BS8 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[Nov, 17, 1900. 
expected to be veiy candid as to their methods, but a 
peculiar question comes to mind in this connection. If 
Missouri and Nebraska should swing into line on the 
Forest anb Stream Plank, and also forbid the export of 
game, would not the mere possession of any game at all 
for sale be evidence that the law was violated? Illinois 
game not being marketable, if no other game could be 
lawfully shipped from any other State there would seem 
to be but few legs left for the dealer to stand upon. 
Speed the day. 
Minnesota Law Not Observed. 
There Avould seem to be a very pretty kettle of fish 
up at Heron Lake, Minn., if the following clipping from 
the St. Paul Pioneer Press be correct: 
"A pot-hunters' monopoly, said to have been formed 
with the knowledge of the local game wardens at Heron 
Lake, Minn., since no steps have been taken to prevent 
illegal shipments, which are said to have been tremen- 
dously heavy during the past three weeks, is ruining tlw 
finest canvasback and redhead duck shooting that has 
ever been afforded in Minnesota. The combine again.st 
sportsmen has been so strong that the pot-hunters' patrols 
on the lake have succeeded, it is claimed, in driving every 
man off the lake who does not shoot for the Chicago 
markets, 
"The shipments from Heron Lake to game commis- 
sion firms in Chicago have aggregated from 500 to 1,500 
birds a week for nearly a month past. Even this ruthless 
slaughter has made no apparent effect upon the supply. 
Late last week it was reported that the canvasbacks and 
redheads were coming by the thousands. 
"Old hunters in St. Paul say that there has never been 
a time in Minnesota when better sport could be obtained 
than at Heron Lake. Only a few have made the trip, and 
these have been driven off the water by those that con- 
trol the situation. 
"Two lines of railroads enter Heron Lake and the 
shooting grounds are easily accessible. Both railways 
have notified the local game wardens of the conditions 
which are keeping all honest sportsmen from the lake, 
both in the interests of fair play and for the sake of their 
patrons. Complaints have also been made to the State 
Commission, but absolutely without effect. The monopoly 
•continues absolute and in spite of Sections 10 and 13 of 
the game laws providing that no person may ship any 
manner of aquatic fowl from the State without becoming 
liable to imprisonment and fine. The Chicago markets 
are receiving their daily consignrwents, the heaviest, it is 
said, ever sent out of the State iti violation of the law." 
South. 
Mr. C. H. Heath, of this city, has gone south for a 
try at the mallards of Reelfoot Lake. Tenn. Mr. D. 
•Flowerre. of Helena, Mont, has outfitted here for Ft. 
Mej'er. Fla, Mr. John M. Roach, president of the Union 
Traction Company, of Chicago, is back from a successful 
trip at Punta Gorda, where he caught among other fish a 
monster jewfish which was nearly as big as the boat. 
Game in &e Far Northwest. 
Mr. Harry ,C. Sexton, of Mansfield, O.. is a lucky man 
— a happy man. He has just had what I take to be his 
first trip up into Dakota, and naturally he is charmed with 
the appearance of that wilder region and its game. I 
must let him speak of it in his own words : 
"In the last issue of Forest and Stream," he says, "I 
read with more thari, ordinary int^est your report of Mr. 
Dick Merrill's hunting around Williston, N. D. I passed 
through Chicago on the night of Oct. ,3 on my way home 
from a hunting trip in that country. We left the train 
at'Buford and drove about fourteen miles southwest 
along the Yellowstone River bottoms into Montana, and 
pitched camp in the cottonwood timber along the river. 
That is a great country for deer and grouse. The easiest 
hunting for 'chickens was right along the river bluffs, 
where we flushed them from the sand into the willows, 
fhen again out on the edge of the prairie where the rose- 
bush thickets run out into sage and grass land. It was 
no trick at all to get anywhere from six to a dozen birds 
apiece in a couple of hours' huutiug. Lakes are scarce 
in that country. There were a few ducks and geese work- 
ing back and forth along the river, but nothing like I 
saw from the car window after I get back toward Devil's 
Lake. Once T remember when the train stopped at a 
,smali way station for water of seeing some- one's bird dog 
take a couple of steps into the grassy edge of a pond 
alongside of the track, when up went a jacksnipe and 
darted across the water and dropped into the grass on 
the other side. The dog threw up his head and Avatched 
the bird settle, tbpn galloped around and chased him 
back to my side ^SSn. I couldn't stand that, so looked 
another way. when I saw a flock of ducks on another 
pond near by. while two more bunches were circling 
around over the town with no one to disturb them — as 
common and plenty as blackbirds or robins here at home. 
This is all old to you, but I couldn't help writinsr and 
adding my testimony to what you have alreadv published." 
E. HoacH. 
Hartford B^rii-DiNG, Chicago, 111. 
A Stcamsliip Company FJncd. 
The International Navigation Company, which runs the 
American Line of steamers between this r>ort and South- 
ampton, was fined $100 in the Court of Special Sessions 
last week for having had in possession game in the close 
,season. The complaint alleged that the company had had 
in its possession on its various ships, warehouses and 
piers, wild game in violation of Sections 20. 38 and 39 of 
Chanter 20 of the game laws, and enumerated the fol- 
lowing violations: Between April 30 and Sept. i, about 
^po wild fow1_: betwieen Dec. 16, i8og and Oct. 30, igoo, 
about SOD quail ; betwen Dec. 16, 1899, and Aug. i. igoo, 
about 200 grouse ; between Dec. 15. 1899, and Aug. 31. 
1000, abotrt 150 woodcock; bet^en May r and Aug. 31. 
about 200 English snipe, plover^ailbirds, mud hens, gal- 
linule. grebe, bittern, surfbirds. curlew, water chicken 
and shore birds, and between Feb. t and Aug. go, about 
TOO English phefasants. 
The Forest aotj Stmam is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
Ifitest by Monday and ss mach esrlfer u practicable. 
An Ad venture with a Sladang. 
From the London Field, 
Scarcely three years have elapsed since the late Cs^Jt. 
Syers, once a well-known sportsman in the Malay Pen- 
insula, was killed by a wounded sladang {^Bos gaurus), 
which he had followed up. That so experienced a shikar 
should have met his death from an animal whose natural 
cunning and vindictiveness when wounded were well 
known to him only emphasizes the caution that is re- 
quired when engaged in such an undertaking. As a warn- 
ing to others I now propose to relate an adventure which 
I had a few years ago while tracking a wounded sladang 
in the Pahang jungles. On this occasion, owing the 
inferior weapons with which I was armed, both I and my 
gun-bearer were placed in considerable danger. 
By the v/ay, before I proceed with my story I would 
wish to point out the absolute necessity for using heavy 
weapons when pursuing big game in the Malay Peninsula. 
During a period extending over twelve years I have been 
shooting in Africa, India, Burma, and Malaya, and with- 
out hesitation I can affirm that no more dense and matted 
jungle exists for the hunter than is to be found in the 
Malay Peninsula. Owing to this dense cover nearly all 
big game has to be shot at close quarters, and to minimize 
the danger incurred a sportsman should use his heaviest 
rifles that his physical qualifications will allow him to. 
Since Capt. Syers met his untimely death in Pahang, the 
authorities of that State have brought in force a set of 
rules and regulations with reference to big-game shooting. 
As these rules stand at present no one can shoot big game 
unless he obtains, and pays for, a pass, and even then heAg 
prohibited from indulging in the pastime unless IrSP 
weapons come up to the required standard. If the pass 
obtained is for shooting elephants, bison, and rhino, then 
the would-be sportsman must be armed with a weapon not 
below the caliber of a double-barrel ten-bore, burning a 
large charge of powder. Whether such a law will prevent 
fatal accidents remains to be seen ; in any case, unless the 
hunter, -in addition to his weapons, possesses skill and 
coolness in time of danger, he will find that even heavy 
rifles will not always get him safely out of an awkward 
position. However, I am digressing, and must leave these 
matters to begin my story. 
During the year 1895 it was my lot to be stationed in the 
jungle at the mouth of the Tembeling River, which is one 
of the innumerable tributaries of the River Pahang. My 
duties consisted in looking after a detachment of military 
police, and also in trying to glean information abou 
Malay rebels who vvere never to be found. Early on( 
July morning, as I was peacefully slumbering 1 wa: 
suddenly awakened by a tickling sensation on the sole- 
of my feet, and dimly heard my faithful henchman, Che 
Wan, murmuring "Tooan, tooan" (Sir, sir) . I soon jumpec 
out of bed, and ascertained from Che Wan that some 
Malays had come in from a neighboring village to report 
to me that a man named Dollah had been killed on the 
previous evening b}' a sladang. 
Briefly, the story was this : The deceased, together witH 
a friend named Smun, had gone out hunting sladang. On 
this expedition they had wounded a large bull, and after 
tracking him for two days they had again come up with 
him in company with a couple of cows and their young. 
On winding the hunters the cows M'ith their little ones 
made off, but the wounded bull turned and faced his 
pursuers with snorts of rage and defiance. Dollah and 
Smun quickly got behind a convenient tree, and from this 
coign of vantage fired at the sladang, which stood facing 
them about 15 yards away. Dollah's weapon missed fire; 
Smun's shot, however, took effect, hitting the animal, as I 
afterward ascertained, in the jaw. Without further warn- 
ing the brute rushed on his tormentors. Smun managed 
to swarm up a tree near at hand, out of danger, but Dol- 
lah, while making for another tree, tripped over a pro- 
jecting root and fell. Before he could rise the sladang 
was on tim, and gored him through the throat and 
thigh, and then tossed him before making off into the 
depths of the jungle. 
As I was the nearest police officer and only European 
within fifty miles, the people from Dollah's village had 
come to report the accident to me, and also to ask for 
permission to bury the body. This, then, is the reason 
why I was so early awakened. Much as I regretted poor 
Dollah's sad end, I was highly elated at the chance of 
getting a shot at a sladang, for although they are plentiful 
throughout the Peninsula, a hard-worked Government* 
official can seldom get away to hunt them. As it hap- 
pened, I had not brought my heavy rifles with me to 
Kuala Tembeling. and the only arms that I could procure 
at a moment's notice were the Government Sniders, with 
which my men were armed. Plowever, rather than lose 
the sport I determined to run the risks, anything for a 
change after six months' fruitless watching for rebels who 
were unwilling to take the initiative. As soon as I had 
made all arrangements for my departure I started at about 
8 A. M. for Dollah's kampong (village), which was 
situated about four miles upstream on the opposite bank 
of the Pahang River. My companions consisted of one 
Sikh police constable (Hira Singh), a Malay ditto, each 
carrying a spare Snider, and three Malay guides. 
On arriving at the village I viewed Dollah's remains and 
found that he had been gored through the throat, the 
wind-pipe having been severed, and the sladang had also 
driven one of his horns clean through the right thigh 
Besides these ghastl}'- wounds, the body was dreadfully 
bruised, and it was evident that the sladang when he 
caught his victim had determined to stamp out the last 
spark of life. After I had made the few necessary in- 
quiries I gave instructions for the body to be buried, and 
then started off for a Sakai (a wild tribe) camp situated 
from the Malay village, about an hour's journey through 
the jungle. Soon aftar our departure Malay No. i dis- 
covered that he had "sakit prut" (a .stomach-ache), so we 
left him behind and went on without him. Arriving at 
the Saki clearing about 10 A. M., I obtained three trackers, 
and also got rid of another Malay guide, who was Iwrs d,r 
comhat sakit kaki. After we had left the wild men's 
camp behind us, our joumev lay through the big jtmgle. 
up and down innumerable hills — for the bison ever loves a 
hilly country, and the gase with which this heavy animal 
makes its way over dmicult ground is truly M'onderful. 
We had to wade through several mountain streams, and 
as the ground under foot was moist and the atmosphere 
damp, owinf to recent raitJs. we werp much troqbled by 
pestilential leeches. By 12 o'clock, after alternate heavy 
walking and climbing, we arrived at the spot where Dol- 
lah had been killed. The place was marked by a pool of 
coagulated blood, and on examining the ground, I learnt, 
-from his footmarks, that the sladang had chased the un- 
fortunate man round and round tlie tree troni behind 
which he and Smun had fired. 
We now halted, and after we had rested and refreshed 
the inner man my Sakais started to pick out his spoor. 
When they had satisfied themselves in which direction the 
wounded animal had gone, we all made a move. My chief 
tracker, a one-eyed Sakai, led the way; I came next, then 
my Sikh P. C. with a spare rifle, and the remainder in 
rear. We had hardly proceeded half an hour in this 
fashion when my guide struck, and said he was frightened 
to proceed, because, as he averred, he had seen or heard 
the ghost of the departed Dollah moving in the trees. As 
the sladang' s footmarks were quite plain on the moist 
ground and the jungle fairly clear from undergrowth, I 
took up the tracking, telling the Sikh to keep close to 
me with his rifle ready. I had only been tracking for 
about half a mile, and was following the tracks round 
the contour of a small hill, when suddenly I came face to 
face with our quarry, which stood about twenty paces away 
snorting and pawing the ground. Up went my Snider, 
when, to my consternation. I found that the nipple and 
striker had become unscrewed and the weapon was use- 
less. I looked round for my Sikh and found that he was 
soine distance in rear. This made the situation awkward 
— in front a stamping, raging brute, bent on mischief, my- 
self practically unarmed and no tree at hand, To turn 
and run appeared the only thing to do, and this I did 
with all agility. Alas, I had not gone far down the side 
of the hill when my foot caught in a cane brier and 
over I went, with visions of poor Dollah's mutilated corpse 
in my mind, and the recollection that my last quarter's in- 
»surance money was still due. However, luck had not 
/luite deserted me, for when I turned to run, witli the.' 
sladang in rear, I gave my Sikn a chance of firing. This 
he promptly did, and the sladang, hearing a .shoi^from an 
unseen enemy, stopped, turned and bolted. I now picked 
m.yself up, and, calling my forces together, I made it very 
clear to the Sakais that one of them would have to do 
the tracking in future, ghosts or no ghosts. After a 
short delay we again set out, I in the meantime having 
exchanged my useless rifle for the one carried by the 
Malay P. C. After another hour's tramp 1 noticed my 
Sakais in front making signs that we had again come irp 
with our quarry. Going cautiously ahead, at a short di-^- 
tance away through the undergrowth, I .saw the outlintJ 
of the sladang. which was evidently waiting and on the 
alert. The Sikh being at my elbow, I whispered to him to 
have the second rifle ready, and after a steady aim fired. 
As .soon as I had done so the sladang turned and wn;^ 
away. I ran after him and gave him a parting shot from 
my .second rifle as he disappeared from view. We quickly 
followed in pursuit, and as I now found fresh blood on 
the trail I knew that at least one of my shots had taken 
effect. On and on we went, till we came to a small 
stream with a steep bank on the far side. Here our 
sladang had evidently had a bad fall in getting over — a 
r'->od sign, as this showed that there was something very 
m>. h amiss with him. I was anxious to press on, h\i\ 
as evening was closing in I finally determined to return 
to the Sakais' camp for the night and resume the I'.unt in 
the morning. 
After spending a restless night, owing to innumerable 
mosquitoes, we were ready to start at 6 A. M. on the fol- 
lowing morning, and had a tedious walk to the stream 
where we had left off the chase on the previous evening. 
On the far side of this stream was a small glade covered 
with long, coarse grass and dense canebrake, a favorite 
retreat, my Sakais told me, for sladang. In this small 
patch of lalang (long, coarse grass) it was most likely 
that our quarry was lying up, as, owing to his wounds and 
the grueling we had given him on the previouv day, it was 
scarcely probable that he would leave so secure a 
sanctuary. 
The Sakais now began reconnoitering by climbing the 
trees bordering the padang (glade), while I and my Sikh 
posted ourselves among the branches of a tree inside il^ 
We had scarcely gained a secure footing when 1 heard an 
"Ah, ah," from the Sakais, this being a warning that they 
had heard or seen the sladang in the long grass. .Whe;. 
I heard this signal I climbed higher up the tree, and f 
then caught sight of our quarry, which had just risen from 
the ground and was standing about 40 yards awaj'. 1 
fired a shot into his back behind the dorsal ridge, and saw 
him stumble forward as the bullet struck him. Quick a- 
lightning I changed rifles with Hira Singh and gave the 
bison another shot from my elevated position before he 
disappeared in some canebrake on the left of the padang. 
Feeling sure that our quarry was again badly wounded. 1 
determined to follow him into the tunnel by which he had 
entered the canebrake. Creeping cautiously along with 
my faithful Sikh at my heels, we had not proceeded far 
when I caught sight of the bison a few yards ahead. Just 
as T aimed. Hira Singh, accidentally tripping, clutched my 
arm, and where my shot went to I am unable to say. As 
the sladang came on I dropped my empty rifle, and, 
springing at the overhanging branch of a tree, 1 pulled 
myself out of reach of the sladang, which tried to strike 
me with his horns as he charged. Sitting within a foot 
of my foe. what was my horror on looking down to see 
Hira Singh lying at the foot of the tree, while the sladang 
was sniffing at his prostrate form! All I could do was to 
kick the wounded beast in the back, which T did with the 
utmost vigor. 
Imagine my feelings as, perched in the branch of a tree, 
unarmed, I could render no assistance to my faithful fol 
lower, who I expected at every moment to see gored to 
death underneath me. Suddenly I noticed a convulsive 
shudder pass through the sladang's huge frame, and then 
as some foam-covered blood bubbled forth from his nos- 
trils he moved slowly away, evidentljr too sick to wreak 
his vengeance on the Sikh, who now seized his oppor- 
tunity to crawd out of sight. The sladang now remained 
standing about 10 yards from my perch, and as he ap- 
peared groggy T hoped to be able to slip to the ground 
unseen, recover my rifle, and finish him. However, as 
soon as I made the slightest attempt to descend the brute 
shook his head at me in such a resolute manner that I 
thought it best to remain where I was. After watching 
me for some time he at last moved slowly away and 
stood, partly hitidra. on % small lfno|I. Dropping gently to 
