HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7569, 23 May 1914, Page 3

HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES.

I’ROM WILD ANIVAI.S. THE ILLS LOR GST.STB AT CANADIAN CA AIR C Hi DIN NCR. After dining on ■ aims ragout a la Kloinschmidi, C-. < :s’ alligator tails, Crovi'i-;' bear im..- and porcupine steaks, Cirbin’s wild boar, Allen’s wild wit, and other delicacies, most of them named for Iho sp rfsmen members, the Canadian Cam]) Club and its guests at Hie annual dinner were ready to listen to ouv number ol amuiul tnlos, mul il dm long how or tales of the trigger taxed credulity at moments there were pictures to prove every man's tale of prowSome of the men had been in the Aretie, regions, some in the Antarctic, there were men who had hunted big game in Africa, and those who had fished in the Rhilippino wateis. All were interested in wild animal life wherever it persists, and in the achievements of those who had wrenched victories from the jaws ot da 'You see the shot is a little too tar back,” apologised the Eev. Di. U ■ »• Rainsford. as the picture of a slain lion lias thrown upon the screen in tin presence of so many keen spoilsmen an explanation of the wound that appeared about midway of the body was necessary. Dr Rainsford had been showing othm -a’l'Nl- “ ivas slu.t nmior it-mnrkablc cncumstancos. Early morning is a good time to find the lion. He has been out searching for prey during the night, o. is returning gorged with food. H< cm thou bo ridden down. Hint » J was trying to do on this occasion. I had a man with me, and wc wore a little distance apart when he saw a large lion a Se edge of the brush. He shot at the lion but it turned at the noise aml h.s 100 was merely grazed by the shot. It just drew blood without injuring the animal more than to stir Ins angei. He turned, and, emitting the grunting noispeculiar to tho lion when enraged, be charged full at my friend, who, having dismounted, had tho chagrin of seeing his horso galloping away across the veldt leaving him with but 0110 shot to meet’the rushing, infuriated lion. ■‘l saw his danger, and, digging m> spurs into my pony, hastened to his assistance. At tiie critical moment my horse balked, and 1 was thrown on an ant hil in a most disadvantageous position, and with not a moment to lose it I was to cave mv friend and myself. I got my lion, hut, as you see, I did not make as pretty, a shot as 1 should like to have Rainsford explained that the most of his hunting was done in a territory about one hundred miles long by seventy broad, and ono hundred and fifty miles distant from a railroad. Here are the little unrelated tribes of East Africa that are Hie mystery of anthropology Their origin and continuance nave hall led all research. Among these poorest and least civilised of men arc to be found Englishmen who Hvo out there sometimes for years in the pursuance of duty. One evening Dr. Rainsford came upon one of these men in his remote shuck wca.nng evening clothes. “ Why in the world are yon. wearing an evening suit out here?” he exclaimed. “To keep from going down,’’ replied Hie man, and that, said Dr. Rainsford, is the great thing. If a man under the conditions he finds in tile remote regions of Africa can “keep from going down ho is accomplishing a wonderful feat. In defining the ideal African hunter or expedition leader, Dr. Rainsford said that ho should have the endurance ot a man under forty, a copper-lined stomach. bo immune to tick, tsetse, and mosquitoes, and should prefer the borders of swamps to breezy uplands provided he can win what ho wants. Another sportsman of experience in Africa is Mr. Carl E. Akeley, who also has shot lions, although elephants aro his speciality. Mr. Akeley and his wife, who has been with him on his expeditions, and is a line shot, were guests of the Canadian Camp Club, Mrs. Akeley being tho only woman invited as a special guest of tho club. “I did not deliver my speech,” said Mr. Akeley afterward, “ because it grew so late, but tins is what I was going to say: Some men say they would love to undertake exploring expeditions and study the interesting life cf the wild places of the earth, but that they aro married and dare not take the chance because of their wives and families. I was going to show pictures of some of the animals that Airs. Akeicj has shot when she accompanied mo to Africa and tell them that it a as because of my wife that I could go. I womd show tho largest elephant ever shot in that district and say that it was shot by Airs. Akeley, and I would relate the story of tho time when wc were both in imminent danger of death and I, fiiuching a little at the prospect of the annihilation of tho Akeyel family, asked her if she did not want to get out of Hie a ay, and she refused, so that, of course, I could not leave; and that is how the thought of a woman puts courage into a man instead of making him cowardly in the face of danger, as is sometimes asserted. “This elephant,” showing a picture of a huge tusked creature. “ charged three times before wo got him, and he almost got us. You know, the elephant so fits m with the landscape that it is often difficult to see him, in spite of his size, until one is close upon him. We had shot at this elephant, Airs. Akeley’s first shot having knocked him down, but after that ho did not mind the wounds he received. but kept on charging. AVo could net get in the right position to give him n fatal shot. You sec, an elephant;* brain is small and placed low in his head, and it is hard to get him with a shot that will penetrate deeply enough to hit tho heart or any vital part unless ono is in just the right position with respect to him. Of course, you may hit him so that he will die m half an hour, or in several hours, but that may not prevent his coming on and killing a man before he dies.

“When I saw this infuriated elephant making for us wo kept on shooting, hut tho chances seemed against our escaping. Suddenly I was surprised to soo him swerve and turn his head cnongli tor mo to hot him in the temple. At that ho crumpled up dead on the spot. What had happened was that the small native hov who had charge of our pet monkey, having heard the shots and thinking that all was over, had started to come forward to look at the dead elephant. When he saw tho live monster making for us ho fell down in the tali grass to hide himself, but the elephant has the keenest scent of any wild animal. On this ami liis acute hearing lie depends for his preservation.” Another narrow esca.oe from an elephant is one that Mr. Akolov has good reason to remember. Before he saw hni, am elephant charged upon him and Imre hun to tho ground. Tamkilv ho was simply pinioned between Iho tusks instead of being pierred by tbem. and tbo elephant. having vented bis rage. left him iin"onscieiis and wandered into brush. Airs. Abelev was twenty miles ewnv. and as s n nn as slm could get to her husband she nursed him hack to Iwndlli. It wa c three months, however. Ij-o was able to 1m about. Wbep bo recovered be went after an elonhrmt f o prove to himsolf that he )md not lost hie nerve. Strange to say. lie

wont into tbo brush along tho path that bad boon cut to permit of his being carried out on a. stretcher when he had been injured. Me got his elephant, but it was not the on that had attacked him, as ho bad hoped it would be. lly way of compensation, however, it was an unusnlly largo and fine one. Another speaker at tho dinner was Captain I'MC. Klcinschmidt, who told stories illustrated hy movting pictures, of bears, wah’uscM, and other denizens of the Arctic regions. One of the most interesting pictures was that of a polar bear and her cub swimming in the water, tho baby bolding on to its mother’s tail. When the mother bear was tired of Ibis way of progress or wished to teach tho l r Ulo one to ho independent she turned and spanked it. After this punishment tho cub woidd get along alone very well for a while, but soon would again seek tbo comfort of banging on by tho maternal tail. Captain Klcinschmidt decided to try to capture this cub for a playmate for another ono that ho had taken prisoner a short time before. Ho got a rope aoout if and was going to draw it aboard when tho mother boar put up a most remarkable fight. Sho charged fearlessly at tho boat and tried to climb up its sides. Tho pictures showed the most remarkable expressions of anger, anguish, and fury, softening as the desperate creature turned about to look at her child. "When Captain Klcinschmidt announced that because of the plucky fight put ftp by the mother bear the little one had boon released, and showed a picture of it going off holding on to the mother’s tail, a loud cheer went up from the members of tbo club and their guests.