530 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Apkil 3, 1909. 
defined trodden paths, and when the natives find 
such a path they dig out a V-shaped trench to 
a depth of about seven feet at the apex of the 
V and then hollow out a small space. They then 
cover the whole of this with grass, and game 
passing along the path unsuspectingly walk into 
it and are unable to get out. Sometimes they 
have sharp-pointed stakes standing upright at 
the bottom of the trench, but this in most cases 
is used for large animals such as elephant or 
rhinoceros. Another very effective trap is to 
bend over the trail a sapling to which a noose 
is attached. The sapling acts as a spring and 
-when released jerks its captive into the air by 
the tightened noose and the animal is left swing¬ 
ing. 
One day word was brought to me that lions 
had been seen by a boy close to camp, but though 
I hunted carefully I could not find them nor 
any fresh sign. A kill can usually be found by 
the number of vultures soaring about and if 
lions are around in any number there must be 
a kill somewhere nearby. While out I heard 
an animal bleating most piteously. The bush 
was not very thick; in fact, it was a young 
growth of trees, 3'et for some minutes I could 
not locate the cry. I at once made up my mind 
what was the cause, and making a thorough 
search I presently found a baby hartebeeste 
freshly killed. The perpetrator of this was a 
large wildcat, an animal about the size of an 
American lynx. 
Next day I packed up and moved my camp, 
traveling south and seeing fairly large quan¬ 
tities of game, but nothing of any importance. 
The third day I reached another nice spot where 
I made a comfortable camp. From native 
visitors I learned that there were some greater 
koodoo in the vicinity, and as these antelope are 
rather shy and retiring,' I determined to do no 
shooting south of the camp lest I should 
frighten any that might be around. Meat was 
needed that evening, however, so I went north 
and shot a wildebeeste within easy distance of 
camp. In the morning I hunted hard for koodoo 
and found some sign which was encouraging. 
Later on I came across a bull and three cows, 
but the growth of young timber was too thick 
to enable me to shoot before they saw me and 
were off. By the spoor the bull appeared to 
be a large one and so I followed them up. At 
first it was easy, but it is useless to follow on 
the trail of a startled animal. One must get 
off it and keep parallel to it if possible. These 
koodoo were evidently badly scared, as they saw 
me three different times or at least stopped for 
a while and then started off at a lively rate 
again. Two or three times I caught a glimpse 
of them, but had not sufficient time to get in a 
shot. At last I saw them standing on the side 
of the opposite hill, about 150 yards, looking 
back on their trail, and losing no time—as the 
cows were again moving on — I shot at the bull 
just as he was turning, and he dropped in his 
tracks. He was quite a good specimen and I 
was highly elated. 
A koodoo is a very fine buck to look at. His 
markings and coloring are very beautiful and 
as I wanted the skin as well as the head, I cut 
down some saplings, covered him carefully, and 
hurried off to camp, returning with some boys 
who grumbled a great deal at being brought out 
so late. I supervised the skinning myself, as a 
native is most careless, and unless watched, will 
certainly make a few gashes in a skin. It was 
quite dark by the time we got back to camp 
again and at one time I thought we should be 
oldiged to stay out till the moon rose, but the 
boys made up for their journey and were still 
jabbering and eating when I went to sleep. 
I spent the next day in camp cleaning the 
rides and looking after my head skins, of which 
I found several spoilt by a kind of beetle. Just 
before sunset I went out for a short walk and 
killed an oribi. I was making my way back to 
camp when I got right among a large herd of 
roan antelope. They were all around me and 
did not seem to know I was there. I could see 
any number of cows, but no bull worth shoot- 
W.VTEKDUCK. 
ing, and leaving my horse had a good look at 
them. As I was returning to the pony I saw 
one about forty yards off. This I could not re¬ 
sist, but fired, and to my chagrin he went on, 
though I knew I had not missed. The herd 
scattered and went tearing through the timber. 
Just then an oribi came quietly out of the timber 
and began feeding as if nothing had happened. 
He could not have heard my shot, but bolted 
on seeing me. 
It was now too dark to follow up the bull 
I had shot and I got my horse and tried to 
make my way back to camp, but found I could 
not do this, for I could make out no landmarks 
which I recognized. I tied up the horse again 
and while there was light enough, collected wood 
and for a few minutes worked harder and faster 
than I had ever done in my life. Collecting 
sufficient wood to last through the night, if 
necessary, I then built a large fire. I brought 
the horse as close to it as possible and kept my 
loaded rifle handy by my side. It was cold and 
I had no saddle blanket. A camp-fire is all 
very well, but if you are obliged to keep up a 
blazing one, which in Africa you must do to 
keep off wild animals, you get roasted on one 
side and cold on the other. At night it is some¬ 
times bitter cold. I did not dare to go to sleep, 
but several times caught myself nodding, and 
after some very weary hours the moon rose. 
This would not help me to find my way, how¬ 
ever, and I made up my mind to stick it out 
where I was. Traveling at night through timber 
without a trail is no joke. 
At last dawn came, and chilled to the bone 
and in the very worst of tempers, I struck oft 
to camp. When I got there I found only a 
few boys, for the rest had gone out to look 
for me. After some boiling hot coffee and a 
drink of brandy—never be without brandy at 
any cost—I felt riiuch better, but could not un¬ 
derstand why the boys had not turned up. This 
they did soon afterward, carrying in my roan 
antelope. They had found my fire and the 
blood spoor of the buck and had found him 
about 150 yards further on. No wild animals 
had found him, Init the birds had already spoiled 
the head skin, but as he, had only an average 
head that did not much matter. Again there 
was feasting in the camp. 
I paid dearly for my night out and just as 
I feared might happen, had another touch of 
fever. My temperature went away up and I 
was forced to keep my bed for three days, dur¬ 
ing which time the meat ran out, but Sam took 
my rifle and succeeded in bringing in a harte¬ 
beeste. 
When I got up and was fit to move I made 
for Livingstone and from there to Buluwayo. 
I needed a little touch of civilization if I hoped 
to get really well. I reached Livingstone in 
thirteen days’ march. 
An Arctic Hunting Trip. 
In the Arctic Club Bulletin Capt. B. S. Osbon 
tells of a far northern hunting trip planned for 
this summer by Anthony Fiala, who will go to 
the west coast of Nova Zembla, where excellent 
salmon fishing can be had from virgin streams. 
Two or three weeks would be spent in this 
locality, then the steamer would skirt the edge 
of the polar pack, where bears, seals and other 
northern forms would be secured. This course- 
would bring them to the west coast of Spitz- 
bergen where a visit would be made to the 
whaling factories. This section affords good 
walrus hunting, fox, ptarmigan and other Arctic 
game. Then, if ice conditions permitted, the 
plan would be to shape a westerly course to 
the east coast of Greenland where an opp.or- 
tunity would be afforded of killing musk ox, 
reindeer, walrus and seal. The party would 
sail from Norway between the ist and 15th of 
July, returning there about the ist of September. 
The steamer would be under command of Captain 
J. Kjeldsen, who was navigating officer of the 
Terra Nova, the rescue ship of the Ziegler- 
Fiala Polar Expedition. No more experienced 
ice navigator is to be found than Captain Kjeld¬ 
sen, who is known as the “Admiral of the 
Arctic.” 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
