Hunters Three: Sport and Adventure in South Africa

For the last fifty years or more South Africa has been an attractive field for the hunter in search of large game. Along in the middle of the century it was the paradise of the sportsman, as the readers of hunting-stories of that time can well understand; as time has gone on the game has steadily diminished, and the hunter of to-day makes but a poor record in comparison with Cumming, Andersson, and other men of the early times. But even at present South Africa is not without attractions for the hunter, though he can never hope for successes like those which have been mentioned.

The customary methods of hunting in South Africa were, and still are, for the hunter to outfit in one of the principal towns along the coast or in the interior, equipping himself with wagons, oxen, and horses, and hiring the necessary number of people to accompany him in a journey up-country. The lading of the wagons consists of provisions and ammunition for the hunter's use, together with various kinds of goods to be used as presents or for trading-purposes among the natives. As fast as the provisions are consumed and the goods are used up, the wagons are loaded with the ivory of elephants and the skins of other beasts, such as can be sold in the outfitting market. The party will be absent from the point of outfitting all the way from four months to a year or more, depending upon the luck of the hunter in the slaughter of game, and also upon the preservation of his oxen and horses. Not infrequently he meets with disaster, his animals dying in the wilderness and leaving him without motive power for his wagons. In such an event he must act according to his judgment; sometimes he may leave his property in the care of a friendly chief, but if no such personage can be found he must destroy the fruits of his expedition. It is a rule all through Africa never to abandon goods and allow them to fall into the hands of the natives. If goods must be left behind, the true African traveler always sets fire to them, or in some other way renders them worthless.

Down to quite recently it was the custom for hunting-parties of from two to five or six men to club together, buy an outfit, and go up-country on a hunting-expedition. If they are fairly successful the sale of the ivory and skins obtained on the expedition will cover all the expenses of it, and frequently leave a liberal profit to be divided at the end of the tour. It was an expedition of this sort which brought together the heroes of our story, "Hunters Three," and we will leave the reader to ascertain by perusal of the narrative the various adventures through which these young men passed.

And it was a similar expedition, though made with less expectation of profit, that went out from Walvisch Bay to give two British women a chance at the big game of South Africa. Somehow the steps of these two expeditions trended in the same direction, and led to their meeting as detailed in the opening chapters of the narrative. That somebody should fall in love with somebody else as a result of the meeting was naturally to be expected. Love exists in South Africa quite as much as in more civilized lands, and love-making can be pursued in the haunts of the elephant and buffalo just as readily as in the gilded parlors of fashionable life. In justification of this assertion this narrative of sport and love in South Africa is submitted to the reader for his instruction and amusement.