U. OF t. VROAKA-CUASiPAtGH 
A Christmas Hunt in Mexico 
By JOHN A. M. LETHBRIDGE 
T HE Boer and myself, an Englishman, are 
employees of the same mine, not ico miles 
, from Chihuahua, Mexico, and although 
seven years ago we were in South Africa fighting 
against one another with all the bitterness and 
hatred that warfare engenders, the hatchet is 
now buried and we are the very best of friends. 
We are both extremely fond of hunting and 
endeavor to spend the few holidays we have to¬ 
gether and generally go hunting. Whether it 
be big game or feathered, or only the homely 
cottontail, we thoroughly enjoy it and find in 
it far more fun and pleasure than in loafing 
around the mine or spending the week end in 
Chihuahua. 
Christmas falling on a Friday and our quincena 
on Saturday, was lucky for us that year, as we 
had three full days free, and obtaining permis¬ 
sion from our boss to catch the 4 o’clock train 
on Thursday afternoon, made it still better, for 
it enabled, us to catch an early train from Chi¬ 
huahua on Friday morning. 
We were going' to try to kill an antelope, 
a deer and a mountain sheep—bucks only al¬ 
lowed, of course. Although both of us are 
pretty well versed in hunting lore, it was a 
pretty large undertaking in the very limited time 
at our disposal. The journey from Chihuahua 
was not a long one, and before noon-on the 
Friday we were on our antelope ground. 
We had arranged beforehand to have two 
saddle horses and two pack mules meet us, 
and it did not take us long to arrange our very 
limited packs, which consisted of a small tent 
and bedding and a very small supply of food. 
Then we started for the range of mountains 
some ten miles distant where I knew there were 
sheep and some really good rams, too. 
I had been there about two months previously, 
and although in my time I have shot a good 
many big-horn in America, I do not think I ever 
saw so many good rams in so limited an area. 
; The Boer suggested that we should separate and 
send on our pack mules to where we intended 
camping, but to this I would not agree and pro¬ 
posed tossing a coin as to who should go on 
with the pack mules. This we did and I lost. 
I pointed out to S., the Boer, where I should 
make camp, at my old camping ground, where 
I knew there was good water, a very scarce 
: article in Mexico, and we separated, wishing one 
another luck. 
We had not gone very far before I saw a 
decent bunch of antelope, but they were as wild 
1 as hawks and I could not get anywhere near 
them. To make things still more exasperating 
a fine coyote stood still about one hundred yards 
from me, presenting a perfect shot, but I did 
not take advantage of it, still hoping to get a 
chance at the antelope. So between two stools 
I fell to the ground, as I failed to get another 
chance at either. We still plodded on, and though 
I saw several more antelope, I could do noth¬ 
ing with them and gave it up in disgust and 
made for camp. After making our camp com¬ 
fortable I sat down and was smoking a pipe 
when suddenly the Mexican boy seized me by 
the arm and pointed. It was now nearly dusk, 
but I saw three deer coming down the arroyo, 
a buck and two does, about one hundred yards 
off. It was just light enough to see to shoot, 
and grabbing my rifle I fired at the buck and 
rolled him over. I was very much pleased, as 
it made up a bit for the disappointment of the 
afternoon and we soon carried him in and had 
just dressed and hung him up, when S. arrived, 
carrying an antelope on his horse. 
“Well, I see you have got your usual,” I said. 
“Yes,” he answered, “and I deserved it, too, 
I think, for he led me a good old dance before 
I could get a shot. But you haven’t been losing 
any time, either, I see.” He told me he was 
surprised that the antelope were so wild, as they 
are very little disturbed; many more being killed 
by coyotes than are shot. 
After taking off the head skins or scalps, we 
call it the former in Africa, and cleaning the 
heads, we rolled in between our blankets, as 
we had to make a start at the first sign of day¬ 
light. We decided to hunt together on the mor¬ 
row, S. giving me first shot. It was still dark 
when we had our coffee, but by.the time we had 
finished our breakfast it was light enough to 
make a move. 
I must tell you that S. is a very strong man. 
He is only about five feet nothing and as broad 
as he is long and as stout as a bull. Although 
I am pretty tough, nature has not been so kind 
to me and I knew that if it came down to real 
hard walking and climbing that S. could kill 
me. So I hoped and prayed that we might run 
across a bunch of sheep in a short time. The 
country was fine, nice foothills covered with 
good grass, and not too much bush, and higher 
up the mountains are fairly timbered with black 
and white oak and red and white pine, an ideal 
spot for game. The Mexicans will not go high 
up or far back in these hills; they fear the bears 
and mountain lions of which they say there are 
many. We certainly saw much sign, but it was 
old. In years gone by the Spaniards used to 
work some mines up here, but they were forced 
to go away on account of the Indians. We 
struck a good many old workings, but that you 
do all over Mexico. I only wish I had the time 
to prospect it properly, one might strike some¬ 
thing worth having. Another curious trait about 
the Mexicans is they do not care for sport. A 
cock fight or a bull fight, yes; but nothing else 
seems to appeal to them. For that reason game 
here is not much disturbed and American sports¬ 
men do not seem to realize that they have right 
next to them a grand hunting country with no 
license nor restrictions. This is doubtless jl great 
pity, but I dare say it will be remedied later 
on in the Mexican manana, but may not to¬ 
morrow be too late, as we have seen instanced with 
several species of big game in the United States? 
Forgive me for digressing for a moment, but 
I read in an American paper the other day that 
Americans were greatly interested in the preser¬ 
vation of big game in British East Africa. If 
it is a pertinent question to ask, why do not they 
look after their own big game? It is rather 
ludicrous. I was in British East Africa and Cen¬ 
tral Africa two years ago and can say better 
game laws never existed in arty country and 
they are certainly enforced in a proper man¬ 
ner. Game under the present system and on 
account of the enormous reserves will never de¬ 
crease to a very great extent. Of course the 
country lends itself to game preservation. Al¬ 
though so vast, the man who poaches an extra 
elephant or shoots more rhinoceros than his 
license allows would soon find himself in Queer 
street and forfeit not only his trophies, but be 
heavily fined into the bargain. He cannot get 
away with the stuff, nobody being allowed to 
export trophies without a proper permit, and be¬ 
sides this the native espionage is very keen, and 
be where you may or do what you might you 
may rely on this, that the nearest assistant col¬ 
lector knows where you have been and pretty 
nearly what you have shot. 
Now I will return to my story. Sheep sign 
was plentiful after we had climbed up some dis¬ 
tance and S. at length spotted a bunch which he 
pointed out to me. After carefully looking them 
over with my glasses I could make out only two 
decent rams. The rest were all ewes and small 
stuff, but one of the rams was quite above the 
ordinary size, and I determined to have a try 
at him. I begged S. to leave me and go off on 
his own hook, but he said he preferred to re¬ 
main to see the finale. The wind was fair, and 
although some of the ewes appeared a little sus¬ 
picious I had no difficulty in getting to within 
150 yards of them. For some minutes the large 
ram kept himself hidden by a ewe, but after’ a 
little patient waiting the opportunity presented 
itself and my first shot was successful, much to 
S.’s satisfaction. 
