all the animals safe and well ; and after eating heartily of
some venison which the Indians had been cooking at the mo-
ment of the attack, made instant preparation to quit the
scene of their exploit, not wishing to trust to the chance of
the Rapahos being too frightened to again molest them.

Having no saddles, they secured buffalo robes on the backs
of two mules — Killbuck, of course, riding his own — and lost
no time in proceeding on their way. They followed the
course of the Indians up the stream, and found that it kept
the canons and gorges of the mountains, where the road was
better ; but it was with no little difficulty that they made
their way, the ground being much broken and covered with
rocks. Killbuck's wound became very painful, and his leg
stiffened and swelled distressingly, but he still pushed on all
night, and at daybreak, recognizing their position, he left the
Indian trail, and followed a little creek which rose in a moun-

92 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

tain chain of moderate elevation, above which, and to the
south, Pike's Peak towered high into the clouds. With great
difficulty they crossed this ridge, and ascending and descend-
ing several smaller ones, which gradually smoothed away as
they met the valley, about three hours after sunrise they found
themselves in the south-east corner of the Bayou Salade.

Judging, from the direction the Rapahos were taking, that
the friendly tribe of Yutas were there already, the trappers
had resolved to join them as soon as possible ; and, therefore,
without resting, pushed on through the uplands, and, toward
the middle of the day, had the satisfaction of descrying the
conical lodges of the village, situated on a large level plateau,
through which ran a mountain stream. A numerous band of
mules and horses were scattered over the pasture, and round
them several mounted Indians kept guard. As the trappers
descended the bluffs into the plain, some straggling Indians
caught sight of them ; and instantly one of them, lassoing a
horse from the herd, mounted it, barebacked, and flew like
wind to spread the news. Soon the lodges disgorged their
inmates ; first the women and children rushed to the side of
the strangers' approach ; then the younger Indians, unable
to restrain their curiosity, mounted their horses, and galloped
forth to meet them. The old chiefs, enveloped in buffalo
robes (softly and delicately dressed as the Yutas alone know
how,) and with tomahawk held in one hand and resting in
the hollow of the other arm, sallied last of all from their
lodges, and squatting in a row on a sunny bank outside the
village, awaited with dignified composure, the arrival of the
whites. Killbuck was well known to most of them, having
trapped in their country and traded with them years before
at Robideau's fort at the hear) waters of the Rio Grande.
After shaking hands with all who presented themselves, he
at once gave them to understand that their enemies, the Ra-
pahos, were at hand, with a hundred warriors at least, elated
by the coup they had just struck against the whites, bringing,

INDIANS COOKING.

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 95

moreover, four white scalps to incite them to brave and
daring deeds.

At this news the whole village was speedily in commotion :
the war-shout was taken up from lodge to lodge ; the squaws
began to lament and tear their hair ; the warriors to paint
and arm themselves. The elder chiefs immediately met in
council, and, over the medicine-pipe, debated as to the best
course to pursue — whether to await the attack, or sally out
and meet the enemy. In the mean time, the braves were
collected together by the chiefs of the respective bands, and
scouts, mounted on the fastest horses, dispatched in every
direction to procure intelligence of the enemy.

The two whites, after watering their mules and picketing
them in some good grass near the village, drew near the
council-fire, without, however, joining in the "talk," until
they were invited to take their seats by the eldest chief. Then
Killbuck was called upon to give his opinion as to the direc-
tion in which he judged the Rapahos to be approaching, which
he delivered in their own language, with which he was well
acquainted. In a short time the council broke up, and, with-
out noise or confusion, a band of one hundred chosen warriors
left the village, immediately after one of the scouts had gal-
loped in and communicated some intelligence to the chiefs.
Killbuck and La Bonte volunteered to accompany the war-
party, weak and exhausted as they were ; but this was nega-
tived by the chiefs, who left their white brothers to the care
of the women, who tended their wounds, njiv stiff and pain-
ful : and spreading their buffalo robes in a warm and roomy
lodge, left them to the repose they so much needed.

The next morning, Killbuck's leg was greatly inflamed, and
he was unable to leave the lodge ; but he made his companion
bring the old mule to the door, that he might give her a couple
of ears of Indian corn, the last remains of the slender store
brought by the Indians from the Navajo country. The day
passed, and sun-down brought no tidings of the war-party.

96 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

This caused no little wailing on the part of the squaws, but
was interpreted by the whites as a favorable augury. A little
after sunrise, on the second morning, the long line of the re-
turning warriors was discerned winding over the prairie, and
a scout having galloped in to bring in the news of a great
victory, the whole village was soon in a ferment of paint and
drumming. A short distance from the lodges, the warriors
halted to await the approach of the people. Old men, children,
and squaws sitting astride their horses, sallied out to escort
the victorious party in triumph to the village. With loud
shouts and songs, and drums beating the monotonous Indian
time, they advanced and encircled the returning braves, one
of whom, his face covered with black paint, carried a pole on
which dangled thirteen scalps, the trophies of the expedition.
As he lifted these on high, they were saluted with deafening
whoops and cries of exultation and savage joy. In this man-
ner they entered the village, almost before the friends of those
fallen in the fight had ascertained their losses. Then the
shouts of delight were converted into yells of grief; the
mothers and wives of those braves who had been killed (and
seven had " gone under") presently returned with their faces,
necks, and hands blackened, and danced and hopped around
the scalp-pole, which had been deposited in the centre of the
village, in front of the lodge of the great chief.

Killbuck now learned that a scout having brought intelli-
gence that the two bands of Rapahos were hastening to form
a junction, as soo^as they learned that their approach was
discovered, the Yutas had successfully prevented it ; and at-
tacking one party, had entirely defeated it, killing thirteen
of the Rapaho braves. The other party had fled on seeing
the issue of the fight, and a few of the Yuta warriors pursued
them.

Such is the life of peril and excitement led by the hunters
of the west. At no moment can they feel secure. Natur-
ally, they attach themselves to some particular tribes, and by

HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST.

99

doing so they draw upon themselves the enmity of the foes
of those tribes. Besides, there are bands of Indians, who
steal wherever they can find an opening, from friend or foe ;
and these will not hesitate to take life, if necessary for their
work. Yet the bold hunter, trusting in his own strength
and skill, will frequently travel many miles alone in the
neighborhood of those he knows to be thirsting for his blood,
and triumph over his red enemies if not too numerous and
vigilant.

THE many exploits and mischances of La Bonte, the
indomitable companion of old Killbuck, while on his first
hunting expedition forms an interesting portion of Mr. Rux-
ton's narrative. La Bonte was a native of Missouri. Being
unfortunate in love, and anxious to quit the scene of his
mishap, he made the acquaintance of the hunters, who visited
St. Louis, and determined to join them in their mode of life.
Equipping himself with gun, ammunition, traps, mules, and
blankets, he went to Independence, the starting place for
hunters and emigrants. The band set out upon the prairie
about the latter end of May. Its adventures we give in the
words of Ruxton.

Camping the first night on " Black Jack," our mountaineers
here cut each man a spare hickory wiping-stick for his rifle ;
and La Bonte, who was the only greenhorn of the party, wit-
nessed a savage ebullition of rage on the part of one of his
companions, exhibiting the perfect unrestraint which these
men impose upon their passions, and the barbarous anger
which the slightest opposition to their will excites. One of
the trappers, on arriving at the camping-place, dismounted
from his horse, and after divesting it of its saddle, endeavored
to lead his mule by the rope up to the spot where he wished
to deposit his pack. Mule-like, however, the more he pulled
the more stubbornly she remained in her tracks, planting her
fore-legs firmly, and stretching out her neck with provoking
obstinacy. Truth to tell, it does require the temper of a
thousand Jobs to manage a mule ; and in no case does the
(100)

INDIAN LODGE.

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 103

wilful mulislmess of the animal stir up one's choler more than
in the very trick this one played, and which is a daily occur-
ence. After tugging ineffectually for several minutes, wind-
ing the rope round his body, and throwing himself suddenly
forward with all his strength, the trapper actually foamed
with passion ; and although he might have subdued the ani-
mal at once by fastening the rope with a half hitch round its
nose, this, with an obstinacy equal to the mule itself, he re-
fused to attempt, preferring to vanquish her by main strength.
Failing to do so, the mountaineer, with a volley of blasphe-
mous imprecations, suddenly seized his rifle, and leveling it
at the mule's head, shot her dead.

Passing the Wa-ka-rasha, a well timbered stream, they met
a band of Osages going "to buffalo." These Indians, in
common with some bands of Pawnees, shave the head, with
the exception of a ridge from the forehead to the centre of
the scalp, which is "roached" or hogged like the mane of a
mule, and stands erect, plastered with unguents, and orna-
mented with feathers of the hawk and turkey. The naked
scalp is often painted in mosaic, with black and red, the face
with shining vermilion. This band were all naked to the
breech-clout, the warmth of the sun having made them throw
their dirty blankets from their shoulders. These Indians not
unfrequently levy contributions on the strangers they acci-
dentally meet ; but they easily distinguish the determined
mountaineer from the incautious greenhorn, and think it best
to let the former alone.

Crossing Vermilion, the trappers arrived on the fifth day
at " Blue," where they encamped in the broad timber belting
the creek, and there awaited the arrival of the remainder of
the party.

It was two days before they came up ; but the following
day they started for the mountains, fourteen in number,
striking a trail which follows the "Big Blue" in its course
through the prairies, which, as they advanced to the westward,

104 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

gradually smoothed away into a vast unbroken expanse of
rolling plain. Herds of antelope began to show themselves,
and some of the hunters, leaving the trail, soon returned with
plenty of their tender meat. The .luxuriant but coarse grass
they had hitherto seen now changed into the nutritious and
curly buffalo grass, and their animals soon improved in ap-
pearance on the excellent pasture. In a few days, without
any adventure, they struck the Platte river, its shallow waters
(from which it derives its name) spreading over a wide and
sandy bed, numerous sand bars obstructing the sluggish
current, nowhere sufficiently deep to wet the forder's knee.

By this time, but few antelopes having been seen, the
party ran entirely out of meat ; and one whole day having
passed without so much as a stray rabbit presenting itself,
not a few objurgations on the buffalo grumbled from the lips
of the hunters, who expected ere this to have reached the
land of plenty. La Bonte killed a fine deer, however, in the
river bottom, after they had encamped, not one particle of
which remained after supper that night, but which hardly
took the rough edge off their keen appetites. Although
already in the buffalo range, no traces of these animals had
yet been seen ; and as the country afforded but little game,
and the party did not care to halt and lose time in hunting
in it, they moved along hungry and sulky, the theme of con-
versation being the well remembered merits of good buffalo
meat — of " fat fleece," "hump-rib," and "tender-loin," of
delicious "boudins," and marrow-bones too good to think of.

La Bonte had never seen the lordly animal, and conse-
quently but half believed the accounts of the mountaineers,
who described their countless bands as covering the prairie
far as the eye could reach, and requiring days of travel to
pass through ; but the visions of such dainty and abundant
feeding as they descanted on set his mouth watering and
danced before his eyes as he slept supperless, night after night,
on the banks of the hungry Platte.

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 10 (

One morning he had packed his animals before the rest, and
was riding a mile in advance of the party, when he saw on one
side the trail, looming in refracted glare which mirages the
plains, three large dark objects without shape or form, which
rose and fell in the exaggerated light like ships at sea.
Doubting what it could be, he approached the strange objects ;
and as the refraction disappeared before him, the dark masses
assumed a more distinct form, and clearly moved with life. A
little nearer, and he made them out — they were buffalo.
Thinking to distinguish himself, the greenhorn dismounted
from his mule, and quickly hobbled her, throwing his lasso on
the ground to trail behind when he wished to catch her. Then,
rifle in hand, he approached the huge animals, and, being a
good hunter knew well to take advantage of the inequalities
of the ground, and face the wind ; by which means he crawled
at length to within forty yards of the buffalo, which quietly
cropped the grass, unconscious of danger. Now for the first
time, he gazed upon the noble beast he had so often heard of,
and longed to see. With coal-black beard sweeping the ground
as he fed, an enormous bull was in advance of the others, his
wild brilliant eyes peering from an immense mass of shaggy
hair, which covered his neck and shoulder. From this point
his skin was smooth as one's hand, a sleek and shining dun,
and his ribs was well covered with shaking flesh. While lei-
surely cropping the short curly grass he occasionally lifted
his tail into the air, p,nd stamped his foot as a fly or musquito
annoyed him — flapping the intruder with his tail, or snatch-
ing at the itching part with his ponderous head.

When La Bonte had sufficiently admired the buffalo, he
lifted his rifle, and, taking steady aim, and certain of his mark,
pulled the trigger, expecting to see the huge beast fall over
at the report. What was his surprise and consternation, how-
ever, to see the animal only flinch when the ball struck him,
and then gallop off followed by the others, apparently unhurt.
As is generally the case with greenhorns, he had fired too

108 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

high, ignorant that the only certain spot to strike a buffalo is
but a few inches above the brisket, and that a higher shot is
rarely fatal. When he rose from the ground, he saw all the
party halting in full view of his discomfiture; and when he
joined them, loud were the laughs, and deep the regrets of
the hungry at his first attempt. •

However, they knew that they were in the country of
meat ; and a few miles farther, another band of stragglers
presenting themselves, three of the hunters went in pursuit,
La Bonte taking a mule to pack in the meat. He soon saw
them crawling toward the band, and shortly two puffs of smoke,
and the sharp cracks of their rifles, showed that they had got
within shot ; and when he rode up, two fine buffaloes were
stretched upon the ground. Now, for the first time, he was
initiated in the mysteries of " butchering." He watched the
hunters as they turned the carcass on the belly, stretching
out the legs to support it on each side. A transverse cut was
then made at the nape of the neck, and, gathering the long
hair of the -boss in one hand, the skin was separated from the
shoulder. It was then laid open from this point to the tail,
along the spine, and then, freed from the sides and down to
the brisket, but still attached to it, was stretched upon the
ground to receive the dissected portions. Then the shoulder
was severed, the fleece removed from along the back-bone, and
the hump-ribs cut off with a tomahawk. All this was placed
upon the skin ; aud after the "boudins" had been withdrawn
from the stomach, and the tongue — a great dainty — taken
from the head, the meat was packed upon the mule, and the
whole party hurried to camp rejoicing.

There was rejoicing in the camp that night, and the way
they indulged their appetites — or, in their own language,
"throw'd the meat "cold" — would have made the heart of
a dispeptic leap for joy or burst with envy. Far into the
" still watches of the tranquil night" the fatal clad " depouile"
saw its fleshy mass grow small by degrees and beautifully

01

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. Ill

less, before the trenchant blades of the hungry mountaineers ;
appetizing yards of well-browned "boudin" clipped glibly
down their throats ; rib after rib of tender hump was picked
and flung to the wolves ; and when human nature, with help-
less gratitude, and confident that nothing of super-excellent
comestibility remained, was lazily wiping the greasy knife
that had done such good service — a skilful hunter was seen
to chuckle to himself as he raked the deep ashes of the fire,
and drew therefrom a pair of tongues so admirably baked, so
soft, so sweet, and of such exquisite flavor, that a veil is con-
siderately drawn over the effects their discussion produced in
the mind of our greenhorn La Bonte, and the raptures they
excited in the bosom of that, as yet, most ignorant moun-
taineer. Still, as he ate, he wondered, and wondering ad-
mired, that nature, in giving him such profound gastronomic
powers, and such transcendent capabilities of digestion, had
yet bountifully provided an edible so peculiarly adapted to
his ostrich-like appetite, that after consuming nearly his own
weight in rich and fat buffalo meat, he felt as easy and as
little incommoded as if he had lightly supped on strawberries
and ice croam.

Sweet was the digestive pipe after such a feast ; soft was
the sleep and deep, which sealed the eyes of the contented
trappers that night. It felt like the old thing, they said, to
be once more among the "meat."

However, no enemies showed themselves as yet, and they
proceeded quietly up the river, vast herds of buffalo darken-
ing the plains around them, affording them more than an
abundance of choicest meat ; but, to their credit be it spoken,
no more was slaughtered than was absolutely required — un-
like the cruel slaughter made by most of the white travellers
across the plains, who wantonly destroy these noble animals,
not even for the excitement of sport, but in cold-blooded and
insane butchery. La Bonte had practised enough to perfect
him in the art, and, before the buffalo range was passed, he

112 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

was ranked as a first-rate hunter. One evening he had left
the camp for meat, and was approaching a band of cows for
that purpose, crawling toward them along the bed of a dry
hollow in the prairie, when he observed them suddenly jump
toward him, and immediately afterward a score of mounted
Indians appeared, whom, by their dress, he at once knew to
be Pawnees and enemies. Thinking they might not discover
him, he crouched down in the ravine ; but a noise behind
caused him to turn his head, and he saw some five or six ad-
vancing up the bed of the dry creek, while several more were
riding on the bluffs. The cunning savages had cut off his
retreat to his mule, which he saw in the possession of one of
them. His presence of mind, however, did not desert him ;
and seeing at once that to remain where he was would be
like being caught in a trap, (as the Indians could advance to
the edge of the bluff and shoot him from above,) he made for
the open prairie, determined to sell his scalp dearly, and
make a " good fight." With a yell the Indians charged, but
halted when they saw the sturdy trapper deliberately kneel,
and, resting his rifle on the wiping-stick, take a steady aim
as they advanced. Full well the Pawnees knew to their cost,
that a mountaineer seldom pulls his trigger without sending
a bullet to the mark ; and, certain that one at least must fall,
they hesitated to make the onslaught. Steadily the white
retreated with his face to the foe, bringing the rifle to his
shoulder the instant that one advanced within shot, the In-
dians galloping round, firing the few guns they had among
them at long distances, but without effect. One young brave,
more daring than the rest, rode out of the crowd, and dashed
at the hunter, throwing himself, as he passed within a few
yards, from the saddle, and hanging over the opposite side
of his horse, thus presenting no other mark than his left foot.
As he crossed La Bonte, he discharged his bow from under
his horses's neck, and with such good aim, that the arrow,
whizzing through the air, struck the stock of the hunter's

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 115

rifle, which was at his shoulder, and glancing off, pierced his
arm, inflicting, luckily, but a slight wound. Again the In-
dian turned in his course, the others encouraging him with
loud war-whoops, and, once more passing at still less distance,
he drew his arrow to the head. This time, however, the eagle
eye of the white detected the action, and suddenly rising from
his knee as the Indian approached (hanging by his foot alone
over the opposite side of the horse,) he jumped toward the
animal with outstretched arms and a loud yell, causing it to
start suddenly, and swerve from its course. The Indian lost
his foot-hold, and, after a fruitless struggle to regain his po-
sition, fell to the ground ; but instantly rose upon his feet
and gallantly confronted the mountaineer, striking his hand
upon his brawny chest and shouting a loud whoop of defi-
ance. In another instant the rifle of La Bonte had poured
forth its contents ; and the brave savage, springing into the
air, fell dead to the ground, just as the other trappers, who
had heard the firing, galloped up to the spot. At sight of
them, the Pawnees, with yells of disappointed vengeance,
hastily retreated.

That night La Bonte first lifted hair !

A few days later the mountaineers reached the point where
the Platte divides into two great forks : the northern one,
stretching to the northwest, skirts the eastern base of the
Black Hills, and sweeping round to the sJfch rises in the
vicinity of the mountain called the New Park, receiving the
Laramie, Medicine Bow, and Sweet Water creeks. The other,
or " South Fork," strikes towards the mountains in a south-
westerly direction, hugging the base of the main chain of the
Rocky Mountains ; and, fed by several small creeks, rises in
the uplands of the Bayou Salade, near which is also the
source of the Arkansas.

About noon they had crossed the left bank of the fork,
intending to camp on a large creek where some fresh beaver
" sign" had attracted the attention of some of the trappers;

116 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

and as, on further examination, it appeared that two or three
lodges of that animal were not far distant, it was determined
to remain here a day or two and set their traps.

Gonneville, old Luke, and La Bonte had started up the
creek, and were carefully examining the banks for " sign,"
when the former, who was in front, suddenly paused, and
looking intently up the stream, held up his hand to his
companions to signal them to stop.

Luke and La Bonte both followed the direction of the
trapper's intent and fixed gaze. The former uttered in a sup-
pressed tone the expressive exclamation, "Wagh!" — the
latter saw nothing but a wood-duck swimming swiftly down
the stream, followed by her downy progeny.

Gonneville turned his head, and extending his arm twice
with a forward motion up the creek, whispered — "Les
sauvages."

"Injuns, sure, and Sioux at that," answered Luke.

Still La Bonte looked, but nothing met his view but the
duck with her brood, now rapidly approaching ; and as he
gazed, the bird suddenly took wing, and flapping on the water,
flew a short distance down the stream, and once more settled
on it.

" Injuns ?" he asked ; " where are they ?"

" Whar ?" repeated old Luke, striking the flint of his rifle,
and opening th^pan to examine the priming. "What brings
a duck a-streaking it down stream if humans ain't behint her ?
and who's thar in these diggins but Injuns, and the worst
kind ? and we'd better push to camp, I'm thinking, if we mean
to save our hair."

" Sign" sufficient indeed, it was to all the trappers, who,
on being apprized of it, instantly drove in their animals, and
picketed them ; and hardly had they done so when a band of
Indians made their appearance on the banks of the creek,
from whence they galloped to the bluff which overlooked the
camp at the distance of about six hundred yards ; and crown-

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 119

ing this, in number some forty or more, commenced brand-
ishing their epears and guns, and whooping loud yells of
defiance. The trappers had formed a little breastwork of
their packs, forming a semicircle, the chord of which was
made by the animals standing in a line, side by side, closely
picketed and hobbled. Behind this defence stood the moun-
taineers, rifle in hand, and silent and determined. The In-
dians presently descended the bluff on foot, leaving their
animals in charge of a few of the party, and, scattering, ad-
vanced under cover of the sage bushes which dotted the
bottom, to about two hundred yards of the whites. Then a
chief advanced before the rest, and made the sign for a talk
with the Long-knives, which led to a counsultation among the
latter as to the policy of acceding to it. They were in doubt
as to the nation these Indians belonged to, some bands of the
Sioux being friendly, and others bitterly hostile to the whites.

Gonneville, who spoke the Sioux language, and was well
acquainted with the nation, affirmed that they belonged to a
band called the Yanka-taus, well known to be the most evil-
disposed of that treacherous nation ; another of the party
maintained they were Brules, and that the chief advancing
toward them was the well-known Tah-sha-tunga or Bull Tail,
a most friendly chief of that tribe. The majority, however,
trusted to Gonneville, and he volunteered to go out to meet
the Indian, and hear what he had to say. Divesting himself
of all arms save his butcher-knife, he advanced toward the
savage, who awaited his approach enveloped in the folds of
his blanket. At a glance he knew him to be a Yanka-tau,
from the peculiar make of his moccasons, and the way in which
his face was daubed with paint.

"Howgh!" exclaimed both as they met; and, after a
silence of a few moments, the Indian spoke, asking — " Why
the Long-knifes hid behind their packs, when his band ap-
proached ? Were they afraid or were they preparing a dog-
feast to entertain their friends ? The whites were passing

120 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

through his country, burning his wood, drinking his water,
and killing his game ; but he knew they had now come to
pay for the mischief they had done, and that the mules and
horses they had brought with them were intended as a present
to their red friends.

"He was Mah-to-ga-shane," he said, "the Brave Bear:
his tongue was short, but his arm long ; and he loved rather
to speak with his bow and his lance than with the weapon of
a squaw. He had said it : the Long-knives had horses with
them and mules ; and these were for him, he knew, and for
his 'braves/ Let the White-face go back to his people and
return with the animals, or he, the ' Brave Bear,' would have
to come and take them ; and his young men would get mad,
and would feel blood in their eyes ; and then he would have
no power over them ; and the whites would have to * go
under.' "

The trapper answered shortly — " The long-knives," he said,
" had brought the horses for themselves — their hearts were
big, but not toward the Yanka-taus : and if they had to give
up their animals, it would be to men and not to squaws. They
were not ' Wah-keitcha,' (French engages,) but Long-knives ;
and, however, short were the tongues of the Yanka-taus,
theirs were still shorter, and their rifles longer. The Yanka-
taus, were dogs and squaws, and the the Long-knives spat
upon them."

Saying this, the trapper turned his back and rejoined his
companions ; while the Indian slowly proceeded to his people,
who, on learning the contemptuous way in which their threats
had been treated, testified their anger with loud yells ; and,
seeking whatever cover was afforded, commenced a scattering
volley upon the camp of the mountaineers. The latter re-
served their fire, treating with cool indifference the balls
which began to rattle about them ; but as the Indians, em-
boldened by this apparent inaction, rushed for a closer posi-
tion, and exposed their bodies within a long range, half-a

123

dozen rifles rang from the assailed, and two Indians fell dead,
one or two more being wounded. As yet, not one of the
whites had been touched, but several of the animals had re-
ceived wounds from the enemies' fire of balls and arrows.
Indeed, the Indians remained at too great a distance to render
the volleys from their crazy fusees any thing like effectual,
and had to raise their pieces considerably to make their
bullets reach as far as the camp. After three of their band
had been killed outright, and many more wounded, their fire
began to slacken, and they drew off to a greater distance,
evidently resolved to beat a retreat. Retiring to the bluff,
they discharged their pieces in a last volley, mounted their
horses and galloped off, carrying their wounded with them.
This last volley, however, although intended as a mere bra-
vado, unfortunately proved fatal to one of the whites. Gon-
neville, at the moment, was standing on a pack to get an un-
interrupted sight for a last shot, when one of the random
bullets struck him in the breast. La Bonte caught him in
his arms as he was about to fall, and laying the wounded
trapper gently on the ground, stripped him of his buckskin
hunting-frock, to examine the wound. A glance was suffi-
cient to convince his companions that the blow was mortal.
The ball had passed through the lungs : and in a few mo-
ments the throat of the wounded man swelled and turned to
a livid blue color, as the choking blood descended. Only a
few drops of purple blood trickled from the wound — a fatal
sign — and the eyes of the mountaineer were already glazing
with death's icy touch. His hand still grasped the barrel of
of his rifle, which had done good service in the fray. Anon
he essayed to speak, but, choked with blood, only a few inar-
ticulate words reached the ears of his companions, as they
bent over him.

" Rubbed — out — at — last," they heard him say, the words
gurgling in his blood-filled throat ; and opening his eyes once
more, and turning them upward for a last look at the bright

124 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

sun, the trapper turned gently on his side and breathed his
last sigh.

With no other tools than their scalping-knives, the hunters
dug a grave on the banks of the creek ; and while some were
engaged in this work, others sought the bodies of the Indians
they had slain in the attack, and presently returned with three
reeking scalps, the trophies of the fight. The body of the
mountaineer was wrapped in a buffalo robe, the scalps being
placed on his breast, and the dead man was then laid in the
shallow grave, and quickly covered — without a word of prayer,
or sigh of grief; for, however much his companions may have
felt, not a word escaped them. The bitten lip and frowning
brow told of anger rather than sorrow, as they vowed — what
they thought would better please the spirit of the dead man
than vain regrets — bloody and lasting revenge.

Trampling down the earth which filled the grave, they
raised upon it a pile of heavy stones ; and packing their mules
once more and taking a last look at their comrade's lonely
resting-place, they turned their backs upon the stream, which
has ever since been known as " Gonneville's Creek."

In all the philosophy of hardened hearts, our hunters turned
from the spot where the unfortunate trapper met his death.
La Bonte, however, not yet entirely steeled by mountain life
to a perfect indifference to human feeling, drew his hard hand
across his eye, as the unbidden tear rose from his rough but
kindly heart. He could not forget so soon the comrade he
had lost, the companion in the hunt or over the cheerful camp-
fire, the narrator of many a tale of dangers past, of sufferings
from hunger, cold, thirst, and untended wounds, of Indian
perils, and other vicissitudes. One tear dropped from the
young hunter's eye, and rolled down his cheek — the last for
many a long year.

In the forks of the northern branch of the Platte, formed
by the junction of the Laramie, they found a big village of
the Sioux encamped near the station of one of the fur com-

A WOUNDED TRAPPER.

11*

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 127

panics. Here the party broke up ; many finding the alcohol
of the traders an impediment to their further progress, re-
mained some time in the vicinity, while La Bonte, Luke, and
a trapper named Marcelline, started in a few days to the
mountains, to trap on Sweet Water and Medicine Bow.

La Bonte and his companions proceeded up the river, the
Black Hills on their left hand, from which several small
creeks or feeders swell the waters of the North Fork. Along
these they hunted unsuccessfully for beaver usign," and it
was evident the spring hunt had almost exterminated the
animal in this vicinity. Following Deer Creek to the ridge
of Black Hills, they crossed the mountain on to the waters of
the Medicine Bow, and here they discovered a few lodges, and
La Bonte set his first trap. He and old Luke finding " cut-
tings" near the camp, followed the "sign" along the bank
until the practiced eye of the latter discovered a "slide,"
where the beaver had ascended the bank to chop the trunk
of a cotton wood, and convey the bark to its lodge. Taking
a trap from "sack," the old hunter, after setting the trigger,
placed it carefully under the water, where the " slide" en-
tered the stream, securing the chain to the stem of a sapling
on the bank ; while a stick, also attached to the trap, by a
thong, floated down the stream, to mark the position of the
trap, should the animal carry it away. A little farther on,
and near another "run," three traps were set; and over
these Luke placed a little stick, which he first dipped into a
mysterious-looking phial containing his "medicine."

The next morning they visited the traps, and had the
satisfaction of finding three fine beaver secured in the first
three they visited, and the fourth, which had been carried
away, they discovered by the float-stick, a little distance down
the stream, with a large drowned beaver between its teeth.

This animal being carefully skinned, they returned to camp
with the choicest portions of the meat, and the tails, on which
they most luxuriously supped ; and La Bonte was fain to

128 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

confess that all his ideas of the super-excellence of buffalo
were thrown in the shade by the delicious beaver tail, the
rich meat of which he was compelled to allow was "great
eating," unsurpassed by u tender-loin," or "boudin," or other
meat of whatever kind he had eaten of before.

Trapping with tolerable success in this vicinity, the hunters
crossed over, as soon as the premonitory storms of approach-
ing winter warned them to leave the mountains, to the waters
of Green river, one of the affluents of the Colorado, intending
to winter at a rendezvous to be held in "Brown's Hole" —
an inclosed valley so called — which, abounding in game, and
sheltered on every side by lofty mountains, is a favorite win-
tering-ground of the mountaineers. Here they found several
trapping bands already arrived ; and a trader from the Uintah
country, with store of powder, lead, and tobacco, prepared to
ease them of their hard-earned peltries. Singly, and in bands
numbering from two to ten, the trappers dropped into the
rendezvous; some with many pack-loads of beaver, others
with greater or less quantity, and more than one on foot,
having lost his animals and peltry by thieving ^Indians. Here
were soon congregated many mountaineers, whose names are
famous in the history of the Far West. Fitzpatrick and
Hatcher, and old Bill Williams, well-known leaders of trap-
ping parties, soon arrived with their bands. Sublette came
in with his men from Yellow Stone, and many of Wyeth's
New Englanders were there. Chabonard with his half-breeds,
Wah-keitchas all, brought his peltry from the lower country ;
and half a dozen Shawnese and Delaware Indians, with a
Mexican from Taos, one Marcelline, a fine strapping fellow,
the best trapper and hunter in the mountains, and ever first
in the fight. Here, too, the "Burgeoise" traders of the
Hudson's Bay Company, with their superior equipments,
ready to meet their trappers, and purchase the beaver at an
equitable value ; and soon the trade opened, and the encamp-
ment assumed a busy appearance.

AN INDIAN CHIEF.

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 131

A curious assemblage did the rendezvous present, and re
presentatives of many a land met there. A son of la belle
France here lit his pipe from one proffered by a native of
New Mexico. An Englishman and a Sandwich Islander cut
a quid from the same plug of tobacco. A Swede and an "old
Virginian" puffed together. A Shawnese blew a peaceful cloud
with a scion of the " Six Nations." One from the Land of
Cakes — a canny chiel — sought to "get round" (in trade) a
right "smart" Yankee, but could't "shine."

The beaver went briskly, six dollars being the price paid
for a pound, in goods — for money is seldom given in the moun-
tain market, where "beaver" is cash, for which the articles
supplied by the traders are bartered. In a very short time
peltries of every description had changed hands, either by
trade, or gambling with cards and betting.

Before the winter was over, La Bonte had lost all traces
of civilized humanity, and might justly claim to be considered
as "hard a case" as any of the mountaineers then present.
Long before the spring opened, he had lost all the produce
of his hunt and both his animals, which, however, by a stroke
of luck, he recovered, and wisely " held on to" for the future.
Right glad when spring appeared, he started from Brown's
Hole, with four companions, to hunt in the Uintah or Snake
country, and the affluents of the larger streams which rise in
that region and fall into the Gulf of California.

In the valley of the Bear River they found beaver abun-
dant, and trapped their way westward until they came upon
the famed locality of the Beer and Soda Springs — natural
fountains of mineral water, renowned among the trappers as
being "medicine" of the first order.

Arriving one evening, about sun-down, at the Bear Spring,
they found a solitary trapper sitting over the rocky basin,
intently regarding, with no little awe, the curious phenomenon
of the bubbling gas. Behind him were piled his saddles and
a pack of skins, and at a little distance a hobbled Indian pony

132 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

fed among the cedars which formed a grove round the spring.
As the three hunters dismounted from their animals, the lone
trapper scarcely noticed their arrival, his eyes being still
intently fixed upon the water. Looking round at last, he was
instantly recognized by one of La Bonte's companions, and
saluted as " Old .Rube." Dressed from head to foot in buck-
skin, his face, neck, and hands appeared to be of the same
leathery texture, so nearly did they assimilate in color to the
materials of his dress. He was at least six feet two or three
in his moccasons, straight-limbed and wiry, with long arms
ending in hands of tremendous grasp, and a quantity of
straight black hair hanging on his shoulders. His features,
which were undeniably good, wore an expression of comical
gravity, never relaxing into a smile, which a broad good-
humored mouth could have grinned from ear to ear.

" What, boys," he said, " will you be simple enough to camp
here, alongside these springs ? Nothing good ever came of
sleeping here, I tell you, and the worst kind of devils are in
those dancing waters."

"Why, old hos," cried La Bonte, "what brings you hyar
then, and camp at that ?"

" This nigger," answered Rube, solemnly, " has been down'd
upon a sight too often to be skeared by what can came out from
them waters ; and thar arn't a devil as hisses thar, as can
4 shine' with this child, I tell you. I've tried onest, an' fourt
him to clawin' away to Eustis, and if I draws my knife again
on such varmint, I'll raise his hair, as sure as shootin. "

Spite of the reputed dangers of the locality, the trappers
camped on the spot, and many a draught of the delicious,
sparkling water they quaffed in honor of the "medicine" of
the fount. Rube, however, sat sulky and silent, his huge
form bending over his legs, which were crossed, Indian fashion,
under him, and his long bony fingers spread over the fire,
which had been made handy to the spring. At last they
elicited from him that he had sought this spot for the purpose

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 133

of "making medicine," having been persecuted by extraor-
dinary ill luck, even at this early period of his hunt — the In-
dians having stolen two out of his three animals, and three
of his half-dozen traps. He had, therefore, sought the springs
for the purpose of invoking the fountain spirits, which, a per-
fect Indian in his simple heart, he implicitly believed to inhabit
their mysterious waters. When the others had, as he thought,
fallen asleep, La Bonte observed the ill-starred trapper take
from his pouch a curiously carved red stone pipe, which he
carefully charged with tobacco and kinnik-kinnik. Then ap-
proaching the spring, he walked three times round it, and
gravely sat himself down. Striking fire with his flint and
steel, he lit his pipe, and bending the stem three several times
towards the water, he inhaled a vast quantity of smoke, and
bending back his head and looking upward, puffed it into the
air. He then blew another puff toward the four points of the
compass, and emptying the pipe into his hand, cast the con-
secrated contents into the spring, saying a few Indian " me-
dicine" words of cabalistic import. Having performed the
ceremony to his satisfaction, he returned to the fire, smoked
a pipe on his own hook, and turned into his buffalo robe,
conscious of having done a most important duty.

In the course of their trapping expedition, and accompa-
nied by Rube, who knew the country well, they passed near
the Great Salt Lake, a vast inland sea, whose salitrose waters
cover an extent of waters upward of one hundred and forty
miles in length, by eighty in breadth. Fed by several streams,
of which the Big Bear river is the most considerable, this
lake presents the curious phenomenon of a vast body of water
without any known outlet.

While following a small creek at the southwest extremity
of the lake, they came upon a band of miserable Indians, who,
from the fact of their subsisting chiefly on roots, are called
" Diggers." At first sight of the whites they fled from their
wretched huts, and made toward the mountain ; but one of

12

134 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

the trappers, galloping up on his horse, cut off their retreat,
and drove them like sheep before him back to their village.
A few of these wretched creatures came into camp at sundown,
and were regaled with such meat as the larder afforded.
They appeared to have no other food in their village but bags
of dried ants and their larvse, and a few roots of the yampah
Their huts were constructed of a few bushes of grease-wood,
piled up in a sort of bre kwind, in which they huddled in
their filthy skins. During the night, they crawled up to the
camp and stole two of the horses, and the next morning not
a sign of them was visible. Now La Bonte witnessed a case
of mountain law, and the practical effects of the "lex talionis"
of the Far West."

The trail of the runaway Diggers bore to the northwest,
or along the skirts of a barren waterless desert, which
stretches far away from the southern shores of the Salt Lake
to the borders of Upper California. La Bonte, with three
others, determined to follow the thieves, recover their ani-
mals, and then rejoin the other two (Luke and Rube) on a
creek two days' journey from their present camp. Starting
at sunrise, they rode on at a rapid pace all day, closely fol-
lowing the trail, which led directly to the northwest, through
a wretched sandy country, without game or water. From
the appearance of the track, the Indians must have still been
several hours ahead of them, when the fatigue of their horses,
suffering from want of grass and water, compelled them to
camp near the head of a small water-course, where they luckly
found a hole containing a little water, whence a broad Indian
trail passed, apparently frequently used. Long before day-
light they were again in the saddle, and, after proceeding a
few miles, saw the lights of several fires a short distance ahead
of them. Halting here, one of the party advanced on foot
to reconnoitre, and presently returned with intelligence that
the party they were in pursuit of had joined a village numbering
thirty or forty huts.

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 137

Loosening their girths, they permitted their tired animals
to feed on the scanty herbage which presented itself, while
they refreshed themselves with a pipe of tobacco — for they
had no meat of any description with them, and the country
afforded no game. As the first streak of dawn appeared in
the east, they mounted their horses, after first examining their
rifles, and moved cautiously toward the Indian village. As
it was scarcely light enough for their operations, they waited
behind a sandhill in the vicinity, until objects became more
distinct, and then, emerging from their cover, with loud war-
whoops, charged into the midst of the village.

As the frightened Indians were scarcely risen from their
beds, no opposition was given to the daring mountaineers,
who, rushing upon the flying crowd, discharged their rifles at
close quarters, and then, springing from their horses, attacked
them knife in hand, and only ceased the work of butchery
when nine Indians lay dead upon the ground. All this time
the women, half dead with fright, were huddled together on
the ground, howling piteously ; and the mountaineers ad-
vancing to them, whirled their lassoes round their heads, and
throwing the open nooses into the midst, hauled out three of
them, and securing their arms in the rope, bound them to a
tree, and then proceeded to scalp the dead bodies. While
they were engaged in this work, an old Indian, withered and
grisly, and hardly bigger than an ape, suddenly emerged from
a rock, holding in his left hand a bow and a handful of arrows,
while one was already drawn to the head. Running toward
them, and almost before the hunters were aware of his pre-
sence, he discharged an arrow at a few yards' distance,* which
buried itself in the ground not a foot from La Bonte's head,
as he bent over the body of an Indian he was scalping ; and
hardly had the whiz ceased, when whirr flew another, strik-
ing him in the right shoulder. Before the Indian could fit a
third arrow to his bow, La Bonte sprang upon him, seized
him by the middle, and spinning his pigmy form round his

12*

138 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

head, as easily as he would have twirled a tomahawk, he
threw him with tremendous force upon the ground at the
feet of one of his companions, who, stooping down, coolly
thrust the knife into the Indian's breast, and quickly tore
off his scalp.

The slaughter over, without casting an eye to the captive
squaws, the trappers proceeded to search the village for food,
of which they stood much in need. Nothing, however, was
found but a few bags of dried ants, which, after eating vora-
ciously of, but with wry mouths, they threw aside, saying
the food was worse than " poor bull." They found, however,
the animals they had been robbed of, and two more besides —
wretched, half-starved creatures ; and on these mounting their
captives, they hurried away on their journey back to their
companions, the distance being computed at three days' travel
from their present position. However, they thought, by
taking a more direct course, they might find better pasture
for their animals, and water, besides saving at least half a
day by the short cut. To their cost they proved the old
saying, that " a short cut is always a long road," as will be
presently shown.

It has been said that from the southwestern extremity of
the Great Salt Lake, a vast desert extends for hundreds of
miles, unbroken by the slightest vegetation, destitute of game
and water, a cheerless expanse of sandy plain, or rugged
mountain, thinly covered with dwarf pine or cedar, the only
evidence of vegetable life. Into this desert, ignorant of the
country, the trappers struck, intending to make their short
cut ; and, travelling on all day, .were compelled to camp at
night, without water or pasture for their exhausted animals
"gave out," and they were fain to leave them behind; but
imagining that they must soon strike a creek, they pushed on,
till noon, but still no water presented itself, nor a sign of
game of any description. The animals were nearly exhausted
and a horse, which could scarcely keep up with the slow pace

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 139

of the ethers, was killed, and its blood greedily drunk ; a por-
tion of the flesh being eaten raw, and a supply carried with
them for future emergencies.

The next morning two of the horses lay dead at their
pickets, and one only remained, and this in such a miserable
state that it could not possibly have travelled six miles further.
It was, therefore, killed, and its blood drunk, of which, how-
ever, the captive squaws refused to partake. The men
began to feel the effects of their consuming thirst, which the
horse's hot blood only served to increase ; their lips became
parched and swollen, their eyes bloodshot, and a giddy sick-
ness seized them at intervals. About mid-day they came in
sight of a mountain on the right hand, which appeared to be
more thickly clothed with vegetation ; and arguing from this
that water would be found there, they left their course and
made towards it, although some eight or ten miles distant.
On arriving at the base, the most minute search failed to dis-
cover the slightest traces of water, and the vegetation merely
consisted of dwarf pinon and cedar. With their sufferings
increased by the exertions they had used in reaching the
mountain, they once more sought the trail, but every step
told on their exhausted frames. The sun was very powerful,
the sand over which they floundered was deep and heavy, and,
to complete their sufferings, a high wind blew it in their
faces, filling their mouths and noses with its searching
particles.

Still they struggled on manfully, and not a murmur was
heard until their hunger had entered the second stage upon
the road to starvation. They had now been three days with-
out food or water ; under which privation nature can hardly
sustain herself for a much longer period. On the fourth
morning the men looked wolfish, their captives following be-
hind in sullen and perfect indifference, occasionally stooping
down to catch a beetle if one presented itself, and greedily
devouring it. A man named Forey, a Canadian half-breed,

140 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

was the first to complain. "If this lasts till sundown," he
said, " some of them would ' be rubbed out ;' that meat had
to be raised any how ; and for his part, he knew where to look
for a feed, if no game was seen before they put out of camp
on the morrow ; and meat was meat any how they might
fix it."

No answer was made to this, though his companions well
understood him ; their natures as yet revolted against the
last expedient. As for the three squaws, all of them young
girls, they followed behind their captors without a word of
complaint, and with the stoical indifference to pain and suf-
fering which alike characterizes the haughty Delaware of
the north, and the miserable, stunted Digger of the deserts
of the Far West. On the morning of the fifth day, the party
were seated round a small fire of pinon, hardly able to rise
and commence their journey, the squaws squatting over one
at a little distance, when Forey commenced again to suggest
that, if nothing offered, they must either take the alternative
of starving to death, for they could not hope to last another
day, or have recourse to the revolting extremity of sacrific-
ing one of the party to save the lives of all. To this, how-
ever, there was a murmur of dissent, and it was finally re-
solved that all should sally out and hunt ; for a deer track
had been discovered near the camp, which, although it was
not a fresh one, proved that there must be game in the
vicinity. Weak and exhausted as they were, they took their
rifles and started for the neighboring uplands, each taking a
different direction.

It was nearly sunset when La Bonte returned to the camp,
where he already espied one of his companions engaged in
cooking something over the fire. Hurrying to the spot, over-
joyed with the anticipations of a feast, he observed that the
squaws were gone ; but, at the same time thought it was not
improbable they had escaped during their absence. Approach-
ing the fire, he observed Forey broiling some meat on the

LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 141

embers, while at a little distance lay what he fancied was the
carcass of a deer.

"Hurrah, boy!" he exclaimed, as he drew near the fire.
"You've 'made' a 'raise,' I see."

" Well, I have," rejoined the other, turning his meat with
the point of his butcher knife. " There's the meat, hos —
help yourself."

La Bonte drew the knife from his scabbard, and approached
the spot his companion was pointing to ; but what was his
horror to see the yet quivering body of one of the Indian
squaws, with a large portion of the flesh butchered from it,
part of which Forey was already greedily devouring. The
knife dropped from his hand, and his heart rose to his throat.

The next day he and his companion struck the creek where
Rube and the other trapper had agreed to await them, and
found them in camp with plenty of meat, and about to start
again on their hunt, having given up the others for lost.
From the day they parted nothing was ever heard of La
Bonte 's other two companions, who doubtless fell a prey to
utter exhaustion, and were unable to return to the camp.
And thus ended the Digger expedition.

It may appear almost incredible that men having civilized
blood in their veins could perpetrate such wanton and cold-
blooded acts of aggression on the wretched Indians, as that
detailed above ; but it is a fact that the mountaineers never
lose an opportunity of slaughtering these miserable Diggers,
and attacking their villages, often for the purpose of captur-
ing women, whom they carry off, and not unfrequently sell to
each other. In these attacks neither sex nor age is spared ;
and your mountaineer has as little compunction in taking the
life of an Indian woman, as he would have in sending his
rifle-ball through the brain of a Crow or Blackfoot warrior.

It may be some satisfaction to the reader to know that La
Bonte, after a mountain and prairie life of about fifteen years,
during which he met with many adventures of a character

142

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

similar to those above narrated, had the pleasure of rescuing
his former sweetheart from the hands of the Indians; of
finding her still true to him, of returning with her to the
settlements, and of enjoying many years of connubial delight.
It was a sore trial for him to give up his free and roving
habits, but love worked the magic in him which many greater
men have felt. Killbuck "lost his hair" and "went under"
in a fight with the Indians.

i

V

IT is much to be regretted that the great mass of personal
adventures, with which the life of the pioneers in the west is
known to have abounded, has accompanied the actors in those
scenes to the oblivion of the grave. And yet we could expect
nothing else. The privations and sufferings of the wilderness,
the dangers and escapes in conflicts with savage beasts, and
equally savage Indians were such every day occurrences, as
to be considered hardly worth repeating, still less, recording,
and many a spirit-stirring incident and adventure is now
forever lost.

fiere and there, however, may be found some rough pine-
knot survivor, who in the evening of life can look back to the
scuffles with Indians, or conflicts with wild beasts with an inte-
rest of which he felt nothing at the time, the more so when
he finds a stranger like myself, ready and desirous to take the
narrative from his own lips.

Mr. E. E. Williams, has furnished me with some interesting
notes of pioneer adventures. He has been an old hunter,
supplying not only his own family, but the settlements in

13 (145)

146 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

which he lived — Cincinnati among the rest, — with venison
and bear meat. He killed the last buffalo ever seen in Ken-
tucky. At the age of seventy-five, his bodily and mental
powers are unimpaired. He owns a farm in the rear of Cov-
ington Kentucky, and, at that age, as his day's work, splits
over one hundred rails.

"Well," said this old veteran, after finishing his statistics
of Indian warfare, and in reply to other questions, "let me
tell you a story or two of bears and panthers.

"I was living on a branch of Bigbone, called Panther Run,
from the circumstance to this day. It was the year after I
had been out with General Wayne. I had left home for a deer
hunt, with rifle, tomahawk, and butcher knife in my belt as
customary, and scouring about the woods, I come to a thick
piece of brush, a perfect thicket of hoop-poles. I discovered
some dreadful growling and scuffling was going on, by the
sound apparently within a hundred yards or so. I crept as
cautiously and silently as possible through the thicket, and
kept, on until I found myself within perhaps twenty steps of
two very large male panthers, who were making a desperate
fight, screaming, spitting and yelling like a couple of ram cats,
only much louder, as you may guess. At last one of them
seemed to have absolutely killed the other, for he lay quite
motionless. This is what I had been waiting for, and while
the other was swinging back and forwards over him in triumph,
I blazed away, but owing to that kind of motion, I shot him
through the bulge of the ribs, a little too far back to kill him
instantly. They are a very hard animal to kill, any how.
But he made one prodigious bound through the brush, and
cleared himself out of my sight, the ground where we were
being quite broken as well as sideling. I then walked up to
the other, mistrusting nothing, and was within a yard of him,
when he made one spring to his feet and fastened on my left
shoulder with his teeth and claws, where he inflicted several
deep wounds. I was uncommonly active as well as stout in

A PANTHER ADVENTURE.

14T

those days, and feared neither man nor mortal in a scuffle,
but I had work to keep my feet under the weight of such a
beast. I had my knife out in an instant, and put into him as
fast as possible for dear life. So we tusseled away, and the
ground being sideling and steep at that, which increased my
trouble to keep from falling ; we gradually worked down hill
till I was forced against a log, and we both came to the ground,
I inside and the panther outside of it, he still keeping hold,
although evidently weakening under the repeated digs and
rips he was getting. I kept on knifing away till I found his
hold slackening, and he let go at last to my great rejoicing.
I got to my feet, made for my rifle, which I had dropped early
in the scuffle, got it and ran home. I gathered the neighbors
with their dogs, and on returning found the panthers not more
than fifteen rods apart ; the one I had knifed dying, and the
one I had shot making an effort to climb a tree to the height
of eight or ten feet, when he was speedily dispatched. Next
day I stripped them of their skins, which I sold to a saddler
at Lexington, for two dollars a piece. You may depend, I
never got into such a grip again with a panther.

jt^gig

ty 6l|in|!ege

MUCH may have been said, but little has been written, of
the yet but very partially explored part of the world between
China and the Himalaya chain. Moorcroft and Gerard,
many years ago, visited some parts bordering on the extreme
north-west parts of the British Possessions in India. Fraser, a
few years later, penetrated probably those parts of it adjoin-
(148)

13*

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 151

ing the central hill sanatoriums of Simla and Almorah, and
he, like his predecessors, was stopped by the jealous govern-
ment and inhabitants. Previous to entering Chinese Tartary
from British India, the traveller has to cross certain passes
in the great snowy range, some of them varying in height
from sixteen to eighteen thousand feet above the level of the
sea. The Barinda, one of the best known and most frequented
of these passes, is variously estimated at from seventeen to
eighteen thousand feet. The months of June, July, and Au-
gust, are generally considered the best months for crossing.

The scenery in and around these passes is of the most sub-
lime description. As I should assuredly fail, however, in
describing it, I must content myself with a narration of some
personal adventures which befel me in an attempt to carry
into effect a long-cherished determination to make the ac-
quaintance of the Seeta Bhaloo, (White Bear,) and the Burul,
(Wild Sheep,) found only in these regions. By the route I
took, seventeen marches brought me to the snow. Here our
"roughing," commenced, the Peharrees, or hill men, of our
side of the snow, having a most religious horror of the great
snowy range. The air there they say is charged with " bis,"
(poison,) and this is the only way they can in their original
way account for the painful and distressing effects which the
rarefied air in those elevations produces on the human frame.
The first intimation we have that we are far above the alti-
tude of comfort, is a dull heavy pain on the shoulders, as if
you were carrying a load above your capacity ; then a very
painful sensation on the forehead, as if it had been bandaged
unpleasantly tight, accompanied by a burning sensation of
the eyes and nose, followed by an involuntary bleeding of the
latter. This last symptom of the effect of high rarefication,
is, to an Englishman, at least it was to us, always a great
relief. It operates differently upon the natives ; they become
more alarmed and helpless, and, unless hurried through the
passes very expeditiously, invariably perish. On my first trip,

152 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

I left two unfortunate hill men in the Sogla Pass. Two more
would have perished, had I not taken one wheelbarrow fashion,
by the legs, and dragged him after me (although very much
distressed myself) until we had descended sufficiently to rest
with safety. My head man, Jye Sing, by my direction took
the other man, and both were saved.

After getting through the pass, we came upon the inha-
bited tracks, and made the acquaintance of the Bhootias. I
found them very original, very dirty, and very honest with
regard to every thing except tobacco. This, neither father
nor mother, husband nor wife, could help stealing, whenever
they had an opportunity ; and the most amusing part of it
was, they never attempted to deny the theft, but stoutly
maintained their right to the article ! Numerous were the
thrashings inflicted by Buctoo on them for tobacco thieving,
but the thefts did not diminish.

As my object in coming into these fastnesses was to get
on terms of familiarity with the quadrupedal rather than the
bipedal inhabitants, I will leave the Bootias, and proceed to
describe my rencontres with the equally civilized four-footed
denizens. I had in'my employ Shikarees (game-seekers) of
no ordinary class, who, having been many years with me,
were well tutored ; although, when first caught, they were
ignorance personified, as far as sporting matters went. Their
original incapacity will be easily credited, when I inform
them that my second best, Buctoo, had followed the sporting
occupation of a village fiddler, before he entered my service,
and knew as much of the capabilities of an English double-
barrelled rifle as he did of the "Pleiades." Jye Sing was a
a little better informed, for he told me confidentially, one day,
he had seen a gentleman at Subathoo actually kill quail flying
with small shot. His occupation had been that of findal
(porter)* to some families at Simla. Two months' training
turned him out, not only one of the most intelligent, but the
pluckiest Shikaree I ever had.

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 153

Having, in my numerous excursions into the hills, obtained
some very vague information from the many villagers I came
in contact with, that they had often heard from parties re-
siding near the snow that there was an animal to be found
there strongly resembling the famous sheep, (Ovis Burrul,) I
determined upon dispatching Jye Sing and Buctoo to those
regions, to obtain all the precise information that might be
available, cautioning them not to return without either hav-
ing seen the animal, or bringing me some proof of its exist-
ence, and further promising them a handsome present, if they
brought me satisfactory information. They were absent two
months, and returned with some most marvellous stories about
what they had seen and heard, and, as a proof of the exist-
ence of the animal, brought me the horn of a wild sheep they
had picked up in one of the valleys in the snow, after an
avalanche had melted. This physical fragment at once removed
all my doubts, the horn being different from that of any tame
sheep. I was now wound up to the highest pitch of hopeful
excitement ; my marching establishment was soon put in order,
and we started on the following day. Fifteen forced marches

154

brought me to the foot of the snow, and also to the last
village, called " Ufsul." I found the inhabitants of this village
a most rude and demi-barbarous race, knowing little, and wish-
ing to know less, of Englishmen, of whom they seemed to
have the greatest dread. However, two days' soft sawdering
with a plentiful supply of hill "Buckshee," (spirits,) made
them more communicative ; and they at last informed me,
if I would promise only to remain a week, they would show
me the wild sheep. This promise, of course, I gave ; and on
the following morning at daybreak, shivering cold as it was,
we started to ascend the snow-capped mountains and glaciers,
which the animal patronized. On the road up, I was often
sorely tempted to draw my ball and ram down shot, in order
to bring down some of the many woodcocks we were constantly
flushing, and which were so unaccustomed to be disturbed, that
they only flew a few yards away ; but I resisted the temptation.
As we progressed into the regions of eternal snow, we began
to find pedestrianism a difficult task. Some parts of the path

-

KILLING A WILD SHEEP.

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY.

157

THIBETAN WILD SHEEP.

were very slippery and hard ; others, soft and knee-deep in
snow. An idea may be formed of the height we had to ascend,
and the nature of the ground which we traversed, when I
mention that we left our tents at seven A. M, and had not
arrived at the "sheep-walk" before one.

Now commenced the difficulty. The burrul, from its well-
known and secluded habits, is a most difficult animal to ap-
proach. I was, however, rewarded for my labor. About two
o'clock we came upon the fresh marks of the flock ; we followed
them for some distance, but coming near a hot spring where
they had evidently been grazing, of course lost all farther
track. For the next hour I worked up one glacier, around
another, used my telescope, but could not discern any object,
suddenly one of the villagers called my attention to some-
thing above me. I looked up and beheld a pair of enormous
horns bending over. None of the body of the animal was then
visible. I now cautiously moved a short distance to the right,
when I had the satisfaction of seeing not only his horns, but

14

158 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

A WHITE BEAR.

had a full broadside view of the first wild sheep I ever saw.
He was about one hundred and fifty yards off. Having ele-
vated the proper sight, I brought my rifle to bear on the
shoulder, took a steady and gradual draw of the trigger, the
rifle cracked, and dead came down the burrul of Thibet.

Perhaps, up to this time, the burrul had known no other
mortal foe than the white, or whitey-brown bear of the hills —
the seeta bhaloo, as he is called. And this brings me to
another part of my hunting excursion.

Whether from the scarcity of food, or the amiability of
their dispositions, the seeta bhaloo are to be met with con-
stantly in small bodies of from five to ten, differing in this
respect from their sable brethren, who are generally found
alone, unless a matrimonial alliance has been formed, when
the intrusion of a third party, whether male or female, ensures
a fight.

The white bear is only carnivorous when pressed by hunger,
and in that state is very destructive to the numerous Tartar
flocks of sheep, for Bruin with an empty larder is not to be
deterred from his ravenous attacks by men or dogs — a haunch
of mutton he will have. His mode of devouring it differs
greatly from that of the tiger or leopard. He tears the
fleece off with his paws, and instead of gnawing and tearing

HUNTING THE WHITE BEAR.

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 161

the flesh, as most carnivorous animals do, he commences
sucking it, and in this way draws off the flesh in shreds, thus
occupying four or five hours in doing what a tiger or leopard
would effectually achieve in half an hour. It is well known
among the Tartars, and I know it also from experience, that
a bear, after feasting off flesh is a very dangerous customer,
and will always show fight. If near the carcass he has cap-
tured, he will give very little trouble in looking for him, in-
deed, he will almost invariably attack the intruder. One day,
while following up some wild sheep, I came upon two bears
very busily engaged in digging up the snow where an ava-
lanche had fallen. Being hid from their sight, I determined
to wait some little time to ascertain why they were digging.
I accordingly ensconsed myself behind a rock, and allowed
them to work away. In about an hour they made a very
good opening ; and on using my glass I found they had got
hold of something. I now pushed up to them. One imme-
diately showed fight, and came out to meet me. He made
one charge at me, which I rebutted with a rifle-ball, killing
him the very first shot. The other bear got away. On going
to the spot where they had been at work, I found the exhumed
dead bodies of three wild sheep. They had been carried
away and buried underneath the avalanche, probably as far
back as the previous year, considering the very compact and
frozen state the snow was in. The sheep were in excellent
order. We skinned them, and took them to our tents, and
excellent mutton we had for several days.

On the melting of the snow, the golden eagle of the Hi-
malaya— a magnificent bird, often measuring thirteen feet
from the tip of one wing to the other — is one of the best of
pointers a sportsman can follow, to ascertain where any ani-
mal has been carried away by an avalanche. He hovers over
the spot, constantly alighting, and then taking wing again ;
but if once you observe him pecking with his beak you may
proceed to the spot, and be certain of finding, a very short

14*

162

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

distance below the snow, the carcass of a wild sheep, as fresh
as it was on the day it was carried away. Many a haunch
of good mutton have I obtained in this way.

The Himalaya golden eagle is a very carrion crow, never
destroying its own game, but feeding on any dead carcass it
may find. Many an eagle have I shot feeding on the carcass
of an unfortunate hill bullock, which, either through stupidity
or fright, had tumbled over a precipice ; and never, during
the many years I shot over all parts of these hills, do I know

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 165

THE LAMMERGEYER.

an instance of a golden eagle pouncing on or carrying away
a living prey.

The Tartar shepherds near the snow informed me that
during the lambing season the eagles were very troublesome.
If a ewe dropt a sickly lamb, and left it, the eagles would
attack it, but never attempted to stoop to carry away a lively
one, or one that followed its mother. The Indian golden eagle
is identical with the Laminergeyer of the Alps, but wants the
courage of the latter bird.

Jtevenons a nous moutons — literally, let us go back to our
sheep. A companion and myself had been working hard in
the " Sogla," one of the passes in the snowy range conducting
into Chinese Tartary, after the wild sheep, and found them
this day more wary than on any previous occasion. It is not
generally known that there are two species of wild sheep — one
called the Dairuk, and the other (an enormous animal, at least
as far as its horns are concerned) known to naturalists as the
ovis ammon. The horns and head of the latter are as much as
a hill man can lift, and singular enough the body is small
indeed, out of all proportion to the horns borne by a full-
grown ram. My companions and self espied on an opposite
hill what we at first (through our telescopes) thought was an

166 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

enormous pair of horns moving without any ostensible carriage.
At last we observed the body, and I, in delight, exclaimed,
"By Jove, there is the ovis ammon at last." After consider-
able trouble and precious hard work, we worked up to within
range, when a shot from my rifle brought the ram tumbling
down over the snow. I hoped and believed he was dead ; but
he was only wounded. He got up again, and, in spite of the
wound, made a very good gallop over the deep snow. Find-
ing he was too fast for us, we slipped our dogs, and among
them my poor " Karchia." The poor dog, as usual, was first
up with the ram, and seized him. The ram, having still a
good deal in him, broke the hold, and down he went to the
bottom of the ravine, where ran the Tonse river, a tributary
of the Jumna here in the snow. The river was covered over
in many places by avalanches, and was also partly frozen ;
but in many places there were large holes. The ram bounded
over these until my poor dog Karchia again closed with and
seized him behind. With a vigorous eifort the ovis ammon
shook him off. A few yards before the steep was a large hole
in the Tonse, the water foaming up through it ; into this ovis
ammon threw himself, and was carried under the snow,
Heaven knows where. On arriving at the spot I found my
poor dog baying most piteously, and trying to bite away the
frozen sides, but to no purpose, and I was obliged immediately
to get him chained up, fearing he would have plunged in after
the game, when I should have lost him, and most probably my
own life. Having thus introduced the wild sheep and white
bear of Tartary, a few sentences may not unprofitably be spent
in describing the genus homo of the Snowy Range. The
Tartars, as may be imagined, are a very original race, and
in those parts visited by me I found them very primitive and
inoffensive, always barring the petty larceny propensities.
Depending chiefly on the sale of their wool for their support,
and being Bhuddhists by religion, they dare not destroy ani-
mal life ; but when nature has deprived one of their bullocks

.

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 169

or sheep of existence, either by accident or old age, Tartar
economy forbids their wasting the carcass, and it is eagerly
devoured by them. Some of the ancient rams I saw would
require a deal of mastication and powerful digestive organs
when summoned to their forefathers and committed to a
Tartar's jaws.

I cannot say that the hill people thrive on the diet, for in
appearance they are a miserable-looking, stunted race, very
filthy in their habits, seldom changing their coarse woollen
clothing, and entertaining a religious horror of cold water.
They have no objection to the good things brought from the
other side of the snow, and I have seen them devour salt beef
and pork with great gusto. But what they most delight in,
when they can get it, is English brandy and tobacco. The
former they will drink in great quantities, and for men un-
accustomed to liquor it is astonishing how well they resist
its intoxicating properties. I saw one man a " Siana," the
head of a village, drink off two bottles of pure brandy, with-
out apparently feeling any ill effects from the potation. On
questioning him about his sensations, he said that the only
difference he found between the brandy and the water was,
that it made his inside comfortably warm, and his tongue very
slippery, of which he gave us proof by chattering and singing
in a most uncouth way. Of all the horrible noises I ever
heard, those which a half-drunken Tartar makes are the most
discordant. The deep nasal and guttural noises he emits
would beat Welsh and Gaelic by a long chalk.

Although petty thefts are common among the Thibetans,
valuable articles may with safety be left among them — even
money they will not touch. Many an hour have I whiled
away among them watching Jye Sing and Buctoo showing
them many articles of my property, the use or value of which
they could not comprehend. Of my guns and rifles in par-
ticular, they stood in great awe, and for a long time none of
them could be induced to touch one. Our telescopes also

15

170

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

JYE SING.

caused great terror, and many were the learned arguments
they had as to what possibly could be the use of the latter.
I invariably carried a favorite Dolland across my shoulder,
and Buctoo was provided with a similar instrument, of which
he was proud, and in the use of which he became expert.
One day, after a good day's sport, we had all sat down near
a beautiful spring, and I was enjoying a luncheon, when I
found Buctoo had collected some fifty Tartars about him, who
sat in a circle, listening to his explanation of the use of his
telescope. None of his hearers could for some time be in-
duced to touch it ; they were afraid of its either exploding or
metamorphosing them into wild sheep.

The large village of Tchong Si was about four miles below
our bivouac, and several of the head men of the village had
come up to have a look at us. The village was just discernible
to the naked eye, and Buctoo politely inquired of one of the
chiefs, if he would like to be informed what was going on in

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 171

TARTARS.

the village below ! The chief told him he should, when Buctoo
drew out the glass, on which all the Tartars moved off to a
very respectable distance. After looking at the village, he
described certain parts of it so correctly that they were asto-
nished. (I must here mention that neither myself nor any
of my servants had been allowed to enter the village.) The
Tartars at first could hardly credit it ; but after sundry ques-
tions as to the description of houses on the northern side, and
again on the southern, which Buctoo, on carefully examining,
correctly described, they became sadly perplexed. Buctoo
once more endeavored to persuade them to take a look them-
selves, and, after much coaxing and a little brandy, one of
the head men was induced to take the telescope into his hand.
The figure he cut on doing so, I shall not easily forget.
He held it out at arm's length, grinned at it most horribly,
and chattered some abominable gibberish in Tartaree, that no

172 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

one understood, appearing to expect every moment that the
glass would bite him. After some minutes spent in this way,
he drew it near to him, and by degrees became more confident.
Buctoo then approached him and set it, telling him to look
through it. He appeared very suspicious about this move-
ment, evidently fancying the glass was going to explode. At
length he threw it down, for which Buctoo boxed his ears.
He then took it up again, and it was brought to bear on the
village. But the Tartar did us again ; for he- shut both his
eyes. However, after a good deal of persuasion, he was in-
duced to open one and shut the other, and to peep through
the glass. For a second or two he trembled violently, then
groaned heavily — threw down the glass, and commenced
rolling down the hill, head over heels, at a most awful pace.
The whole batch, some forty, were seized with the same com-
plaint, and down they went after their chief, roaring out,
" Hi ! ha !" at the top of their voices. Break their necks
they could not very easily ; but how many of them escaped
serious injury I did not stop to ascertain. Upon seeing them
all off, I fell down heavily, fracturing my sides with laughter.
Buctoo was in the same state, and so were all my servants.
We at last saw them, on reaching a piece of level ground,
get on their legs, the chief still leading, and bolting for the
village, at a pace nothing would warrant but a tin kettle at
their heels. In about ten minutes we heard the gongs and
bells beating and tolling at a great pace, with frightful shout-
ing from men and women, and this lasted for two hours,
when all became quiet.

Not a Tartar could we get hold of for two days after this.
At last, by sending a small party near the village, several
men showed themselves, offering us any thing we wanted, if
we would only return to the other side of the snow. This
they were told we would do, if they would only show us three
or four days' more good sport ; but if not, we would remain
there six months, and turn them all into wild sheep. Upon

HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 173

BUCTOO.

this, they had a consultation, when it was decided that they
would show excellent sport provided we would take our depar-
ture in four days, and never come there again. This was duly
agreed to, and after some very cautious approaches we got
them once more up to our tents. They certainly kept their
promise, for I had excellent sport, and was therefore bound
to fulfil my part of the agreement.

On the fourth day arriving, they were invited to come once
more to the tent, and to receive a few trifling rewards for the
sport they had shown. Brandy was first served out, and this
soon restored confidence among us, when the distribution of
a few knives, looking-glasses, beads, &c. &c., and sundry
pieces of red cloth, brought them into good humor. Every
thing was going on as well as could be desired, when some
unfortunate dispute arose among some of my guides (not my
own servants, but men taken from the last village on our side of
the snow) and Tartars. They knew each other well, having, at

15*

174 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

a large fair held at the foot of the pass, a year's intercourse.
These men, I have no doubt, assisted by one of my own men,
(and I strongly suspected Buctoo, although he most solemnly
denied doing it,) played them a sad trick. I may here note
that almost every Tartar carries a pipe, rudely made of
wrought-iron, of about the size and shape of a common clay
pipe. Being inveterate smokers, a pipe full of good tobacco
is one of the most convincing arguments you can employ.
While I was at dinner, I ordered some tobacco to be given to
them, and it was proposed they should put that in their
pouches, and allow some of my fellows to charge their pipes
with their own tobacco, of which they begged their acceptance.
The Tartars, nothing loth, assented, and each man gave
his iron pipe to be charged, which was duly done, and returned
to each owner. Smoking then commenced, and, on finishing
my dinner and coming outside the tent, I found the Tartars
all in a circle, smoking away, and my men, some ten yards
from them, and above them, and talking to them. They were
also smoking. Thinking nothing of this at the time, I took
no notice, and had my chair brought outside, and smoked my
cigar. In less than five minutes I was considerably astonished
on hearing a salvo as of a volley of musketry, and iron pipes
flying up and down in all directions. Then a general shout,
and off went the Tartars, as if Old Nick was at their heels,
hallooing most fearfully. They, however, this time did not
run far ; they brought up about three hundred yards from
where they had started, demanding only their pipes back. I
went up to them, asking what was the matter ; and after a
short time they said nothing farther than that they would take
precious good care never to smoke English tobacco again, for
it was too strong for them. We smoked with tobacco, and shot
with tobacco, and Shcitzan must have been the maufacturer.

KANGAROOING in Tasman's Peninsula is essentially a pe-
destrian sport. I am aware that in an open country, and
especially in New South Wales, where the chase is followed
on horseback, my assertion may seem like rank heresy.

I have pursued the sport both mounted and on foot, and if
a horse enables you occasionally, on comparatively unencum-
bered ground, to see something more of the run, you must
still have pedestrians to hunt the dogs. After all, decide
this point as you will, we esteem it the poorest variety of the
chase. Some excitement must necessarily attend it, but too
much is left to the imagination, and too little of either the
game or the dogs is given to the eye.

It is rarely, except when on horseback, that one has the
good fortune to be in at the death, or to see the kangaroo
pulled down.

(177)

178 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

The ground is usually hilly, the scrub thick, and the grass
high. It is needless to say that on the present occasion we
were all on foot. Forestier's Peninsula is no place for a horse
except the traveller be jogging along the rugged and little
unfrequented track which leads to Hobart Town, by a most
circuitous route.

Away then we strode, skirting the shore pretty closely, until
we came to a valley which had been partially cleared by one
of those extensive bush conflagrations which are of annual
occurence.

The forest is fired in several places every summer, with a
view to keeping down the scrub, and giving a chance of growth
to the grass and the larger forest trees. These fires burn for
several consecutive days, and at night the glare from them,
lighting up the adjacent horizon, and the wind at one time
whirling along vast clouds of smoke, and again throwing up
sheets of flame and myriads of burning particles, produce an
effect as grand as can be imagined. Here, then, in the glade,
we paused, disposed ourselves in an extended line, slipped four
dogs, and gave the word, "go seek."

Away they trotted with- nose to the ground, cautiously
hunting, crossing and recrossing, but occasionally getting not
only out of sight in the long grass, but out of hearing and com-
mand. Presently a sharp bark gave the signal of game
started, and the next moment we catch a glimpse of the kan-
garoo in mid air, as he bounds down the declivity in a suces-
sion of leaps such as the kangaroo only can accomplish.

There he goes, his tiny ears laid back on his small deer-like
head, his forefeet gathered up like a penguin's flappers, and
his long stout tail erect in the air ! Now bounding aloft, now
vanishing as he plunges into the waving grass.

Two more of the dogs have sighted him, and' are silently
tearing along on his track. Every bound increases his dis-
tance from his pursuers, he winds round the base of the hill,
to avoid the ascent, but up he must go ; this is the only chance

KILLING A KANGAROO.

KANGAROO HUNTING. 181

for the dogs, for running up hill is the kangaroo's weak point.
But now we lose sight of both dogs and kangaroo ; a burst
of three. minutes has sufficed to exhaust our first wind, and to
break one of our shins ; for, tearing through grass as high as
one's middle and tumbling over charred stumps and fallen
trees, soon reduces one to the " dead-beat" predicament. Jerry,
alone, thanks to his hard condition, follows the chase, longo
inter vallo.

All the party are now scattered, and after a while re-assem-
ble by dint of continuous " cooees." Whilst swabbing the per-
spiration off our brow, one of the dogs makes his appearance,
and, trotting slowly back with panting flanks and lolling
tongue, throws himself on his side exhausted. His mouth is
now carefully examined, and two fingers being inserted, scoop
round the fauces. The test is successful ; there are traces of
blood and fluff. " Bravo, Rattler ! Show him — good dog. Show
him !" Battler rises with an effort, and lazily strikes into
the bush, to the right. We follow in Indian file, and at about
half a mile distant we come upon the kangaroo lying dead,
with the second dog, old " Ugly," stretched at his side.

The kangaroo usually found in the Peninsula is not the
largest description commonly known in these colonies as the
" boomer" or " forester," but the brush kangaroo, which rarely
exceeds seventy pounds in weight ; forty is more common.
There is a still smaller variety known as the " wallaby." The
brush kangaroo is easily killed by the dogs : A grip in the
throat or loins usually suffices. The boomer is a more awkward
customer, and, if he can take the water, he shows fight, and,
availing himself of his superior height, he endeavors to drown
the dogs as they approach him. The kangaroo is a graceful
animal, but appears to most advantage when only the upper
part of the body is seen. His head is small and deer-shaped,
his eyes soft and lustrous, but his tapering superior extrem-
ities rise almost pyramidally from a heavy and disproportioned
base of hind legs and tail.

16

182 THKILLING ADVENTURES

The kangaroo dog never mangles his prey, although fond
of the blood, with a portion of which he is always rewarded.

Jerry now threw himself on the ground beside the game,
and, drawing his couteau de chasse, commenced the operation
of disembowelling. After ripping up the belly, he thrusts in
his arm, and drawing out the liver and a handful of coagulated
blood, he invited the dogs to partake of it. The carcass
being gutted, some dry fern is thrust in, the tail is drawn
through the fore legs, and secured with a bit of whipcord, and
then the game is suspended over the shoulder — no insignificant
weight either. If the kangaroo be very heavy, the hind quarters
only are carried, but the skin being of some value, it is not
needlessly destroyed.

There is a peculiarity in the stomach of the kangaroo,
which I have have not seen noticed in description of that
animal, but of which I have assured myself by frequent per-
sonal observation. On opening the stomach, even while still
warm, the grass found in it is swarming with small white
worms, about a quarter of an inch in length, and not thicker
than a fine thread.

The entire contents of the stomach even the most recently
masticated grass, (and grass seems to be its only food,) are
equally pervaded with these worms, which swarm in myriads,
even where no signs of decomposition are perceptible.

Resuming our progress we presently heard a baying from
the dogs, who had again disappeared to hunt. On nearing
the spot whence the noise proceeded, we found them assembled
round the trunk of a large tree, in the hollow of which was a
large wombat, a most unsightly brute, in appearance partaking
somewhat of the bear, the pig, and the badger. An average
sized one will weigh sixty pounds. The head is flat, neck thick,
body large, legs short, eyes and ears small ; the feet provided
with sharp claws for burrowing, three on the hind foot, and
an additional one on the fore foot. They make deep excava-
tions in the ground, and live chiefly on roots. The hide is

KANGAROO HUNTING. 185

A WOMBAT.

very tough and covered with a coarse wiry hair, and with this
defensive armor, and his formidable teeth and claws, the
wombat is a customer not much relished by the dogs. It was
not till we had stunned our new acquaintance, as he stood at
bay in his den, by repeated blows of our sticks on his head,
that we were able to drag him out, and cut his throat. The flesh
is eatable, and I have heard that the hams are held in some
esteem, but I cannot speak from personal experience. On
the present occasion none of our party was ambitious of the
honor of carrying our defunct friend during the day's march
that we had before us ; so I contented myself with pocketing
his four paws, and leaving the rest of the carcass for formic
epicures.

Our destination for the evening was Eagle Hawk Neck, or
rather our dining quarters were there fixed, for I proposed to
be home some time during the night ; and, as we had some
twelve miles of fatiguing walking before us, we now circled
round towards Flinder's Bay whence we were to follow the foot
track to the "Neck."

It may readily be imagined that brush travelling in the
Australian colonies is often an intricate affair ; long practice
alone can give one assurance and confidence. Few habitues
in the Peninsula think of entering it without a pocket compass,
flint, and steel ; and even the best bushmen have in their day
been reduced to the greatest extremities.

For our ambition part, never inclined to the adventurous task
of exploring the bush, content with the subordinate part of
trusting to the superior sagacity of the more experienced ;

16*

186 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

and often have our wonder and admiration been excited by
the unerring judgment of our guide, when there was neither
sun to direct, nor any opening above or around whereby to
obtain a view of the surrounding country.

As we were approaching Flinder's Bay, on our return, a
kangaroo was started some distance ahead of us ; presently
I observed an old dog, who was wont to "run cunning," sud-
denly stop close in front of me. The next moment the game,
closely pursued, dropped in a bound, not six yards from the
spot where I stood, and before he could rise again, old " Ugly"
had his prize by the throat. This proved to be a doe, and on
examining her pouch a foetus was found in it, perfectly de-
tached as usual, and about three inches and a half long. The
generation, growth, and alimentation of the foetus of the kan-
garoo and other marsuipial animals (ultra interine and detached
from the parent, as it appears to be at all stages,) is a mystery
in physiology which has yet to be unravelled.

A " medico" who was of our party, did not neglect this
opportunity for research. With a view to the investigation
of the subject at leisure, he dropped the foetus into hj^ glove
for conveyance home.

Outside the station of Flin^er's Bay, we came upon a small
limpid stream, brawling over a rocky bed, which seemed a suit-
able place to refresh the inner man with a sandwich, and a
thimbleful of Cognac. Cigars were then lighted, and shoul-
dering our game, we resumed our route.

The sun was low, when we descended the steep hill whence
we opened a view of Eagle Hawk Neck and the Pacific, after
a long and toilsome ascent "the Saddle," by a path which
abounded more in loose sharp stones than any which it has been
my misfortune to fall in with. However, refreshment was at
hand, which we were quite in condition to appreciate, for we
will back a day's kangarooing against any other sport, for
giving a zest both to victuals and drink.

Our host, C , was famous for his kangaroo soup ; this

HUNTING THE KANGAROO. 189

is made of the tail of the animal, and when well prepared may
vie with an ox tail, if, indeed, it be not superior, having the
advantage of a game flavor. The flesh of the kangaroo re-
sembles in taste and appearance that of the hare though drier
and inferior in flavor when roasted. The only part thus cooked
is the hind quarter, which should be boned, stuffed, and larded,
and after all, le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle. Not so "kan-
garoo steamer." To prepare this savory dish, portions of the
hind quarters, after hanging for a week, should be cut into small
cubical pieces ; about a third proportion of the fat of bacon
should be similarly prepared, and these, together with salt,
pepper, and some spice, must simmer gently in a stew-pan
for three or four hours. Now water must enter into the com-
position, but a little mushroom ketchup added, when served,
is an improvement.

Although averse to the diet of brush vermin, so often ex-
tolled, in these colonies, and although carefully eschewing all
parrot pies, red-bill ragouts, black swans, kangaroo rats, por-
cupines, and such vaunted nastiness, we strongly contend for
the excellence of " kangaroo steamer," as savory and appe-
tizing dish. We cannot reproach it with a fault, save its
tendency to lead one to excess ; the only difficulty is to know
when you have had enough.

We were able to do ample justice to the good cheer provided

by C , who, although the Alexander Selkirk of his post,

reigning in solitary grandeur, for he had not a single associate
within ten mile, could always boast of a well stocked-larder
and cellar. What with his garden, poultry-yard, and dairy,
hunting and sea-fishing, he was tolerably independent of the
ter- weekly visits of the boat which brought the commissariat
supplies.

&/'<

:c^iv^3#tow

;Viv^m^^.'^-

i ty §oi|li)eh]

WE are indebted for the following narrative of hunting ex-
ploits to Captain William Cornwallis Harris's " Wild Sports
of Southern Africa," comprising a hunting expedition from
the Cape of Good Hope through the territories of the chief
Moselekatse to the tropic of Capricorn. Our extract includes
the passage from Chooi to the Mimori river. Captain Harris
was accompanied by Mr. Richardson and a retinue of Hot-
tentots, with a train of wagons and an abundant supply of
ammunition.
(190)

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

193

GRIQUAS.

" The true zebra is exclusively confined to mountainous
regions, from which it rarely if ever descends ; but the exten-
sive plains of Southern Africa abound with two distinct spe-
cies of the same genus, the quagga and the striped quagga,
or Burchell's zebra. These differ little from each other in point
of shape or size, both having the tail and ears of the horse,
whilst the zebra has those of the ass. Of a pale red color,
the quagga is faintly striped only on the head and neck —
but Burchell's zebra is adorned over every part of the body
with broad black bands, which beautifully contrast with a pale
yellow ground. The gnoo and the common quagga delighting
in the same situations, not unfrequently herding together —
but I have seldom seen Burchell's zebra unaccompanied by a
troop of brindled gnoo, — an animal differing materially from
its brother of the same genus, from which, though scarcely

17

194 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

less ungainly, it is readily distinguishable at a greater dis-
tance by its black mane and tail, more elevated withers, and
clumsier action.

" We were preparing to leave Chooi, when a party of Gri-
quas arrived with three wagons. They had been hunting
giraffe on the Molopo, and having expended their ammuni-
tion, were returning to Daniel's Kuil with the spoils. Their
horses and oxen were perfect skeletons, and their wagons
literally tumbling to pieces. Tireless wheels were lashed to-
gether with strips of raw hide, and festoons of dried meat
termed "Biltong," occupied the place of the awning ; whilst
a number of filthy women and children were stowed away
with an odoriferous melange of garbage and fat. These
people had approached to the western limit of Moselekatse's
territory without molestation, — a circumstance which seemed
to inspire our timid followers with confidence. Large par-
ties are annually formed for the purpose of hunting the came-
leopard and eland — the flesh of these animals being held in
great estimation, and their skins applied to the manufacture
of shoes and a variety of other uses. We would gladly have
purchased some of the miserable horses, but the owners de-
clined receiving any thing in exchange but gunpowder, which
we could not have given without incurring the risk of twelve
months' imprisonment on our return to the Colony, although
a single pound would have given us the choice of the stud.

" After crossing the Saltpan, we passed a long line of pit-
falls used for entrapping game. Upwards of sixty of these
were dug close together in a treble line ; a high thorn fence
extending in the form of a crescent a mile on either side, in
such a manner that gnoos, quaggas, and other animals may
easily be driven into them. They are carefully concealed
with grass, and their circumscribed dimensions render escape
almost impossible. Heaps of whitened bones bore ample
testimony to the destruction they had occasioned.

i We now entered upon the Chooi Desert, an extensive

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

195

QUAGGA.

flat, denuded of trees — broken occasionally by low ridges,
but still remarkable for its scorched and sterile uniformity.
After travelling twenty miles across this " region of empti-
ness, howling and drear," we reached Loharon, at which there
was a prospect of obtaining water, but unfortunately the only
tank in the country was exhausted. The small supply that
we had brought in the wagons was barely drinkable in the
coffee ; but our sufferings were nothing compared with those
of the unhappy oxen, which although tried to death with the
sultry march, ran frantically in quest of some pool where
they might slake their thirst — making the air resound with
their mournful lowings. During the night, the hyenas, at-
tracted by the smell of our mutton, actually devoured a
spring-buck within the limits of our camp.

" As we advanced, the game became hourly more abundant,
although still exceedingly wild. Groups of liartebeests,

196 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

quggas, and brindled gnoos, were every where to be seen —
the sleek variegated coats of the two former species sparkling
in the rays of the sun ; and the fierce little eyes of the latter
glistening like fire beneath their shaggy forelocks. A short
chase was sufficient to seal the fate of three quaggas — all
males, averaging thirteen hands high. During the run I had
not seen a human being, and fancied myself alone ; but I
had scarcely dismounted to secure my game, when a woolly
head protruded inself from every bush, and in an instant I
was surrounded by thirty Barolongs, who having by signs
expressed their approbation of my performance, proceeded to
devour the carcass with the greatest avidity — greedily drink-
ing the blood, rubbing the fat upon their bodies, and not
leaving so much even as the entrails for the birds of prey.

" Our unfortunate cattle had now tasted no water for six-
and thirty hours, and we resolved to travel day and night in
search of this necessary of life. The sun at length departed,
darkness overtook us, and no moon succeeded to guide our
course ; when, by a singular instinct, the two horses we had
obtained from Captain Sutton, and which were consequently
acquainted with the road, suddenly separated themselves from
us, and galloped off. Following them up, the scream of
water-fowl sounded like music in our ears, and we had the
gratification of perceiving a pond of mephitic water a little
to the right of the road. Both man and beast appeared
simultaneously apprised of the cheering discovery — water
was the universal cry — the Hottentots rushed to the edge of
the pond, and throwing themselves on their faces, swallowed
large quantities — indifferent to the crowd of horses, oxen,
and sheep, which followed close upon their heels. The oxen
in the wagons were with difficulty restrained until the yokes
had been removed, when impatient of their burning thirst,
they also rushed headlong into the now muddy pool.

" An accident deprived us of the handsome dog that we
had obtained from Brother Mark Graaff, the itinerant tutor ;

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 197

no bush presenting itself which could shelter him for a mo-
ment during the long march, from the scorching rays of a
vertical sun, he had sought an asylum beneath the wagon,
the wheels of which passed over his body. For many days
past the feet of our canine companions had suffered greatly
from their contact with the heated earth ; and, in some in-
stances, had become perfectly raw. Ever and anon the un-
fortunate animals would voluntarily present a paw, and, with
a supplicating whine, solicit another dressing of the tar and
fat composition used for greasing the axletrees — from the
application of which they experienced temporary relief.

" In order to recruit the exhausted strength of the oxen,
we halted a day at Great Chooi, another extensive salt-lake,
which we reached early the following morning. No pen can
describe the scene that here took place. The Hottentots,
having first mutinied against Richardson, deputed Andries —
who advanced to me with a step of defiance — to acquaint me
with their determination not to obey his orders : the contracts
at Graaff Reinet having, to save trouble, been made in my
name only. The discussion having been suppressed by me,
led to a disagreement among themselves ; they fought with
inconceivable fury for half an hour, and were with difficulty
prevented from murdering each other. With blood streaming
from many a ghastly wound, they at length retired to ablute
themselves, and returned better friends than ever. The en-
gagement had been witnessed by a party of savages, who
carried umbrellas of ostrich feathers, twisted round a long
stick so as to resemble the nodding plumes of a hearse. In
honor of their own courageous bearing, the Hottentots pur-
chased a number of these for a small piece of tobacco, and
binding them round their hats, strutted forth knights of the
sable plume.

" The scattered inhabitants of this part of the country are
remnants of various Bechuana tribes, which have been con-
quered by Moselekatse — and consist principally of Barolong,

17*

198 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

Wangkets, Batlapi, and Baharootzi. These poor wretches
live in small communities, and, being destitute of cattle, de-
pend entirely for subsistence on locusts, or such game as
chance may direct to their pitfalls. Crowds of them, attracted
by prey, now hovered round me in my hunting expeditions,
which were here particularly successful ; and having obtained
a plentiful supply of meat, with the luxuries of snuff and to-
bacco, for which they were constantly begging, under the
denominations of lishuena and muchoko, they composed them-
selves to sleep, appearing to be in the enjoyment of as much
happiness as man in a state of mere animal existence proba-
bly ever attains. Our little band was also instinctively at-
tended by a host of hungry vultures, who, little disturbed by
the presence of man, divided the office of carrion scavengers
with hyenas and jackals. Wheeling in circles high above
our heads, like small specks in the firmament, these vora-
cious birds were ever ready to pounce upon game that might
be shot, or upon the carcasses of oxen that perished on the
road — devouring the largest bodies with a promptitude truly
surprising.

" We had now crossed the unvaried level expanse of the
Chooi Desert, and were entering upon a country, which
though equally remarkable for its sameness of appearance
presented a different character. Immense sandy flats, with
a substratum of lime, were uniformly covered with mokaala
trees, low thorn bushes, and long grass, interspersed with
numerous dry tanks ; but no hill or conspicuous object that
could direct the footsteps of the wanderer. Before reaching
the Siklagole river, twenty-two miles, we passed many exten-
sive villages totally deserted ; rude earthen vessels, fragments
of ostrich egg-shells, and portions of the skins of wild ani-
mals, however, proving that they had been recently inhabited.
During the whole of this and the following day we saw no
human being, a circumstance which I note here, because it
added in no small degree to the troubles I am about to detail.

SPOTTED HYENA.

THE GNOO.

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 201

" On the morning of the 9th of October, when the wagons
had started on their way to the Meritsane river, our next
stage, I turned off the road in pursuit of a troop of brindled
gnoos, and presently came upon another, which was joined
by a third still larger — then by a vast herd of zebras, and
again by more gnoos, sassaybes and hartebeests, pouring down
from every quarter, until the landscape literally presented
the appearance of a moving mass of game. Their incredible
numbers so impeded their progress, that I had no difficulty
in closing with them, dismounting as opportunity offered,
firing both barrels of my rifle into the retreating phalanx,
and leaving the ground strewed with the slain. Still unsatis-
fied, I could not resist the temptation of mixing with the
fugitives, loading and firing, until my jaded horse suddenly
exhibited symptoms of distress, and shortly afterwards was
unable to move. At this moment I discovered that I had
dropped my pocket compass, and being unwilling to lose so
valuable an ally, I turned loose my steed to graze, and re-
traced my steps several miles without success ; the prints of
my horse's hoofs being at length lost in those of the count-
less herds which had crossed the plain. Completely absorbed
in the chase, I had retained but an imperfect idea of my
locality ; but returning to my horse, I led him in what I be-
lieved to be a north-easterly direction, knowing, from a sketch
of the country which had been given me by our excellent friend
Mr. Moffat, and which, together with drawing materials, I
carried about me, that that course would eventually bring me
to the Meritsane. After dragging my weary horse nearly all the
day under a burning sun, my flagging spirits were at length
revived by the appearance of several villages. Under other
circumstances, I should have avoided intercourse with the in-
mates, but dying with thirst, I eagerly entered each in suc-
cession, and to my inexpressible disappointment, found them
deserted. The same evidence existing of their having been
recently inhabited, I shot a hartebeest, in the hope that the

202 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

smell of meat would as usual attract some stragglers to the
spot. But no. The keen-sighted vultures, that were my
only attendants, descended in multitudes, but no woolly-
headed negro appeared to dispute the prey. In many of
the trees I observed large thatched houses resembling hay-
stacks ; and under the impression that these had been erected
in so singular a position by the natives as a measure of secu-
rity against the lions, whose recent tracks I distinguished in
every direction, I ascended more than one in the hope of at
least finding some vessel containing water. Alas ! they
proved to be the habitations of large communities of social
grosbeaks, those winged republicans of whose architecture
and magnificent edifices, I had, till now, entertained a very
inadequate conception. Faint and bewildered, my prospects
began to brighten as the shadows of evening lengthened.
Large troops of ostriches running in one direction, plainly
indicated that I was approaching water ; and immediately
afterwards I struck into a path impressed with the foot-marks
of women and children — soon arriving at a nearly dry river,
which, running east and west, I at once concluded to be that
of which I was in search.

" Those only who have suffered as I did during this day
from prolonged thirst, can form a competent idea of the de-
light, and I may add, energy, afforded me by the first draught
of the putrid waters of the Meritsane. They equally invigo-
rated my exhausted steed, which I mounted immediately and
cantered up the bank of the river, in order, if possible, to
reach the wagons before dark. The banks are precipitous —
the channel deep, broken, and rocky ; clusters of reeds and
long grass indicating those spots which retain the water dur-
ing the hot months. It was with no small difficulty, after
crossing the river, that I forced my way through the broad
belt of tangled bushes which margined the edge. The moon-
less night was fast closing around, and my weary horse again
began to droop. The lions, commencing their nightly prowl,

SOCIABLE GROSBEAKS.

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

205

GUINEA FOWL.

were roaring in all directions, and no friendly fire or beacon
presenting itself to my view, the only alternative was to bi-
vouac where I was, and to renew my search in the morning.
Kindling a fire, I formed a thick bush into a pretty secure
hut, by cutting away the middle, and closing the entrance
with thorns ; and having knee-haltered my horse to prevent
his straying, I proceeded to dine upon a guinea-fowl that I
had killed, comforting myself with another draught of aqua
pura. The monarchs of the forest roared incessantly, and
so alarmed my horse, that I was obliged repeatedly to fire my
rifle to give him confidence. It was piercingly cold, and all
my fuel being expended, I suffered as much from chills as I
had during the day from the scorching heat. About three
o'clock, completely overcome by fatigue, I could keep my
eyes open no longer, and commending myself to the protect-
ing care of Providence, fell into a profound sleep. On open-

18

206 THRILLING ADVENTURES

ing my eyes, my first thought was of my horse. I started
from my heathy bed in the hope of finding him where I had
last seen him, but his place was empty. I roamed every
where in search of him, and ascended trees which offered a
good look-out, but he was no where to be seen. It was more
than probable he had been eaten by lions, and I had almost
given up the search in despair, when I at length found his
foot-mark, and traced him to a deep hollow near the river
where he was quietly grazing. The night's rest, if so it could
be called, had restored him to strength, and I pursued my
journey along the bank of the river, which I now re-crossed
opposite to the site of some former scene of strife, marked by
numerous human skeletons, bleached by exposure. A little
further on I disturbed a large lion, which walked slowly off,
occasionally stopping and looking over his shoulder, as he de-
liberately ascended the opposite bank. In the course of half
an hour, I reached the end of the dense jungle, and imme-
diately discovered the wagon road ; but as I could detect no
recent traces upon it, I turned to the southward, and after
riding seven or eight miles in the direction of Sicklagole, had
the unspeakable satisfaction of perceiving the wagons drawn
up under a large tree in the middle of the plain. The dis-
charge of my rifle at a little distance had relieved the anx-
iety of my companions and followers, who during the night
had entertained the most gloomy forebodings on my account,
being convinced that I had either been torn piecemeal by
lions, or speared by the assagais of the cannibals ! A cup
of coffee was immediately offered me, which as I had scarcely
tasted nourishment for thirty hours proved highly grateful ;
and I learned that Richardson had been obliged to halt in
the plain in the preceding night, in consequence of the great
length of the march, and the darkness overtaking him. This
accounted for my not meeting him on the river bank, which
we again reached in about two hours, encamping under a
grove of spreading mokaala trees.

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

209

MOSELEKATSE.

" Both the Sicklagole and the Meritsane take their source
in the low range of hills called Kunuana, considerably to the
eastward of the point where we crossed them ; and, joining
about the same distance to the westward, empty themselves
into the Molopo. Near their confluence the camp of Mr.
Bain, a trader, was attacked in 1834, by Moselekatse.
A party of marauding Griquas, whom he had imprudently
taken with him to assist in hunting, entered the territories
of that prince, and succeeded in capturing several head of
cattle, with which they had made good their retreat. A large
party of warriors, however, overtook them when within sight
of the camp ; nearly all the followers fled in disorder on the
first alarm, leaving their master to shift for himself, who,
finding the camp surrounded and resistance vain, jumped on
his horse, and, accompanied by four of his people, narrowly

18*

210

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

MATABILI WARRIOR.

escaped with life, by riding through and killing some of the
assailants. After travelling several days, and suffering
dreadfully from want of food and water, the party reached
Motito nearer dead than alive.

" The reports of four savages of the Batlapi tribe who
joined us yesterday, determined us to halt a day for the pur-
pose of hunting. Richardson and myself left the wagons at
daybreak, attended by these men, and crossing the river,
took a north-westerly direction through a park of magnificent
camelthorn trees, many of which were groaning under the
huge nests of the social grosbeak ; whilst others were deco-
rated with green clusters of misletoe, the bright scarlet ber-

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

213

ELAND.

ries of which were highly ornamental. We soon perceived
large herds of quaggas and brindled gnoos, which continued
to join each other, until the whole plain seemed alive. The
clatter of their hoofs was perfectly astounding, and I could
compare it to nothing but to the din of a tremendous charge
of cavalry, or the rushing of a mighty tempest. I could not
estimate the accumulated numbers at less than fifteen thous-
and ; a great extent of country being actually checkered black
and white with their congregated masses. As the panic
caused by the report of our rifles, extended, clouds of dust
hovered over them ; and the long necks of troops of
ostriches were also to be seen, towering above the heads of
of their less gigantic neighbors, and sailing past with asto-
nishing rapidity. Groups of purple sassaybes, and brilliant
red and yellow hartebeests, likewise lent their aid to complete
the picture, which must have been seen to be properly under-

214 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

stood, and which beggars all attempt at description. The
savages kept in our wake, quickly dispatching the wounded
gnoos by a touch on the spine with the point of an assagai,
and instantly covering up the carcasses with bushes, to secure
them from the voracity of the vultures, which hung about
us like specks in the firmament, and descended with the velo-
city of lightning, as each discharge of our artillery gave
token of prey. As we proceeded, two strange figures were
perceived standing under the shade of a tree ; these we in-
stantly knew to be elands, the savages at the same moment
exclaiming, 'Impoofo, impoofo,' and pressing our horses to
the utmost speed, we found ourselves for the first time at the
heels of the largest and most beautiful species of the antelope
tribe. Notwithstanding the unwieldy shape of these animals,
they had at first greatly exceeded the speed of our jaded
horses, but being pushed they soon separated ; their sleek
coats turned first blue and then white with froth ; the foam
fell from their mouths and nostrils, and the perspiration from
their sides. Their pace gradually slackened, and with their
full brilliant eyes turned imploringly toward us, at the end
of a mile, each was laid low by a single ball. They were
young bulls, measuring upwards of seventeen hands at the
shoulder.

" I was engaged in making a sketch of the one I had shot,
when the savages came up, and in spite of all my remon-
strances, proceeded with cold-blooded ferocity to stab the
unfortunate animal, stirring up the blood and shouting with
barbarous exultation, as it issued from each newly inflicted
wound, regardless of the eloquent and piteous appeal, ex-
pressed in the beautiful clear black eye of the mild and
inoffensive eland.

" In size and shape, the body of the male eland resembles
that of a well-conditioned Guzerat ox, not unfrequently at-
taining the height of nineteen hands, and weighing two thou-
sand pounds. The head is strictly that of the antelope, light,

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 217

graceful, and bony, with a pair of magnificent straight horns,
about two feet in length, spirally ringed, and pointed back-
wards. A broad and deep dewlap, fringed with brown hair,
reaches to the knee. The colour varies considerably with the
age, being dun in some, in others an ashy blue with a tinge
of ochre ; and in many also sandy grey approaching to white.
The flesh is esteemed by all classes in Africa, above that of
any other animal ; in grain and colour it resembles beef, but
is better tasted, and more delicate, possessing a pure game
flavor, and the quantity of fat with which it is interlarded is
surprising, greatly exceeding that of any other game quad-
ruped with which I am acquainted. The female is smaller and
of slighter form, with less ponderous horns. The stoutest of
our savage attendants could with difficulty transport the head
of the eland to the wagons, where one of the Hottentots had
just arrived with the carcass of a sassaybe that he had dragged
a considerable distance assisted by upwards of twenty sa-
vages. These men were no sooner made acquainted with the
occurrences of the morning, than they set off at speed upon the
tracks of our horses, and were presently out of sight. About
sunset the party returned gorged to the throats, and groaning
under an external load of flesh, which having been unable to
consume, they had hung round their necks.

" About midnight an unsual commotion caused us to start
from our sleep. The whole of the cattle had burst through
the thorn fence by which they were surrounded, and panic-
stricken, were blindly charging they knew not whither ; oxen,
horses, and sheep, tumbling headlong over the wagon poles,
and over each other, in indescribable confusion. The night
was intensely dark, — Coeur de Lion had clambered on to the
top of the baggage-wagon, and was screaming like a woman,
whilst each Hottentot was discharging his gun, loaded with
ball, in any direction that the muzzle might happen to have
assumed. The horses were the least alarmed, and after
floundering about in the dark for some time, we succeeded in

19

218 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

recovering all but one ; but every endeavor to reclaim the
oxen and sheep proving abortive, we retired again to rest,
having first ascertained, by the light of a candle, that the
consternation had been occasioned by three lions that had
entered the fold and slain two of the sheep.

"At daybreak both Hottentots and savages were dis-
patched on the tracks of the fugitives. Some of the savages
shortly returned with the sheep, several more having, how-
ever, been devoured by lions ; but the former did not make
their appearance till noon, when they informed us that the
oxen had divided into two parties, and being dreadfully
alarmed, would not stop in all probability until they should
reach the Kuruman ; adding, that if we wished to recover
them, each Hottentot must be provided with a horse and a
supply of ammunition. Knowing from sad experience the
fate that awaited our steeds, upon whose well-being our sport
entirely depended, we resisted the application ; upon which
all but Claas and Elthaldur begged to throw up their com-
missions. No one had any complaint to allege except April,
who objected to the fatness of the mutton, and Andries, who
felt aggrieved by a threat of retribution extended at Chooi.
The latter looked particularly black, and it was not until
after he had been dispatched with Cobus on horseback in
quest of the oxen, that we discovered him to have been the
instigator of a plot, which had been joined by all, to desert
us in the wilderness, and to return to the Colony with the
horses and whatever else they could lay their hands upon.

" Apprehensive of another attack from lions, we moved in
the afternoon to the opposite side of the river, drawing up
the wagons on the top of a hillock, in such a manner as to
flank the cattle inclosure — an arrangement which we ever
afterwards observed. Our friends the Batlapi returned about
sunset with the oxen, which they had found twelve miles
off, a piece of service for which, according to agreement,
they were rewarded with a yard of tobacco and a tinder-box.

\

RHINOCEROS.

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 221

Cobus and Andries also came back during the night, having
galled the backs of both the horses, without obtaining any
tidings of the lost one. The whole of the following day was
passed in fruitless endeavors to recover the truant, and it
was not until six months afterwards, that we ascertained he
had returned to the farm on which he had been bred in the
New Hantam, a distance of five hundred miles. Continuing
our journey on the 14th of October, twenty-eight miles,
through a beautiful country abounding with trees and grass,
we reached the Lotlokane, the shallow channel of a periodical
river, said in the rainy season to contribute its mite to the
Molopo, which it joins some distance to the westward. At
this season it was perfectly dry; but we had fortunately
found a small pool of water on the road, at which we break-
fasted, after killing several hartebeests and sassaybes. The
skins of both these animals, and especially of the latter, are
in great demand amongst the savages, for Jcobos, or fur cloaks,
both on account of their brilliant colour and their supple na-
ture. They are cured by means of continual rubbing,
stretching, and scraping ; and for this purpose are constantly
carried about, and referred to as an amusement in moments
of leisure. The operation is rendered less tedious by the
constant addition of grease ; and less irksome, by savage
howlings and gruntings, intended to pass current for singing.
" The sassaybes, or crescent-horned antelope, and the
caama, hartebeest, are both members of the Acronotine
group, and are alike remarkable for their elevated withers,
drooping hind quarters, and triangular form. The colour
of the former is of a pompadour or purple violet, and of the
latter bright orange ; their legs and faces being eccentrically
marked as if with a brush of a sign painter. Their brain as
well as that of the gnoo, is filled with large white maggots —
a phenomenon, of which, until I had received occular evi-
dence, I could not help being sceptical. And the horns of
the hartebeest are placed on the very summit of the head,

19*

222 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

WILD DOG.

upon a prolongation of the frontal bone, instead of above
the eyes as in most other antelopes.

" Rations of flour were here first served out to the followers,
in the measure of three-quarters of a pound of meal to each
man, and were continued daily during the rest of the journey.
In the morning four savages volunteered to show us a rhino-
ceros. We accompanied them amongst ruined stone kraals
of great extent, situated to the left of the road, and so over-
grown with thorn-bushes, that we were not unfrequently
obliged to exchange an erect for a stooping posture, and at
times, even to travel on our hands and knees. We found
nothing, however, but a pack of wild dogs that had just hunted
down a hartebeest. Like the wild dogs of India, these ani-
mals take the field in organized packs, and by their perseve-
rance seldom fail to weary out the swiftest antelope. Of a
slender form, the general colour is an ochreous yellow, brin-
dled and blotched with dingy black. The ears are large and
semi-circular ; the muzzle and face black, and the tail bushy
like that of a fox.

" During the day we passed another extensive stone town,
which once contained its "busy thousands," but now presents
a heap of ruins. The walls extend more than a mile on each

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 225

side of the road, and the plains on which it is constructed is
thickly covered with a species of wild basil, yielding an aro-
matic scent when crushed under the foot. We had scarcely
passed this desolate city of the desert, when the lightning
began to flash, and tremendous peals of thunder burst over
our heads. A black cloud that had suddenly formed then
emptied its contents upon us ; the rain pouring down like
sluice for five minutes, and obliging us to seek shelter in the
wagons. Ceasing as abruptly as it commenced, we passed
on at once to parched and dusty land, from a tract which had
in an instant become covered with pools of water.

"It was nearly dark when we reached the Molopo, a few
miles below its source. This river which forms the western
boundary of Moselekatse's territory, exhibits a broad shallow
bed, covered with turf, traversed by a deep stream about ten
yards wide, completely overgrown with high reeds. The soil
on both sides is black, spread with luxuriant grass, and de-
tached clumps of acacia. We crossed, and encamped on the
northern bank, under a solitary tree, around which was a ready
made fence for the cattle. During the night, the obtrusive
visit of a hippopotamus — of which amphibious animals there
are abundance in the river — caused great consternation;
Richard screaming, and the Hottentots expending their ball-
cartridge as usual.

" The two following days were spent in hunting the eland
and gemsbok. The latter, which is doubtless the animal
from which the delineations of the fabulous unicorn have de-
scended, is one of the most magnificent antelopes in the uni-
verse. Although common in Namaqua-land, it is rare in this
part of the country, and we were fortunate in finding three,
one of which I succeeded in riding down ; nearly, however,
sacrificing my best horse in the arduous achievement. The
oryx is about the size of an ass, and nearly of the same ground
colour, with a black list stripe down the back and on each
flank ; white legs variegated with black bands ; and a white

226 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

face, marked with the figure of a black nose-band and head-
stall, imparting altogether to the animal the appearance of
being clad in half-mourning. Its copious black tail literally
sweeps the ground ; a mane reversed, and a tuft of flowing
black hair on the breast, with a pair of straight slender horns
(common to both sexes,) three feet in length, and ringed at
the base, completing the portrait. During the chase, I passed
under the nose of three rhinoceroses, which, on my return, I
was unable to find. Richardson had fallen in with a troop
of five lions, one of which he wounded, but being deserted by
the Hottentots, was unable to follow among the brushwood ;
and my horse was so completely exhausted, that I was obliged
to drag him home, carrying the saddle myself.

" Prodigious swarms of locusts passed overhead to the east-
ward during the greater part of the day, and were followed
by such dense flights of birds as almost to darken the air.
The springhaan vogel, as the latter is called by the colonists,
is about the size of a swallow, with numerous speckles like
the starling, and is said to subsist almost exclusively upon
the destructive insects with which it literally vies in point of
numbers. The ravages committed by the locusts, whose deso-
lating visits have been the theme of naturalists and historians
in all ages, have too probably been witnessed by the majority
of my Indian readers ; but Africa, more especially the
northern parts of it, would appear to be a quarter of the globe
even more frequently and more severely subjected to the
scourge of their inroads than Asia. Often have the lands on
the frontier of the colony been totally laid waste by the mi-
gratory swarms, which, as usual, have been followed by all
the horrors of famine ; whilst to the wandering Bushman,
who has neither flocks nor herds to perish for lack of nou-
rishment— no garden nor cornfields of which to lament the
devastation, the intrusion, so appalling to the grazier and
agriculturalist, proves a source of joy rather than of sorrow.
Following up their devouring hosts, he feeds upon them as

HUNTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 229

they advance, and preserving also a large quantity for future
emergencies, finds in the insect army a ready and ample com-
pensation for the wild game which has been compelled to
abandon the ravaged pastures of the wilderness. The here-
ditary enemies are also numerous ; almost every animal, do-
mestic as well as wild, contributes to their destruction — fowls,
horses, oxen, sheep, and antelopes, alike swallowing them
with the greatest avidity.

" The night of the 17th was rainy and tempestuous ; and
the lions, never failing to take advantage of such an oppor-
tunity, prowled round the camp, roaring in concert with the
sighing of the reeds, which so alarmed the cattle that they
thrice broke loose, and were recovered with difficulty. There
was nothing, however, to prevent our resuming the journey
in the morning, the thirsty earth having completely absorbed
the deluge that had fallen. Our road lay across a plain,
with isolated groves of acacia, and we frequently passed over
a solid pavement of granite. Visiting the scene of the gems-
bok's humiliation, and searching amongst alow belt of wooded
hillocks, which skirted a part of the road, I found a fine fat
eland, which I drove into a plain, and, assisted by Richardson,
brought up to the wagons, and then dispatched, the caravan
being immediately halted. We frequently afterwards adopted
the plan, which saved the trouble of carrying the meat from
a distance ; and the unfortunate animal once blown, was
much more manageable than a Smithfield ox.

" Andries having donned his best apparel, here proposed
to proceed on horseback to Mosega, in order to apprise the
king of our approach — an offer which we gladly accepted.
From this point, the summits of distant ranges of hills could
be distinguished, across extensive plains covered with grass
waving to the breeze, which stretched away to the northward
and eastward, far as the eye could reach. On the left, the
low range of hillocks, already noticed, terminated at some
distance in several detached hills — some conical, others table-

20

230 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

topped — the white slabs on the sides of these strongly con-
trasting with the black charred bushes which grew amongst
the crevices. A large portion of the country had been set
on fire a few weeks before, in order to clear off the withered
grass, and the bountiful thunder-clouds having caused the
young green blades to make their appearance, large herds of
game had been attracted to the spot. At the gorge of these
hills was an extensive line of pit-falls, into one of which a
hartebeest, whose leg I had broken, fell as I was riding him
down — my horse being nearly engulfed in a second, at the
same moment. During the day I killed another impoofo,
which actually measured nineteen hands two inches at the
shoulder, and was even more remarkably unwieldy than any
we had hitherto seen.

" Our road was now sometimes over a rocky pavement, at
others over ground which threatened the destruction of the
wagons; large stones more than a foot in height, offering
sharp sides and projecting points, were firmly fixed in the
ground, and added to careless driving, threw the vehicles
from side to side with a violence that shook every spoke.
About four o'clock we halted at the Mimori river, only five
miles from Mosega. A chain of lakes to the left of our camp
containing a herd of wild buffaloes, whose formidable heads,
resembling masses of rock, were protruding from the water
amid waving sedges, the whole of their bodies being immerged.
I wounded one, which I attempted to ride down ; but the
sharp-pointed stones cutting the shoeless feet of my horse to
pieces, I brought him back to the wagons, dead lame."

GREEXLANDER HUNTING NARWHAL.

ALTHOUGH the narwhal has not suffered from false reports
so much as many other animals, yet it has unwittingly con-
tributed to propagate a very old error. The spiral tusk of
the narwhal was accustomed to be sold as the real horn of
the unicorn ; and as an accredited part of that animal, forming
direct proof of its existence, it used to fetch a very high
price. Of course, when the whale fishery was established, the
real owner of the horn was discovered, and the unicorn left
still enveloped in mystery.

232 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

The name Monodon is not strictly correct, as the narwhal
possesses two of these tusks, one each side of its head. Only
the left tusk projects, the other remaining within the head.
Sometimes a specimen has been found with both tusks pro-
jecting, and some think that when the left tusk has been
broken off by accident, the right one becomes large enough
to supply its place.

The use of these tusks is not known ; some supposing that
they are employed to dig up sea-weeds, &c., on which the
narwhal feeds, and some imagining that the living prey is
first transfixed and then eaten. Be this as it may, as a weapon
the tusk is not to be despised, as the strength and rapidity
of the Narwhal are very great. Instances are on record, of
the thick oak timbers of a ship being pierced by the ivory tusk
of this creature. The Greenlanders employ this ivory in the
manufacture of spears, arrows, hooks, &c. They take the
narwhal by a kind of harpoon attached to a line, with a buoy
at its extremity. The use of the buoy is to harass and retard
the narwhal when struck, and to give notice when about to
rise. Immediately that it reaches the surface, a lance is thrust
into it, which generally proves its death-blow. The adven-
turous Greenlander finds it a most welcome prey, as he obtains
from it oil, food, weapons, and ropes. Its body is from thirty
to forty feet in length.

The most entertaining account of hunting the whale which
we have seen, is in the " Narrative of a Journey Round the
World," by F. Gerstaecker, just published by the Harpers.
This intelligent and observing German thus describes a
whaling cruise.

With a good breeze, the next day Hawaii, or Owhyhee,
where Captain Cook was slain, hove in sight. We could notice
the gigantic volcano masses, and the smoke curling up from
the furnace of the goddess Tele : and I watched this moun-
tain a long, long while as it rose on the horizon, with its sharp
outline against the clear blue sky, a wonderful rock and lava,

20*

HUNTING THE NARWHAL AND THE WHALE. 235

growing out from the bottom of the sea, with only a crust
upon it, that covered a bed of fire.

The volcano was working at this time, at least a thundering
and rumbling within, and only a year later it broke out anew,
and rolled immense masses of lava down even to the foaming
sea. No wonder the Indians thought, that a fire god lives in
the boiling streams of glowing lava, though we contradict it,
of course, and prove to them the impossibility of the thing.

But leaving the goddess Tele to prove her existence her-
self, we manned the tops next day — that is, two men were
sent, one to the main and one to the fore-top to look out for
whales, and with this our cruise commenced. Whalers — to
say at least a few words about our vessel itself, and introduce
the reader to our fishing gentry — always carry more than the
usual complement of men for vessels of their tonnage, because
they must have hands left on board to work the ship, and
after fish have been taken, to boil out the blubber, while four
boats from large vessels, and fewer from smaller ones, are
usually out chasing other fish in sight. Each boat has a crew
of four men, besides the boat-steerer and a man at the head
of the boat. The captain of vessels never leaves his ship,
though in some, he goes himself in the first boat as the look-
out, leaving another one at the same time to command the
vessel.

A whale-ship also differs in its deck construction from any
other vessel. Between the mainmast and the foremast are
the try-works — large furnaces built of brick, and containing
two or more very large iron-pots for trying out the oil from
the blubber — close to it is the galley, sometimes not much
larger than an overgrown sentry-box, with a stove in it, which
leaves hardly room enough for the cook to sit before and
broil his knees ; all kinds of pots and kettles hang up inside,
and a perfect variety of copper and iron vessels are fitted
upon every part, in every nook and corner of this machine ;
while it is a mystery to me how a human being' is able to

236 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

stand the heat of such a box in a warm climate, at least six
or seven hours of the day. It is true they nearly always have
black men for cooks, who are used to a great deal more heat
than their northern pale-colored brethren, but even these, I
should think, must have their very marrow dried up.

Before the galley there is also a blacksmith shop, most
commonly fitted up in a kind of box, capable of being moved
from one place to another ; a blacksmith always having some-
thing to do on board a whale-ship in mending of spades,
lances, or irons, and fitting rings or hasps on other articles,
for the ship itself or the boats.

Between the main and mizzen masts, and usually extend-
ing behind the latter, a framework of spars is erected, called
bearers, upon which the spare boats, nearly always four, are
turned bottom upwards.

We ran south nearly fourteen days, and tried to get as far
east out of the trades as we possibly could ; but it was very
little, for the wind instead of being north-east, northward of
the line, blew nearly due east, and our vessel, no first-rate
one by the wind, could not work up well against it. Besides
that we sailed very slowly, and therefore drifted the more.
The "Alexander Bar kley," an American built ship, before
she started from Bremen, instead of being coppered, was
covered with plates of new invention, a kind of zinc which.
while being a great deal cheaper than copper, was said to last
just as long ; but the ship had not been out more than two
or three months before the plates began to give way, and whiM
I came on board, about twelve months after her first start,
there was hardly any of it left on her bow, and on both sides
the rags hung perfectly round her retarding us, of course,
considerably, and stopping her headway.

Thursday, the 2nd of January, we crossed the line in about
one hundred and fifty-six degrees west longitude, and two days
afterward the call gladdened our ears, " There she blows !"

A person who has never heard this call on board a whale-

HUNTING THE NARWHAL AND THE WHALE. 237

ship, after a long spell of rest and watching, can have no idea
of the wonderful effect it produces, like an electric blow, upon
officers and crew. " There she blows !" — the word passes
from lip to lip — " Where, where !" — " On the lee-bow, nearly
ahead;" and the men fly to their boats ; the boat header takes
the steering oar till his boat comes "fast," the boat-steerer
stands with the iron (harpoon) in the bow of the boat to have
the first throw. " There she blows again," not a cable's
length from the vessel, and five or six spouts are seen in quick
succession ; the monstrous fish, unconscious of any danger,
playing and chasing each other in the slowly heaving waves.
Down the boats go, as quickly and noiselessly as possible, the
officers get into them, some of the men scramble in after
them, the broad sail of the little craft flies up, the wind catches
it, and away the sharply-cut boat dashes through and over
the foaming waters, followed by the second, third, fourth, all
eager to come up with some of their blowing and splashing
victims.

In former times sailing up to a whale in a boat was thought
a very dangerous and daring feat, because they were not
able to run back again quickly enough, after the whale was
struck ; but in later times, when the whales have become,
like all other game, much more shy and wild, whalers find
pulling up to a fish much too slow and uncertain work to be
very profitable, and nearly all the fishermen, and principally
the Americans, sail with their boats up to the fish, strike
their irons into them, if they get a chance, and try to get
away afterwards in the best way they can.

"We could make nothing of the first whales we saw, for they
ran too fast to be overtaken by the boats, and though two
came very nearly within striking distance, they got off, at
last, unharmed. Our captain, however, an old whaler, liked
the look of the water here, and running under, shortened sail
half the night on the old course we tacked about midnight,
to be in the morning as nearly as possible on the same spot

238 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

^-.^^

STRIKING A WHALE.

again ; and sure enough, the sun was hardly an hour high —
just far enough out of the water to allow a fair view over its
surface — when the cry, " There she blows, blows, blows !"
as new spouts followed the first, brought our ship to, and the
boats down again.

This time the first boat-header, an old American, who had
been bred up to whaling, and done hardly any thing else all
his life, and at the same time the finest specimen of an old
tar I ever saw, was the first to come up with one of the whales,
and get fast, as he carried the largest sail. The other three
boats followed the rest of the shoal, which swam along on
the surface of the water a considerable time and then disap-
peared below it, the boats, without stopping, keeping in a
straight course in hopes of seeing the fish rise again after
awhile, and then having a fair throw at them. But the fish,

HUNTING THE NARWHAL AND THE WHALE.

239

»

WHALE DIVING.

quite contrary to their calculation, had not the least i,

of running away, but only dived to some depth, the boats
passing away over them, and then rose again very nearly on
the same spot where they had disappeared. The three other
boats, seeing the spouts behind them, turned round as quickly
as they could, and the second boat-header, also an American,
got fast to another whale.

During this and the next day our ship lay to, taking the
whales alongside, and cutting them up ; no look-out even
being kept in the top before the carcasses had been cleared
away from her sides.

240 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

The most interesting part of the cutting-up to me was the
first fastening of the immense blubber-hook, a large iron
hook of extraordinary dimensions, to attach which, one of
the boat-steerers has to go down upon the whale, with a rope
slung around his waist in case of accident, and lift the hook
— for it takes all his strength to do that — in to a hole which
the spades of the boat-headers have cut for it ; these, at the
same time, keeping watch over the boat-steerer, who is some-
times half under water, and has half-a-dozen sharks close
around him, which the scent of the blood has enticed to the
captured fish, and which are driven nearly to madness by
their unvailing efforts to tear off a piece of the tough and
elastic hide.

There were five of these hyenas of the deep round this one
whale, and coming as boldly and insolently as possible right
under the spades of the men. But the sailors hate to strike
their sharpened tools upon the rough and hard skin of the
shark because it dulls their instruments directly, and the
carpenters have their hands full of work without that, in
keeping the instruments in good order. Only once the first
boat-header dropped his spade which was as sharp as a razor,
upon the head of a shark, and laid it open as if it had been a
soft potato. The shark, a fellow of about seven feet long, had
come up to the boat steerer — who had just succeeded in
fastening the hook, and had no time to look round — close
enough to take one of his legs off with a single snap, but the
spade prevented it. Showing the white of its belly directly,
it sank, and the boat-steerer looking over his shoulder and
seeing his dead enemy, only shook his fist at it as it disap-
peared in the troubled and bloody water.

The cutting up, or hoisting in of the blubber, occupied all
the next day, and even when it had become perfectly dark,
one of the heads was still in the water, held by a rope and
pushed about by a couple of sharks, which had already torn
off big pieces from it.

21

HUNTING THE NARWHAL AND THE WHALE. 243

In the afternoon I had thrown a lance into one of these
savage fellows, while it was busy in tearing off a piece from
one of the heads ; as I was some distance off, the lance drop-
ped short of the mark, and only pierced the thick part of the
greedy monster's tail. The shark immediately left its hold of
the head, and as the lance came out, swam some hundred
yards off; but it soon returned, and fastened on the head again,
tore it off, and disappeared with it before I had time to pull
up the lance.

A difficulty now arose in fastening the blubber-hook on the
head in the dark, and the second boat-steerer had made several
unsuccessful attempts, when the boat-header called out for a
blubber lantern, and soon afterward a most singular torch
was brought forward. It consisted of iron hoops about four
inches through ; and this fire basket was filled with thin split
wood, and stripes of greasy blubber. The flame soon caught
the oil, and blazing to a height of nearly three feet, lit up the
dark ocean for a distance of about thirty yards giving the
dancing waves a singular transparent hue, and throwing a
wild unearthly light over the figure of the reckless sailor who
knelt on the dark slimy surface of the whale's head, his left
hand firmly grasping the open blubber, and his right arm
slung round the heavy iron hook to lift it into the right place.

What was that light streak shooting past the rolling mass
just now? Only a shark, frightened by the gleaming torch,
and returning to get another bite at the fish, his lawful prey ;
for is it not the wild and fiery master of the deep. This shark
held on by the whale's head till it rose, lifted by the power-
ful windlass, nearly out of the water, when it left its hold
with the piece of the torn-off blubber between its teeth.

" The next morning the mast-heads were manned again,
and not having made any head-way from the neighborhood
where the whales seemed to have their feeding-ground, the
men had been hardly an hour aloft when the call. " There
she blows !" but this time over to the windward; again set

244 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

the hands into the boats, and out to sea, pulling right against
the wind, toward the place where the whales were spouting.
Three hours afterward the first headsman, Mr. Luis, got fast
again ; and as we were beating against a tolerably stiff breeze,
it became nearly dark before we could get the whale alongside.

The old blubber had now come on deck to make room in
the blubber hole for the fresh, and the stench it emitted
next day was nearly suffocating. All the white varnished
parts of the vessel received a blue and lustrous tinge, the
smell on deck being as bad, and even worse, than in the
cabin.

We commenced trying out on the sixth, and had finished
on the tenth of January. The deck still looked bad enough,
but the blubber was gone, and the deck was also soon cleared.
The grease of the sperm whale can be removed very easily
with salt water, being in this respect not half so bad as that
of the common whale, which requires to be removed by the
ashes of the burnt blubber, and hard scrubbing. A singular
fact connected with sperm-fish is, that its own skin forms the
best soap for washing off its grease. If your hands are dirtied
with the grease, you have only to scrape the thin black and
soft outer part of the skin a little, and you may wash in salt-
water the grease as easily off with this as with soap in fresh
water.

These three fish, though of no great size, yielded about one
hundred and four barrels of oil ; and our captain had strong
hopes of falling in with some more of this kind ; but day after
day passed without seeing a single spout. The deck was hailed
several times, it is true, but only, as it turned out afterward,
for a finback, or perhaps the deceving light of the sun that glit-
tered on the waves, and made the look-out fancy it the spout
of a sperm -fish."

246 WILD SPORTS IN THE HIGHLANDS.

Jfart of

ST. JOHN'S "Wild Sports of the Highlands," is a work
peculiarly attractive, by the unaffected simplicity and honest
cordiality which pervade it. The author's hand is evidently
more familiar with the rod and rifle than with the pen — he
gives a blunt country gentleman sort of detail of Highland
sport by field and flood, and has an observant eye to the
habits of the lower animals, and a kindly regard withal to
the objects of the chase, which is ever characteristic of the
legitimate sportsman. We extract, with slight abridgment,

(247)

248 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

.Cfffm

AeiS&i

, m

I i.

THE EAGLES.

one of the most stirring incidents in the volume, the stalking
of " The Muckle Hart of Benmore."

" Malcolm, the shepherd of the sheiling at the foot of Ben
more, reported his having crossed in the hill a track of a hart
of extraordinary size, and guessed it must be i the muckle
stag of Benmore.' This was an animal seldom seen, but
which had long been the talk and marvel of the shepherds for
its wonderful size and cunning. They love the marvellous,
and in their report l the muckle stag' bore a charmed life ;
he was unapproachable and invulnerable. I had heard of him
too, and, having got the necessary information, resolved to try
to break the charm, though it should cost me a day or two.

^ " Monday.— This morning, at sunrise, Mr. St. John with
his rifle, Donald, an eccentric gillie, carrying his double-bar-
reled gun, and Bran, his deer-hound, took their way up the
glen to the sheiling at the foot of Benmore. After a fruitless
beating of the glen, we turned, at nightfall, to the sheiling,
rather disheartened ; but the shepherd cheered us by the

THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 249

assurance that the hart was still in the district, and describ-
ing his track, which he said was like that of a good sized
heifer. Our spirits were quite restored by a meal of fresh
caught trout, oat-cake, and milk, with a modicum of whiskey,
which certainly was of unusual flavor and potency.

" Tuesday. — We were off again by daybreak. I will pass
by several minor adventures, but one cannot be omitted.
Malcolm went with us to show us where he had last seen the
track. As we crossed a long reach of black and broken
ground, the first ascent from the valley, two eagles rose out
of a hollow at some ^distance. Their flight was lazy and
heavy, as if gorged with food ; and on examining the place, we
found the carcass of a sheep half eaten, one of Malcolm's
flock. He vowed vengeance ; and merely pointed out to us
our route, returned for a spade to dig a place of hiding near
enough to the carcass to enable him to have a shot at the
eagles if they should return. We held on our way, and the
greater part of the day, without any luck to cheer us, my
resolution 'not to be beat,' being, however, a good deal
strengthened by the occasional grumbling of Donald. To-
wards the afternoon, when we had tired ourselves with look-
ing with our glasses at every corrie in that side of the hill,
at length, in crossing a bare and boggy piece of ground, Do-
nald suddenly stopped, with a Gaelic exclamation, and pointed
— and there, to be sure, was a full fresh foot-print, the largest
mark of a deer either of us had ever seen. There was no
more grumbling. Both of us were instantly as much on the
alert as when we started on the adventure. We traced the
track as long as the ground would allow. Where we lost it,
seemed to point down the little burn, which soon lost itself
to our view in a gorge of bare rocks. We proceeded now
very cautiously, and taking up our station on a concealed
ledge of rocks, began to search the valley below with our
telescopes. It was difficult ground to see a deer in, if lying ;
and I had almost given up seeking, when Donald's glass be-

250 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

came motionless, and he gave a sort of grunt as he changed
his posture, but without taking the glass from his eye. " Ugh !
I'm thinking yon's him, sir, I'm seeing his horns." I was
at first incredulous ; hut the doubt was short. While we gazed,
the stag rose and commenced feeding , at last I saw the great
hart of Benmore ! He was a long way off, perhaps a mile
and a half, but in excellent ground for getting at him. Our
plan was soon arranged. I was to stalk him with the rifle,
while Donald, with my gun and Bran, was to get round, out
of sight, to the pass by which the deer was likely to leave the
valley. My task was apparently very easy. After getting
down behind the rock, I had scarcely to stoop my head, but
to walk up within shot, so favorable was the ground and the
wind. I walked cautiously, however, and slowly r to give
Donald time to reach the pass. I was now within three hun-
dred yards of him, when, as I leant against a slab of stone,
all hid below my eyes, I saw him give a sudden start, stop
feeding, and look round suspiciously. What a noble beast !
what a stretch of antler ! with a mane like a lion ! He stood
for a minute or two, snuffing every breath. I could not guess
the cause of this alarm; it was not myself; the light wind
blew fair down from him upon me ; and I knew Donald would
give no inkling of his whereabouts. He presently began to
move, and came at a slow trot towards me. My pulse beat
high. Another hundred yards forward, and he is mine !
But it was not so to be. He took the top of a steep bank
which commanded my position, saw me in an instant, and was
off, at the speed of twenty miles an hour, to a pass wide from
that where Donald was hid. While clattering up the hill,
scattering the loose stones behind him, two other stags joined
him, which had evidently been put up by Donald, and had
given the alarm to my quarry. It was then that his great
size was conspicuous. I could see with my glass they were
full-grown stags, and with good heads, but they looked like
fallow deer as they followed him up the crag. I sat down,

THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 251

THE MOUNTAIN FOX.

disappointed for the moment, and Donald soon joined me,
much crest fallen, and cursing the stag in a curious variety
of Gaelic oaths. Still it was something to have seen ' the
muckle stag,' and nil desperandum was my motto. We had
a long and weary walk to Malcolm's sheiling ; and I was glad
to get to my heather-bed, after arranging that I should occupy
the hiding-place Malcolm had prepared near the dead sheep
next morning.

" Wednesday. — After dispatching the plundering eagles in
fine style, our hero and his redoubted gillie again set forth in
quest of ' the muckle hart.' Our line of march to-day was
over ground so high, that we came repeatedly into the midst
of ptarmigan. On the very summit, Bran had a rencontre
with an old mountain fox, toothless, yet very fat, which he
made to bite the dust. We struck at one place the tracks
of the three deer, but of the animals themselves we saw nothing.
We kept exploring corrie after corrie till night fell ; and as
it was in vain to think of returning to the sheiling, which yet
was the nearest roof, we were content to find a sort of niche
in the rock, tolerably screened from all winds ; and having
almost filled it with long heather, flower upwards, we wrapped
our plaids around us, and slept pretty comfortably.

252

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

GROUSE — BLACK COCK — MALE.

" Thursday. — A dip in the burn below our bivouac reno-
vated me. I did not observe that Donald followed my example
in that ; but he joined me in a hearty attack on the viands
which still remained in our bag, and we started with renewed
courage. About mid-day we came on a sheiling beside a long
narrow loch, fringed with beautiful weeping birches, and there
we found means to cook some grouse, which I had shot to
supply our exhausted larder. The shepherd, who had ' no
Sassenach,' cheered us by his report of 'the deer' being
lately seen, described his usual haunts. Donald was plainly
getting disgusted and home-sick. For myself, I looked upon

THE MUCKLE HART OF BEXMORE. 253

it as my fate that I must have that hart ; so on we trudged.
Repeatedly that afternoon we came on the fresh tracks of
our chase, but still he remained invisible. As it got dark, the
weather suddenly changed, and I was glad enough to let Do-
nald seek for the bearings of a ' whisky bothy,' which he had
heard of at our last stopping-place. While he was seeking
for it, the rain began to fall heavily, and through the dark-
ness we were just able to distinguish a dark object, which
turned out to be a horse. ' The lads with the still be no far
off,' said Donald. And so it turned out. But the rain had
increased the darkness so much, that we should have searched
in vain, if I had not distinguished at intervals, between the
pelting of the rain and the heavy rushing of a black burn
that ran beside us, what appeared to me to be the shrill treble
of a fiddle. I could scarcely believe my ears. But when I
communicated the intelligence to Donald, whose ears were
less acute, he jumped with joy. ' It's a' right enough, sir ;
just follow the sound. It's that drunken deevilish Sandy
Ross ; ye'll never haud a fiddle frae him, nor him frae a
whisky-still.' It was clear that the sound came from across
the black stream, and it looked formidable in the dark. How-
ever, there was no remedy. So grasping each other's collar,
and holding our guns high overhead, we dashed in, and stag-
gered through in safety, though the water was up to my waist,
running like a mill-race, and the bottom was of round stones.
Scrambling up the bank, and following the merry sound, we
came to what seemed a mere hole in the bank, from which it
proceeded. The hole was partially covered by a door woven
of heather ; and, looking through it, we saw a sight worthy of
Teniers. On a barrel in the midst of the apartment — half
hut, half cavern — stood ajoft, fiddling with all his might, the
identical Sandy Ross, while round him danced three unkempt
savages ; and another figure was stooping, employed over a
fire in the corner, where the whisky-pot was in full operation.
The fire, and a sliver or two of lighted bog-fir, gave light

22

254

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

GROUSE — BLACK COCK — FEMALE.

enough to see the whole, for the place was not above ten feet
square. We made our approaches with becoming caution,
and were, it is needless to say, hospitably received ; for who
ever heard of Highland smugglers refusing a welcome to
sportsmen ? We got food, rest, and fire— all that we re-
quired— and something more; for 'long after I had betaken
me to the dry heather in the corner, I had disturbed visions
of strange orgies in the bothy, and of sober Donald exhibiting
curious antics on the top of a tub. These might have been
the productions of a disturbed brain ; but there is no doubt

THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 255

that, when daylight awoke me, the smugglers and Donald
were all quiet and asleep, far past my efforts to rouse them,
except one, who was still able to tend the fire under the large
black pot.

"Friday. — From the state in which my trusty companion
was, with his head on a heap of ashes, I saw it would serve
no purpose to awake him, even if I were able to do so. It
was quite clear that he could be good for nothing all day. I
therefore secured some breakfast and provisions'^ for the day,
(part of them oat-cake, which I baked for myself,) tied up
Bran to wait Donald's restoration, and departed with my rifle
alone. The morning was bright and beautiful; the moun-
tain streams overflowing with last night's rain. I was now
thrown on my own resources, and my knowledge of the
country, which, to say the truth, was far from minute or exact.
' Benna-skiach' was my object to-day, and the corries which
lay beyond it, where at this season the large harts were said
to resort. My way at first was dreary enough, over a long
slop of boggy ground, enlivened, however, by a few traces of
deer having crossed, though none of my 'chase.' I at length
passed the slope, and soon topped the ridge, and was repaid
for my labor by a view of glen, and wood, and water so
beautiful, that I sat down to gaze at it, though anxious to get
forward.

" While I lay above the lake, the day suddenly changed,
and heavy wreaths of mist came down the mountain sides in
rapid succession. They reached me soon, and I was inclosed
in an atmosphere through which I could not see twenty yards.
It was very cold, too, and I was obliged to move, though
scarcely well knowing whither. I followed the course of the
lake, and afterwards of the stream which flowed from it, for
some time. Now and then a grouse would rise close to me,
and, flying a few yards, light again on a hillock, crowing and
croaking at the intruder. The heron, in the darkness, came
flapping his great wings close past me ; I almost fancied I

256 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ,

could feel the movements they caused in the air. Nothing
could be done in such weather, and I was not sure that I might
not be going away from my object. It was getting late, too,
and I had made up my mind that my most prudent plan was
to arrange a bivouac before it became quite dark. My wallet
was empty, except a few crumbs, the remains of my morn-
ing's baking. It was necessary to provide food ; and just as
the necessity occurred to me, I heard, through the mist, the
call of a cock grouse as he lighted close to me. I contrived
to get his head between me and the sky, as he was strutting
and croaking on a hillock close at hand ; and aiming at
where his body ought be, I fired my rifle. On going up to
the place, I found I had not only killed him, but also his mate,
whom I had not seen. It was a commencement of good luck.
Sitting down, I speedily skinned my birds, and took them
down to the burn to wash them before cooking. In crossing
a sandy spot beside the burn, I came upon — could I believe
my eyes ? — ' the track.' Like Robinson Crusoe in the same
circumstances, I started back, but was speedily at work taking
my information. There were prints enough to show the hart
had crossed at a walk, leisurely. It must have been lately,
for it was since the burn had returned to its natural size,
after the last night's flood. But nothing could be done till
morning, so I set about my cooking ; and having, after some
time, succeeded in lighting a fire, while my grouse were slowly
broiling, I pulled a quantity of heather, which I spread in a
corner, a little protected by an overhanging rock ; I spread
my plaid upon it, and over the plaid built another layer of
heather. My supper ended, which was not epicurean, I
crawled into my nest under my plaid, and, in spite of a rapid
change from a dull foggy sky to a clear keen frost, was soon
sound asleep.

" Saturday. — Need I say my first object was to go down
and examine the track anew. There was no mistake. It was
impossible to doubt that ' the muckle hart of Benmore' had

THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 257

actually walked through that burn a few hours before me,
and in the same direction. I followed the track and breasted
the opposite hill. Looking round from its summit, it appeared
to me a familiar scene, and, on considering a moment, I found
I overlooked, from a different quarter, the very same rocky
plain and the two black lochs where I had seen my chase three
days before. I had not gazed many minutes, when I saw a
deer lying on a black hillock which was quite open. I lay
down immediately, and with my glass made out at once the
object of all my wandering. My joy was somewhat abated by
his position, which was not easily approachable. My first
object, however, was to withdraw myself out of his sight,
which I did by crawling backwards down a little bank, till
only the tips of his horns were visible, and they served to
show me that he continued still. As he lay looking towards
me, he commanded with his eye three-fourths of the circle ;
and the other quarter, where one might have got in upon him
under cover of the little hillock, was unsafe, from the wind
blowing in that direction. A burn ran between him and me,
one turn of which seemed to come within two hundred yards
of him. It was my only chance ; so, retreating about a half
a mile, I got into the burn in hidden ground, and then crept
up its channel with such caution, that I never allowed myself
a sight of more than the tips of his horns till I reached the
nearest bend to him. There looking through a tuft of rushes,
I had a perfect view of the noble animal, lying on the open
hillock, lazily stretched out at length, and only moving now
and then to scratch his flank with his horns. I watched him
for fully an hour, the water up to my knees all the time. At
length he stirred, gathered his legs together, and rose ; and
arching his back, he stretched himself just as a bullock does
when rising from his night's lair. My heart throbbed, as
turning all round he seemed to try the wind for his security,
and then walked straight to the burn, at a point about one
hundred and fifty yards from me. I was much tempted, but

22*

258 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

had resolution to reserve my fire, reflecting that I had but one
barrel. He went into the burn at a deep pool, and, standing
in it up to his knees, took a long drink. I stooped to put
on a new copper cap and prick the nipple of my rifle ; and
on looking up again, he was gone ! I was in despair, and was
on the point of moving rashly, when I saw his horns again
appear a little father off, but not more than fifty yards from
the burn. By and by they lowered, and I judged he was
lying down. ' Your mine at last,' I said ; and I crept cau-
tiously up the bed of the burn till I was opposite where he
had lain down.

" I carefully, and inch by inch,- placed my rifle over the bank,
and then ventured to look along it. I could see only his
horns, but within an easy shot. I was afraid to move higher
up the bed of the burn, where I could have seen his body ;
the direction of the wind made that dangerous. I took breath
for a moment, and screwed up my nerves ; and then with my
cocked rifle at my shoulder, and my finger on the trigger, I
kicked a stone, which splashed into the water. He started
up instantly ; but exposed only his front towards me. Still
he was very near, scarcely fifty yards, and I fired at his
throat just where it joins the head. He dropped on his knees
to my shot ; but was up again in a moment, and went stag-
gering up the hill. Oh for one hour of Bran ! Although he
kept on at a mad pace, I saw he was becoming too weak for
the hill. He swerved, and turned back to the burn, and came
headlong down within ten yards of me, tumbling into it appa-
rently dead. Feeling confident, from the place my ball had
taken effect, that he was dead, I threw down my rifle, and
went up to him with my hunting knife. I found him stretched
out, and, as I thought, dying ; and I laid hold of his horns
to bleed him. I had scarcely touched him when he sprang
up, flinging me backwards on the stones. It was an awkward
position. I was stunned by the violent fall ; behind me a
steep bank of seven or eight feet high ; before me was the

THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 261

bleeding stag, with his horns levelled at me, and cutting me
off from my rifle. In desperation I moved, when he instantly
charged, but fortunately tumbled ere he quite reached me.
He drew back again like a ram about to butt, and then stood
still with his head lowered, and his eyes bloody and swelled,
glaring upon me. We stood mutually at bay for some time,
till, recovering myself, I jumped out of the burn so suddenly,
that he had not time to run at me, and from the bank above
I dashed my plaid over his head and eyes, and threw myself
upon him. I cannot account for my folly, and it had nearly
cost me dear. The poor beast struggled desperately, and
his remaining strength foiled me in every attempt to stab
him in front ; and he at length made off, tumbling me down,
but carrying with him a stab in the leg which lamed him. I
ran and picked up my rifle, and then kept him in view as he
rushed down the burn on three legs towards the loch. He
took the water, and stood at bay up to his chest in it.

" As soon as he halted, I commenced loading my rifle,
when, to my dismay, I found that all the balls I had re-
maining were for my double-barrel, and were a size too large
for my rifle. I sat down and commenced scraping one to the
right size, an operation that seemed interminable. At last I
succeeded ; and having loaded, the poor stag remaining per-
fectly still, I went up within twenty yards of him, and shot
him through the head. He turned over and floated, perfectly
dead. I waded in and towed him ashore, and then had lei-
sure to look at my wounds and bruises, which were not serious,
except my shin-bone, which was scraped from ankle to knee
by his horn. I soon had cleaned my quarry, and stowed him
away as safely as I could, and then turned down the glen at
a gay pace. I found Donald, with Bran, reposing at Malcolm's
sheiling ; and for all reproaches on his misconduct, I was
satisfied with sending him to bring home * the muckle hart of
Benmore,' a duty which he performed before nightfall."

THE following account of a tiger hunt, in Java, is given
by a sailor, in a letter to his brother, dated December, 1832.
At seven o'clock, on the morning of October 2d, I set out
with my two sons, a Berzoekie man in my service, and about
fifty servants, armed with pikes and hogspears ; I was armed
with a gun and a spear. The tiger for which we were on
the look-out was in the valley about two miles and a half dis-
tant from our port. The moment we arrived near him, we
commenced operations. About nine o'clock we effectually
drove^ him out of his den of underwood ; and while he was
doubling the brow of a hill, I had a rap at him, which took
effect. He now made over to the west side of the valley,
and into a thorny bush. In half an hour we started him
again ; he then ran along the western side of the valley into
(262)

REMARKABLE TIGER HUNT. 265

another bush : several spears were now thrown at him, but
without effect.

We followed and soon roused him again ; he now made
a start for his old station on the east side of the valley ; he
seemed very much fagged on account of the heat and a want
of water, and it became difficult to arouse him ; several spears
flew after him, but they fell short. All this time, although
pretty close, I could not get a shot at him, sometimes on ac-
count of my people, and at others not wishing to throw a shot
away, not knowing how soon I might require it in self-de-
fence. Close to his heels, we followed him across the valley.
He now took shelter in a bush, on the side of a hill, where he
remained growling for some time. He saw that he was in
danger, so he made a start from that bush to another, just
at my feet, and lay for at least ten -minutes, not ten yards
from where I was with one of my sons, who was making an
opening into the bush, so that at length I got a clear sight
of him ; but before we could finish our task, he made a spring
with the intention to clear the heads of three men who were to
my right, at about ten fathoms distance, but they received and
put three pikes and a hogspear into him : the former entered
his belly, the latter his right shoulder ; this he took with
him but the pike staves all broke.

This shock to his frame brought him down on one of the
men, on whom he left the marks of three of his paws, but he
got into a bush before I could turn round to have a rap at
him. This was his last move. It was now just twelve at
noon. We gathered up our broken pike staves, and bound
up the wounds of our man, and sent him off to the mills, to
await our arrival ; but determined not to give up our prize,
we remained quiet for about an hour, to rest ourselves.
During this time he growled once, but faintly ; he was at
that time drawing the hogspear out of his right shoulder.
This gave him much pain, and made him growl. We now
saw the bush shake very much, so again we began opera-

266

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

tions, by cutting down the small bushes to get a sight of
him ; this was soon done, and I put a shot into his head.
Our work was now done, so we went up to him.

I had him carried home. His weight was three hundred
and thirty-three pounds ; he stood three feet three inches
high ; length of body six feet, tail two feet four inches. I
then dressed the wounded hunter. He was fourteen days
under my hands. He had ten wounds on his body, left arm,
and head. This, you will say is no children's play.

/L

bill] Mfolbes.

WOLVES are still numerous in some parts of France, where
they commit dreadful devastations. Even in the thickly in-
habited districts, these ferocious animals are sometimes seen,
and the people are forced to be on their guard.

A few winters ago, Monsieur de B., an advocate of Dijon,
was returning rather late from a shooting excursion, near that
town, when his dog, a small pointer, who was a few paces in
advance, ran suddenly back as if terrified.

The spot was a long hollow, formed by two sandbanks ;
and as far as his eye could reach, he could discover no cause
for the animal's sudden terror, which sent him crouching to
his feet. He proceeded cautiously, however, cocking both
barrels of his gun ; for upwards of two hundred yards no

23* (269)

270 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

cause of alarm presented itself. Indeed, he had forgotten
the circumstance, and rested the gun across his shoulder,
when the dog again fell behind him with an affrightened yell.
A wolf stood on the sandbank, about thirty yards before him.
Armed only with partridge shot, Monsieur de B. considered
it most prudent to retreat, and gain a cross road in the rear.
He had not returned many yards, when to his horror and
astonishment, he beheld another wolf barring his path on that
side. Neither as yet had ventured to attack him, and, as he
advanced, one retired; but the other would draw closer to
his heels. His situation became critical, for night was ap-
proaching, and he feared that with it more assailants would
be down upon him ; and to this they both howled as if to
call a reinforcement, and the sportsman at length felt certain
they were answered from the hills. No time was to be lost ;
he rapidly advanced on one, and when within twenty paces
fired both barrels at him. The wolf fell, wounded, and the
other cleared the bank; Monsieur B., following his example,
took to his heels, and never took breath till he entered Dijon.
On examining the snow the next morning, it was ascertained
that he had been hotly pursued to the very gates. As for
the wounded wolf, a few bones were all that his comrades
had left of him.

The wolves of Russia are noted for their sagacity. In the
thinly settled districts, they are very abundant. The public
roads are rendered dangerous by the number and daring
character of these fierce animals. Travellers are often at-
tacked, and if they are not well-armed, or near to some vil-
lage, their destruction is certain. One day some peasants
were travelling in a sleigh, when they were suddenly attacked
by a large number of wolves. The house, at which they in-
tended to stop, was about two miles from the place where
they were attacked. They were without weapons of any
kind, and their only hope was in flight. Keeping the wolves
back as well as they could, they whipped the horses, and

ADVENTURES WITH WOLVES. 271

drove for the house with the utmost speed. The savage
beasts pursued, occasionally jumping upon the sleigh, and
snapping their greedy jaws as they ran by the side of the
horses. The party reached the house. The gate of the yard
happened to be closed ; but the almost maddened horses
dashed it open, and the party entered the yard. Nine wolves
entered with them. Fortunately the gate swung shut, and
the wolves were caught in a trap. From being the most
ferocious of beasts, the nature of the animals, now that they
found an escape impossible, completely changed. So far, in-
deed, from attempting to molest any one, they allowed them-
selves to be slaughtered without resistance. The escape of
the party was miraculous.

The wolf shares with the vulture in feasting upon the
bodies of those who are slain in battle, and left unburied on
the field. Sometimes they will scratch away the earth, and
tear the bodies from their rude graves. It is an awful sight
to see these fierce animals making a meal at midnight upon
human flesh and bones.

THE interior of South Africa teems with game of all kinds
and sizes. Elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, hyenas,
antelopes of vanous kinds, buffaloes, and many other animals
are to be found in their perfection. Adventurous hunters
from the Cape Colony frequently make long excursions into
this region, and though they are forced to encounter many
dangers, their toils are better rewarded than in any other
part of the world. Some of these bold men have given to
the world narratives of their expeditions. Of these the most
conspicuous, is Roualeyn Gordon Cumming, whose exploits
stamp him as the first of hunters. His first meeting and
battle with wild elephants is thus narrated.

(272)

HUNTING ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 275

I resolved at night to watch the water, and try what could
be done by night shooting. I accordingly ordered the usual
watchirig-hole to be constructed ; and having placed my
bedding in it, repaired thither shortly after sundown. I had
lain about two hours in the hole, when I heard a low rum-
bling noise like distant thunder, caused, as the Bechuanas
affirmed, by the bowels of the elephants which were approach-
ing the fountain. I lay on my back, with my mouth open,
attentively listening, and could hear them ploughing up the
earth with their tusks.

Presently they walked up to the water, and commenced
drinking within fifty yards of me. They approached with
so quiet a step, that I fancied it was the footsteps of jackals
which I heard ; and I was not aware of their presence until
I heard the water, which they had drawn up in their trunks
and were pouring into their mouths, dropping into the foun-
tain. I then peeped from my hiding-place, with a beating
heart, and beheld two enormous bull elephants, which looked
like two great castles, standing before me. I could not see
very distinctly, for there was only starlight.

Having lain on my breast some time taking my aim, I let
fly at one of the elephants, using the Dutch rifle carrying six
to the pound. The ball told loudly on his shoulder, and
uttering a loud cry, he stumbled through the fountain, when
both made off in different directions. All night large herds
of zebras, and blue wildebeests capered around me, coming
sometimes within a few yards. Several parties of rhinoce-
roses also made their appearance. I felt a little apprehensive
that lions might visit the fountain, and every time that hyenas
or jackals lapped the water I looked forth, but no lions ap-
peared. At length I fell into a sound sleep, nor did I again
raise my head until the bright star of morn had shot far
above the eastern horizon.

On the 27th, as day dawned, I left my shooting-hole, and
proceeded to inspect the track of my wounded elephant.

276

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

ZEBRA.

After following it for some distance I came to an abrupt
hillock, and fancying that from the summit a good view might
be obtained of the surrounding country, I left my followers
to seek the track, while I ascended. I did not raise my
eyes from the ground until I had reached the highest pin-
nacle of rock. I then looked east, and to my inexpressible
gratification I beheld a troop of nine or ten elephants quietly
browsing within a quarter of a mile of me. I allowed my-
self only one look at them, and then rushed down to warn
my followers to be silent.

A council of war was hastily held, the result of which was
my ordering Isaac to ride hard to camp, with instructions to
return as quickly as possible, accompanied by Kleinboy, and
to bring me my dogs, the large Dutch rifle, and a fresh horse.
I once more ascended the hillock to feast my eyes upon the
enchanting sight before me ; and drawing out my spyglass,
I narrowly observed the motions of the elephants. The herd
consisted entirely of females, several of which were followed
by small calves.

HUNTING ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 277

Presently, on reconnoitring the surrounding country, I dis-
covered a second herd, consisting of five bull elephants, which
were quietly feeding about a mile to the northward. The
cows were feeding towards a rocky ridge that stretched away
from the base of the hillock on which I stood. Burning with
impatience to commence the attack, I resolved to try the
stalking system with these, and to hunt the troop of bulls
with dogs and horses. Having thus decided, I directed the
guides to watch the elephants from the summit of the hillock,
and with a beating heart I approached them. The ground
and wind favoring me, I soon gained the rocky ridge towards
which they were feeding. They were now within one hun-
dred yards, and I resolved to enjoy the pleasure of their
movements for a while before I fired. They continued to
feed slowly before me, breaking the branches from the trees
with their trunks, and eating the leaves and tender shoots.
I soon selected the finest in the herd, and kept my eye on
her in particular. At length two of the troop had walked
slowly past at about sixty yards, and the one which I had
selected was feeding with two others on a thorny tree in front
of me.

My arm was now as steady as the rock on which it rested,
so taking a deliberate aim, I let fly at her behind the eye.
She got it hard and sharp just where I aimed, but it did not
seem to affect her much. Uttering a loud cry, she wheeled
about, when I gave her the second ball, close behind the
shoulder. All the elephants uttered a strange rumbling
noise, and made off in a line to the northward at a brisk
ambling pace, their huge fan-like ears flapping in the ratio
of their speed. I did not wait to load, but ran back to the
hillock to obtain a view. On gaining its summit, the guides
pointed out the elephants ; they were standing in a grove of
shady trees, but the wounded one was some distance behind
with another elephant, doubtless its particular friend, who
was endeavoring to assist it.

24

278 THKILLING ADVENTUKES.

These elephants had probably never before heard the report
of a gun ; and having neither seen nor smelt me, they were
unaware of the presence of man, and did not seem inclined
to go any farther. Presently, the men hove in sight, bring-
ing the dogs ; and, when these came up, I waited some time
before commencing the attack, that the dogs and horses
might recover their wind. We then rode slowly towards the
elephants, and had advanced within two hundred yards of
them, when, the ground being open they observed us, and made
off in an easterly direction ; but the wounded one immediately
dropped astern, and the next moment she was surrounded by
the dogs, which, barking angrily, seemed to engross her
attention.

Having placed myself between her and the retreating
troop, I dismounted to fire within forty yards of her, in open
ground. My horse, Colesburg, was extremely afraid of the
elephants, and gave me much trouble, jerking my arm when
I tried to fire. At length I let fly ; but, on endeavoring to
regain my saddle, Colesburg declined to allow me to mount ;
and when I tried to lead him, and run for it, he only backed
towards the wounded elephant.

At this moment I heard another elephant close behind ;
and on looking about I beheld the "friend," with uplifted
trunk, charging down upon me at top speed, shrilly trumpet-
ing, and following an old black pointer, named Schwart, that
was perfectly deaf, and trotted along before the enraged ele-
phant, quite unaware of what was behind him. I felt' cer-
tain that she would have either me or my horse. I however
determined not to relinquish my steed, but to hold on to my
bridle. My men, who of course, kept at a safe distance,
stood aghast with their mouths open, and for a few seconds
my position was not an enviable one. Fortunately, however,
the dogs took off the attention of the elephants ; and just as
they were upon me, I managed to spring into the saddle,
where I was safe. As I turned my back to the mount, the

HUNTING ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 281

elephants were so near that I really expected to feel one of
their trunks lay hold of me. I rode up to Kleinboy for my
double-barrelled two-grooved rifle ; he and Isaac were pale
and almost speechless with fright. Returning to the charge,
I was soon once more alongside, and, firing from the saddle,
I sent another brace of bullets into the wounded elephant.
Colesburg was extremely unsteady, and destroyed the correct-
ness of my aim.

The "friend" now seemed resolved to do some mischief,
and charged me furiously, pursuing me to a distance of
several hundred yards. I therefore deemed it proper to give
her a gentle hint to act less officiously, and, accordingly, hav-
ing loaded, I approached within thirty yards, and gave it her
right and left, behind the shoulder, upon which she at once
made off with drooping trunk, evidently with a mortal wound.
I never recur to this my first day's elephant shooting without
regretting my folly in securing only one elephant. The first
was now dying, and could not leave the ground, and the
second was also mortally wounded, and I had only to follow
and finish her ; but I foolishly allowed her to escape, while
I amused myself with the first, which kept walking backward,
a»d standing by every tree she passed. Two more shots
finished her ; on receiving them she tossed her trunk up and
down two or three times, and falling on her broadside against
a thorny tree, which yielded like grass before her enormous
weight, she uttered a deep, hoarse groan and expired. This
was a very handsome old cow elephant, and was decidedly
the best in the troop. She was in excellent condition, and
carried a long and perfect pair of tusks. I was in high spirits
at my success, and felt so perfectly satisfied with having
killed one, that, although it was still early in the day, and
my horses were fresh, I allowed the troop of five bulls to
remain unmolested, foolishly trusting to fall in with them
next day. How little did I then know of the habits of ele-

24*

282

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

phants, or the rules to be adopted in hunting them, or deem
it probable that I should never see them more.

Having knee-haltered our horses, we set to work with our
knives and assagais to prepare the skull for the hatchet, in
order to cut out the tusks, nearly half the length of which, I
may mention, is embedded in bone sockets in the fore part of
the skull. To cut out the tusks of a cow elephant requires
barely one-fifth of the labor requisite to cut out those of a
bull ; and when the sun went down we had managed by our
combined eiforts to cut out one of the tusks of my first ele-
phant, with which we triumphantly returned, having left the
guides in charge of the carcass, where they volunteered to
take up their quarters for the night.

isfytycj foi*

MOST of the African tribes excel in address and intrepidity.
A remarkable instance is given by Dr. Tarns. While on the
banks of the Bengo, said to abound in alligators, crocodiles,
and enormous snakes, which often lurk in the impenetrable
jungle of reeds, he wished to know whether the river really
contained any of the former ; and for a small reward, a negro
fisherman offered to catch one.

The intrepid fisherman immediately killed a sucking-pig,
and ran a moderately thick stick through the entire length
of its body, which he cut open. To the middle of this he
attached an iron chain, eight or ten feet long, by means of a
clamp, and then further elongated the chain by fastening a
cord to it. Armed with two strong barbed iron lances, he

(283)

284 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

went on board his light canoe, and put out a short distance
from the shore, while we remained in the hut watching his
proceedings with great interest and curiosity. At a venture,
he threw the pig into the river, and scarcely a minute had
elapsed, ere a pair of enormous, widely extended jaws rose
above the surface, and quickly disappeared with the treache-
rous prize. The fisherman took advantage of this moment,
to fasten the end of the rope to his canoe, and, also, to attach
his two lances by ropes to the boat. The voracious animal
soon devoured his booty, and drew the boat, which of course,
followed his every movement, first to one side of the river,
and then to the other, always seeking for the deepest water.
The rope being continually drawn tighter and tighter, the
alligator darted with great violence above the surface, where-
upon the negro vigorously thrust the lance at his head, and
the monster again dived. Certain of approaching victory,
he stood calmly with uplifted lance, watching for an oppor-
tunity of throwing it again, whenever his adversary might
rise above the surface. We were much astonished at the
man's patient assiduity, for there was once a pause of half
an hour, during which the animal did not appear, but as he
gradually became weaker, he rose more frequently, and at
last always with his jaws wide open. The numerous wounds
inflicted by the lance, and consequent loss of blood, so com-
pletely exhausted the poor alligator, that he had great diffi-
culty in drawing the boat after him ; but suddenly collecting
his remaining strength, he pulled the boat on one side with
such violence, that the fisherman fell into the water. In an
instant he dexterously flung himself into the boat, and con-
tinued to strike his antagonist with the harpoon. The combat
lasted nearly an hour and a half, when the alligator yielded,
without resistance, to the superior force of the negro, who
gradually brought his boat alongside of us, and then suddenly
leaping on shore, fastened the rope to a cocoa-palm in front
of his hut. He then fearlessly approached the animal, which

FISHING FOR ALLIGATORS.

285

was nearly covered with water, and deprived him of all pos-
sibility of escape, by inflicting several deep wounds. Life
was not extinct, when the alligator was abandoned to his fate,
but it was devoted to inevitable death ; and when we gave
the man his promised guerdon, he observed, coolly, that he
would gladly exhibit a similar proof of his skill every day.
This animal was twenty feet long.

Jfye

of

IT was in the country of the Alps, in Styria, where, as in
Switzerland, the mountain scenery is of the most grand and
picturesque kind, where the tallest mountains are clad in the
eternal snow, where mountain torrents dash into deep abysses,
and the ibex and the chamois leap from glacier to glacier,
and from rock to rock ; and where the terrible avalanche
tumbles from the heights and sends the villagers and their
flocks running for life. It was in this country that the tra-
veller, Khol, listened to the following story of a chamois
hunter.

"Ah ! write it all down, and I'll tell you something about
the cunning of the chamois, that no one has heard before,"
said a Styrian chamois hunter, to Mr. Khol ; and truth he
(286)

AN AVALANCHE.

THE ADVENTURES OF A CHAMOIS HUNTER. 289

told him a most wonderful and interesting story, which shows
not only the cunning of that animal, but the wonderful and
great love of its young ones which God has implanted in its
breast.

The previous year he had found a geis or female chamois
ready to bring forth. He had followed her for eight days,
to see where she would deposit her young. Sometimes he
took off his shoes, and climbed on his bare feet, like a cat ;
and once, when he had to clamber up the steep face of a rock,
he cut off all the buttons from his clothes, that they might
not make a jingle. At last he discovered the two young
ones in a niche at the top of a high rock, in a hath, as the
hunters call it. The little ones were sporting round the mo-
ther, who glanced, from time to time, down into the valley,
to watch for any hostile approach. To avoid being seen, our
hunter made a great circuit, and so reached a path that led
to the kath. Exactly in front of the niche the rocks de-
scended perpendicularly to an immense depth. At the back
was another steep descent. Some fragments of rock formed
a kind of bridge between the large masses ; but these were
placed too high to be accessible to the little ones, and could
only be available for their mother. The hunter rejoiced as
he contemplated this position, and pressed upon the animals
whose escape seemed impossible. When the old one caught
sight of him, she measured with a glance the unfavorable dis-
position of the rock, she sprang upon the hunter with a fury
that maternal love will breathe into the most timid creatures.
The danger of such attacks is less from the thrust, which is
not very violent, than from the endeavor of the animal to
fix the point of its horns, which are bent like fish-hooks, in
the legs of the hunter, and then press him back down the
precipices.

It happens sometimes that the chamois and the hunter thus
entangled, rail into the abyss together. Our hunter was in
no condition to fire at the advancing chamois, as he found

25

290 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

both hands necessary to sustain himself on the narrow path ;
he therefore warded off the blows as well as he could with his
feet, and kept still advancing. The anguish of the mother
increased. She dashed back to her young, coursed round them
with her cries, as if to warn them of their danger, and then
leaped up the before named fragments of rock, from which
the second but more difficult egress from the grotto was to
be won. She then leaped down again to her little ones, and
seemed to encourage them to attempt the leap. In vain the
little creatures sprang and wounded their foreheads against
the rocks that were too high for them, and in vain the mother
repeated again and again her firm and graceful leap, to show
them the way. All this was the work of a few minutes whilst
the hunter had again advanced some steps nearer. He was
just preparing to make the last effort, when the following pic-
ture, which was the particular circumstance he referred to in
speaking of the chamois' cunning, met his astonished eyes :
The old chamois, fixing her legs firmly on the rock behind,
had stretched her body to its utmost length, and planted her
fore feet on the rock above, thus forming a temporary bridge
of her back. The little ones in a minute seeming to compre-
hend the design of their mother, sprang upon her like cats,
and thus reached the point of safety ; the picture only lasted
long enough to enable their pursuer to make the last step.
He sprang into the niche, thinking himself now sure of the
young chamois, but all three were off with the speed of the
wind, and a couple of shots that he sent after the fugitives
merely announced by their echo to the surrounding rocks
that he had missed his game.

IN the immense forests in Maine, there are many wild
beasts, which are fierce enough to afford the most exciting
sport for the hunter. Bears abound ; the catamount, the
wild cat, the lynx, and above all the great panther of North
America are found here, as well as the deer and the moose.
The hunters' traps are often robbed by the fisher, a small,
but fierce and active little animal, that lives on the smaller
quadrupeds, such as rabbits and squirrels, and receives its
name from its supposed ability to catch fish like an otter.

The business of cutting logs for timber and boards is pur-
sued by a hardy race of men, who pass whole winters in the
the forests of Maine, in huts constructed by themselves.
They have frequent adventures with the wild beasts. The

25'

(293)

294

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

THE FISHER.

best account of these "loggers" is given by Mr. Springer,
in his "Forest Life and Forest Trees," lately published by
Messrs. Harper and Brothers. We copy from this work a
specimen of their adventures. The large animal, whose
tracks were seen, was evidently the great panther.

" Our winter quarters and employment not unfrequently
bring us into collision with wild animals of a formidable cha-
racter. Of these the "Indian devil," or a specimen of the
catamount, is chief. We often track animals of whom we
have never gained a sight.

" Passing along one day in pursuit of timber, my attention
was arrested by a track of uncommon size and appearance.
It was round and about the size of a hat crown, and pene-
trated the snow where it would bear me. I noticed where
the creature stepped over a large fallen tree about two feet
and a half high. A light snow several inches deep covered

HUNTING IN MAINE. 295

the log, which he did not even brush with his belly as he
passed over it. From the nature of the track, I knew he did
not jump. His legs could not have been less than thfle feet
in length. After this discovery, I made my way to where
the rest of the crew were at work with right good will. A
similar track, of probably this same animal, has been seen by
fnany different persons and parties, at places quite remote
from each other, for several winters ; but no one, that I am
aware of, is satisfied that he has yet been seen, unless, indeed,
by two or three lads while on the shore of the Grand Lake,
who were fishing out of holes cut in the ice near the shore.
About half a mile from them a long point made out into the
lake, running parallel with the shore, which formed the
boundary of a deep cove. The ice had become quite weak ;
still, it bore them with safety. While busily engaged with
their fishing-tackle, their attention was arrested by a loud,
splashing noise, as though some one was struggling in the
water ; and, on looking for the cause, they saw a large ani-
mal endeavoring to make the main land, crossing directly
from the point toward them. He continued to break in every
few rods, when he would spring out again with the agility of
a cat. After getting out, he would stand and look round,
then venture forward, and break through as before. The
description they gave of his appearance was that he looked
like an immense cat ; appeared to be about four feet high,
and five or six feet long, thick set about the head and shoulders,
resembling somewhat in this particular the bull-dog. His
tail was very long, reaching down quite to the ice, and curled
up at the end ; this he moved about just as a cat moves its
tail. Waiting but a moment to gain this general view, they
made for home with all possible dispatch, about one mile dis-
tant. Several men, with guns and axes, immediately started
for the lake, but nothing further was seen of him. The
manner in which the ice was broken fully confirmed the

296 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

statement made by the boys respecting the size of this un-
known creature.

" Tnere is an animal in the deep recesses of our forests,
evidently belonging to the feline race, which, on account of
its ferocity, is significantly called 'Indian Devil' — in the
Indian language, ' the Lunk Soos ;' a terror to the Indians,
and the only animal in New England of which they stand in
dread. You may speak of the moose, the bear, and even the
wolf, and the red man is ready for the chase and the encounter.
But name the object of his dread, and he will significantly
shake his head, while he exclaims, 4 He all one debil !'

" An individual by the name of Smith met with the follow-
ing adventure in an encounter with one of these animals on the
Arromueto, while on his way to join a crew engaged in
timber-making in the woods.

" He had nearly reached the place of encampment, when
he came suddenly upon one of these ferocious animals. There
was no chance for retreat, neither had he time for reflection
on the best method of defence or escape. As he had no
arms or other weapons of defence, the first impulse, in this
truly fearful position, unfortunately, perhaps, was to spring
into a small tree near by ; but he had scarcely ascended his
length when the desperate creature, probably rendered still
more fierce by the promptings of hunger, sprang upon and
seized him by the heel. Smith, however, after having his
foot badly bitten, disengaged it from the shoe, which was
firmly clinched in the creature's teeth, and let him drop. The
moment he was disengaged, Smith sprang for a more secure
position, and the animal at the same time leaped to another
large tree, about ten feet distant, up which he ascended to
an elevation equal to that of his victim, from which he threw
himself upon him, firmly fixing his teeth in the calf of his
leg. Hanging suspended thus until the flesh, insufficient to
sustain the weight, gave way, he dropped again to the ground,
carrying a portion of flesh in his mouth. Having greedily

HUNTING IN MAINE.

297

THE LYNX, OR INDIAN DEVIL.

devoured this morsel, he bounded again up the opposite tree,
and from thence upon Smith, in this manner renewing his
attacks, and tearing away the flesh in mouthfuls from his
legs. During this agonizing operation, Smith contrived to
cut a limb from the tree, to which he managed to bind his
jack-knife, with which he could now assail his enemy at
every leap. He succeeded thus in wounding him so badly
that at length his attacks were discontinued, and he finally
disappeared in the dense forest.

"During the encounter, Smith had exerted his voice to
the utmost to alarm the crew, who, he hoped, might be within
hail. He was heard, and in a short time several of the crew
reached the place, but not in time to save him from the
dreadful encounter. The sight was truly appalling. His
garments were not only rent from him, but the flesh literally
torn from his legs, exposing even the bone and the sinews.
It was with the greatest difficulty he made the descent of the
tree. Exhausted through loss of blood, and overcome by

298 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

fright and exertion, he sunk upon the ground and immediately
fainted ; but the application of snow immediately restored
him to consciousness. Preparing a litter from poles and
boughs, they conveyed him to the camp, washed and dressed
his wounds as well as circumstances would allow, and as soon
as possible, removed him to the settlement, where medical
aid was procured. After a protracted period of confinement,
he gradually recovered from his wounds, though still carrying
terrible scars, and sustaining irreparable injury. Such des-
perate encounters are, however, of rare occurrence, though
collisions less sanguinary are not unfrequent.

" On one occasion, we tracked .one of those animals where
we had the day before been at work. From appearances, he
seemed to have something unusual attached to one of his fore
feet, which we judged to be a common steel strap. Return-
ing to the camp for the gun and a lunch, two men started in
pursuit. They followed him three days before overtaking
him. In one place on the route they measured a bound of
fifteen feet, which he made to take a rabbit, which he caught
and devoured, leaving only small portions of the hide and fur
of his victim. From the course travelled, it was evident that
he was aware of his pursuers, whom he unquestionably de-
sired to avoid. On the third day they came in sight of him
for the first time. No longer retreating before his pursuers,
he now turned upon them. Aware that they could have but
one shot, it being impossible to reload before he would be
upon them, they suffered him to approach very near, to make
their aim more certain. The forest echoed with the report
of the discharge ; the shot took effect, and a furious scuffle
followed. The snow flew, while the enraged and furious
growl and gnashing teeth mingled with the clattering trap,
and the echo of the powerful blows inflicted upon his head
with the shivered breech of the gun, under which he yielded
his life to his superior pursuers.

" But there is no animal among us with whom encounters

HUNTING IN MAINE. 299

are so frequent as the common black bear. Their superior
strength, the skill with which they ward off blows, and even
wrench an instrument from the hands of an assailant, and
their tenacity of life, render them really a formidable anta-
gonist. We have sometimes been diverted, as well as severely
annoyed, by their thievish tricks. In one instance we were
followed several days by one of them on our passage up the
river, who seemed equally bent on mischief and plunder.
The first of our acquaintance with him occurred while en-
camped at the mouth of a small stream, whose channel we
were improving by the removal of large rocks which obstructed
log-driving. Our camp was merely temporary, so that all
our goods were exposed. While we were asleep during the
night, he came upon our premises, and selected from the bag-
gage a Bundle containing all the winter clothing of one of the
men — boots, shaving tools, &c.

" His curiosity was too great to allow of a far removal of
the pack without an examination of its contents ; and never
did deputy inspector or constable perform a more thorough
search. Duties on the package were inadmissible ; the goods
were esteemed contraband, and were accordingly confiscated.
The wearing .apparel was torn into shreds. There was a
pair of stout cow-hide boots, of which he tried the flavor ;
they were chewed up and spoiled. The razor did not escape
his inquisitiveness. Whether he attempted to shave we say
not, but he tested its palatableness by chewing the handle."

Jhe

THE jaguar is the largest, most powerful, and the most
ferocious of the feline tribe, which are natives of the Ameri-
can continent. It is often called the American tiger ; and
in manners it bears no inconsiderable* resemblance to that
formidable animal, and even its size and strength are not
much less. In some of the accounts, however, it has been
confounded with the larger spotted cats of the eastern conti-
nent, from which it is readily distinguished, both by the pe-
culiarity of its markings, and by its form and manners, which
are more to be depended on, though the markings are fully
as striking. The greater number of the spots, at least upon
(300)

THE JAGUAR. 301

the flanks and sides of the jaguar, are regular ocelli, or eye
spots ; that is, they consist of an external circle of black,
with a spot of the same in the middle, and the intermediate
space of the same color as the rest of the ground on which
the spots are placed. The spots upon the cats of the east
have sometimes a paler portion within the hlack, but we be
lieve no specimen has occurred in them with a black spot in
the centre ; and though jaguars are subject to considerable
variety in color, and also in the form and intensity of the
spots, we believe that no specimen of them has been found
entirely destitute of spots consisting of a black circumference
and a black centre. The spots, more especially on the
haunches and shoulders, sometimes have the external circle
broken, so that they appear, five or six in number ranged at
equal distances round a central one. Those on the ridge of
the back are in general almost confluent, while along the
sides they arrange in four nearly longitudinal rows. They
are often, however, mixed with transverse bars of a paler
color, having some resemblance to the stripes on the tiger.
The upper part of the animal is in general of a rich yellow
color, and the spots of an intense black. The under part is
white, marked with regular spots and transverse bars of
black. The skin of this animal is indeed one of the most
beautiful of the whole race, though there is probably less
uniformity in the markings than in those of any of the others.
No two individuals are marked exactly in the same manner,
and generally the two sides of the same individual are marked
differently.

There are one or two varieties of the jaguar mentioned by
writers on the zoology of South America, but there seems to
be no difference between them, excepting in size and color,
and, as is the case with the tiger in the east, the larger spe-
cimens are met with in the richest places. They are chiefly
found in the thick forests, near the banks of the great rivers,
and seldom, if ever, to the southward of Paraguay. They

26

302 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

are solitary animals, or, at all events, they are found only in
pairs ; but it is not ascertained whether their pairing is con-
stant, like that of the lion, or only temporary, as is the case
with the tiger. Analogy would, however, lead us to suppose
that, as they agree most with the tiger in appearance and in
locality, they also agree most with it in all their habits.

As the jaguar is not quite so powerful an animal as the
tiger, and not nearly so active, even in proportion to its
strength, it is not in any situation so formidable to human
beings during the daylight ; but, at night, it is a dangerous
animal, whether met with in its native forests, or when, as it
sometimes does, it makes an inroad upon the remote settle-
ments. Generally speaking, a fire or a light will keep it at
a distance ; but when it is very hungry, or otherwise greatly
excited, it is said to bid the same defiance to these as the
tiger does.

Its usual time for preying is during the night, or at least
when the sun is down, and it lies in wait to attack, and springs
upon the back of its prey. 'As the largest native mammalia
of this continent are but of inconsiderable size, the jaguar
finds them a very easy conquest ; and since the introduction
of cattle and horses by Europeans, and the great multipli-
cation especially of the former, in a wild state, the jaguar
gets nobler game than peccaries, and game more obedient to
his claws than armadilloes. The full grown bulls are as for-
midable to him as the buffaloes are to the lions in Southern
Africa ; but the cows and the young he readily masters ; and
even the horse is said to be a favorite prey with him. His
method is to lie in wait, and to spring, uttering a yell which,
though not very agreeable, is not so horrible as that of the
tiger, alighting on the shoulders of the larger animals ; then,
holding on with the hind feet, he advances his fore paws,
and, grasping across the nostrils with the one, and the chin
with the other, closes the nose and the mouth, and, straining
his body together at the same time, at once suffocates the

JAGUAR ATTACKING A HORSE.

THE JAGUAR. » 305

animal and dislocates the neck. Though the march of the
jaguar is not very swift, and he is unable to carry such a
load, either in the teeth or across the shoulders, as the tiger,
yet he can drag the carcass of a horse for a considerable dis-
tance, and even swim with it across a river.

The strength and the predatory disposition of the jaguar
make him a subject of great dislike in a country where wild
cattle form a considerable portion of the wealth of the inha-
bitants, and therefore, among the settlers in the vicinity of his
haunts, the hunting of him becomes an object of advantage,
as well as of glory. This is usually done by dogs — not that
they can master this powerful animal, or in going in upon
him to make the attempt ; but he is not so staunch as the
lion, and especially the tiger, for the dogs put him to flight,
from which he does not rally so as to act an offensive part.
He is not habitually a climber ; but if there be a sloping tree
within reach, he mounts into that, and is dispatched by spears
or musket-shot, according as he is better situated for the one
or the other. Some of the native tribes, too, are expert at
dispatching him with their arrows, prepared with wourali
poison, and delivered from the bow or blown from a tube.
When he takes refuge in a hole of the earth, he is either
worked out, or the Indians tempt him with one hand wrapped
in a skin, while they spear him with the other ; but this is an
exploit which requires great courage and presence of mind.
As is the case with the lion in Southern Africa, and the tiger
in most parts of India, the jaguar is now nearly exterminated
from all parts of South America.

Sihtffe

WE extract from Mr. Cumming's " Hunter's Life in South
Africa," the following account of an adventure of his in the
way of giraffe hunting.

On the 25th, at dawn, we harnessed our wagons and pro-
ceeded about five hours in a north-easterly course, through a
boundless open country sparingly adorned with dwarfish old
trees. In the distance the long-sought mountains of Ba-
mangwato at length loomed blue before me. We halted be-
side a glorious fountain, which at once made me forget all

THE GIRAFFE

GIRAFFE HUNTING. 309

the cares and difficulties I had encountered in reaching it.
The name of this fountain was Massouey, but I at once
christened it "the Elephant's own Fountain." This was a
very remarkable spot on the southern borders of endless ele-
phant forests, at which I had at length arrived. The fountain
was deep and strong, situated in a hollow at the eastern ex-
tremity of an extensive marsh, and its margin was surrounded
by a level stratum of solid old red sand stone. Here and
three lay a thick layer of soil upon the rock, and this was
packed flat with the fresh tracks of elephants. Around the
water's edge the very rock was worn down by the gigantic
feet which for ages had trodden there.

The soil of the surrounding country was white and yellow
sand, but grass, trees, and bushes were abundant. From the
borders of the fountain a hundred well-trodden elephant foot-
paths led away in every direction, like the radii of a circle.
The breadth of these paths was about three feet ; those lead-
ing to the northward and easfc were the most frequented, the
country in those directions being well wooded. We drew up
the wagons on a hillock on the eastern side of the water.
This position commanded a good view of any game that might
approach to drink. I had just cooked my breakfast, and
commenced to feed, when I heard my men exclaim, " Almag-
tig keek de ghroote clomp cameel;" and, raising my eyes
from my sassayby stew, I beheld a truly beautiful and very
unusual scene. From the margin of the fountain there ex-
tended an open level marsh, without a tree or bush, that
stretched away about a mile to the northward, where it was
bounded by extensive groves of wide-spreading mimosas.
Up the middle of this marsh stalked a troop of ten colossal
giraffes, flanked by two large herds of blue wildebeests and
zebras, with an advanced guard of pallahs. They were all
coming to the fountain to drink, and would be within rifle-
shot of the wagons before I could finish my breakfast. I,
however, continued to swallow my food with the utmost ex-

310 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

pedition, having directed my men to catch and saddle Coles-
burg. In a few minutes the giraffes were slowly advancing
within two hundred yards, stretching their graceful necks,
and gazing in wonder at the unwonted wagons. Grasping
my rifle, I now mounted Colesburg, and rode slowly towards
them. They continued gazing at the wagons until I was
within one hundred yards of them, when, whisking their long
tails over their rumps, they made off at an easy canter. As
I pressed upon them they increased their pace ; but Coles-
burg had much the speed of them, and before we had pro-
ceeded half a mile I was riding by the shoulder of the dark
chestnut old bull, whose head towered high above the rest.
Letting fly at the gallop, I wounded him behind the shoulder ;
soon after which I broke him from the herd, and presently,
going a head of him, he came to a stand. I then gave him
a second bullet somewhere near the first. These two shots
had taken effect, and he was now in my power, but I would
not lay him low so far from canip, so, having waited until he
had regained his breath, I drove him half-way back towards
the wagons. Here he became obstreperous ; so, loading one
barrel, and pointing my rifle towards the clouds, I shot him
in the throat, when, rearing high, he fell backwards and ex-
pired. This was a magnificent specimen of the giraffe,
measuring upwards of eighteen feet in height. I stood for
nearly half an hour engrossed in the contemplation of his
extreme beauty and gigantic proportions ; and, if there had
been no elephants, I should have exclaimed, like Duke Alex-
ander of Gordon, when he killed the famous old stag with
seventeen tine, "Now I can die happy." But I longed for
an encounter with the noble elephants, and I thought little
more of the giraffe than if I had killed a blauwbok or an eland.
In the afternoon I removed my wagons to a correct dis-
tance from the fountain, and drew them up among some
bushes about four hundred yards to leeward of the water.
In the evening I was employed in manufacturing hardened

GIRAFFE HUNTING.

313

bullets for the elephants, using a composition of one of pewter
to four of lead ; and I had just completed my work when we
heard a troop of elephants splashing and trumpeting in the
water. This to me was a joyful sound ; I slept little that
night.

On the 26th I arose at early dawn, and having fed four of
the horses I proceeded with Isaac to the fountain to examine
the track of the elephants which had drunk there during the
night. A number of the paths contained fresh track of ele-
phants of all sizes, which had gone from the fountain in dif-
ferent directions. We reckoned that at least thirty of these
gigantic quadrupeds had visited the water during the night.

A BLAUWBOK.

27

IN the western part x>f the United States, this sport is
followed both by the Indians and the whites with great zeal
and success. Indeed so many of them are killed every year
that fears are entertained of their utter extermination. Mr.
Catlin, who lived much among the Indians, thus speaks of
this sport.

The buffalo herds, which graze in almost countless numbers
on these beautiful prairies, afford the Indians an abundance
of meat ; and so much is it preferred to all other, that the
deer, the elk, and the antelope sport upon the prairies in
herds in the greatest security ; as the Indians seldom kill
them, unless they want their skins for a dress. The buffalo,
or more correctly speaking, bison, is a noble animal that
(314)

BISON HUNTING. 317

A BISON.

roams over the vast prairies, from the borders of Mexico on
the south, to Hudson's Bay on the north. Their size is
somewhat above that of our common bullock, and their flesh
of a delicious flavor, resembling and equalling that of fat beef.
Their flesh, which is easily procured, furnishes the savages
of these vast regions the means of a wholesome and good sub-
sistence^ and they live almost exclusively upon it — convert-
ing their skins, horns, hoofs, and bones to the construction
of dresses, shields, bows, &c. The buffalo is one of the most
formidable and frightful looking animals in the world when
excited to resistance ; his long shaggy mane hangs in great
profusion over his neck and shoulders, and often extends
quite down to the ground. The cow is less in stature, and
less ferocious ; though not much less wild and frightful in
appearance.

The mode in which the Indians kill this noble animal is
spirited and thrilling in the extreme. I have almost daily
accompanied parties of Indians to see the fun, and have often
shared in it myself; but much oftener ran my horse by their

27*

318 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

A

sides, to see how the thing was done — to study the modes
and expressions of these splendid scenes, which I am indus-
triously putting upon canvass.

They are all (or nearly so) killed with arrows and the
lance, while at full speed ; and the reader may easily imagine,
that these scenes afford the most spirited and picturesque
views of the sporting kind that can possibly be seen.

At present I will give a little sketch of a bit of fun I joined
in with Mr. M'Kenzie and a number of his men, without the
company or aid of Indians. Mr. M'Kenzie's table from day
to day groans under the weight of buffalo tongues and beaver's
tails, and other luxuries of this western land. He has within
his fort a spacious ice-house, in which he preserves his meat
for any length of time required ; and, sometimes, when his
larder runs low, he starts out, rallying some five or six of
his best hunters (not to hunt, but to "go for meat.") He
leads the party, mounted on his favorite buffalo horse (i. e.
the horse amongst his whole group which is best trained to
run the buffalo,) trailing a light and short gun in his hand,
such an one as he can most easily reload whilst his horse is
at full speed.

Such was the condition of the ice-house yesterday morning,
which caused these self-catering gentlemen to cast their eyes
with a wishful look over the prairies ; and such was tfie plight
in which our host took the lead, and I, and then Mons. Char-
don, and Ba'tiste Defonde and Tullock (who is a trader
amongst the Crows, and is here at this time, with a large
party of that tribe,) and there were several others whose
names I do not know.

As we were mounted and ready to start, M'Kenzie called
up some four or five of his men, and told them to follow im-
mediately on our trail, with as many one-horse carts, which
they were to harness up, to bring home the meat ; " ferry
them across the river in a scow," said he, "and follow our
trail through the bottom, you will find us on the plain yonder,

BISON HUNTING. 321

between the Yellow Stone and the Missouri rivers, with meat
enough to load you home. My watch on yonder bluff has
just told us by his signals, that there are cattle a plenty on
that spot, and we are going there as fast as possible."

We all crossed the river, and galloped away a couple of
miles or so, when we mounted the bluff; and to be sure, as
was said, there was in full view of us a fine herd of some four
or five hundred buffaloes, perfectly at rest, and in their own
estimation (probably) perfectly secure. Some were grazing,
and others were lying down sleeping ; we advanced within a
mile or so of them in full view, and came to a halt. Mons.
Chardon "tossed the feather" (a custom always observed, to
try the course of the wind,) and we commenced "stripping"
as it is termed (i. e. every man strips himself and his horse
of every extraneous and unnecessary appendage of dress, &c.,
that might be an incumbrance in running ;) hats are laid off,
and coats, and bullet pouches ; sleeves rolled up, a handker-
chief tied tightly round the head, and another around the
waist — cartridges are prepared and placed in the waistcoat
pocket, or a half a dozen bullets "thrown into the mouth,"
&c., all of which takes up some ten or fifteen minutes, and is
not, in appearance or in effect, unlike a council of war. Our
leader lays the whole plan of the chase, and preliminaries all
fixed, guns charged and ramrods in our hands, we mount and
start off. The horses are all trained for this business, and
seem to enter into it with as much enthusiasm, and with as
restless a spirit as the riders themselves. While "stripping"
and mounting, they exhibit the most restless impatience ; and
when "approaching" — (which is, all of us abreast, upon a
slow walk, and in a straight line towards the herd, until they
discover us and run) they all seem to have caught entirely
the spirit of the chase, for the laziest nag among them prances
with an elasticity in his step — champing his bit — his ears
erect — his eyes strained out of his head, and fixed upon the
game before him, whilst he trembles under the saddle of his

322 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

rider. In this way we carefully and silently marcned, until
within some forty or fifty rods ; when the herd discovering
us, wheeled and laid their course in a mass. At this instant
we started ! (and all must start, for no one could check the
fury of those steeds at that moment of excitement,) and away
all sailed, and over the prairie flew, in a cloud of dust which
was raised by their trampling hoofs. M'Kenzie was foremost
in the throng, and soon dashed off amidst the dust and was
out of sight — he was after the fattest and the fastest. I
had discovered a huge bull whose shoulders towered above
the whole band, and I picked my way through the crowd to
get alongside of him. I went not for "meat," but for
trophy ; I wanted his head and horns. I dashed along through
the thundering mass, as they swept away over the plain,
scarcely able to tell whether I was on a buffalo's back or my
horse — hit, and hooked, and jostled about, till at length 1
found myself alongside of my game, when I gave him a shot,
as I passed him. I saw guns flash in several directions about
me, but I heard them not. Amidst the trampling throng,
Mons. Chardon had wounded a stately bull, and at this mo-
ment was passing him again with his piece levelled for another
shot ; they were both at full speed and I also, within the
reach of the muzzle of my gun, when the bull instantly
turned and received the horse upon his horns, the ground
received poor Chardon, who made a frog's leap of some twenty
yards or more over the bull's back, and almost under my
horse's heels. I wheeled my horse as soon as possible and
rode back, where lay poor Chardon, gasping to start his
breath again ; and within a few paces of him his huge victim,
with his heels high in the air, and the horse lying across him.
I dismounted instantly, but Chardon was raising himself on
his hands, with his eyes and mouth full of dirt, and feeling
for his gun, which lay about thirty feet in advance of him.
" Heaven spare you ! are you hurt, Chardon ?" " Hi — hie —
hie hie hie no hie no

I

BISON HUNTING. 325

no no, believe not. Oh ! this is not much, Mons. Cati-
line— this is nothing new — but this is a hard piece of ground
here — hie — oh! hie!" At this the poor fellow fainted,
but in a few moments arose, picked up his gun, took his horse
by the bit ; which then opened its eyes, and with a hie and a
ugh — UGHK ; sprang upon its feet — shook off the dirt — and
here we were, all upon our legs again, save the bull, whose
fate had been more sad than that of either.

I turned my eyes in the direction where the herd had gone,
and our companions in pursuit, and nothing could be seen of
them, nor indication, except the cloud of dust which they left
behind them. At a little distance on the right, however, I
beheld my huge victim endeavoring to make as much head-
way as he possibly could, from this dangerous ground, upon
three legs. I galloped off to him, and at my approach he
wheeled around — and bristled up for battle ; he seemed to
know perfectly well that he could not escape from me, and
resolved to meet his enemy and death as bravely as possible.

I found that my shot had entered him a little too far for-
ward, breaking one of his shoulders, and lodging in his breast,
and from his very great weight it was impossible for him to
make much advance upon me. As I rode up within a few
paces of him, he would bristle up with fury enough in his looks
alone, almost to annihilate me ; and making one lunge at me,
would fall upon his neck and nose, so that I found the saga-
city of my horse alone enough to keep me out of danger ; and
I drew from my pocket my sketch-book, laid my gun across
my lap, and commenced taking his likeness. He soon stif-
fened up, and swelling with awful vengeance, which was sub-
lime for a picture, but which he could not vent upon me. I
rode around him and sketched him in numerous attitudes ;
sometimes he would lie down, and I would then sketch him ;
then throw my cap at him, and rousing him on his legs, rally
a new expression, and sketch him again.

In this way I added to my sketch-book some invaluable

28

326 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

sketches of this grim-visaged monster, who knew not that he
was standing for his likeness.

No man on earth can imagine what is the look and expres-
sion of such a subject before him as this was. I defy the
world to produce another animal that can look so frightful as
a huge buffalo bull, when wounded as he was, turned round
for battle, and swelling with rage ; — his eyes bloodshot, and
his long shaggy mane hanging to the ground, his mouth wide
open, and his horrid rage hissing in streams of smoke and
blood from his mouth and through his nostrils, as he is bend-
ing forward to spring upon his assailant, with all his remain-
ing strength.

After I had had the requisite time and opportunity for
using my pencil, M'Kenzie and his companions came walking
their exhausted horses back from the chase, and in our rear
came four or five carts to carry home the meat. The party
met from all quarters around me and my buffalo bull, whom
I then shot in the head and finished. And being seated
together for a few minutes, each one took a smoke of the pipe,
and recited his exploits, and his " coups," or deaths ; when
all parties had a hearty laugh at me, as a novice, for having
aimed at an old bull, whose flesh was not suitable for food,
and the carts were escorted on the trail, to bring away the
meat. I rode back with Mr. M'Kenzie, who pointed out five
cows which he had killed, and all of them selected as the
fattest and sleekest of the herd. This astonishing feat was
all performed within the distance of one mile — all were killed
at full speed, and every one shot through the heart. In the
short space of time required for a horse under "full whip,"
to run the distance of one mile, he had discharged his gun
five, and loaded it four times — selected his animals, and killed
at every shot ! There were six or eight others killed at the
same time, which altogether furnished, as will be seen, abund-
ance of freight for the carts ; which returned, as well as
several packhorses, loaded with the choicest parts, which were

BISON HUNTING.

327

cut from the animals, and the remainder of the carcasses left
a prey for the wolves.

Such is the mode by which white men live in this country —
such the way in which they get their food, and such is one
of their delightful amusements — at the hazard of every bone
in one's body, to feel the fine and thrilling exhilaration of
the chase for a moment, and then as often to upbraid and
blame himself for his folly and imprudence.

AMONG the various modes of attacking the elephant, we
have recently noticed one practiced by certain hunters in
India, which is approaching him in the rear, with a very
heavy sharp cleaver, and giving him a severe cut on the hind
leg. When the tenders of both hind legs have been slashed in
this manner, he falls and becomes an easy prey to the hunter.

A British officer not long since described a hunt after these
beasts in the following animated style. Early one afternoon
the Hottentots arrived with the oxen, and we proceeded with-
out loss of time to the eastward, following the course of the
mountains through very high grass, and passing between two
conical hills of singular appearance, which stood like senti-
nels on either hand. After crossing six inconsiderable
(328)

28*

ELEPHANT HUNTING. 331

streams, we with some difficulty gained the vicinity of a re-
markably abrupt opening in the range, which through a tele-
scope appeared to afford a practicable road to the northward.
.Both our wagons stuck fast in the Saut river, and were with
difficulty extricated by the united efforts of the teams. The
heat was intense, not a breath stirred ; the heavy black clouds
fast collecting bade us prepare for a deluge. We therefore
formed the camp in an elevated and sheltered position, under
the lee of a high stone inclosure, which only required the
entrance to be closed with bushes to make a secure pound for
the cattle. Scarcely were these arrangements completed,
when a stream of liquid fire ran along the ground, and a deaf-
ening thunder-clap exploding above us, was instantly followed
by a torrent of rain which came not in drops, but in continuous
streams, and with indiscribable violence, during the greater
part of the night ; the thunder now receding and rumbling
less and less distinctly, but more incessantly, among the dis-
tant mountains — now pealing in echoes over the distant hills,
and returning to burst with redoubled violence over our heads.

The horses and oxen were presently standing knee-deep in
water ; our followers remained sitting all night in the bag-
gage wagon, which, being covered, fortunately resisted the
pitiless storm. Sleep, however, was out of the question, the
earth actually threatened to give way under us, the lightning
being so painfully vivid that we were glad to hide our heads
under the pillow.

Those only who have witnessed the setting in of the south-
west monsoon in India are capable of understanding the
awful tempest I have attempted to describe. About an hour
before dawn its fury began to abate, and at sunrise it was
perfectly fine, but the rivers were quite impassable. Pro-
ceeding to reconnoitre the pass, we found that it was impass-
able for wagons, being nothing more than a narrow channel
flanked by perpendicular crags, between which the Saut river
rushes on its way to join the Singkling, making a number

832 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

of abrupt windings through a most impracticable country,
intersected by a succession of rocky declivities. From the
highest peaks we saw several herds of buffaloes, and whilst
descending came upon the tracks of a huge elephant that had
passed about an hour before. This being the largest foot-
print we had seen, I had the curiosity to measure it, in order
to ascertain the animal's height — twice the circumference of
the elephant's foot being, it is notorious, the exact height at
the shoulder. It yielded a product of about twelve feet,
which, notwithstanding the traditions that have been handed
down, I believe to be the maximum height attained by the
African elephant.

"We followed the trail across the Saut river, which had now
considerably subsided, and finding that it had proceeded east-
ward along the mountain-chain, returning to our encampment
for horses and ammunition. Leaving the wagon to proceed
to a spot agreed upon, we again took the field about ten o'clock,
and pursued the track indefatigably for eight miles over a
country presenting every variety of feature. At one time we
crossed bare stony ridges, at another threaded the intricacies
of shaggy but dilapidated forests ; now struggling through
high fields of waving grass, and again emerging into open
downs. At length we arrived among extensive groups of
grassy hillocks, covered with loose stones, interspersed with
streams and occasional patches of forest, in which the recent
ravages of elephants were surprising. Here to our inexpress-
ible gratification, we descried a large herd of those long-
sought animals, lazily browsing at the head of a distant val-
ley ; our attention having been first directed to it by the
strong and not to be mistaken effluvia with which the wind
was impregnated. Never having before seen the elephant
in his native jungles, we gazed at the sight before us with
intense and indescribable interest. Our feelings on the occa-
sion even extended to our followers. As for Andries, he be-
came so agitated that he could scarcely articulate. With

ELEPHANT HUNTING. 335

open eyes and quivering lips he at length stuttered forth —
" Dar stands de olifant !"

Two of our people were immediately dispatched to drive
the herd back into the valley, up which we rode slowly and
without noise, against the wind ; and arriving within one
hundred and fifty yards unperceived, we made our horses
fast, and took up a commanding position in an old stone kraal.
The shouting of the savages, who now appeared on the height,
rattling their shields, caused the animals to move unsuspi-
ciously towards us, and even within ten yards of our ambush.
The group consisted of nine, all females, with large tusks.
We selected the finest, and with perfect deliberation, fired a
volley of five balls into her. She stumbled, but recovering
herself, uttered a shrill note of lamentation, when the whole
party threw their trunks above their heads, and instantly
clambered up the adjacent hill with incredible celerity, their
huge fan-like ears flapping in the ratio of their speed. We
instantly mounted our horses, and the sharp loose stones
not suiting the feet of the wounded lady, soon closed with
her. Streaming with blood, and infuriated with rage, she
turned upon us with uplifted trunk, and it was not until after
repeated discharges that a ball took effect in her brain, and
threw her lifeless upon the earth, which resounded with the
fall. Turning our attention from the exciting scene we have
described, we found that a second valley had opened before
us, surrounded by bare strong hills, and traversed by a thinly-
wooded ravine. Here a grand and magnificent panorama was
before us, which beggars all description. The whole face
of the landscape was actually covered with wild elephants.
There could not have been fewer than three hundred within
the scope of our vision. Every height and green knoll was
dotted over with groups of them, "whilst the bottom of the
glen exhibited a dense and sable living mass — their colossal
forms being at one moment partially concealed by the trees,
which they were disfiguring with great strength ; and at others

336 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

seen majestically emerging into the open glades, bearing in
their trunks the branches of trees, with which they indolently
protected themselves from the flies. The back-ground Was filled
with a limited peep of the blue mountainous range, which here
assumed a remarkably precipitous character, and completed a
picture at once soul-stirring and sublime !

Our approach, being still against the wind, was unobserved,
and created little alarm, until the herd that we had left behind
suddenly showed itself, recklessly thundering down the hill to
join the main body, and passing so close to us that we could not
refrain from firing a broadside into one of them, which, however,
bravely withstood it. We secured our horses on the summit
of a stony ridge, and then stationing ourselves at an opportune
place on a ledge overlooking the wooded defile, sent Andries
to manoeuvre, so that as many of the elephants as possible
could pass before us in order of review, that we might ascer-
tain by a close inspection whether there was not a male amongst
them. Filing sluggishly along, they occasionally halted be-
neath an umbrageous tree, within fifteen yards of us, lazily
fanning themselves with their ample ears, blowing away the
flies with their trunks, and uttering the feeble cry so peculiar
to Indian elephants. They all proved to be ladies, and most
of them mothers, followed by their little old-fashioned calves,
each trudging close to the heels of her dam, and mimicking
all her motions. Thus situated, we might have killed any
number we pleased, their heads being frequently turned to-
wards us in such a position, and so close, that a single ball
in the brain would have sufficed for each ; but whilst we were
yet hesitating, a bullet suddenly whizzed past Richardson's
ear, and put the whole herd to immediate flight. We had
barely time to recede behind a tree, before a party of about
twenty, with several little ones in their wake, were upon us,
striding at their utmost speed, and trumpeting loudly with
uplifted heads. I rested my rifle against the tree, and firing
behind the shoulder of the leader, she dropped instantly.

ELEPHANT HUNTING. 339

Another large detachment being close behind us at the same
moment, we were compelled to retreat, dodging from tree to
tree, stumbling among sharp stones, and ever coming upon
fresh parties of the enemy. This scene of ludicrous confu-
sion did not long continue, and soon approaching the pros-
trate lady, we put an end to her struggles by a shot in the
forehead. Andries now came up in high good humour at his
achievements, and in the most bravado manner, discharged
his piece into the dead carcass, under the pretence that the
animal was shamming. His object evidently was to confound
the shots, for, thrusting his middle finger into the orifice made
by my two-ounce ball, he with the most modest assurance
declared himself the author of the deed, being pleased alto-
gether to overlook the fact of the mortal shot having entered
the elephant on the opposite side to that on which he was
stationed, and that his own ball, whether designedly or not,
had all but finished my worthy and esteemed fellow-traveller.

On our way to the camp, of the exact position of which we
were uncertain, in consequence of the late inundation, we
passed three other large herds of elephants. One of these
standing directly in the route, we attacked it, and pursued
the fugitives about a mile over loose stones. Much has been
said of the attachment of elephants to their young, but nei-
ther oh this, nor any subsequent occasion, did we perceive
them evince the smallest concern for their safety ; and those
who were behind us assagaied one, the tail of which they
brought in. We slew another old female as we ascended the
brow of an eminence, and at the same moment perceived our
wagons within a few hundred yards of the spot. The whole
herd dashed through the camp, causing indescribable conster-
nation among cattle and followers ; but fortunately no acci-
dent occurred ; and after the fatiguing day's work we had
undergone, we were not sorry to find ourselves at home.

"Watery clouds hung about the sun as he set heavily be-
hind the mountains. Loud peals of crashing thunder rent

340

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

THE STORM.

the air, and ere it was yet dark, we had a repetition of yes-
terday's storm ; the river roaring past us with frightful fury ;
troops of elephants, flying from the scene of slaughter, passed
close to our wagons during the darkness, their wild voices
echoing among the mountains, and sounding like trumpets
above the tempest. It was impossible to keep the fires burn-
ing, and the oxen and sheep were alarmed to such a degree
that they broke from the kraal, and sought safety in the
wilderness. Tired as I was, the excitement I had under-
gone banished sleep from my eyes. I ruminated on the spi-
rit-stirring events of the day, and burned with impatience to
renew them. Heedless of the withering blast that howled
without, I felt that my most sanguine expectations had been
realized, and that we had already been amply repaid for the
difficulties, privations, and dangers that we had encountered
in our toilsome journey towards this fairy-land of sport.

It was still raining heavily when the day gloomily dawned.
The mountain torrents having overflowed their banks, the
valley in which we were encamped had become a continuous

20:

ELEPHANT HUNTING. 343

pool of water, and those of our followers who had slung their
hammocks beneath the wagons, were partially submerged.
High roads had been ploughed through the mire by the pas-
sage of elephants, and whole acres of grass, by which we had
been surrounded the preceding evening, had been completely
trampled down. Soon after sunrise it cleared up, and the
cattle having been recovered, we armed a party with hatchets,
and proceeded on foot to cut out the teeth of the slain ele-
phants ; but walking was exceedingly toilsome, and our feet
sinking to the ankles in black mud, were extricated with in-
conceivable difficulty. Taking advantage of our situation, an
irritated rhinoceros sallied from behind an old stone wall ;
and the damp causing three of the guns to miss fire, he was
actually among us, when my ball fortunately pierced his eye,
and he fell dead at our feet.

Not an elephant was to be seen on the ground that was
yesterday teeming with them ; but on reaching the glen,
which had been the scene of our exploits during the early
part of the action, a calf, about three feet and a half high,
walked forth from a bush, and saluted us with mournful piping
notes. We had observed the unhappy little wretch hovering
about its mother after she fell, and having probably been
unable to overtake the herd, it had passed a dreary night in
the wood. Entwining its little proboscis about our legs, the
sagacious creature, after demonstrating its delight at our
arrival by a thousand ungainly antics, accompanied the party
to the body of its dam, which, swollen to an enormous size,
was surrounded by an inquest of vultures. Seated in gaunt
array, with their shoulders shrugged, these loathsome fowls
were waiting its decomposition with forced resignation ; the
tough hide having defied all the efforts of their beaks, with
which the eyes and softer parts had been vigorously assailed.
The conduct of the quaint little calf now became quite affect-
ing, and elicited the sympathy of every one. It ran round
its mother's corpse with touching demonstrations of grief,

344

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

piping sorrowfully, and vainly attempted to raise her with
its tiny trunk. I confess that I had felt compunctions in
committing the murder the day before, and now half resolved
never to assist in another ; for, in addition to the moving
behaviour of the young elephant, I had been unable to divest
myself of the idea that I was firing at my old favorite Mowla-
Bukhsh, from whose gallant back I had vanished so many
of my feline foes in Guzerat — an impression, which, however
ridiculous it must appear, detracted considerably from the
satisfaction I experienced.

WHITE RHINOCEROS.

fti/feiope.

IN the western part of the United States near the Rocky
Mountains as well as in the regions of the Upper Mississippi,
is found the Prong horned Antelope. Mr. Ruxton, in his
"Adventures in the Rocky Mountains," thus notices this
animal and the carcagieu. The antelope, the smallest of the
deer tribe, affords the hunter a sweet and nutritious meat,
when that of nearly every other description of game, from
the poorness and scarcity of grass during winter, is barely
eatable. They are seldom seen now in very large bands on
the grand prairies, having been driven from the old pastures
by the Indians and white hunters. The former, by means of
"surrounds," an inclosed space formed in one of the passes

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348 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

used by these animals, very often drive into the toils an entire
band of antelopes of several hundreds, when not one escaped
slaughter.

I have seen them on the western sides of the mountains,
and in the mountain valleys, in herds of several thousands.
They are exceedingly timid animals, but at the same time
wonderfully curious ; and their curiosity very often proves
their death, for the hunter taking advantage of this weakness,
plants his wiping-stick in the ground, with a cap or red hand-
kerchief on the point, and concealing himself in the long grass,
waits, rifle in hand, the approach of the inquisitive antelope,
who, seeing an unusual object in the plain, trots up to it, and,
coming within range of the deadly tube, pays dearly for his
temerity. An antelope, when alone, is one of the stupidest
of beasts, and becomes so confused and frightened at sight of
a travelling party, that it frequently runs right into the midst
of the danger it seeks to avoid.

I had heard most wonderful accounts from the trappers of
an animal, the existence of which was beyond all doubt, which
although exceedingly rare, was occasionally met with in the
mountains, but, from its supposed dangerous ferocity, and the
fact of its being a cross between the devil and a bear, was
never molested by the Indians or white hunters, and a wide
berth given whenever the animal made its dreaded appearance.
Most wonderful stories were told of its audacity and fearless-
ness ; how it sometimes jumps from an overhanging rock on
a deer or buffalo, and, fastening on its neck, soon brings it to
the ground ; how it has been known to leap upon a hunter
when passing near its place of concealment, and devour him
in a twinkling — often charging furiously into a camp, and
playing all sorts of pranks on the goods and chattels of the
mountaineers. The general belief was that the animal owes
its paternity to the old gentleman himself; but the most
reasonable declare it to be a cross between the bear and wolf.

Hunting one day with an old Canadian trapper, he told me

THE CARCAGIETT.
30

HUNTING THE PRONG HORNED ANTELOPE. 351

that, in a part of the mountains which we were about to visit
on the morrow, he once had a battle with a " carcagieu," which
lasted upward of two hours, during which he fired a pouch full
of balls into the animal's body, which spat them out as fast
as they were shot in. To the truth of this improbable story
he called all the saints to bear witness.

Two days after, as we were toiling up a steep ridge after a
band of mountain-sheep, my companion, who was in advance,
suddenly threw himself fla,t behind a rock, and exclaimed, in a
smothered tone, signaling me with his hand to keep down and
conceal myself, " Sacre enfant de Garce, mais here's von dam
carcagieu !"

I immediately cocked my rifle, and, advancing to the rock,
and peeping over it, saw an animal, about the size of a large
badger, engaged in scraping up the earth about a dozen paces
from where we were concealed. Its color was dark, almost
black ; its body long, and apparently tailless ; and I at once
recognized the mysterious beast to be a "glutton." After I
had sufficiently examined the animal, I raised my rifle to shoot,
when a louder than common "Enfant de Garce" from my
companion alarmed the animal, and it immediately ran off,
when I stood up and fired both barrels after it, but without
effect ; the attempt exciting a derisive laugh from the Cana-
dian, who exclaimed, " Pe gar, may be you got fifty balls ;
vel, shoot 'em all at de dam carcagieu, and he not care a
dam !"

The skins of these animal are considered " great medicine"
by the Indians, and will fetch almost any price. They are
very rarely met with on the plains, preferring the upland
valleys and broken ground of the mountains, which afford
them a better field for their method of securing game, which
is by lying in wait behind a rock, or on the steep bank of a
ravine, concealed by a tree or shrub, until a deer or antelope
passes underneath, when they spring upon the animal's back,
and holding on with their strong and sharp claws, which they

352

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

bury in the flesh, soon bring it bleeding to the ground. The
Indians say they are purely carnivorous ; but I imagine that,
like the bear, they not unfrequently eat fruit and roots, when
animal food is not to be had.

A WESTERN HUNTER.

01] ^ SirococSiie.

WHILE paddling up the Rohan, a small stream in the north-
west province of India, I saw what appeared to be a half-
burned log of wood lying on a sandbank. I paddled close up
to it. To my astonishment, it proved to be a huge reptile.
The old stories of dragons, griffins, and monsters, seemed no
longer fables ; the speculations of geologists concerning mo-
sosaurians, hyleesaurians, and plesiosaurians, were no longer
dreams. There, in all his scaly magnificence, was a real
saurian, nearly eighteen feet long. For a while I stood gazing
at this, to me, new fellow-citizen of the world, and speculat-
ing on his mental constitution. The monster was, or pre-

(355)

356 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

tended to be, asleep. I wondered if he dreampt, and what
his dreams and reveries might be about ; possibly he was
dreaming of the same old world with which I associated him —
possibly of the fish who were swimming in the waters below ;
or, he might be thinking of the men and women he had swal-
lowed in the course of his existence. There was a snort ;
perhaps that was occasioned by the bugles and heavy brass
ornaments which had adorned the limbs of some Hindoo
beauty he had eaten, and which were lying heavy and indi-
gestible on his stomach. But presently the brute lay so still,
and seemed so tranquil and placid in his sleep, that it was
difficult to imagine him guilty of such atrocities. He did not
appear to be disturbed by remorse, or the twitchings of a
guilty conscience ; it may have been all a slander. I felt so
kindly disposed towards him, that I could not imagine it
possible that if awake he would feel disposed to eat me. Let
us see ! — so making a splash with my paddle, I wakened the
sleeping beauty. He instantly started up, and opened, what
appeared — what indeed proved to be — an enlarged man-trap ;
disclosing a red, slimy cavern within, fringed with great coni-
cal fangs. He closed it with a snap that made me shudder,
and then plunged into the water, his eyes glaring with hate
and defiance.

Some days after I had made this new accquaintance, I was
sitting at home talking with my brother, when a native woman
came crying and screaming to the bungalow door, tearing her
hair out in handfulls ; she got down on the veranda floor and
struck her head against it, as if she really meant to dash her
brains out. A crowd of other women stood at a short distance,
crying and lamenting, as if they were frantic. What was the
matter ? Half a dozen voices made answer in a discordant
chorus, that while the poor woman was washing her clothes
by the river side, her child — an infant about a year old — had
been seized and swallowed by a mugger. Although convinced
that aid was now impossible, we took our guns and hastened

BLOWING UP A CROCODILE.

357

KINGFISHER.

to the spot where the accident happened ; but all was still
there, not a wavelet disturbed the surface of the stream. A
small speckled kingfisher was hovering overhead, as if ba-
lanced in the air, with its beak bent down on its breast, watch-
ing the fish beneath ; presently it darted like an arrow into
the water ; returned with an empty bill, and then went off,
with its clear, sharp, twittering note as if to console itself for
the failure.

One day I was sitting on the high bank of the river, taking
snap shots with my gun at the large fish who were every now
and then leaping out of the water. A favorite spaniel was
bringing fish out of the water that I had hit. It had swum
already half-way across the stream when the water about six
yards below her became suddenly disturbed ; and to my horror,
up started the head and open jaws of an enormous crocodile.
The dog gave a loud shriek, and sprang half out of the water.
The mugger swam rapidly, and got within a yard of his in-
tended victim, when I raised my gun, and took aim at the

358 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

monster's head. A thud, a splash, a bubble, and a dusky
red streak in the water, was all that ensued. Presently, how-
ever, Juno's glossy black head emerged from the water ; and
to my delight began to make rapid progress towards me, and
landed safely. The poor brute, wet and shivering, coiled
herself up at my feet, with her bright hazle eye fixed on mine
with ineffable satisfaction. Poor Juno subsequently fell a
victim to the muggers, when her master was not at hand to
succor her. I mention these facts, to show the diabolical
revenge with which I afterwards assisted in visiting these
monsters was not groundless. But the strongest occasion of
it remains to be told.

Just as the "rains" were beginning, my neighbor, Mr.
Hall, sent me word that he intended paying me a short visit,
and requested me to send a syce (groom) with a saddle-horse,
to meet him at a certain place on the road. The syce, Sidhoo,
was a smart, open-chested, sinewy-limbed fellow, a perfect
model of a biped racer. He could run, as is the custom in
the east, alongside his horse at a pace of seven or eight miles
an hour, for a length of time that would astonish the best
English pedestrian I ever heard of.

Towards evening, Mr. Hall rode up to the bungalow, wet
with water, and covered with mud. I saw at once that some
accident had happened, and hastened to assist him.

As soon as he got inside, he said, in answer to my banter-
ing about his " spill," " I am in no humor for jesting. Your
syce is lost !"

" Drowned ?'

"No ; — eaten by an enormous crocodile !"

He added that, on arriving at a small nullah about two
miles off, he found it so much swollen by rain, that he had
to swim his horse across it, holding one end of the cord,
which Sidhoo, in common with most Hindoos, wore coiled
round his waist, and which was used in drawing water from
the deep wells of the country. Hall got safely across, and

BLOWING UP A CROCODILE. 359

then commenced pulling Sidhoo over by means of the cord.
The black face, with the white teeth and turban, were bobbing
above the muddy water, when all at once the groom threw up
his arms, gave a loud shriek, and sank below the surface.
Mr. Hall, who had doubled the cord round his hand, was
dragged into the water, where" he got a momentary glimpse
of the long serrated tail of a mugger, lashing the water a short
way ahead of him. In his efforts to save himself, he lost his
hold of the string, and with much difficulty clambered up the
slippery bank of the nullah. All was now still. Only Sid-
hoo's turban was to be seen floating loosely a considerable
way down the stream. Hall ran towards it, with the sort of
feeling which makes a drowning man catch at a straw ; and,
by means of a stick, he succeeded in fishing it out, and car-
ried it with him, as the only remnant of Sidhoo he could give
an account of.

Bad news soon spreads in an Indian village, and Sidhoo's
fate was soon made known to his wife ; and in a short time
she came crying and sobbing to the bungalow, and laid her
youngest child at our friend's feet. The tears glistened in
the poor fellow's eyes as he tried to soothe and console her ;
which he did by promising to provide for her and her children.

Although Hall was generally running over with fun, we
smoked our cheroot that evening in silence ; except when we
proposed schemes for the annihilation of the crocodiles. A
great many plans were discussed — but none that offered much
chance of success. The next day, after breakfast, I was
showing my visitor a galvanic blasting apparatus, lately re-
ceived from England, for blowing up the snags, (roots of trees)
which obstruct the navigation of the river. I was explaining
its mode of action to him, when he suddenly interrupted me
with —

" The very thing ! Instead of snags, why not blow up the
muggers ?"

I confessed that there could be no reason why we should

360 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

not blast the muggers. The difficulty was only how to ma-
nage it ; yet the more we talked of it, the more feasible did
the scheme appear to be.

The brutes keep pretty constant to the same quarters,
when the fish are plentiful ; and we soon ascertained that
Sidhoo's murderer was well known in the neighborhood of
the nullah. He had on several occasions carried off sheep,
goats, pigs, and children ; and had once attempted to drag a
buffalo, whom he had caught drinking, into the water ; but,
from all accounts, came off second best in this rencontre.
There not being enough of water in the nullah to drown the
buffalo, the nugger soon found that he had caught a Tartar :
and after being well mauled by the buffalo's horns, he was
fain to scuttle off and hide himself among the mud.

I had observed, when blasting the snags, that the concus-
sion produced by the discharge had the effect of killing all
the fish within the range of some twenty or thirty yards.
After every explosion, they were found in great numbers,
floating on the surface of the water with their bellies upper-
most. It now occurred to me, that if we could only get
within a moderate distance of the mugger, if we did not blow
him to pieces, we would at all events give him a shock that
would rather astonish him. An explosion of gunpowder under
water communicates a much severer shock to the objects in
its immediate vicinity, than the same quantity of powder ex-
ploded in the air ; the greater density of the water enabling
it, as it were, to give a harder blow.

Having made our arrangements, Mr. Hall, my brother, and
myself, got into a small canoe, with the blasting apparatus on
board, and dropped down the stream to where the nullah dis-
charged its waters into the Rohan. We then got out and
proceeded to a village close by, where we obtained, for a few
annas, the carcass of a young kid. A flask with about six
pounds of gunpowder, and having the conducting wires at-
tached, was then sewn into the kid's belly. Two strong ropes

BLOWING UP A CROCODILE. 361

were also tied to this bait ; and, to one of these, the con-
ducting wire was firmly bound with small cord. The ropes
were about thirty yards long, and had each attached to its
extremities one of the inflated goat-skins used by water-car-
criers. Hall, with his goat-skin under his arm, and a coil of
loose rope in his hand, took one side of the nullah, while my
brother, similarly provided, took the other. My brother's rope
contained the wire ; so I walked beside him, while two coolies,
with the battery ready charged, and slung to a pole upon their
shoulders, accompanied me. A small float was also attached
by a string to the kid, so as to indicate its position.

These arrangements being made, we commenced walking up
the nullah, dragging the carcass of the kid in the stream, and
moving it across from side to side, so as to leave no part of
the bed untried ; and as the nullah was only about twelve
yards wide, we felt pretty confident that if the mugger were
in it, we could scarcely fail of coming in contact with him.
We had proceeded only about a quater of a mile, when the
float suddenly dipped. My brother 'aud Hall threw the loose
coil of ropes they carried on the water, along with the inflated
skins. These made it soon evident by their motion that the
mugger had seized the kid. He was dashing across in a zig-
zag: direction down the stream. I ran after him as fast as I

o

could, and paying out the cord from the reel when I found it
impossible to keep up with him.

On reaching a place where the banks were steeper than
usual, he came to a stand-still I got on the top of the bank,
and commenced hauling in the rope. I did not, however, ven-
ture to lift the skin out of the water, for fear of disturbing
him, until the coolies with the batteries had time to come up.
This was a very anxious time ; for if the mugger had time to
shift his quarters before they came up, a fresh run with him
would have ensued, with the chance of his breaking the wires
with his teeth. After a while I heard the coolies approach-
ing, and my brother scolding them and urging them to hasten

31

362 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

on. Just as their heads appeared above the bank, the
foremost coolie tripped his foot and fell, — I groaned with dis-
appointment. Presently my brother came along with them
and brought the battery to my feet ; a good deal of the acid
had been spilled, but with the aid of a bottle of fresh acid we
had brought with us, we soon got the battery up to the re-
quisite power. Every thing being now in order, I commenced
pulling up the rope with the wire. I proceeded as cautiously
as possible, for fear of disturbing the mugger ; but in spite of
all my efforts, the inflated skin, in coming up the bank, dis-
lodged some loose pieces of earth, and sent them splashing
into the water. Fortunately, however, the mugger had made
up his mind to digest the kid where he was. I could not help
chuckling when I at length got hold of the end of the wires.
While my brother was fastening one of them to the battery,
I got the other ready for completing the circuit ; the mugger
all the while lying still at the bottom of the nullah with, most
likely a couple of fathoms of water over his head, unconscious
of danger, and little dreaming that the two-legged creatures
on the bank had got a nerve communicating with his stomach,
through which they were going to send a flash of lightning,
that would shatter his scaly hulk to pieces.

Every thing being now ready, I made the fatal contact.
Our success was complete ! We felt a shock as if something
had fallen down the bank — a mound of muddy water rose,
a muffled, rumbling sound, and then burst out to a column of
dark smoke. A splashing and bubbling succeeded, and then
a great crimson patch floated on the water, like a variegated
carpet pattern. Strange-looking fragment of scaly skin were
picked up by the natives from the water's edge, and brought
to us amid a very general rejoicing. The exploded mugger
floated down the stream, and the current soon carried it out
of sight. We were not at all sorry, for it looked such a
horrible mess that we felt no desire to examine it.

Our sense of triumphant satisfaction was, however, sadly

BLOWING UP A CROCODILE. 363

dampened about a week afterwards, when we received the
mortifying announcement, that Sidhoo's mugger was still alive,
and on his old beat apparently uninjured. It was evident
we had blasted the wrong mugger ! We consoled ourselves
with the reflection that if he were not Sidhoo's murderer, it
was very likely he was not wholly innocent of other atrocities,
and therefore deserved his fate.

Of course it was impossible to rest while Sidhoo's mugger
remained alive, so we were not long in preparing for a second
expedition. This time we took the precaution of not charg-
ing the battery until we were certain that the bait was swal-
lowed. The acid, diluted to the necessary strength, was
therefore carried in one of those brown earthenware jars
called gray-beards, which had come out to us full of Glenlivet
whiskey. We commenced dragging the kid up the stream,
as before; but having walked more than a mile without
getting a bite, we were getting rather disheartened, and sat
down to rest, struck a light, and smoked a cheroot. Hall lay
down, having manufactured an impromptu easy-chair out of
his coil of rope, with the inflated goat-skin placed above it.
My brother was not long in imitating his example, and I lay
down under the shade of some reeds, near the water's edge.
The heat was oppressive — and we were discussing the proba-
bility of getting a bite that day, and lamenting that we had
not brought some pale ale along with us, when, all at once, I
got a sharp blow on the leg, while my brother came spinning
down the bank like a teetotum ; a companion picture to Hall,
who was revolving down the opposite bank. The ropes and
skins went rushing down the nullah at a tremendous pace. As
soon as we recovered from the laughter into which we were
thrown by this droll contretemps, we set off in pursuit, guided
by the track which the inflated skins made in the water. On
they went, dashing from side to side, as they had done in our
first attempt. On coming to a place where the nullah made
a sharp turn, they stood under the high bank, on the inner

364 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

curve of the bend. It unfortunately happened that the bank,
near to which the skins were floating, was too precipitous for
us to get near them, without starting the mugger from his
present position. With much labor, we detached some loose
sods from the top of the bank, ancl sent them with a' loud
splash into the water, directly over where we imagined him
to have taken up his quarters. This had the desired effect,
for the skins began to move slowly down the stream, as if
the mugger were crawling leisurely along the bottom.

Leaving my brother with the coolies in charge of the bat-
tery, I ran on to where the bank was more shelving. By
good luck, the stream was rushing up, after its sudden sweep,
and sent a strong current against this bank. I had not waited
many minutes, before the skins came floating round the corner,
to where I was standing. I seized the one to which the wire was
attached, desiring my brother to charge the battery, and bring
it down. This he did much sooner than I could have ex-
pected ; for as the battery was now empty, one coolie was
able to carry it on his head, while my brother took the jar of
acid in his hand. It was evident from the motion of the other
skin in the water, that the mugger was still moving ; so no
time was to be lost. I made the connection with the battery
with one of the wires. In another instant the circuit was
complete, and the mugger's doom sealed.

There was a momentary pause — owing, I suppose, to some
slight loss of insulation in the wires — then came the pre-
monitory shock ; then the rumble, the smoke, the sparks ;
and a great bloated mass of flesh and blood rose to the surface
of the water. Hall called out to us to drag it ashore, and see
whether we could get any trace of poor Sidhoo. We tried by
means of a bamboo pole to pull it to the bank ; but the glimpse
we got of it as it neared was so unutterably disgusting, that
we pushed it off again, and allowed it to float away down with
the current.

A BUFFALO.

IK) gouty fitfriq.

THE following is a specimen of Mr. Cumming's adventures
in South Africa : " On the evening of the next day I had a
row with an old bull buffalo ; he was the only large bull in a
fine herd of cows. I found their track while walking ahead
of the wagons, and, following it up, I came upon a part of the
herd feeding quietly in a dense part of the forest. I fired
my first shot at a cow, which I wounded. The other half of
the herd then came up right in my face, within six yards of
me. They would have trampled on me if I had not sung out
in their faces and turned them. I selected the old bull and
sent a bullet into his shoulder. The herd then crashed along
through the jungle to my right, but he at once broke away
from them and took to my left. On examining his track, I
found it bloody. I then went to meet my wagons, which I

31* (365)

366

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

A PALLAH.

heard coming, and, ordering the men to outspan, I took all my
dogs to the track. They ran it up in fine style, and in a few
minutes the silence of the forest was disturbed by a tremen-
dous bay. On running towards the sound, I met the old
bull coming on toward the wagons, with all my dogs after
him. I saluted him with a second ball in the shoulder ; he
held on and took up a position in the thicket within forty
yards of the wagons, where I finished him. He carried a
most splendid head.

On the 8th of June, we made the long wished-for fair Lim-
popo an hour before sunset. I was at once struck with this
most interesting river ; the trees along its sides were of pro-
digious size and very great beauty. At the very spot where
I made the water, a huge crocodile lay upon the sand on the
opposite side ; on observing me he dashed into the stream.

The next day I rode ahead of the wagons with Euyter, and

HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA.

367

A WATERBUCK.

hunted along the bank of the river. I immediately shot a
waterbuck. This animal and the pallah are very abundant. As
I advanced I found large marshes along the river side, a favorite
haunt of the waterbuck. After breakfast I again rode forth
with fresh horses with my Bushman. We still found water-
buck and pallah very abundant. I presently gave chase to
a herd of the former to try their speed ; but as they led me
into the midst of a labyrinth of marshes, I gave it up.

At that instant the Bushman whispered "Sir, Sir;" and
looking to my right, two princely old buffaloes stood in the
jungle within forty yards of me. They got my wind, and
started before I could get ready to fire. They held along the
river-bank ahead of me, but not requiring them I did not give
chase. After this I came upon a huge crocodile basking on
the sand, which instantly dashed into the stream. I now got
into a vast labyrinth of marshes of great extent. Several
species of wild duck and a variety of water fowl, three sorts

368 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

of large partridge, and two kinds of quail being likewise
numerous.

I presently wounded a noble old waterbuck as he dashed
past me in marshy ground. In following him up I met an
old buck pallah, which I killed on the spot with a shot in the
middle of the breast. Following on after the wounded water-
buck, along the high bank of the river, which was, however,
concealed from my view by the dense cover, I suddenly heard
a loud splash, and coming suddenly clear of the cover, I
beheld the lovely waterbuck standing broadside on an island
in the middle of the river. Before I could dismount to fire,
he dashed into the water and swam to the opposite bank. I
grasped my trusty little Moore and waited till he won the
terra firma, when with one well-directed shot I dropped him
on the spot. A very strange thing then occurred ; the buck
in his death-pangs slid down into the river, and continuing
his struggles he swam half-way across the river back to the
island, where he lay upon a sand-bank. I then divested my-
self of my leathers, spurs, and veldtschoens, and was wading
in to fetch him, when the river carrried him off, and, fearing
the horrible crocodiles, I did not attempt to follow. It was
now late, and I rode for my wagon track, which I failed to
find until I had returned to where we had breakfasted. I had
been following the turns of the river, and the wagons had
taken a short cut across the country. I reached them in the
dark by great good luck.

On the 10th, I rode ahead of my wagons at day-dawn :
thick mist was rolling along the Limpopo. Presently I saw
two crocodiles in the stream below me. A little after I had
the pleasure to find, for the first time, the tracks of sea-cows
or hippopotami. I had never before seen it, but I knew it
must be theirs ; it was very similar to the track of borele, or
black rhinoceros, but larger, and had four toes instead of
three. Before returning to my wagons I tried to ride down
a waterbuck which I turned off from the river, but in this I

HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA,

369

\\

•I

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

failed, though I managed to keep close to him in the chase,
and eventually knocked him up along with my horse.

I again sallied forth with the Bushman and fresh steeds,
and, directing the wagons to take the straight course, I fol-
lowed the windings of the river. Presently, looking over the
bank, I beheld three enormous crocodiles basking on the sand
on the opposite side. I was astonished at their awful size
and appearance, one of them appearing to be sixteen or
eighteen feet in length, with a body as thick as that of an
ox. On observing us they plunged into the dead water by
the side of the stream. The next minute, one of them popping
up his terrible head in the middle of the stream, I made a
beautiful shot, and sent a ball through the middle of his
brains. The convulsions of death which followed were truly
awful. At first he sank for an instant to the shot, but in-
stantly striking the bottom with his tail he shot up above the
water, when he struggled violently, sometimes on his back
and then again on his belly, with at one time his head and

370

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

HUNTING THE LION.

fore feet above the water, and immediately after his tail and
hind legs, the former lashing the water with a force truly-
astounding. Clouds of sand accompanied him in all his
movements, the strong stream carrying him along with it,
till at- length the struggle of death was over, and he sunk to
rise no more.

Following the windings of the river, I detected a small
crocodile basking on the sand, when I gave him a shot and
he instantly plunged into the river. A little farther I wounded
a third as he lay on a promontory of sand, and he likewise
made the water. A little farther down the stream, yet
another crocodile, a huge old sinner, lay basking on the sand.
I determined to make a very correct shot in this case, and
set about stalking him. Creeping up behind the body of a
prostrate old tree, I took a rest and sent the ball into his
nostril, when he plunged into the river, coloring the water
with his blood.

We now got into a fine green turn of the river, where I
saw a great many waterbucks. I shot one buck pallah, and
immediately after I came suddenly upon a troop of five or six

HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 371

beautiful leopards. At the next bend of the river three huge
crocodiles lay on the sand on the opposite side. Stalking
within easy range, I shot one of them in the head : his com-
rades instantly dashed into the water, but he lay as if dead
high on the sand. A second shot, however, through the ribs
brought him back to life. On receiving it he kept running
round and, snapping his horrid jaws fearfully at his own
wounded side. In the convusions of death he made one run
clean away from the water, but another unlucky turn brought
his head toward the river, into which he eventually rolled.
Galloping along from this place to my wagons, I came sud-
denly upon a lion and lioness lying in the grass below a gi-
gantic old mimosa. Dismounting from my horse, I took a
couple of shots at the lion, missing him with my first, but
wounding him with my second shot, when he rose with several
angry short growls and bounded off. A few hundred yards
farther on I found my wagons drawn up, and on reaching
them my men informed me that they had just seen two huge
hippopotami in the river beneath. Proceeding to the spot,
we found them still swimming there. I shot one, putting
three balls into his head, but night setting in we lost him.

A HYENA.

ffye 0Hjx.

THE oryx, or gemsbok, to which I was now about to direct
my attention more particularly, says Mr. Gumming, is about
the most beautiful and remarkable of all the antelope tribe.
It is the animal which is supposed to have given rise to the
fable of the unicorn, from its long, straight horns, when seen,
in profile, so exactly covering one another as to give it the
appearance of having but one. It possesses the erect mane,
long, sweeping black tail, and general appearance of the horse,
with the head and hoof of an antelope. It is robust in its
form, squarely and compactly built, and very noble in its bear-
ing. Its height is about that of an ass, and in color it slightly
resembles that animal. The beautiful black bands which
(372)

HUNTING THE ORYX. 373

eccentrically adorn its head, giving it the appearance of
a stall collar, together with the manner in which the rump and
thighs are painted, impart to it a character peculiar to itself.
The adult male measures three feet ten inches in height at the
shoulder.

The gemsbok was destined by nature to adorn the parched
karroos and arid deserts of South Africa, for which description
of country it is admirably adapted. It thrives and attains
high condition in barren regions, where it might be imagined
that a locust would not find subsistence, and, burning as is the
climate, it is perfectly independent of water, which, from my
own observation, and the repeated reports both of the Boers
and aborigines, I am convinced it never by any chance tastes.
Its flesh is deservedly esteemed, and ranks next to the eland.
At certain seasons of the year they carry a great quantity of
fat, at which time they can more easily be ridden into. Owing
to the even nature of the ground which the oryx frequents, its
shy and suspicious disposition, and the extreme distance from
water to which it must be followed, it is never stalked or driven
to an ambush like other antelopes, but is hunted on horseback,
and ridden down by a long, severe, tail-on-end chase. Of
several animals in South Africa which are hunted in this
manner, and may be ridden into by a horse, the oryx is by
far the swiftest and most enduring. They are widely diffused
throughout the centre and western parts of South Africa.

The oryx, says Mr. Wood, animal, is well known among
hunters as the only antelope that revenges itself on the lion.
When the lion springs on it, it lowers its sharp horns, receiving
the lion on their points. It invariably perishes by the shock,
but the lion also perishes with it. Their skeletons have been
seen lying together bleached on the plain.

32

A KOODOO.

ABOUT three o'clock on the afternoon of the 25th, says Mr.
Gumming, I rode north-east, to look out for roan antelopes,
which, next to the eland, are the largest in the world ; and
heing incapable of great speed, may at times be ridden into
with a good horse. I was accompanied by Cobus and Jacob. We
found the country covered with bushes, of which the majority
were of a most impracticable description, reminding me of a
kill-devil, an implement used in angling, they being covered
with thorns on the fish-hook principle. This variety of mi-
374

HUNTING THE KOODOO. 375

mosa is waggishly called by the Boers " vyacht um bige," or
wait-a-bit thorns, as they continually solicit the passing tra-
veller not to be in a hurry ; if he disregards which request,
the probability is that he leaves a part of his shirt or trowsers
in their possession. Here and there were hills covered with
adamantine rocks, through which, however, there was an
abundance of excellent grass and fine green bushes. In short,
it was just the country to suit the tastes of the rock-loving
koodoos. Having proceeded some miles, we discovered fresh
tracks of a troop of them at the foot of one of the ranges of
hills. We then crossed to the ridge, still finding tracks, and
the country becoming more and more likely.

Suddenly, on raising our eyes, we saw standing on the hill
side, within three hundred yards of us, five buck koodoos,
four of which were tearing old fellows carrying extremely
fine horns ; and majestic as they were, the elevated position
which they occupied imparted to them a still more striking
appearance. We galloped towards them, on which they
bounded higher up the rocky hill, and stood for a few seconds
looking at us.

I had seen many sights thrilling to a sportman, but few to
surpass what I then beheld. I think an old buck koodoo,
when seen standing broadside on, is decidedly one of the
grandest-looking antelopes in the world. They now broke
into two lots, the two finest bucks holding to the left, and to
these we gave chase. They led us over the most terrific
ground for horses that can be imagined. It consisted of a
mass of large sharp adamantine pieces of rock ; even the
koodoos themselves made bad weather of it. Cobus, on this
occasion, rode in a manner which astonished me. He was
mounted on " The Cow," which steed, having in its youth led
an unrestrained life, as most Cape horses do, in the rugged
mountains of the Hantam, bounded along the hill side in a
style worthy of a klipspringer. A flat of considerable extent,
covered with tall bushes, intervened between us and a long

376 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

A KLIPSPRINGER.

rajige of high table-land to the northward, along the base of
which, for an extent of many miles, stretched a dense forest
of wait-a-bit thorns and mimosas. This forest was the head-
quarters of the koodoos, and for it they now held, breaking
away across the above-mentioned flat. That forest, however,
the finest koodoo was destined never to reach. As soon as
we got clear of the rocky ground our horses gained upon them
at every stride; and Cobus, who was invariably far before
me in every chase, was soon alongside of the finest. Here,
in the dense bushes, we lost sight of his comrade. Cobus
very soon prevailed on the koodoo to alter his tack, and strike
off at a tangent from his former course ; when, by Jtahing a
short cut like a grayhound running cunning, I got within
range, and with a single ball I rolled him over in the dust. I
felt more pleasure in obtaining this fine specimen of a buck
koodoo than any thing I had yet shot in Africa. He was a
first-rate old buck, and carried a pair of ponderous, long,
wide-set spiral horns.

HUNTING THE KOODOO. 377

Owing to the nature of the ground which they frequent, it
is a very difficult matter to ride them down, and they are
usually obtained by stalking or stealing stealthily upon them.
When, however, the hunter discovers a heavy old buck koodoo
on level ground, there is no great difficulty to ride into him,
his speed and endurance being very inferior to that of the
oryx. I could have stood contemplating him for hours, but
darkness was fast setting in ; so, having off-saddled and knee-
haltered our horses, we carefully removed the head and com-
menced skinning him. The skin of the koodoo, though thin,
is extremely tough, and is much prized by the colonists for
" foreslocks," or lashes for ox-wagon whips. The koodoo
skin was my mattrass, my saddle was my pillow ; and supper-
less I lay down to rest, without any covering save an old
shirt and a pair of leather crackers. The excitement of the
thrilling sport which I had enjoyed prevented my sleeping
until a late hour ; and when at length I closed my eyes, I
dreampt that I was surrounded by a troop of lions, and awaking
with a loud cry, startled my men and horses.

32'

THE GNOO.

AMONG the animals most frequently met with by Mr. Gum-
ming, in South Africa, were the zebra and the gnoo. We
have already noticed the latter. The former is hunted by
the natives with spears and assagais. The following extract
shows that Mr. Gumming sometimes shot them.

On the morning of the 23d, I rode east with after-riders
and a pack-horse. The country through which we passed
resembled a vast interminable park, being adorned with a
continued succession of picturesque dwarfish forest trees, single
and in groups. Such, with the exception of a few grassy
open plains, is the character of the country from Sikagole,
as far as the mountains of Bakatla. We failed to fall in with
elands, but I succeeded in bringing down two zebras and a
(378)

HUNTING THE ZEBRA AND RHINOCEROS. 381

hartebeest, which, along with sassaybys, oryx, and ostriches,
now becoming daily more abundant.

On the 31st we reached the Kurrichane mountain range.
Having crossed these, we proceeded up the valley about three
miles, when we reached a gorge in the mountains which con-
nected this fine valley with the great strath or vale of Bakatla.
Through this gorge ran a stream of the purest crystal water.
Our road lay along the margin of this stream, across large
masses of stone and ledges of rock, which threatened every
moment the destruction of our wagons.

Following the stream for half a mile, we arrived at Mabotza,
the kraal of Mosielely, king of Bakatlas, a tribe of Bechuanas.
Here I was kindly received by Dr. Livingstone, the resident
missionary. The vale of Bakatla, which I had now reached,
is one of the most beautiful spots in Africa. It is a broad
and level strath extending from east to west, and bounded by
picturesque rocky mountains, beautifully wooded to their
summits. In parts the strath is adorned with groves and
patches of beautiful forest trees of endless variety ; in others
it is open, carpeted with a goodly coating of luxuriant grass.
A large portion of the valley, opposite to the town, is culti-
vated by the Bakatla women, and a succession of extensive
cornfields stretched away to the northward of the kraal.
These had lately been denuded of their crops, but a goodly
show of pumpkins and watermelons still remained on the fields.
The following day was Sunday, and I attended Divine service
in a temporary place of worship that had been erected by the
missionaries. It was amusing to remark, in the costume of
the Bakatlas on this occasion, the progress of civilization.
All those who managed to get hold of some European article
of dress had donned it, some appearing in trowsers without
shirts, and others in shirts without trowsers.

The 2nd of June was the coldest day I had experienced in
Africa, a cutting cold wind blowing off the Southern Ocean.
On the morning of the 2nd I was waited upon by Mosielely,

382 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

attended by a number of his nobility and others of the tribe,
who flocked around my wagons importunately requesting
snuff. The appearance of the chief was mild, but not dignified.
One of his generals, with whom he seemed to be on very in-
timate terms, was a jolly-looking old warrior with a wall eye.
and a face strongly marked with the small-pox.

This man's name was " Siemi." He had killed about twenty
men in battle with his own hand, and bore a mark of honor
for every man. This mark was a line tattooed on his ribs.
Mosielely presented me with a bag of sour milk, and requested
that I would tarry with him for a few day for the purpose of
trading. I informed him that I was anxious to push on to
the country of the elephants, but would trade with him on
my return. This intimation seemed very much to disappoint
the king, who was anxious to exchange karosses for guns and
ammunition. But I had resolved to part with my muskets
solely for ivory, which article Mosielely on this particular
occasion did not possess.

The following extract exhibits Mr. Cumming's mode of
hunting the rhinoceros. " Having eaten my steak, I rode to
my wagons, where I partook of coffee, and having mounted a
fresh horse I again set forth, accompanied by Carollus lead-
ing a pack horse, to bring home the head of the eland and a
supply of the flesh : I took all my dogs along with me to share
in the banquet. We had not proceeded far when the dogs
went ahead on some scent. Spurring my horse, I followed
through the thorny bushes as best I might, and, emerging on
an open glade, I beheld two huge white rhinoceroses trotting
along before me. The dogs attacked them with fury, and a
scene of intense excitement took place. The Old Grey, on
observing them, pricked up his ears and seemed only half
inclined to follow, but a sharp application of the spur re-
minded him of his duty, and I was presently riding within
ten yards of the stern of the largest, and sent a bullet through
her back. The Old Grey shied considerably and became very

HUNTING THE ZEBRA AND RHINOCEROS. 385

unmanageable, and on one occasion, in consequence, the
rhinoceros, finding herself hemmed in by a bend in a water-
course, turned round to charge : I had a very narrow escape.
Presently, galloping up on one side, I gave her a bad wound
in the shoulder, soon after which she came to bay in the dry
bed of a river. Dismounting from my horse, I commenced
loading, but before this was accomplished she was off once
more. I followed her, putting on my caps as I rode, and
coming up alongside I made a fine shot from the saddle, firing
at the gallop. The ball entered somewhere near the heart.
On receiving this shot she reeled about, while torrents of blood
streamed from her mouth and wounds, and presently she
rolled over and expired uttering a shrill screaming sound as
she died, which rhinoceroses invariably do in the agonies of
death.

The chase had led me close in along the northern base of
a lofty detached mountain, the highest in all that country.
This mountain is called by the Bechuanas, the Mountain of
the Eagles. The eland which I had shot in the morning lay
somewhere to the southward of this mountain, but far in the
level forest. Having rounded the mountain, I began to re-
cognise the ground, and presently I had the satisfaction to
behold a few vultures soaring over the forest in advance, and,
on proceeding a short distance farther, large groups of these
birds were seated on the gray and weather-beaten branches
of the loftiest trees of the forest. This was a certain sign
that the eland was not far distant ; and on raising my voice
and calling loudly on the name of Carollus, I was instantly
answered by that individual, who, heedless of his master's
fate, was actively employod in cooking for himself a choice
steak from the dainty rump of the eland. That night I slept
beneath the blue and starry canopy of heaven. My sleep was
light and sweet, and no rude dreams or hankering cares
disturbed the equanimity of my repose.

33

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

Jflppopotytyi.

" I BODE forth at sunrise on the 28th," says Mr. Gumming,
" ordering my wagons to follow in two hours. Seleka had
sent two men down the river, before it was clear, to seek sea-
cows ; and they soon came running after me to say that they
had found some. I accordingly followed them to the river,
where, in a long, broad, and deep bend, were four hippopo-
tami, two full-grown cows, a small cow, and a calf. At the
tail of this pool was a strong and rapid stream, which thun-
dered along in Highland fashion over large masses of dark
rock.

" On coming to the shady bank, I could at first see only
one old cow and a calf. When they dived I ran into the
reeds, and as the cow came up I shot her in the head ; she;
(386)

HUNTING THE HIPPOPOTAMI. 387

however, got away down the river, and I lost her. The other
three took away up the river, and became very shy, remaining
under the water for five minutes at a time, and then only
popping their heads up for a few seconds. I accordingly re-
mained quiet behind the reeds, in hope of their dismissing
their alarms. Presently the two smaller ones seemed to be
no longer frightened, popping up their entire heads, and re-
maining above water for a minute at a time ; but the third,
which was by far the largest, and which I thought must be a
bull continued extremely shy, remaining under the water for
ten minutes at a time, and then just showing her face for a
second, making a blowing like a whale, and returning to the
bottom. I stood there with rifle at my shoulder, and my
eye on the sight, until I was quite tired. I thought I should
never get a chance at her, and had just resolved to fire at one
of the smaller ones, when she shoved up half her head and
looked about her. I made a correct shot ; the ball cracked
loudly below her ear, and the huge body of the sea-cow came
floundering to the top. I was enchanted; she could not
escape. Though not dead she had lost her senses, and con-
tinued swimming round and round, sometimes beneath and
sometimes at the surface of the water, creating a fearful
commotion.

" Hearing my wagons coming on, I sent a message to my
followers to outspan, and to come and behold Behemoth
floundering in her native element. When they came up I
finished her with a shot in the neck, upon which she instantly
sank to the bottom, and disappeared in the strong rapid tor-
rent at the tail of the sea-cow hole. There she remained for
a long time, and I thought I had lost her, but the natives
said that she would soon reappear. Being in want of refresh-
ment, I left my people to watch for the resurrection of Behe-
moth, and I held to the wagons to feed. While taking my
breakfast there was a loud hue-and-cry among the natives,
that the koodoo had floated and was sailing down the river. It

388 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

was so, and my Hottentots swam in and brought her to the
bank. Her flesh proved most excellent. In the afternoon I
rode down the river with Ruyter, and shot one very splendid
old waterbuck, with a princely head, which I kept.

The next day, after proceeding a few miles, I killed a very
fine buck of the serolomootlooque. I again rode down the
river's bank, with two after-riders, to seek hippopotami, the
natives reporting that they were to be found in a pool in ad-
vance, where another river joined the Limpopo. After riding
a short distance I found the banks unusually green and shady,
and very much frequented by the sea-cow ; and presently in
a broad, deep, and long still bend of the river, I disturbed
the game I sought.

" They were lying in their sandy beds among the rank reeds
at the river's margin, and on hearing me galloping over the
gravelly shingle between the bank and the reeds, the deposit
of some great flood, they plunged into their native strong-
hold in dire alarm, and commenced blowing, snorting, and
uttering a sound very similar to that made by the musical
instrument called a serpent. It was a fairish place for an
attack, so, divesting myself of my leather trowsers, I ordered
my after-riders to remain utterly silent, and then crept cau-
tiously forward, determined not to fire a shot until I had
thoroughly overhauled the herd to see if it did not contain a
bull, and at all events to secure, if possible, the very finest
head amongst them.

" The herd consisted of about fourteen hippopotami ; ten
of these were a little farther down the stream than the other
four. Having carefully examined these ten, I made out two
particular hippopotami decidedly larger than all the others.
I then crept a little distance up the river behind the reeds,
to obtain a view of the others. They were two enormous old
cows with two large calves beside them. The old ones had
exactly the same size of head as the two best cows below ; I
accordingly chose what I thought the best of these two, and,

HUNTING THE HIPPOPOTAMI. 389

making a fine shot at the side of her head, I at once disabled
her. She disappeared for a few seconds, and then came
floundering to the surface, and continued swimming round and
round, sometimes diving, and then reappearing with a loud
splash and a blowing noise, always getting slowly down the
river, until I reattacked and finished her a quarter of a mile
farther down, about an hour after. The other sea-cows were
now greatly alarmed, and only occasionally put up their heads,
showing but a small part, remaining but a few seconds at a time.
I, however, managed to select one of the three remaining
ones, and, making a most perfect shot, I sent a bullet crash-
ing into her brain. This caused instantaneous death, and
she sank to the bottom. I then wounded two more sea-cows
in the head, both of which I lost. The others were so alarmed
and cunning that it was impossible to do anything with them.
The one I had first shot was now resting with half her body
above water on a sandbank in the Limpopo, at the mouth of the
other river Lepalala, which was broad, clear, and rapid. From
this resting-place I started her with one shot in the shoulder
and another in the side of the head ; this last shot set her in
motion once more, she commenced struggling in the water in
the most extraordinary manner, disappearing for a few se-
conds and then coming up like a great whale setting the whole
river in an uproar. Presently she took away down the stream,
holding to the other side, but, again returning, I finished her
with a shot in the middle of the forehead. This proved a
most magnificent specimen of the female of the wondrous hip-
popotamus, an animal with which I was extremely surprised
and delighted. She far surpassed the brightest conceptions
I had formed of her, being a larger, a more lively, and in
every way a more interesting animal than certain writers had
led me to expect. On securing this fine sea-cow I immedi-
ately cut off her head and placed it high and dry : this was a
work of considerable difficulty for four men.

33*

FUR SEAL.

IN all the seas in which they are found, the seals frequent
the shores only at a certain season of the year, and appear
to disperse themselves more generally over the waters during
the remaining portion of it, which is usually much longer
than that in which they throng to the shores. Those of the
south resort chiefly to the dreary and inhospitable isles which
lie off the southern extremity of the American continent,
though they also come in considerable numbers to the shore,
especially the south-west, which is much broken by inlets of
water and little isles with channels between. The south of
Africa is rather warm for their coming to it in any conside-
rable numbers ; but they resort in formidable array to the
south part of Australia, and especially to Bass's Strait, where
(390)

HUNTING SEALS AND MORSES. 393

COMMON SEAL.

the islands are favorable for their basking, and fish are
abundant for their food. In the northern seas they resort to
the shores generally in the high latitudes ; but there also
they prefer the islands to the mainland. Among the Aleu-
tian islands, and in all the basin which lies between these
islands and Behring's Straits, the seals assemble in vast mul-
titudes; while those of the North Atlantic seek both the
shores of the northern islands and the borders of the ice.

When they resort to the land there are some differences
of habit among them, especially among those of the south.
Some resort to the open sandy beaches ; others to the rocks
which are surrounded by the water, and others again to the
coarse herbage which often extends to the margin of the
water. Fishes are understood to form the principal food of
all the species ; but they also eat polypi and other floating
animals, and even sea-birds, such as terns, petrels, and the
smaller gulls, which are usually very plentiful in the great
haunts of the seals, and resort to them for nearly the same
purpose as the seals do ; only they eat the smaller fishes,
while the seals prefer the larger ones.

Seals are not easily killed my means of cutting instruments,
for though the wounds bleed copiously, the labor of killing

394 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

them in this way is great, unless some of the more vital parts
are wounded. But the great developement of the brain
renders them much more vulnerable in the head than in any-
other part ; and the quickest way of dispatching them is by
beating them on the head with heavy clubs. This is exten-
sively done by the seal-fishers at Jan Mayen, where the ani-
mals are found in such numbers, that the men can knock
them on the head till they are absolutely wearied with the
slaughter ; and in the best time of the season they very soon
fill a boat, or even a ship with a valuable cargo. The seal-
fishing commences earlier in the season than the whale-fishing ;
and when the fishing vessels that resort to Old Greenland,
that is, to the vicinity of Spitzbergen, arrive too early, they
bear away to Jan Mayen for the seal-fishing. Sometimes the
" seal club" is exercised to no small advantage on the caverned
shores in the north of Britain. These caves penetrate to such
distances in the rock, that they are quite dark for a conside-
rable way. The seals resort there to take their siesta ; and
the people watch their time, enter the cave with torches and
clubs, and the seals, alarmed and nearly blinded by the glare
of the torches, become an easy prey. There is of course a
great deal of scrambling on these occasions ; men and seals
rolling over each other on the slippery stones ; and sometimes
a seal will wrest a club from the owner, and bear it off in
triumph to the water.

In winter the Greenlanders hunt the seals on the ice, creep-
ing cautiously up to them, and dispatching them with spears
and clubs. Icelanders and Laplanders hunt the morse in
their light, watertight boats, spearing them in the water.

In early times, when navigation consisted of little more
than coasting and crossing the narrow seas, the seals as well
as the Cetacea, were far more numerous than they are present :
and their numbers came into lower latitudes. But the fishery
which was carried on at first by the Dutch, and lately by the
British and the Anglo-Americans, has greatly thinned their

HUNTING SEALS AND MORSES. 397

A MORSE.

numbers, and confined them within much narrower bounds
than they previously were. Any one will readily understand
that seals are much more likely to have their numbers thinned
in this way than fishes ; because they produce only one or two
young ones at a time, while the fishes produce thousands or
even millions. What man can capture by all his arts of fair
fishing in the sea is not missed in the multitude of his finny
prey ; but it must tell in the case of the seals. Seals are also
far more wary and sagacious animals than fishes ; and thus,
when they are greatly molested on one ground, they are very
apt to shift to another. Hence those of the North Atlantic
became so much thinned, that adventurers, chiefly English or
American, have sought for them in all the inhospitable regions
of the south. Those fishing expeditions to the south, having
originated in a more enlightened and liberal age than those
of the north, have tended to increase our knowledge of those
remote seas. These discoveries indeed have done little more
than show that there really is nothing to be discovered except
a few wild rocks covered with snow for the greater part of
the year : and affording resting places for seals and sea-birds
only. But this is something, as it prevents waste of time,
which would otherwise be occasioned in seeking that which is
not to be found. Mr. Weddel, of the brig Jane of Leith,

34

398 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

carried discovery into a higher latitude than it had previously
reached in those seas. On the 20th of February, 1823, he
reached the latitude of seventy-four degrees fifteen minutes,
which is higher by two hundred miles than any other navi-
gator had penetrated into the antartic ice. No land, how-
ever, was seen in that longitude (about thirty-five degrees
west) to the southward of New Georgia, which is a distance
on the meridian of about fifteen hundred miles. Since that
period other adventurous navigators have proceeded still far-
ther. As the seals are among the rocks, or in the more
shallow waters, small vessels answer best for this fishery ;
and in all coasting fisheries, or other operations in the water
along shore, small trim vessels are always the safest and the
most manageable. The complement of men is abaut twenty-
four. The vessels are strongly timbered and double planked.
The rigging of the vessels is also very simple, but very sub-
stantial. They have generally a smaller vessel, about forty
tons burden, which can be stationed near the shore as a ge-
neral rendezvous for the fishing-boats, which are usually six
in number, and constructed in the same manner as whale-
boats. A good deal of skill and experience are required in
choosing the ground ; and when the proper spot has been se-
lected, the vessel is moored in a safe place, and the apparatus
for boiling the oil erected on the beach. The small vessel
thus acts the part of a tender between the boats and the sta-
tion. The seals are chiefly surprised and knocked on the head
while on the rocks ; and when this is over for the time, they
are skinned and cut in pieces, which are stowed away in the
small vessel. A load of the small vessel consists of about two
hundred seals, which yield from eighty to a hundred barrels
of oil. When the vessel arrives at the part where the boiling
is carried on, the cargo is delivered and boiled, the flesh of
the seals after the oil is extracted serving for fuel.

This fishing is one of great hardship, and often of great
peril. The ships are sometimes out for three years, and all

HUNTING SEALS AND MORSES. 401

LONG-NOSED SEAL.

the time in a sea which is any thing but Pacific, while they
are often at the distance of thousands of miles from any sup-
ply or assistance. Still, when successful, it is profitable, both
for the oil and the skins. The species in most esteem for
oil are the long-nosed ones, called sea-elephants by the fishers
among the earless seals, and the maned-seal, or sea-horse,
among those who have external ears. But they differ much
with the latitudes and also with the longitudes of the places
at which they are taken. Those most in request for their
fur are those which are popularly called sea-bears ; but there
are many species which get the name of fur-seals. Seal oil
is accounted purer and better than that of the Cetacea, unless
when obtained from the spermaceti, or half-crystallised stea-
rine ; and the great markets for it are Europe and America.
The three principal kinds of sea oil are whale oil, seal oil,
and cod oil, the last obtained from the livers of the fish, and
preferable to every other from the dressing of leather. We
believe that, by some absurd custom-house law, whale oil is the
only one of the three which is called fish oil, although it is
not fish oil ; and that, in some places at least, the others
escape the annoyance, both of the protections and prohibitions
which affect this. A good many of the the skins are also

34*

402

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

brought to Europe and America, but the grand market for
them and for all furs is China. The fur seals are also found
upon the shores of the southern lands in May, June, July,
and part of August ; and they return again in November and
December, at which time the females produce their young,
which they suckle for about nine months. It is generally
said that the seals swallow pebbles as a sort of ballast before
they go to sea, and discharge them again by the mouth when
they come on land ; but the story is not in very good keeping
with what we observe in nature, where our opportunities of
observing are more favorable than they are in the case of the
seals.

THE countries around the Bay of Bengal, with the larger
islands of the Malayan peninsula, are the principal habitations
of these formidable animals ; and they appear to be large in
size and powerful in action, in proportion as the ground which
they inhabit is fertile.

There is, perhaps, no river in the world which has made so
extensive deposits in the lower parts of its valley, or where
the portions near the sea are so closely tangled with vegeta-
tation, or so thickly stocked with animals, as the Ganges.
The Sunderbunds, or islands formed between the different
mouths of the Ganges, the name of which signifies a forest
of rapidly-growing trees, form altogether a triangle, each
side of which is nearly two hundred miles in length, or alto-
gether it is not much less than England. This may be con-

(405)

406 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

sidered as par excellence, the demesne or park of Tippoo, in
which he reigns in splendid but ferocious majesty. It is true
that he has some subjects who do not very much regard his
sway upon ordinary occasions, but these are not exceedingly
numerous. The elephant and rhinoceros are both met with
in this singularly blended scene of life and death ; but the
ground is rather soft for their heavy tread, and they are
consequently but rare. The gavial, or crocodile of the
Ganges, is however exceedingly numerous, and very large ;
and though but a slow and sluggish animal upon land, it often
makes prize of the tigers when they come to the waters to drink.
But, with the exceptions of three species now mentioned, the
tiger lords it over all the animals of this wide region, and very
often issues from it to invade the plantations and even villages
which are in its vicinity. Swamps and jungles of smaller
dimensions are formed by the back water of all the great
rivers of India, and indeed wherever the water stagnates ;
and where such jungles are formed, tigers are always to be
met with in large numbers. The greater number of them
keep within their jungle, because the woody jungles are
greatly interspersed with grassy ones, in which deer, ante-
lopes, and other animals pasture ; and the woods themselves
afford an ample supply of wild hogs, monkeys, and other
animals, of all of which the tigers make prey. Sometimes,
however, they issue from their fastness ; and, as when they
do so, they are generally in a state of great excitement, they
commit terrible ravages.

When they make these inroads into the habitations of men,
or of tame animals, they kill much more than they eat ; and
it has thence been concluded that tigers are endowed by na-
ture with a love of slaughter unknown to any other animal.
It does not appear, however, that this is the case ; for though
the tiger comes more into the settled and peopled grounds than
the lion, yet he is not exactly in his native element there,
but is excited, and generally also alarmed, and therefore does

TIGER HUNTING. 409

not rest to eat what lie kills, but goes on attacking and killing
indiscriminately. In his native jungles, there is no reason to
believe that he commits murder for the sake of murder, but
simply that he seeks his food according to the general law
observed by all animals ; and that, when fed, he is in repose,
and quite harmless, as well as the rest. Tigers are much
more numerous in those jungles than perhaps any other beast
of prey in any part of the world ; and as the individuals are
all very like each other, it is possible that this character may
have arisen from one tiger getting credit for having done that
work which was really the performance of a dozen or more.

Many of the Islands and muddy banks in the tiger's
country are held as sacred by the superstitious Hindoos, and
as such, they are resorted to by devotees. These devotees
very often fall a prey to the tigers ; but as not a few of them
go to such places for the express purpose of seeking death, it
is possible that death by a tiger, by being more brief, is at-
tended with less real suffering than starving to death in a
region where the atmosphere is pestilence. When the water
is high, and boats can pass near the trees which cover these
islands, such approaches are highly dangerous, because a
tiger will spring for a very considerable distance from the
jungle upon a boat full of armed men, and make off with one
of them before the rest have time to offer any resistance.
Even when parties of mounted soldiers ride too close to the
tiger jungles, the tiger will sometimes spring, seize a horse-
man, and be off with him almost before those with him are
aware of it.

In places which are not so humid as the jungles of the Sun-
derbunds, tigers do not attain the same size, but they are
more active, and on this account more dangerous to the inha-
bitants. In the larger islands, Sumatra and Java especially
(we know less of the interior of Borneo,) these animals are
highly destructive. They not only intercept the people in
journeys through the woods, — and, from the nature of the cli-

35

410 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

mate, the greater part of the surface is either wood or culti-
vated fields, — they also carry them off not only from their
field labor, but when they are busy at the doors of their houses,
and even when they are inside. They will sometimes descend
or issue from the woods in a troop upon a village, and de-
stroy all the inhabitants ; and there are many places of
those islands where, from a sort of foolish superstition, the
people take no pains to thin their numbers. The general
superstition is, that if they make a wanton aggression on th^
tiger, he will wage a war of extermination against their famiK
but, on the other hand, if the tiger is the aggressor, they con-
ceive themselves entitled, in as far as they are able, to wage
a war of extermination against him. There is no doubt some
show of equity in this tacit code, but the misfortune is, that
only one of the parties can be made to understand and obey
it, and thus it induces the people to spare those animals to
the destruction of many of their own lives ; the more so that,
from the nature of the country, there is cover for tigers in the
close vicinity of almost every village. The people are not,
however, without dexterity in the capture or destruction of
tigers, when once they can be induced to undertake that ope-
ration. Sumatra and Java are, generally speaking, too tangled
with woods for admitting of tiger Jmnting, even with the as-
sistance of elephants ; and therefore the people have recourse
to traps, pit-falls, and gins, in the formation of which they
display no inconsiderable ingenuity. *

Though the tigers of these islands are not so heavy as those
which are found in the jungles of Bengal they are exceedingly
strong, as well as active. It is reported that they can break
the leg of a horse or a buffalo, not by force of the spring but
the mere stroke of the paw, while the bite is sufficient to ham-
string and cripple an elephant, and they are said to aim at
that part of the animal. But the elephant in a wild state, is
seldom to be taken unawares in this way ; and if it must
receive the spring of the tiger on the hinder part (and the

TIGER HUNTING. 413

tiger will not attack an elephant in front unless by surprize,)
it crouches and receives him on the upper part, where the
skin is so tough, that the tiger can make but little impression
upon it, and capable of so much motion, that the elephant
shakes him off, and falls upon him, or stamps him to death ;
nor does it quit the carcass till it has reduced the whole to a
soft mass. Other animals, even the heaviest, are carried off
to the woods with the greatest ease ; and when he is thus en-
raged, he cares but little for musket-shot, if they do not hit
him in a vital part. In his ordinary haunts, and when he is
neither hungry or exasperated, the tiger is, like all wild
animals, afraid of fire, and in such cases a lantern is sufficient
protection for those who have occasion to be in the woods
at night ; but when hungry or excited, fire does not deter
him from making his attacks. Sharp shrill sounds will
annoy the tiger a good deal ; and in some places where they
are abundant, the people contrive to keep them at a distance
by blowing a sort of horn which has an acute and piercing
sound. But formidable as the tiger is in these islands, he
cannot be considered so absolute a monarch as he is in the
jungles of the Sunderbunds. In these last, there is no ani-
mal to attack the tiger, save the gavial, and he is only in the
water or on its margin ; but in the islands, the great python,
ular-sawa of the Javese, usually called a boa constrictor,
though is not a boa, except in manners, which are very much
alike in all crushing serpents, occasionally make prizes of the
tiger, and even lies in wait for him, and, strongly as he is
built, and little as he cares for common wounds, the folds of
this powerful serpent very speedily break his bones.

From his greater activity and daring, or rather, perhaps,
from his frequenting more fertile places, the tiger carries off
human beings much more frequently than the lion ; but there
does not appear to be much truth in the common saying, that
he gives human flesh the preference. Beasts of prey, from
the nature of their organs of taste, cannot be very dainty in

35*

414 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

V
INDIAN BUFFALO.

their choice ; and the probability is, that of prey, equally
within his power, the tiger takes that which is the largest.
There is not more truth in the allegation of the older natural-
lists, that the whiskers of the tiger are poisonous. The breath
of the animal is offensive, and both the bite and the tear occa-
sion ugly and festering wounds, but that is the case with the
whole genus. As was remarked by the lion, the saliva
of the tiger may not be a very wholesome application to
a wound ; but there is no reason to suppose that any of the
genus is furnished with a direct poison, as they are sufficiently
armed without it, and nature, though she always does enough,
never does too much.

Among the most formidable adversaries of the tiger is the
Indian buffalo, which is able to maintain a severe and often
a successful contest with him.

A tiger is sometimes dispatched by a single well-directed
thrust of a spear. This was done by Sir Robert Gillespie
mounted on his Arabian courser. Sir Robert being present
on the race-course of Calcutta, during one of the great Hindoo
festivals, when many thousands are assembled to witness all
sorts of shows, was suddenly alarmed by the shrieks and com-

THE BOA CONSTRICTOR.

HUNTING THE TIGER.

417

motions of the crowd. On being informed that a tiger had
escaped from his keepers, he immediately called for his horse,
and with no other weapon than a boar-spear snatched from
one of the by-standers, he rode to attack the terrible enemy.
The tiger was probably amazed at finding himself in the
middle of such a number of shrieking beings flying from him
in all directions ; but the moment he saw Sir Robert, he
crouched in the attitude of preparing to spring upon him ; .
and that instant the gallant soldier passed his horse in a leap
over the tiger's back, and struck the spear through his spine.
It was a feat requiring the unity of purpose and and move-
ment on the part of horse and rider, almost realising for the
moment the fable of the centaur. Had either swerved or
wavered for a second, both had been lost. But the brave
Bteed knew his rider. The animal was a small gray, and
was afterwards sent home as a present to the prince regent.

THE Rocky Mountains of North America are as celebrated
for scenes of thrilling adventure as the Alps and the Pyre-
nees of Europe. They abound with an animal much more
formidable than any that roams among the mountains of
Italy or Spain. This is the grizzly bear — a ferocious beast,
larger, more active, and more courageous than the lion — an
animal that will fight to the death, against any odds, and of
such tenacity of life, that it has been known to triumph over
its human foes even when shot in the vitals. He must have
a bold heart, a steady nerve, a quick eye, a strong arm, and
a sure rifle who would encounter a grizzly bear.
(418)

WARREN S FIGHT WITH THE BEAR.

ADVENTURE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 421

On a June day, a hunter named Martin Warner, was riding
up the rugged pass upon the western slope of the Rocky
Mountains. The day was very warm, and both hunter and
mule where tired and thirsty. Coming to a small spring,
which had a very cool, refreshing look, Warner dismounted,
blessing his good fortune, leaned his rifle against a rock, re-
moved the pack from his mule, and permitted the poor beast
to wander some distance below to drink from the stream
formed by the water from the spring, and then crept into a
shady place to make a comfortable meal of jerked beef and
water. Much refreshed by the repast, and desirous of still
further recruiting himself he pulled off his boots and began to
wash his feet. While engaged in this cooling performance,
his quick ear caught the sound of a low, deep growl, which
caused him to spring to his feet and seize his rifle, with the
instinctive preparation of a hunter. Amid a clump of bushes,
about a hundred yards up the pass, he saw the large, dark
head, and glaring eyes x)f the grizzly lord of the mountain.
As quick as lightning the long rifle was brought to the hun-
ter's eye — a flash and a report, and with a tremendous growl,
the wounded animal came rushing down the pass. Martin
had not time to reload, and to run would have been utterly
vain. The hunter clubbed his rifle, and planting his back
against a rock awaited the onset. The bear came on confi-
dently. Martin struck him a tremendous blow over the eye,
and then as the rifle flew in pieces, dodged away from the
blinded animal. It would have been easy now for the hunter
to escape upon the back of his mule. But he desired the
bear's meat and skin, and was willing to take his chance of
life in the struggle for them. He ran a short distance down
the pass, followed by the groping bear. Suddenly, the en-
raged beast paused upon a rock, uncertain which course to
pursue, and beginning to droop from loss of blood. Martin
drew his long hunting-knife and advanced cautiously towards
him. Although blind, the bear was still very formidable,

36

422 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

as the sense of hearing and smell of the grizzly beast are
very acute. As Martin approached, the animal made a fierce
plunge at him ; but he dodged aside and struck it just be-
neath the shoulder. Still the victory was doubtful ; for the
bear clutched the hunter round the waist, and squeezed him
like an iron vice. Groaning with pain, Martin still had
enough presence of mind to make several deep stabs in the
side of the bear, and in a few seconds the animal fell back
upon the rock, dead.

Martin had fairly earned his prize, although it weighed at
least twelve hundred pounds. He was almost exhausted by
the conflict. His breast and back were torn by the claws of
the bear. In that region, every man must be his own phy-
sician and surgeon, and our hunter being accustomed to such
wounds, soon had them dressed to his own satisfaction. Then
skinning the bear, and cutting off the best portions of the
meat, he repacked his mule, and resumed his journey.

Martin was a very successful hunter. But he got tired of
a solitary life in the mountains ; and, at length, returned to
the haunts of civilization, settled down in Kentucky. He
did not lose his love of sport, however ; for he soon became
renowned as a hunter of the opossum and the raccoon. On
the frosty autumn nights, Martin would be abroad with guns
and dogs, and he had the reputation of never returning with-
out plenty of game. The neighbors thought it was wonderful.
But he considered opossum hunting mere play.

TRADING FOR FURS WITH THE INDIANS.

elrs of

IN the following extracts from that delightful work, " As-
toria," by Washington Irving, we have a characteristic ac-
count of the Canadian rangers of the woods as well as of the
fur trade. " It was the fur trade, in fact, which gave early
sustenance and vitality to the great Canadian provinces. Be-
ing destitute of the precious metals, at that time the leading
objects of American enterprize, they were long neglected by
the parent country. The French adventurers, however, who
had settled on the banks of St Lawrence, soon found that, in
the rich peltries of the interior, they had sources of wealth
that might almost rival the mines of Mexico and Peru. The
Indians, as yet unacquainted with the artificial value given
to some descriptions of furs, in civilized life, brought quanti-
ties of the most precious kinds and bartered them away for
European trinkets and cheap commodities. * *

36* (425)

426 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

"As the valuable furs soon became scarce in the neighbor-
hood of the settlements, the Indians of the vicinity were stimu-
lated to take a wider range in their hunting expeditions ;
they were generally accompanied on these excursions by some
of the traders or their dependants, who shared in the toils and
perils of the chase, and at the same time made themselves ac-
quainted with the best hunting and trapping grounds, and
with the remote tribes, whom they encouraged to bring their
peltries to the settlements. * *

" A new and anomalous class of men gradually grew out
of this trade. These were called coureurs des bois, rangers
of the wood; originally men who had accompanied the In-
dians in their hunting expeditions and made themselves ac-
quainted with remote tracts and tribes ; and who now became,
as it were, pedlars of the wilderness. These men would set
out from Montreal with canoes well stocked with goods, with
arms and ammunition, and would make their way up the mazy
and wandering rivers that interlace the vast forests of the
Canadas, coasting the most remote lakes, and creating new
wants and habitudes among the Indians. Sometimes they
sojourned for months among them, assimilating to their tastes
and habits with the happy facility of Frenchmen ; adopting
in some degree the Indian dress, and not unfrequently taking
to themselves Indian wives.

" Twelve, fifteen, or eighteen months would elapse without
any tidings of them, when they would come sweeping their way
down the Ottawa in full glee, their canoes laden down with
packs of beaver skins. Now came their turn for revelry and
extravagance. ' You would be amazed,' says an old writer,
already quoted, ' if you saw how lewd these pedlars are
when they return ; how they feast and game, and how prodigal
they are not only in their clothes, but upon their sweethearts.
Such of them as are married have the wisdom to retire to
their own houses ; but the bachelors act just as East India-
men and pirates are wont to do ; for they lavish, eat, drink,

iilFHI ^

=^-=>=^ -----
RANGERS OP THE WOODS SPENDING THEIR EARNINGS.

THE RANGERS OF THE WOODS. 429

all the way, as long as the goods hold out ; and when these
are gone, they even sell their embroidery, their lace, and
their clothes. This done, they are forced upon a new voyage
for subsistence.' *

" To check these abuses, and to protect the fur trade from
various irregularities practised by these loose adventurers, an
order was issued by the French government, prohibiting all
persons, on pain of death, from trading into the interior of
the country without a license.

" These licenses were granted in writing by the governor-
general, and at first were given only to persons of respectability:
to gentlemen of broken fortunes ; to old officers of the army
who had families to provide for ; or to their widows. Each
license permitted the fitting out of two large canoes with mer-
chandize for the lakes, and no more than twenty-five licenses
were to be issued out in one year. By degrees, however, private
licenses were also granted, and the number rapidly increased.
Those who did not choose to fit out the expedition themselves,
were permitted to sell them to the merchants ; these employed
the coureurs des bois, or rangers of the woods, to undertake
the long voyages on shares, and thus the abuses of the old
system were received and continued. * * * *

" The pious missionaries employed by the Roman catholic
church to convert the Indians, did every thing in their power
to counteract the profligacy caused by these men in the heart
of the wilderness. The catholic chapel might often be seen
planted beside the trading house, and its spire surmounted by
a cross, towering from the midst of an Indian village, on the
banks of a river or lake. *****

" At length it was found necessary to establish fortified
posts at the confluence of the rivers and lakes for the protec-
tion of the trade, and the restraint of these profligates of the
wilderness. The most important of these was at Michilimacki-

Nnac, situated at the strait of the same name, which connects
Lakes Huron and Michigan. *****

430 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

" The French merchant at his trading-post, in these primi-
tive days of Canada, was a kind of commercial patriarch.
With the lax habits and easy familiarity of his race, he had
, a little world of self-indulgence and misrule around him. He
had his clerks, canoe-men, and retainers of all kinds, who
lived with him on terms of perfect sociability, always calling
him by his Christian name ; he had his harem of Indian wo-
men, and his troop of half-breed children ; nor was there ever
wanting a troop of louting Indians, hanging about the esta-
blishment, eating and drinking at his expense in the intervals
of their hunting expeditions.

"The Canadian traders," continues Mr. Irving, "for a
long time had troublesome competitors in the British mer-
chants of New York, who inveigled the Indian hunters and
coureurs des bois to their posts, and traded with them on more
favorable terms." The Hudson Bay Company, chartered by
Charles II. in 1670, was another formidable rival. In 1762,
the French lost possession of Canada, and the trade fell prin-
cipally into the hands of the British, with whom it does not
seem to have thriven. In 1766, however, it was carried on
with more than its former energy, by the force of private
opposition ; the consequences of which, displayed in " scenes
of drunkenness, brutality, and brawl in the Indian villages
and around the trading-houses," led to the formation of the
famous "North-west Company," which Mr. Irving compares,
in the extent of its power and the magnificence of its esta-
blishments, to that congress in Leadenhall street, which has
so long dispensed the treasures of the East Indies. The
partners who formed a kind of commercial aristocracy at
Montreal and Quebec, held annual gatherings at Fort Wil-
liam, on Lake Superior, for the discharge of business, and
these meetings were celebrated with the utmost state, luxury,
and display.

It was hardly to be expected that a company, at once so
prosperous and ostentatious, should be permitted to gather

A RANGER, WOUNDED.

THE RANGERS OF THE WOODS.

433

JOHN JACOB ASTOR.

gold by the handful without opposition. The Mackinaw Com-
pany was, therefore, formed by a party of British merchants,
for the purpose of extending the fur trade to the southern and
western districts of the states. The government, meanwhile,
had begun to regard these proceedings with watchful atten-
tion, and, so early as the year of 1796, had sent out its own
agents to trade on the Indian frontier ; this expedient, how-
ever, was insufficient to counterbalance the more individually
interested activity of private enterprise; and the counter-
weight to the influence which these foreign establishments
were daily acquiring, was to be thrown into the scale by the
exertions of one person — John Jacob Astor. This gentleman
a German by birth, was one of those to whom confidence and
acuteness are a better heritage than houses or land ; he began
life with the resolution of making an immense fortune, and
achieved his purpose. In the year of 1794 or 1795, Mr.

37

434 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

Astor made a contract with the agents of the North-west
Company for furs, being enabled, in virtue of the recent
treaty with Great Britain, to import them into the United
States, and ship them thence to all quarters of the globe.

In the year 1807, Mr. Astor's views had so far widened
with his increasing prosperity, that he embarked in the trade
on his own account ; but finding himself, single-handed, unable
to organise a successful opposition to the Mackinaw Company,
he obtained, in 1809, a charter from the legislature of New
York, for the incorporation of a company under the name of
the "American Fur Company;" and, in the year 1810,
fairly bought out his rivals of the Mackinaw Company, merg-
ing his new-born establishment, and his recent purchase, in a
new association — the " South-west Company." The war,
which broke out in 1812, suspended the operations of this
body, and left Mr. Astor at leisure to turn his busy thoughts
to another vast and little-known, district — to follow up the
discoveries made by Captain Gray, of the ship Columbia, in
1792, — by Mackenzie, in 1793, — and afterwards by Lewis
and Clark, in 1804. In short, he resolved to establish a line
of trading communication across America, from the Atlantic
to the Pacific.

" The main feature of his scheme was to establish a line
of trading posts along the Missouri and the Columbia, to the
mouth of the latter, where was to be founded the chief trading
house or mart. Inferior posts would be established in the
interior, and on all the tributary streams of the Columbia, to
trade with the Indians ; these posts would draw their supplies
from the main establishment, and bring to it the peltries they
collected. Coasting craft would be built and fitted out, also,
at the mouth of the Columbia, to trade, at favorable seasons,
ail along the north-west coast, and return, with the proceeds
of their voyages, to this place of deposit. Thus all the In-
dian trade, both of the interior and of the coast, would flow
to this point, and thence derive its sustenance."

THE BANGERS OF THE WOODS.

437

TRADING WITH THE NATIVES ON THE COAST.

The well-known result of this plan was the sending out of
a ship, the Tonquin, to establish a post near the mouth of
the Columbia river. She sailed on the 8th of September,
1810 ; arriving at her destination, the adventurers of the ex-
pedition on the 5th of April, 1811, founded the little town of
Astoria. The ship afterwards sailed to the northward, leav-
ing the settlers at Astoria. Captain Thorn, the commander
of the Tonquin, arrived at Vancouver's Island, and anchored
in the harbor of Neweetee. Here in attempting to negotiate
with the natives for the purchase of furs, he provoked their
hostility, and the captain with nearly all the crew were mas-
sacred. Mr. Lewis, the ship's clerk, being wounded, took
shelter in the cabin, and afterwards blew up the ship, killing
a great number of the natives. On the declaration of war,
in 1817, Astoria fell into the hands of the British. Among
the persons composing the expedition, in the Tonquin, were
thirteen Canadian voyageurs. These people are thus described
by Mr. Irving :

" The ' voyageurs' form a kind of confraternity in the Ca-
nadas, like the arrieros, or carriers of Spain, and, like them,
are employed in long internal expeditions of travel and traffic ;

37*

438 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

with this difference, that the arrieros travel by land, the
voyageurs by water ; the former by mules and horses, the latter
with batteaux and canoes. *****

" The dress of these people is generally half-civilized, half-
savage. They wear a capot or surcoat, made of a blanket, a
striped cotton shirt, cloth trowsers, or leathern leggings,
mocassins of deer skin, and a belt of variegated worsted, from
which are suspended the knife, tobacco-pouch, and other im-
plements. Their language is of the same piebald character,
being a French patois, embroidered with Indian and English
words and phrases.

" They are generally of French descent, and inherit much
of the gaiety and lightness of heart of their ancestors, being
full of anecdote and song, and ever ready for the dance.
They inherit, too, a fund of civility and complaisance ; and,
instead of that grossness which men in laborious life are apt
to indulge towards each other, they are mutually obliging and
accommodating; interchanging kind offices, yielding each
other assistance and comfort in every emergency, and using
the familiar appellations of * cousin' and 'brother,' when
there is in fact no relationship. *****

" No men are more submissive to their leaders and em-
ployers, more capable of enduring hardship, or more good-
humored under privations. Never are they so happy as
when on long and rough expeditions, toiling up rivers or
coasting lakes ; encamping at night on the borders, gossiping
round their fires, and bivouacking in the open air. They are
dexterous boatmen, vigorous and adroit with the oar and pad-
dle, and will row from morning unto night without a murmur.
The steersmen often sings an old traditionary French song,
with some regular burden in which they all join, keeping time
with their oars ; if at any time they flag in spirits and activity.
The Canadian waters are vocal with these French chansons,
that have been echoed from mouth to mouth, and transmitted
from father to son, from the earliest days of the colony ; and

VOYAGEURS.

THE RANGERS OF THE WOODS. 441

it has a pleasing effect, in a still golden summer evening, to
see a batteau gliding across the bosom of a lake, and dipping
its oars to the cadence of these quaint old ditties, or sweeping
along, in full chorus, on a bright sunny morning, down the
transparent current of one of the Canadian rivers. But we
are talking of things that are fast fading away.

" An instance of the buoyant temperament and the profes-
sional pride of these people was furnished in the gay and
braggart style in which they arrived at New York to join the
enterprise. They were determined to regale and astonish the
people of the c States' which the sight of a Canadian crew.
They accordingly fitted up a large but light bark canoe, such
as is used in the fur trade ; transported it in a wagon from
the banks of St Lawrence to the shores of Lake Champlain ;
traversed the lake in it, from end to end ; hoisted it in a
wagon and wheeled it off to Lansingburgh, and there launched
it upon the waters of the Hudson. Here they plied their
course merrily on a fine summer's day, making its banks re-
soumd for the first time with their old French boat songs ;
passing by the villages with whoop and halloo, so as to make
the honest Dutch farmers mistake them for a crew of savages.
In this way they swept, in full song, and with regular flourish
of the paddle, round New York, in a still summer evening, to
the wonder and admiration of its inhabitants, who had never
before witnessed on their waters a nautical apparition of the
kind."

THE wolf is found throughout Europe, Asia, and North
America ; but it is more especially in mountain and forest
districts that it prevails, where the population is scanty, and
with a wide country around destitute of human dwellings. So
suspicious and cautious is this animal, that it is extremely
difficult to take in traps. In the provinces of France that
are infested with them, there exist "Wolf Societies," which
pay a price on every animal killed, varying in amount, ac-
cording to its sex and age ; but they have not been able to
extirpate them.

The wolf stands about two feet and a half high, and has
great power in the head, neck, and shoulders; its bite is
terrible, cutting out the flesh with a snap.
(442)

WOLF CATCHING. 445

In the month of January, when hunger is felt most keenly
by them, they associate together and hunt in packs : so that
travelling in some districts in France (if the weather is severe)
becomes dangerous ; and in Russia, they will gallop for miles
after the drosky of him who ventures at dusk to cross its
wide steppes. Lord Byron, in his poem of "Mazeppa," has
finely described a pack of them on the track of a fugitive.

" We rustled through the leaves like wind,
Left shrubs, and trees, and wolves behind ;
By night I heard them on the track,
Their troop came hard upon our back,
With their long1 gallop which can tire
The hound's deep hate, and hunter's fire;
Where'er we flew they follow'd on,
Nor left us with the morning's sun ;
Behind I saw them scarce a rood,
At day-break winding through the wood,
And through the night had heard their feet,
Their stealing, rustling step repeat.
Oh ! how I wish'd for spear or sword,
At least to die amidst the horde,
And perish — if it must be so—
At bay destroying many a foe." V

On the coasts of Greenland and Labrador, the wolf is so
much like the Esquimaux dogs, that by travellers it is often
confounded with it. It is destitute of much of that ferocity
which marks the European wolf; and even when grouped in
packs, may sometimes be passed by an unarmed man without
danger. During the long northern winter of those polar re-
gions, they grow more bold, and will even dare to seize a dog
before the face of its master ; and have been known to dig
up from the feet of the wearied and sleeping hunters, the
carcass which for security they had buried there.

The wolf of North America uses great cunning in attacking
the deer and other animals that exceed them in speed : a
number of them unite and hem in their prey, and sometimes

38

446 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

drive it over a precipice, and descend at leisure to feed on its
mangled carcass. Captain Franklin thus describes the expe-
dient they use : — " When the deer are quietly grazing, the
wolves assemble in great numbers, and, forming a crescent,
creep slowly towards the herd, so as not to alarm them much
at first ; but when they perceive they have fairly hemmed in
the unsuspecting creatures, and cut off their retreat across
the plain, they move more quickly, and with hideous yells
terrify their prey, and urge them to flight by the only open
way, which is towards the precipice, appearing to know that
when the herd is once at full speed, it is easily driven over
the cliff, the rearmost urging on those that are before. m
The wolves of India are of a light fox-color, inclining to
dun, not larger than a greyhound, slenderly made, but bony.
The head and ears are long, like those of a jackal, and the
tail long, but not very hairy. There is another kind, which
is smaller, but not so commonly met with. The natives have
a peculiar mode of catching them, very simple, yet very effec-
tual. In some retired place, where it is ascertained they are
accustomed to prowl, a pit is dug with great caution, and of
considerable depth. The soil is carefully moved away, and
over the surface are spread slight twigs, and these again
covered with herbage, as to leave no marks of the spot having
been disturbed. On either side of the pit a stout bamboo is
stuck, and made to join in the centre, which is directly over
the opening below. From these poles a small wicker basket
is slung, containing a kid or a lamb, plentifully smeared with
blood, which is also spilt on the ground beneath. The trap
is then complete. Directed by their keen scent, as at night
they wander forth, the wolves are guided by the bait, and if
the trap be well prepared are almost sure to be found in the
pitfall by the peasants in the morning When in the trap
they fall an easy prey to the spear.

MR. WEBBER, in that delightful book, " Wild Scenes and
Wild Hunters of the World," gives a very interesting account
of the peccaries, or wild Mexican hogs, whom he represents
as really formidable to the hunter. Instead of the fear in-
spired by the report of fire-arms as in other animals the
peccary exhibits rage and ferocity. " Ungovernable rage
seems to take the place of this panic — a rage quite as head-
long and as blind. Though scarcely more than eighteen
inches high by two and a half feet in length, it is yet really
one of the most formidable animals belonging to our hemi-
sphere. It is gregarious, and goes in droves from ten to fifty.
Its jaws are armed after the manner of the wild boar, with
tushes ; but they are of a very different shape, and, if possible,

(447)

448 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

more to be dreaded. They stand straight in the jaws, in-
stead of curving upwards, and have the form as well as keen-
ness of the lancet-blade. Their motions are as quick as
lightning, and with shoulders, head, and neck possessing ex-
traordinary muscular power, they manage to slash and gash
in the most horrible manner with these villanous little wea-
pons, which are only about an inch and a half in length. As
they do not hesitate to attack any thing or any body, big or
little, provocation or no provocation, that may chance to
cross their paths, men and animals very soon learn that their
only safety is in flight. As they rush upon the object in a
body, and fight until the last of their number is slain, it is
fruitless to stop and battle with them, as they would cut either
a man or the largest animal, so badly, before they could all be
dispatched, that the victory would prove a dear one indeed.

" There is no animal that will stop to fight them, and men,
dogs, and horses run from them in the most ridiculous con-
sternation— indeed, they are the very terror of hunters."

Is the interior of the vast continents of Asia, Africa, and
America, are found those huge snakes called boas. They
are confined to the hotter regions of the globe, and are formi-
dable from their large size and enormous strength. Though
not possessed of poisonous teeth or fangs, as is the case with
many of the serpent tribe, they have the power of coiling

39 (449)

450 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

round and compressing the bodies of their victims with such
force, that the largest animals often fall a prey to them. In
general they are to be found in hot morasses, swamps, the
borders of rivers, and the tangled underwood of dark forests ;
sometimes half floating in the stream, they lurk for their prey,
which, as it unsuspectingly stoops to drink, is suddenly en-
folded in their crushing coils.

The largest that have of late days been killed have not ex-
ceeded forty feet in length ; but instances are recorded of
much larger ones having been destroyed, even as long as sixty
two feet. Pliny tells us, that the army of Regulus, when at
war with Carthage, killed one near the river Bagrada, in
Africa, whose length was one hundred and twenty feet.

Some of the early Dutch colonists give accounts of snakes
having been killed by them in the East Indies of enormous
size : one, when opened, was found to contain the body of a
full grown deer, with its skin and limbs entire ; in another,
when examined, was found a wild he-goat with its horns. The
writer says, that these monsters were sometimes kept for the
sake of attacking buffaloes, in the kingdom of Aracan, on the
frontier of Bengal.

The tail of the boa has the power of clasping anything with
great firmness; and is furnished with two hook-like claws,
sheathed with horn, which are supported upon bones, and put
in action by powerful muscles. Hence it can easily suspend
itself from the branch of a tree, as it waits for its victim, or
partially fold itself round any trunk it may be near, and thus
gain additional power to resist the convulsions of its unfor-
tunate prey. Mr. McLeod narrates an instance that came
under his notice which may serve to illustrate this, " A negro
herdsman belonging to the governor of Fort William had been
seized by one of these monsters by the thigh ; but from his
situation, in a wood, the serpent in attempting to throw him-
self round him, got entangled with a tree ; and the man being
thus preserved from a state of compression, which would in-

THE BOA CONSTRICTOR ATTACKING A BIKD.

THE BOA CONSTRICTOR. 453

stantly have rendered him powerless, had presence of mind
enough to cut with a large knife, which he carried about with
him, deep gashes in the neck and throat of his antagonist,
thereby killing him, and disengaging himself from his fright-
ful situation. He never afterwards recovered the use of that
limb, which had sustained considerable injury from the fangs
and mere force of his jaws." Some of the smaller species are
brought over to this country. The change of climate soon
throws them into a state bordering on stupefaction ; but even
then they are not to be trifled with. A Mr. Cops, keeper of
the lion-office, was holding a fowl to one of the kind, called the
Tiger Python, when the reptile made a spring, but missing
the fowl seized him by the thumb of the left hand, and coiled
round his arm and neck in a moment. Mr. Cops was alone,
but made strenuous efforts to free himself from the attack of
the snake. He attempted to seize the brute by the head ;
not succeeding in this, he threw himself on the floor, that he
might have a better chance of grappling with the reptile.
Fortunately two other keepers came in, and succeeded in
breaking the teeth of the serpent, and freeing him from his
dangerous situation. The two broken teeth were extricated
from his thumb, and no serious evil ensued.

Coiled up in watchful expectation of some victim, or hang-
ing amongst the branches of a tree, in some dark ravine,
waiting for the approach of its prey, this frightful monster
hesitates not to attack the unwary traveller, and darting
upon him with unerring certainty, speedily crushes him in its
fearful folds. A shriek, a convulsive struggle — a few frantic
cries — growing more and more faint — all is over, and the
strong man is but a lifeless mass, to be gorged at the leisure
of his destroyer.

Travellers in districts where these reptiles are found may
well be thankful that they are not numerous. As civilization
advances, and the dark forests are cut down by the increas-
ing population, and the sedgy banks of the rivers are cleared

454

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

BOA WATCHING A DEER.

of their reeds and jungle, they will become still less numerous,
and in all probability never live to attain the enormous size
which some of them in former days acquired. The specimens
which are seen in the travelling menageries that journey
round the country give but a faint and imperfect idea of what
these serpents are in the land where they are found. The
graphic description, which Virgil gives of Laocoon's death,
is worth quoting.

" (Fearful to behold) from sea we spied

. AN ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES. 459

scending the Pyrenees, with the expectation of reaching the
nearest Spanish village by dark. The path was extremely
dangerous. In some places, it was just wide enough to allow
the mules to move along without jogging their sides against
the sharp rocks. In others it slanted off to the edge of awful
precipices, down which no one could fall and live. The mules
were generally left to take their own course. They knew the
path much better than even the muleteer, and the guidance
of the rein could only have embarrassed them.

Donna Costanza, the lady of whom we have spoken, seemed
to be fearful of accident. She scarcely dared to gaze at the
cliffs that projected above her head in many places, and
when the mule passed along the brink of a precipice, she
shrunk back, and a half-suppressed shriek escaped her lips.
At such times, Narciso, her servant, would show his care for
the safety of his mistress by placing his muscular arm around
the saddle-seat and holding firmly to her hand. One could
not have fallen without dragging all down the precipice.

To add to the fright of the lady, the reckless muleteer
would occasionally mention that bears were numerous among
the mountains, and that travellers had frequently severe con-
flicts with them. As a comforter, he was certainly a devoted
disciple of the scriptural Job. Imagination, of course, mag-
nified the causes of the dread which made Donna Costanza
trembles. The stumps of a pine assumed the formidable
shape of a bear ; and a speck of black in the clouds became
a rapidly rising storm. However, the fears of the Donna
were destined to have an unprophetic termination, for the
party arrived at a Spanish inn, near the foot of the moun-
tains, and by the side of a rapid stream, without any accident
more important than the snapping of a guitar string, which
the muleteer consigned mentally to another, and a worse
world.

The Donna immediately retired to the best chamber in the
inn, \vhile Narciso secured the baggage, and ordered supper,

460 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

and the muleteer quarrelled with the landlord about the
scanty fodder given to his mules. Supper was provided for
the servant and the muleteer' in the public room of the inn.
It was a scanty meal, but as they were accustomed to Spa-
nish public-houses, they had not expected more. After the
meal had been dispatched and the table cleared, Narciso ob-
tained a bottle of rather ordinary wine, and as the bleak winds
howled around the inn, invited the landlord, the muleteer,
and a stranger — a large, powerful and grave looking fellow,
who had hitherto kept apart — to take a social glass. There
was no hesitation. All were companions of the hour, and
they rightly judged that they ought to pass it as pleasantly
as possible.

Of course, the landlord inquired as to the destination of
the travellers ; and the information was readily communi-
cated. Donna Costanza had been upon a visit to a French
lady — an old friend — and was returning to her father's man-
sion, fifty miles from the foot of the Pyrenees. The stranger
was named Vasquez de Cando, an^l he intended crossing the
mountains and visiting Paris. He resided some miles from
the inn, had been accustomed to the mountains from his boy-
hood ; and having heard so much of the French capital, he
had scraped together sufficient money to pay the expenses
of a journey thither. The bottle of wine was soon a bottle
without a drop ; and the mountaineer, wishing to display his
desire for a continuance of the social chat, called for another.
He then became the head of the board, and decidedly the
most fluent talker of the party. At length the conversation
turned upon adventures among the Pyrenees, and here he
was "in the vein." One adventure, which nearly proved
fatal to him, he narrated as follows :

" One night, about two or three winters ago, I was sitting
with a jovial party of mountaineers in this very inn. We
had been very successful in hunting bears upon the mountains,
and their flesh afforded us several rare feasts, while their

ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES. 461

skins paid for the wine we drank. In the midst of our carousal,
it was announced that two travellers, who had been belated in
crossing the mountains, had arrived. They reported that be-
sides contending with the snow and ice, to be expected upon
the path, they had encountered a huge bear, and had only es-
caped by running with almost incredible swiftness, and sacri-
ficing one of their mules. We listened eagerly to their story, '
and were particular to note the exact spot where they had
been attacked. Our party agreed to go in pursuit of the beast
next morning. The travellers soon retired to rest and we
continued our carousal. I drank rather less than my com-
panions ; and I was clear-headed enough to perceive that they
would, nearly all, go to sleep drunk, and get up late. I
thought that I should like to take that bear home to my family
as a palpable proof of my success in hunting. I determined
to anticipate the rest of my companions, excepting a cousin
of mine, named Nino de Cando, who I concluded would prove
an efficient aid in the hunt. As the party grew drowsy, I
contrived to draw Nino aside, to rouse him to perfect conscious-
ness, and explain to him my object and plan. He immediately
agreed to go with me.

" We waited till our companions had fallen asleep upon the
benches ; then cleaned and primed our carbines, and prepared
ourselves for a speedy departure. At the first peep of day,
we left the inn, noiselessly, and hurried up the mountain by
the ordinary path. But although we advanced rapidly, we
kept our eyes keen for the track of the bear. It was a bitter
cold morning ; and we could only keep ourselves comfortably
warm, by rapid motion. Before the sun showed his face above
the eastern plain, we were far up among the snow and ice of
the mountains. We neither saw or heard any indications that
our companions of the previous night were in our vicinity.

"At length in the neighborhood of some stunted pines, I had
the satisfaction of catching a glimpse of a bear's foot-mark on

the gleaming snow. Nino saw it nearly at the same time, and

39*

462 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

we both proceeded to trace the track with great eagerness,
yet with caution. My cousin was not an experienced hunter,
but he was a good shot, and had a reputation for courage. I
did not doubt that he would prove an efficient aid in case of
a contest.

" We had not long to follow the foot-marks. They led up
the mountain over some jagged and frightful masses of ice.
Suddenly, as we came to a clump of pines, by the side of se-
veral peaks of snow, we were in full view of a full-grown black
bear, one of the largest and fiercest-looking I had ever seen.
He was standing on his hind legs, and snapping at the limb
of a pine, near the edge of a precipice, which seemed to be
about fifty feet, nearly perpendicularly down. I fired, taking
a quick aim, and was surprised to see the bear making rapidly
towards me. There were two of us, and to run would have
been cowardly. I clubbed my carbine, and as the bear came
near me, aimed a tremendous blow at his head ; but he dodged,
the carbine was twisted out of my hands, and before I could
grasp my knife, the ferocious animal caught me by the shoul-
ders. Meanwhile Nino, upon whom I now relied, was seized
with a panic, unaccountable to me. He stood aghast. He
clasped his knife in one hand, but let his carbine drop. I
called out to him, to fire or stab, and save my life ; but he
made no movement to comply. I then struggled to get my
knife from its sheath. The bear growled fiercely and sank
its sharp claws deeper into my flesh. We fell and rolled over
and over until we came near the edge of the precipice. I
shrieked to my cousin for aid. He turned and fled down the
mountain ! I now considered that my end was near, and ceasing
to shout, I strove to get loose from the bear or clasp my knife.
We were on the very edge of the precipice. The cold drops
came on myv brow. Thank God ! I clasped the knife free of
its sheath, and drove it into the shoulder of my foe. He
growled more horribly, but clasped me convulsively, and —
we fell ! I know not how long I remained unconscious. When

AN ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES. 463

I regained my senses, my companions of the previous night,
were bending anxiously over me ; I lay by the side of the bear,
and my knife was buried to the hilt in its breast ; it was dead,
and I was saved, though bruised and torn severely. I looked
around for Nino — I wanted to curse the coward. He was
not of the party ; and when I inquired for him they said they
had not seen him since the night before. When I told them
how he had acted, they threatened to punish him for his
cowardice.

" The bear was mine, of course. But I gave my companions
some of its flesh for conveying myself and it back to the inn.
For some months afterwards, Nino dared not show his face.
When he did make his appearance, he kneeled at my feet and
begged my forgiveness, saying that his panic was altogether
unaccountable to himself, and that he would do anything I
might command to test his courage and affection. He seemed
sincere, and I forgave him. From inquiries made after my
bear adventure, I was induced to believe that bolder men than
Nino had occasionally been seized with a panic. We cannot
account for the freaks of poor human nature."

The story of Vasquez de Cando was listened to with much
interest. Narciso thought it worth another bottle. After
this had been drained, and the conversation had become some-
what confused, the party retired for the night. Early the
next morning Donna Costanza and Narciso resumed their
journey.

the 6iroco(Hie«

HERE is an instance of the advantage which the reason of
man gives him over a fierce and powerful animal, much larger
than himself, even though that man be an uneducated savage.
Look at the crocodile, in this picture, and tell us whether you
would like to go up to him, all armed as he is, in his coat of
mail, with his immense mouth set thickly with sharp teeth,
and his fiery eyes glancing furiously at you ! Yet the negro,
(464) '

HUNTING THE CROCODILE. 465

on the coast of Africa, takes a long knife in his right hand,
and wraps a thick cloth round his left, and goes into the
reedy swamps on the borders of the rivers, in search of this
terrible animal. The crocodile rushes at him with open
mouth, but he thrusts his covered arm between its jaws in a
moment. The teeth cannot pierce through the thick folds
of the cloth, so that his arm only gets squeezed a little, and
before the creature can disengage itself, the man quickly cuts
its throat with his sharp knife.

Mr. Waterton tells an amusing story of his riding an alli-
gator, which is another species of the crocodile. He caught
one, ten feet and a half long, with a strong rope and a hook.
His people proceeded to drag it on shore, while he waited
near the water's edge, with a pole in his hand ready to push
it down the creatures throat, in order to kill it. As soon as
it came to land, however, Mr. Waterton perceived that the
the crocodile was frightened, and taking advantage of its
terror, he dropped his pole, and instantly leaped upon its
back, bestriding it as if it had been a horse. He then seized
its fore legs, and by main force twisted them over its back,
which served as a bridle. The crocodile did not like this, and
plunged about furiously, lashing the sand with his powerful
tail ; but the people were highly delighted with the sight, and
dragged the animal and his rider forty yards high on the sand,
its jaws was then tied up, and its fore feet secured in the
position in which they had been placed ; and it was at last
killed, and taken to England.

There are some terrible accounts of the ferocity of alli-
gators ; the following, mentioned by Mrs. Trollope, is very
shocking : — " It is said, that some points of shis dismal river,
(the Mississippi,) crocodiles are so abundant, as to add to the
terror of their attacks to the other sufferings of a dwelling
there. We were told a story of a squatter, who having
' located' himself close to the river's edge, proceeded to build
his cabin. This operation is soon performed ; for social feeling

466 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

and the love of whiskey, bring all the scanty neighborhood
round a new comer, to aid him in cutting down trees, and
in rolling up the logs, till the mansion is complete. This was
done : the wife and five young children were put in possession
of their new home, and slept soundly after a long march.
Towards daybreak, the husband and father was awakened by
a faint cry, and looking up, beheld the relics of three of his
children scattered over the floor, and an enormous crocodile,
with several young ones round her, occupied in devouring
remnants of their horrid meal. He looked for a weapon, but
finding none, and aware that unarmed he could do nothing, he
raised himself gently on his bed, and contrived to crawl from
thence through a window, hoping that his wife, whom he left
sleeping, might with the remaining children, rest undiscovered
till his return. He flew to his nearest neighbor, and besought
his aid : in less than a half an hour, two men returned with
him, all three well armed ; but, alas ! they were too late ; the
wife and her two babes lay mangled on their bloody bed.
The gorged reptiles fell an easy prey to their assailants ; who,
upon examining the place, found that the hut had been con-
structed close to the mouth of a large hole almost a cavern,
where the monster had hatched her hateful brood."

It will be obsereed that in this account Mrs. Trollope con-
founds the alligator with the crocodile.

What is most remarkable in the crocodile is, that it is
covered with hard and thick shelly plates, not very regular
in their shape, but fitted to each other. On the under parts
of the body these are much softer, so as to be easily pierced
with a knife, but on the back and sides they are so hard, that
it is said a ball from a good gun will not penetrate them.
This shelly covering gives a stiffness to the animal, which
prevents its turning very easily, so that the best way to escape,
if pursued by one is to make as many turns as possible.

THE porcupine is a native of Africa, and is also found in
the south of Europe and the United States. The quills are
prettily marked with black and white alternately, and are
frequently used as holders for steel pens. It was formerly
believed that this animal had the power of shooting its quills
at its enemies, from a distance, but like many other things
reported of animals, this is quite untrue. Those which are
placed upon the body, are usually about a foot long, sharp at
the point, and thickest in the middle ; they commonly lie
nearly flat ; but if the porcupine be alarmed or irritated, it
will raise the spines suddenly, so as cause them to stand stiffly
up from the skin, and point in all directions. On the head
and neck, there is a crest of very stiff bristles, which arch

(467)

468

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

THE PORCUPINE.

backward. The quills on the tail do not run to a point, but
are open at the end, and appear as if they had been cut off.
These are not very firmly fixed in the skin, and when the
creature shakes himself, they make a loud rattling noise.

There is a species of porcupine found in Canada, and other
parts of North America, which climbs trees ; its quills are
much shorter than those of the African kind. The Indian
women use the quills, when split and stained of various bright
colors, to embroider the tobacco-pouches, and the moccasins,
or deer skin slippers, of their husbands ; and this quill work
is often done with great skill and ingenuity, and has a very
pretty effect.

The porcupines are all very harmless animals ; rather dull,
stupid perhaps ; still, if they do no good, they do no harm.
They sleep all day, in some hole dug in a bank, and come out
at night, to search for roots for food. Their sole defence from

HUNTING THE PORCUPINE. 469

fierce wild beasts, consists, in their prickly covering ; but this
is quite sufficient, for it is said, that when a porcupine has
bristled up his spines, even the lion does not dare to attack it.
Bingly states in his pleasing and instructive " Animal Biogra-
phy," that "the late Sir Ashton Lever had a porcupine
which he frequently turned out on the grass behind his house,
to play with a tame leopard, and a large Newfoundland dog.
As soon as they were let loose, the leopard and dog began to
pursue the porcupine, which always at first endeavored to
escape by flight ; but on finding this ineffectual, he would
thrust his head into a corner, making a snorting noise,, and
raising his spines. With these, his pursuers pricked their
noses till they quarelled between themselves, and thus gave
him an opportunity to escape."

Hunting the porcupine with dogs is a ticklish affair as an
attempt to bite the animal fills the dog's mouth with the quills.
Mr. Gumming frequently shot porcupines in his South African
expeditions and he says that the flesh when roasted is very
palateable.

BRAZILIAN PORCUPINE.
40

Jigeir Jfaifftyg ir>

BEAUTIFUL in appearance, the tiger is most ferocious in dis-
position ; and in Upper India, to the jungles of which district
it is principally confined, it is regarded with terror and hatred.
The death of a tiger is the death of a general foe. It carries
off not only their cattle, but, lurking in the long grass through
which paths are cut to the villages, it pounces upon the people
themselves, and carries them away as a cat would carry off a
mouse. When brought to bay by the huntsman, it fights with
the most savage fury, and not unfrequently leaves fatal proofs
of its strength and ferocity. Shakespeare frequently makes
use of the tiger, as typical of courage and wild resolution.

41 But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger ;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage :

(470)

TIGER HUNTING IN INDIA. 473

Then lend the eye a terrible aspect ;

Let it pry through the portage of the head,

Like the brass cannon ; let the brow o'erwhelm it

As fearfully as doth a galled rock

O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, —

Swilled with the wild and wasteful ocean.

Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide ;

Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit

To his full height."

The average size of the tiger is from about three to four feet
in height, and in length it varies from six to nine feet. It
generally lies in wait for its victim, and springs upon it with a
fearful leap ; if this should be unsuccessful it sometimes slinks
off, but more generally pursues the affrighted prey with a speed
that is almost in incredible. The Indian buffalo is not only
borne down, but also carried off by this tremendous beast.
Various devices are resorted to, to destroy this formidable foe.
One or two that we did not previously mention may be just
named. A spring-bow, which discharges a poisonous arrow,
is sometimes laid in its way, the tiger letting fly the arrow by
touching a cord which is stretched across its path. Though
the wound received is sometimes but slight, yet the deadly poi-
son in which the arrow is dipped almost always insures its prov-
ing fatal. A similar plan is to suspend a heavy beam over
the way it traverses, connected with a cord which lies directly
in its path. Upon touching the cord down comes the beam,
and the animal is crushed beneath its ponderous weight. Some-
times single individuals have gone out to seek the tiger in his
lair ; and, aided by the deadly rifle-gun, have come off victors.
Some time ago, an officer of one of the company's regiments,
who had become famous for his encounters with this royal
beast, was applied to by the natives of a village in Upper India,
to rid them of a large tiger that had for a long time infested
the neighborhood. To this he consented, and, attended by a
single Hindoo servant, watched for several nights on the banks
of a small stream where the tiger was said to prowl. But it

40*

474 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

was all in vain; though in the morning time they could see
the animal's foot prints above and below their station, yet
they could never catch sight of the beast himself, and the gen-
tleman was about to give it up as a bad job, when one day a
native came hastening to his abode, to tell him that the tiger
was abroad.

The animal had killed a small cow near the jungle, and had
left the carcass untouched, a sure sign that he meant to visit
it again. The officer ordered the cow to be drawn a little
nearer to a part of the jungle that seemed as if it would afford
some sort of screen. As evening drew on he took up his
station in the jungle, close to the tail of the cow ; and ar-
ranged his servant, and a Hindoo, who persisted in being
present, so that they could see all round, and were in no
danger of being attacked behind unawares. The night set
in very dark : to see at any distance was impossible. They
watched and listened till midnight came, and no tiger. At
length a rustling was heard amongst the jungle, as if some
heavy beast was forcing his way through the underwood.

They all held their breath to listen with still more anxiety ;
but the noise had ceased, and the officer began to think that
the tiger had turned aside ; when he looked up, and at the
head of the cow, within a yard and a half of himself, he per-
ceived the dusky form of the huge beast ; his paws upon the
carcass of the cow. More through desperation than deliberate
courage the rifle was raised and fired. With an awful roar,
the tiger rushed forward, but luckily missed the spot where
they lay in ambush. Meanwhile, terrified out of their senses,
the Hindoo and servant clung to him so closely, that it was
impossible to prepare for another shot. A minute or more
passed away, and they heard the beast fall to the earth, and
groan heavily. They felt relieved, and listened with pleasure
as each groan grew fainter and fainter, and indicated that
the animal was expiring. After a time, one of the attendants
mustered up courage enough to go and rouse the village. The

TIGER HUNTING IN INDIA. 477

people soon came with their torches, and after a little search
the monster was found lying stretched out, dead on the ground.
At the sight of him the natives set up a shout of joy, and
hailed the officer as a real benefactor. Such is the account
of shooting a tiger, which we remember to have met with some-
where or other. Generally, however a company of hunters
join, and even then often find their foe quite a match for
them. Our engraving represents the tiger attacking a party
of Hindoos in their boats. The river has flooded over the low
marshy ground adjoining, and compelled the wild animals
that lurked there to swim for their lives. The natives, taking
advantage of this event, have embarked in their boats to spear
the surprised antelopes, as they are struggling in the water.
When, from yonder clump of palm trees, a low growl tells
them that other beasts besides deer have been caught in the
flood. Now commences the dangerous fray. The tiger seeing
that he is discovered, boldly strikes out in the stream ; he is
soon overtaken, and a spear driven deep in his side. With a
roar of furious rage he turns to attack his foes ; seizing their
boat with his paw he bids fair to upset it, and plunge its crew
in the water. But another boat has reached them and another
spear is piercing him. As he turns upon his new foes he is
again attacked behind ; till at last exhausted by swimming,
fighting, and struggling, he is slain by his enemies.

Fierce and rentless, blood-thirsty and ferocious, the tiger
is but too fit an emblem of men whose lives present only the
records of cruelty and oppression, whose steps are marked by
blood, and whose actions are stamped with savage remorse-
lessness — men who might justly apply to themselves the lines
of the poet : —

" my intents are savage, wild ;

More fierce and more inexorable far,
Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea." '

But fierce as the tiger is, a few cases are known in which
they have been tamed and have exhibited all possible signs

478 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

of affection ; however, they are not to be trusted, for the
natural ferocity of their disposition often breaks out most in-
opportunely and fatally. Sometimes they are effectually
cowed by the wild tempests that occasionally sweep over the
continent of India. A curious anecdote illustrating this is to
be found in one of the early numbers of the "Penny Maga-
zine." During the dreadful storm and inundation in Bengal,
in May, 1833, the estates of Mr. Campbell, situated on the
island of Sauger, at the entrance of the river Hoogly suffered
so greatly, that out of three thousand people living on his
grounds only six or seven hundred escaped, and these princi-
pally by clinging to the roof and ceiling of his house. When
the house was in this close, crammed state, with scarcely room
within it for another individual, what should come squeezing
and pushing its way into the interior of the room but an im-
mense tiger, with its tail hanging down, and exhibiting every
other symptom of excessive fear. Having reached the room
in which Mr. Campbell was sitting, he nestled himself into one
of the corners, and lay down like a large Newfoundland dog.
Mr. Campbell loaded his gun in a very quiet manner, and shot
him dead on the spot.

Let us take one more glance at the mode of hunting usu-
ally pursued, namely, that in which elephants are used.
Equipped in the usual manner, a party set off in search of
the tiger ; in passing through the forest they started wild
hogs, hog-deer, and antelopes in abundance, but at none of
these would they fire ; the whole of their charges was reserved
for a different foe. They passed through a thick wood, and
the skill with which the elephant made a way through it was
marvellous — breaking some branches, bending others, uproot-
ing small trees and avoiding large ones, they seemed en-
dowed with as much reason as man himself. At length the
forest is cleared, and they enter an open space of marshy
grass, not three feet high : a large herd of cattle were feeding
there, and the herdsman was sitting under a bush, when just

TIGER HUNTING IN INDIA. 479

as the former began to move before them, up jumped the very
tiger they were seeking, and cantered off across a bare plain
dotted with small patches of bush jungle. Only one bullet
was fired at him, and he cleared the thick grass unhurt, they
pursuing him at full speed. Twice he threw them out by
stopping short in small strips of jungles, and then running
back when they had passed ; he gave them a very fast trot
for about two miles. He was at last struck with a bullet,
and crept into a close thicket of trees and bushes. The two
first sportsmen passed by him, the third one saw him rising to
charge. The driver of this gentleman's elephant had dropped
his goad, which he had not been permitted to recover, as the
elephant had become irritated and unmanageable ; he appeared
to see the tiger as quickly as the hunter, who had only time
to fire once, when the elephant rushed with the greatest fury
into the thicket, and falling upon his knees, nailed the tiger
with his tusks to the ground. Such was the violence of the
shock, that one of servants was thrown out, and a gun went
overboard.

The struggles of the elephant to crush his still resisting foe,
who had fixed one paw on his eye, were so violent, that the
hunter had to hold on with all his power to keep himself in the
houdah. The second barrel of the gun went off in the scuffle.,
the ball passing very near to the driver's head. At length
the elephant left him mangled and crushed, but not quite dead,
and some of the hunters firing into him, killed him. It was
a most beautifully marked tiger.

So bold and daring does this animal become under the
influence of hunger, that it has been known to carry away
an individual from the midst of a party who had sat down
to refresh themselves near a jungle.

PYTHON ATTACKING A DEER.

tolfi}

THERE is a species of snake called the python, which closely
resembles the true boa, but is larger and more terrible. Py-
thons are found in India, Africa, and Australia. Wild hogs,
antelopes, and even men fall victims to these monsters. They
are not poisonous, but strangle and crush their large victims
by powerful compression. The ular sawa, or great python
of the Sunda Isles is said to exceed, when full grown, thirty
feet in length. But the pythons of India have excited the
most dread, by their awful depredations.
(480)

41

ADVENTURE WITH A PYTHON.

483

-

BOA REPOSING.

Some years ago, an Indian ship was passing near the Sunder-
bunds, and the captain sent a boat into one of the creeks to
get some fresh fruit. The inhabitants of this inhospitable region
are few and miserable. They have but little communication
with the rest of the world, and that only occurs, when passing
vessels send to purchase some of their fruits, which they are
chiefly engaged in cultivating. Having reached the shore,
the crew, six in number, moored the boat under a bank. A

484 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

lascar was left to take care of it, while the rest of the party
went after the fruit.

The day was very hot. Not a breath stirred the trees,
whose branches overhung the water. The birds had sought
the cool groves farther inland. The sky was without a cloud,
and like burnished brass — the water its reflection. The air
seemed standing still and panting for a cool breath. The
lascar waited patiently. The party did not return. Probably,
they were forced to proceed farther than they expected. A
half-hour passed and they did not appear. The lascar, made
listless by the intense heat, sank down under the seats of the
boat, and gradually yielded to the soft soothings of sleep.
In a few moments after lying down, he was dead to all exter-
nal things. He did not feel the heat.

Suddenly, the head — eager and dreadful — of an enormous
snake, of the python species, peered over the branch of a
tree, near the boat. It quickly glanced around, as if to assure
itself that no wakeful foes were near, and slowly stretched its
head downward towards the boat. Good heavens ! the lascar
remains unconscious of the monster's advance. How it licks
its slimy chops in anticipation of a good meal ! What length !
Many feet are stretched forward, and many remain coiled
around the trunks of the trees. Its skin is glossy, variegated,
and very beautiful ; but, oh ! how deadly will be the enormous
folds ! It has reached the boat, and has begun to coil itself
around the body of the sleeping lascar. Its jaws, foul and
slimy, are extended ; its forked tongue protrudes. Soon the
coil will crush the bones of the man. A yell of fear and sur-
prise pierces the air. The lascar awakes to feel his awful
situation, and to know that his friends have arrived, and are
at work for his deliverance. A portion of the monster's tail
is severed with a hatchet, and he lost the power of doing mis-
chief. The poor lascar shrieks to his companions to save him.

A few more blows with oars and hatchets and the serpent
is dispatched, its head being severed and thrown into the

ADVENTURE WITH A PYTHON.

485

water. The lascar is rescued, and is but slightly bruised.
Filled with joy and gratitude he embraces his preservers.
Upon measurement, this serpent was found to be sixty-two
feet and some inches in length. With the skin and some of the
fat, which the natives esteem for its curative properties, and
the fruit which they had purchased, the crew of the boat re-
turned to the ship.

MALAYS.

JULES GERARD is a native of Pignan, in the arrondissement
of Toulon, where he was born, in the year 1817 ; and having
embraced the profession of arms, joined the 3d regiment of
calvary in the French army of Algeria, as a volunteer, on the
23d June, 1842. While on duty in this country he had lei-
sure for hunting, of which he was remarkably fond ; and being
induced by the Arabs in his neighborhood to hunt the lions
which troubled them, he was so successful, as to gain their
affections and the title of Gerard, the Lion Slayer. The fol-
lowing narrative was communicated by himself to the Journal
des Chasseurs, published in Paris.

I knew of a large old lion in the Smauls country, and be-
took myself in that direction. On arriving I heard that he
was in the Bonariff, near Batnah. My tent was not yet pitched
(486)

GEKARD, THE LION SLAYER.

GEBAKD, THE LION SLAYER. 487

at the foot of the mountain, when I learned that he was at the
Fed-Jong, where, on my arrival, I found he had gained the
Aures. After travelling one hundred leagues in ten days in
the track of my brute, without catching a glimpse of any thing
but his foot-points, I was gratified on the night of the 22nd
of August, with the sound of my lord's voice. I had established
my tent in the valley of Ousten. As there is only one path
across this thickly covered valley, I found it an easy task to
discover his track and follow it to his lair. At six o'clock in
the evening I alighted upon a hillock, commanding a prospect
of the country around. I was accompanied by a native of the
country and my spahi, one carrying my carbine, the other my
old gun. As I had anticipated, the lion roared under cover
at dawn of day ; but instead of advancing towards me, he
started off in a westerly direction, at such a pace that it was
impossible for me to come up with him. I retraced my steps
at midnight, and took up my quarters at the foot of a tree
upon the path which the lion had taken. The country about
this spot was cleared and cultivated. The moon being favo-
rable, the approach of anything could be descried in every
direction. I installed myself and waited. Weary, after a
ride of several hours, over a very irregular country, and not
expecting any chance that night, I enjoined my spahi to keep
a good watch, and lay down. I was just about to fall asleep,
when I felt a gentle pull at my burnous. On getting up I
was able to make out two lions, sitting one beside the other,
about one hundred paces off, and exactly on the path in which
I had taken up my position. At first I thought we had been
perceived, and prepared to make the best of this discovery.
The moon shed a light over the entire ground which the lions
would have to cross in order to reach the tree, close to which
all within a circumference of ten paces was completely dark,
both on account of the thickness of the tree and the shadow
cast by the foliage. My spahi, like me, was in range of the
shadow, while the Arab lay snoring ten paces off in the full

488 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

light of the moon. There was no doubting the fact — it was
this man who attracted the attention of the lions. I expressly
forbade the spahi to wake up the Arab, as I was persuaded
that when the action was over he would be proud of having
served as a bait, even without knowing it. I then prepared
my arms and placed them against the tree and got up, in order
the better to observe the movements of the enemy. They were
not less than half an hour traversing a distance of one hundred
metres. Although the ground was open, I could only see
them when they raised their heads to make sure that the Arab
was still there. They took advantage of every stone, and
every tuft of grass, to render themselves almost invisible ; at
last the boldest of them came up crouching on his belly, to
within ten paces of me, and fifteen of the Arab. His eye was
fixed on the latter, and with such an expression that I was
afraid I had waited too long. The second, who had stayed a
few paces behind, came and placed himself on a level with,
and about four or five paces from the first. I then saw for
the first time that they were both full-grown lionesses. I took
aim at the first, and she came rolling and roaring down to the
foot of the tree. The Arab was scarcely awakened when a
second ball stretched the animal dead upon the spot. The
first bullet went in at the muzzle and came out at the tail ;
the second had gone through the heart. After making sure
that my men were all right, I looked out for the second lioness.
She was standing up within fifteen paces, looking at what was
going on around her. I took my gun and levelled it at her.
She squatted down. When I fired she foil down roaring, and
disappeared in a field of maize on the edge of the road. On
approaching I found by her moaning that she was still alive,
and did not venture at night into the thick plantation which
sheltered her. As soon as it was day I went to the spot where
she had fallen, and all I found were blood-marks marking her
track in the direction of the wood. After sending the dead
lioness to the neighboring garrison, who celebrated its arrival

DEATH OF THE LION AND ESCAPE OF THE ARAB.

GERAKD, THE LION SLAYER. 491

by a banquet, I returned to my post of the previous night.
A little after sunset the lion roared for the first time, but in-
stead of quitting his lair, he remained there all night, roaring
like a madman. Convinced that the wounded lioness was
there, I sent, on the morning of the 24th, two Arabs to explore
the cover. They returned without daring to approach it. On
the 24th, there was the same roaring and complaining of the
lion, on the mountain and under cover. On the 25th, at five
in the evening, I had a young goat muzzled, and proceeded
with it to the mountain. The lair was exceedingly difficult
of access. Nevertheless I succeeded at last, by crawling now
on my hands, and now on my belly, in reaching it. Having
discovered certain indications of the presence of the inhabi-
tants of this locality, I had the goat unmuzzled and tied to a
tree. Then followed the most comical panic on the part of
the Arabs, who were carrying my arms. Seeing themselves
in the middle of the lion's lair, whom they could distinctly
smell, and hearing the horrified goat calling them with all its
might, was a position perfectly intolerable to them. After
consulting together as to whether it were better to climb up
a tree or clamber on a rock, they asked my permission to re-
main near the goat. This confidence pleased me, and obtained
them the privilege of a place by my side. I had not been
there a quarter of an hour when the lioness appeared ; she
found herself suddenly beside the goat, and looked about her
with an air of astonishment. I fired, and she fell without a
struggle. The Arabs were already kissing my hands, and I
myself believed her dead, when she got up again as though
nothing was the matter, and showed us all her teeth. One
of the Arabs who had run towards her was within ten paces
of her. On seeing her get up, he clung to the lower branches
of the tree to which the goat was tied, and disappeared like
a squirrel. The lioness fell dead at the foot of the tree, a
second bullet piercing her heart. The first had passed out of
the nape of the neck without breaking the skull bone.

tyc Ostriches 3i)d

HUNTING upon the plains of South America is the most
exciting sport. But it requires fine horsemanship and sure
skill in the lasso, or noose, which is thrown over the head of
the game. Robertson, an English traveller, gives the fol-
lowing account of his hunting adventures upon the plains of
Paraguay.

We had taken three braces of birds, when, an ostrich start-
ing before us, Candioti, jun., gave the war-whoop, of pursuit
to his Gaucho followers, and to me the well-known intimation
of " Vamos, Senor Don Juan." Off went, or rather flew, the
Gauchos ; my steed bounded away in their company, and we
were now, instead of tracking an invisible bird through tufted
grass, in full cry after the nimble, conspicuous, and athletic
ostrich. With his erect and angry eye, towering above all
(492)

pf^fvyn^

OSTRICHES.

42

HUNTING OSTRICHES AND HORSES. 495

herbage, our game flew from us, by the combined air of wings
and limbs, at the rate of sixteen miles SKI hour. The chase
lasted half that time ; when an Indian peon, starting ahead
of the close phalanx of his mounted competitors, whirled his
balos, with admirable grace and dexterity, around his head,
and with deadly aim flung them over the half-running. b;df-
flying, but now devoted ostrich. Irretrievably entangled,
down came the giant bird, rolling, fluttering, panting ; and
being in an instant dispatched, the company on the field
stripped him of his feathers, stuck them in their girdles, and
left the plucked and mangled carcass in the plain, a prey to
the vultures, which were already hovering around us. We
now came upon an immense herd of wild horses, and Candioti,
jun., said, " Now Senor Don Juan, I must show how we tame
a colt." So saying, the word was given for the pursuit of
the herd, and off, once more, like lightening started the Gau-
cho horsemen, Candioti and myself keeping up with them.
The herd consisted of about two thousand horses, neighing
and snorting, with ears erect and flowing tails, their manes
outspread to the wind, affrighted the moment they were con-
scious of pursuit.

The Gauchos set up their usual cry ; the dogs were left in
the distance, and it was not till we had followed the flock at
full speed, and without a check, for five miles, that the two
headmost peons launched their balos at the horse which each
had respectively singled out of the herd. Down to the ground,
with frightful somersets, came two gallant colts. The herd
continued its headlong flight, leaving behind two prostrate
companions. Upon these the whole band of Gauchos now
ran in ; lazos were applied to tie their legs ; one man held
down the head of each horse, and another the hind quarters ;
while with singular rapidity and dexterity two other Gauchos
put the saddles and bridles on their fallen, trembling, and
nearly frantic victims. This done, the two men who had
brought down the colts bestrode them as they still lay on the

496 THRILLING ADVENTURES, v;

ground. In a moment the lazos which bound their legs were
loosened, and at th^ same time a shout from the field so
frightened the colts, that up they started on all fours, but
to their astonishment, each with a rider on his back, rivetted,
at it were, to the saddle, and controlling them by means of a
never-to-be-dreamed-of bit in his mouth. The animals made a
simultaneous and most surprising vault ; they reared, plunged,
and kicked ; now they started off at full gallop, and anon
stopped short in their career, with their heads between their
legs, endeavoring to throw their riders. " Que esperanza,"
— " vain hope, indeed !" Immovable sat the two Tape In-
dians ; they smiled at the unavailing attempts of the turbu-
lent and outrageous animals to unseat them ; and in less than
an hour from the time of their mounting, it was very evident
who were to be the masters. <

The horses did their very worst, the Indians never lost
either the security or the grace of their seats ; till after two
hours of the most violent efforts to rid themselves of their
burden, the horses were so exhausted, that, drenched with
sweat, with gored and palpitating sides, and hanging down
their heads, they stood for five minutes together, panting
and confounded, but they made not a single effort to move.
Then came the Gaucho's turn to exercise his more positive
authority. Hitherto he had been entirely upon the defensive.
His object was simply to keep his seat and tire out the horse.
He now wanted to move it in a given direction, wayward,
zigzag ; often interrupted was his course at first, still the
Gaucho made for a given point ; and they advanced towards
it, till at the end of about three hours the now mastered
animals moved in nearly a direct, line, and in company with
the other horses, to the questo, or small subordinate esta-
blishment, on the estate to which we were repairing. When
we got there, the two horses, which so shortly before had been
as free as the wind, they tied to a stake of the corral, the
slaves of lordly man.

THE following anecdote is illustrative of the acuteness of
the elephant's sense of smell. It was related to Sparrman by
a hunter of the name of Dirk Marcus, of course a Dutchman.
" Once," says Dirk, "in my younger days, when from a hill
covered with bushes near a wood I was endeavoring to steal
upon an elephant to the leeward of me, on a sudden I heard
a frightful cry or noise from the lee side, and although I was
at that time one of the boldest elephant hunters in that country,
I must confess I was in a terrible quaking, so much so that I
believe the hairs on my head stood quite erect. At the same
time it appeared to me as though I had several pails of water
thrown over me, without my being able to stir from the spot,
until I saw this huge creature so near me that he was almost

(499)

500

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

on the point of laying hold of me with his trunk. At that
instant I fortunately had the presence of mind to take to my
legs, and to my no small astonishment I found myself so swift
that I thought I hardly touched the ground. The beast
however, was pretty close upon my heels ; but having at last
got to the wood, and crept away from him under the trees, the
elephant could not easily follow me. I am quite certain that
he could not see me in the place where I was at first, and that
therefore he must have found me out by the scent." So much
for the escape of Dirk Marcus, the Dutch boor, whose story
contains a good deal of the marvellous. Indeed it is not an
incurious matter in the history of mankind, that while, upon
all ordinary subjects, the Dutch are the most matter-of-fact
people on the face of the earth, they are the greatest romancers
in matters of adventure and of natural history ; and it is pos-
sible, indeed probable, that more unfounded but marvellous
stories of this kind originated with the early Dutch navigators
than with any other people on the face of the earth.

But even Dirk Marcus was probably not so brave an ele-
phant hunter as the bushmen of the Cape, whom the Dutch'
settlers used to be as zealous in hunting and shooting in cold
blood, as they were in hunting elephants, or in carrying on a
campaign of extermination against the antelopes. The bush-
men not only shoot elephants with their poisoned arrows, but
come to close quarters with their assagais or spears, with which
they stick the great animal all over till he is bristled like a
porcupine, and the pain often causes him to accelerate his
own death ; as from his natural instinct of falling upon and
crushing the lion, when it springs on the hinder part of his
body, he fall upon the spears, and by this means pushes them
home to his vitals. When the inhabitants of one of the kraals
or villages of these rude people catch an elephant, it is a
day of as much joy as when the Greenlanders capture a whale.
The flesh of the elephant is cut up in ribbons, as is done with
beef in South America, and in many parts of Old Spain ; and

DIRK MARCUS AND THE ELEPHANT. 501

this elephant beef, by being suspended in the open air, and
dried in the intense heat of the sun, can be kept for a conside-
rable time, and is said not to be very unpalatable. The trunk
is an especially delicate morsel, because the muscles in it,
though very numerous, are small, and much more delicate in
their fibres than the common muscles of motion in the body
of the animal. The feet, also, are very much prized, though
chiefly on account of the cartilaginous substance on the soles.
To a European, however, an elephant feast would, probably,
be but a sorry meal.

Independently of his living only in the wild state, and in-
habiting woods of more savage character than those of Asia,
there is a sullenness in the air and expression of the African
elephant. His head is carried much lower, and less grace-
fully than that of the Asiatic species ; and the apparent
shortness of the face, the want of squareness in the outline,
and the bullet-shape of the cranium, all conspire to take off
from him that expression of sagacity, which is, probably, more
imaginary than real in his oriental congener. The greater
size of tusks, too, in proportion to that of the animal, tends to
increase this expression. But not withstanding all these dis-
advantages of appearance, the African elephant is a highly
interesting as well as powerful animal ; and one almost regrets
that, even for the sake of bushmen feasts and ivory trinkets,
he should have been hunted down with so much assiduity in
those wild woods which, as they are not taken possession of
by civilized man, might have remained as birthright pastures
of the elephant. In consequence of this there are now few
or no elephants except at a considerable distance from the
Cape, though in the woods farther to the north they are still
numerous.

fyi} qtfl

IN the- northern part of the American continent, the subter-
raneous retreats of the black bear may be easily found by the
mist "which uniformly hangs about the entrance of the den, as
the animal's heat and breathing prevent the mouth of the cave
from being entirely closed, however deep the snow may be.
As the black bear usually retires to his winter quarters before
any quantity of snow has fallen, and does not again venture
abroad till the end of March or the beginning of April, he
therefore spends at least four months in a state of torpidity,
and without obtaining food. It is therefore not very surpris-
ing, though the bear goes into his winter quarters excessively
502

THE INDIAN AND THE BEARS. 505

fat, that he should come forth in the spring a melancholy pic-
ture of emaciation.

The hlack hear is sometimes destroyed by blocking up the
mouth of the cave with logs of wood, and then suddenly break-
ing open the top of it, they kill the animal with a spear or gun.
This method is, however, considered both cowardly and
wanton, as the bear can neither escape nor offer the slightest
injury to his merciless destroyers. The northern Indians
display great ingenuity in the manner in which they throw
the noose around the neck of this animal ; but the barbarous
way in which they dispatch him with the hatchet or tomahawk
after having drawn him to the top of his hole, has little in it
to admire.

Sometimes he is caught in traps, strong steel ones chained
to a tree and laid in a path which has been partially stained
with blood, by drawing a newly killed carcass along it. At
other times, a noose, suspended from a strong bough, is sub-
stituted for the trap, in a path similarly prepared. The bear,
whose sense of smell is exceedingly keen, always follows upon
the track along which a dead animal has been drawn, even al-
though it has left no trace perceptible by the human senses.

The common mode of hunting this bear is by two or three
well-trained dogs. When he finds that he is pursued, he gene-
rally pushes forward for eight or ten miles, and sometimes
more, in nearly a straight course. But when the dogs come
up to him, he turns and strikes at them with his paws, the
blows of which are so severe, that one of them, taking effect,
would instantly fell the strongest dog to the ground. The
great art in training the dogs consists in teaching them to
avoid these blows, and keep harassing the animal till he is
exhausted. When that is the case, he climbs a tree, at the
root of which the dogs remain and "give tongue" till the
hunter makes his appearance. When the hunter appears, the
bear drops to the ground, not for the purpose of attacking
him, but of making a new effort at escape from the now in-

43

506 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

creased number of his pursuers. But, as he is heated by the
effort of climbing, and by the fall, though bears from their
form and also the nature of their covering, fall with much less
injury than any other animals of the same weight, he is much
more annoyed by the dogs than before. This makes him
take to a tree again for refuge. He then climbs as high as
it will bear him, and endeavors to conceal himself among the
thick foliage. The hunter now strikes against the trunk of
the tree as if he were felling it, which soon puts the bear in
motion. He makes his way to the extremity of a long and
lofty branch, at which he draws himself partially into the
form of a ball, and drops down often from such a height as
that he rebounds up again for several feet, as if he were an
elastic substance. He rises again from his fall, still uninjured,
and seeks safety by flight as before. His exertions are, how-
ever, so much greater than those of his pursuers, that, what-
ever may be his strength, they in time wear him out, and he
is ultimately shot, either when standing up to give battle to
the dogs, or when attempting to hide himself behind the trunk
of a tree. Such is the mode of bear-hunting where there are
trees ; but, in the large open prairies, he runs much farther,
and the hunt is one of greater ardor, unless when he is shot
at an early stage. But, if the marksman is not skilful, shooting
is rather a dangerous matter while the bear is unexhausted,
as the pain arouses all his strength, and arms him with the
most desperate powers of revenge, so that he would be too
much both for dogs and hunter.

In the neighborhood of the Red river, the grizzly bears are
very numerous. The chief of a tribe of Indians was returning
home from a general council, and had lingered behind his
men. When not very far from his hut, he met a bear and
two cubs, and knowing the ferocious nature of the animals,
was considerably alarmed.

They were so close, however, that he could not escape :
and having no alternative, he attacked them, thinking that

THE INDIAN AND THE BEARS. 507

if he should be so fortunate as to shoot the mother, he might
succeed in killing the cubs with the butt-end of his gun. He
therefore took aim, but the gun missed fire, although he had
put in a new flint that morning ; and before he could cock
again, the bear rushed upon him, and struck him such a blow
with one of her paws as to throw him the distance of several
yards. She then ran up, and seizing his head in her mouth,
stood still. He had the presence of mind to grasp her throat,
and with a sudden wrench rescued his head from her jaws ;
but while he was striving to choke her, one of the cubs struck
down his arm, when fortunately he remembered that he had
stuck a knife into his girdle behind. This he drew with the
quickness of thought ; but while in the act of striking the
bear with it, the same cub caught his hand in its mouth and
held it fast. He seized the knife, however, with his left hand,
and wounded the old bear in several places, until becoming
exasperated, she struck him down senseless. When he re-
covered from his swoon, he found himself alone, with his
bowels partly protruding, and both his temples lacerated. He
bound in his intestines with his belt, and, after staying the
bleeding of his many wounds, raised himself with difficulty,
cocked his gun and began to move slowly away. But he had
not proceeded ten steps, when the bears, which had been
watching him all the time, sprung upon him.

His gun snapped once more, and he was entirely at their
mercy. The mother again knocked him down with her paw,
and seizing him, dragged him along, when, from loss of blood
and the concussion of the last blow, he fainted. On regaining
his sensibility, he bound up his wounds, and believing himself
injured beyond recovery, became inspired by revenge, and
resolved, to die in the attempt to destroy some of his savage
foes. With great difficulty he got on his feet, cleaned the
flint of his gun, drew his knife, and looking round, stood
resolved to conquer or perish.

The bears rushed upon him. Unable to take aim, he drop-

508

THRILLING ADVENTURES.

ped on one knee, and supported his gun on the other, when
the old bear seizing the muzzle in her mouth, he drew the
trigger and shot her dead. The cuhs, however, remained,
and they were scarcely less dangerous, as very little strength
now remained in him. However, he succeeded, after inflicting
several wounds, in driving them off, and sunk down, despairing
of ever rising again but having lain for some time, he found
himself slightly refreshed, and succeeded, in crawling to his
hut, where he related what had befallen him, and bidding
farewell to his family laid himself down to die.

His friends went in search of the bears, and found the
mother dead, and the grass all round clotted with blood. The
cubs were traced, and having been severely wounded, were
easily destroyed. The mangled Indian having enjoyed a
sound sleep, for several hours, awoke greatly refreshed, and
having been pursuaded to allow his wounds to be bound, ulti-
mately recovered.

A HUNTER IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

iif) Sfyeep.

THE following account is taken from Mr. Sage's " Scenes
in the Rocky Mountains." During our stay we succeeded in
killing five mountain sheep. Some of these were very large
and quite fat. The flesh of this animal is equal in flavor to
that of buffalo. It is generally in good order, tender and
sweet, and slightly assimilates our common mutton in taste.
The habits and appearance of the mountain sheep resemble
those of no other animal.

They select for their favorite habitation the rugged fast-
nesses of wild and inaccessible mountains. In the cold of
winter, they descend to some of the numerous valleys that so
beautifully diversify the scenery of these regions, where the
verdure of spring so rarely fades ; and, as the warm season
advances, they commence their return towards the lofty snow-
peaks, keeping even progress with spring and fresh flowers
along the mountain-sides.

Theirs is a life of unbroken spring — beauty and grandeur
are their dwelling place, — and, 'mid the awe-inspiring subli-
mity of nature's works, is their home. They gambol upon
the fearful verge of the steep cliff, or climb its perpendicular
sides, bidding defiance to all pursuers. There, secure from
enemies, they rear their young, and teach them to leap from
crag to crag in mirthful gaiety, or traverse the dizzy heights
in quest of the varied sweets of changeful spring.

These animals are remarkably acute of sight, and quick of
scent and hearing. The least noise or tainture of the air ex-
cites their attention and places them instantly upon the alert.
Mounting upon some high rock, they will stand for hours in

(511)

512 THRILLING ADVENTURES.

the same posture, gazing in the direction of the fancied danger,
If fully satisfied of its reality, they abandon their position for
another and .a safer one, high among more rugged peaks, and
and often beyond the possibility of offensive approach. Their
hue is so akin to that of the rocks which grace their range,
they are with difficulty identified when standing motionless,
and the hunter is constantly, liable to mistake the one for the
other.

In size the mountain sheep is larger than the domestic
animal of that name, and its general appearance is in every
respect dissimilar — excepting the head and horns. The latter
appendage, however, alike belongs to the male and female.
The horns of the female are about six inches long, small,
pointed, and somewhat flat, — but those of the male grow to
an enormous size. I have frequently killed them having horns
that measured two feet and a half or three feet in length, and
from eighteen to nineteen inches in circumference at the base.

These ponderous members are of great service to their owner
in descending the abrupt precipices, which his habits so often
render necessary. In leaping from an elevation he uniformly
strikes upon the curve of his horns, and thus saves himself
from the shock of a sudden and violent concussion.

The color of these animals varies from a yellowish white to
a dark brown, or even black. A strip of snowy whiteness
extends from ham to ham, including the tail, which is short
and tipped with black.

Instead of wool, they are covered with hair, which is shed
annually. Their cry is much like that of domestic sheep, and
the same natural odor is common to both.

It is extremely difficult to capture any of them alive, even
while young, — and it is next to impossible to make them live
and thrive in any other climate than their own. Hence, the
Mountain Sheep has never yet found a place in our most ex-
tensive zoological exhibitions.

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