u8 



RECREATION. 



turning from their shooting trips, must 

 furnish the Superintendent of the Wild 

 Animal Department at Khartoum with a 

 complete and detailed list of all animals 

 shot." 



Besides the shooting regulations im- 

 posed generally throughout the Sudan, a 

 large "officers' game reserve" has been cre- 

 ated, in which the animal life is absolute- 

 ly protected at all times, save when hunted 

 by officers of the army of occupation, or 

 officers of the Soudan government. At 

 this distance such a game preserve seems 

 a commendable feature; but if we were 

 there, a down-trodden holder of a "B" 

 license, in a poor country for game, on the 

 Eastern bank of the Blue Nile, we should 

 be likely to feel that the officers' preserve 

 is a great iniquity, and an infringement on 

 the sovereign rights of the people. V/ere 

 we compelled by cruel fate to live in the 

 Sudan a term of years, we should be likely 

 to feel that the preserve, and the right to 

 shoot in it, constituted only slight compen- 

 sation for our years of exile. 



In view of the way game slaughter is 

 now proceeding in Alaska, it is truly in- 

 vigorating to see how Englishmen have 

 grappled with the subject of protection in 

 the wildest part of Africa. Surely we 

 should be able to do as well in Alaska. 



OUR LUCK IN FLORIDA. 



Lexington, Va. 

 Editor Recreation : 



Last winter 6 of us went to Kissimmee 

 island, Florida, resolved to secure game or 

 perish in the attempt. We carried 10 days' 

 rations. After 3 days' tiresome traveling 

 we camped on a big slough known as the 

 Morgan Holes. 



An hour before reaching our camping 

 place 2 of the party got out of the 

 wagons with their rifles, intending to take 

 a circuit through the cypress and meet us 

 at camp. Fifteen minutes after they had 

 left we heard firing from their direc- 

 tion. We went on, and as 2 or 3 pi us 

 were young veterans of the Spanish-Ameri- 

 can war, we soon had our tents up and 

 wagons unloaded. 



The 2 hunters presently came in, but 

 they had killed nothing. They had walked 

 up 5 deer and had made 30 clear misses. 



While at supper it began to rain and in 

 2 minutes our tents were flooded. We then 

 moved camp 2 miles farther, to a good 

 dry place, built a fire and finished our sup- 

 per. Ordering the cook to have breakfast 

 at daylight we turned in. 



I awoke next morning at 7 and found 

 the cook dead asleep. We got breakfast 

 about 9 and then started hunting in pairs, 

 Jim and I together. After chasing unsuc- 

 cessfully a flock of turkeys, we saw a large 



pair of antlers approaching. We crouched 

 behind a bunch of sawgrass and pretty soon 

 the buck came in sight, walking directly 

 toward us, only 200 yards away. Just then 

 I took a violent chill. He came steadily on 

 until within easy range, then winding us 

 he started off. Our rifles rang out simul- 

 taneously and he fell. We walked up, 

 prepared to bleed him. Jim was feeling for 

 the artery when the deer sprang to his 

 feet. Jim grabbed him as he got up, and 

 a more superb exhibit of kicking down 

 and dragging out I've never seen. Jim 

 yelled to me to shoot, but I dared not for 

 fear of hitting him. Besides, I had no 

 time to shoot. I was busy laughing. 



The buck finally kicked Jim loose and 

 ran into a small cypress pond a half mile 

 away. After getting a good cussing from 

 Jim, who said I had acted like a d — n 

 fool, we went to the pond. The buck 

 came out, and 3 more bullets in vital spots 

 downed him for good. 



We bled him and hung him up to be 

 hauled into camp with a wagon. We then 

 turned homeward, getting to camp about 4 

 o'clock. The others of the party came 

 back empty-handed, though all had seen 

 game. 



Presently a middle-aged Indian walked 

 up, and with .customary "How?" shook 

 hands all around ; and with his limited 

 English and our more limited Seminole 

 we were soon in conversation. He, too, 

 had been hunting, and was returning to 

 his camp ; seeing our fire he thought he 

 would pay us a call. He had eaten no sup- 

 per, and we ordered the cook to prepare 

 him some. After a hearty supper and a 

 heartier drink he picked up a small doe 

 he had killed and prepared to leave. We 

 made him a present of a quart of "66" and 

 he left highly pleased with our hospitality. 



The next morning dawned cold and 

 clear. Knox decided to go with me, and 

 as the cook wished to try his luck we per- 

 mitted him to go with us. After tramping 

 4 or 5 hours we started back toward camp 

 without finding game. 



Two miles from camp a fox jumped in 

 front of us and Knox shot him. At the 

 report 2 bucks sprang up about 250 yards 

 away. Knox and I opened on them, but 

 they were too far away. During the ex- 

 citement the cook got 100 yards ahead, the 

 dog following him. Glancing in his direc- 

 tion we saw the dog pointing. The pot 

 slinger blundered up and 8 or 10 turkeys 

 ran out, looking as big as ostriches. We 

 used our rifles unsuccessfully at 150 yards. 



On our return to camp we found each of 

 the other boys had game. As that was 

 Saturday we rested over Sunday, and at 

 daylight Monday we started for home, 

 which we reached Tuesday night. 



A. W. M. 





