Carrying Game.--To carry small Game, as Fallow Deer.--Make a long slit with your knife between the back sinew and the bone of both of the hind-legs. Cut a thick pole of wood and a stout wooden skewer 8 inches long. Now thrust the right fore-leg through the slit in the left hind one, and then the left fore-leg through the slit in the right hind one, and holding these firmly in their places, push the skewer right through the left fore-leg, so as to peg it from drawing back. Lastly run the pole between the animal's legs and its body, and let two men carry it on their shoulders, one at each end of the pole; or, if a beast of burden be at hand, the carcase is in a very convenient shape for being packed. In animals whose back sinew is not very prominent, it is best to cross the legs as above, and to lash them together. Always take the bowels out of game, before carrying it; it is so much weight saved. "I rode out accompanied by an after-rider, and shot two springboks, which we bore to camp secured on our horses behind our saddles, by passing the buckles of the girths on each side through the fore and hind legs of the antelopes, having first performed an incision between the bone and the sinews with the couteau de chasse, according to colonial usage." (Cumming's 'Life in South Africa.') "After he had skinned and gutted the animal, he cut away the flesh from the bones, in one piece, without separating the limbs, so as to leave suspended from the tree merely the skeleton of the deer. This, it appeared, was the Turkish fashion in use upon long Journeys, in order to relieve travellers from the useless burden of bones." (Huc's 'Tartary.') See also the section on "Heavy weights, to raise and carry," especially Mr. Wyndham's plan.
To float carcases of Game across a river.--Sir S. Baker recommends stripping off the skin of the animal, as though it were intended to make a water-skin of it: putting a stone up the neck end of the skin; thus forming a water-tight sack, open at one end only. All the flesh is now to be cut off the bones, and packed into the sack; which is then to be inflated, and secured by tying up the open end. The skin of a large antelope thus inflated, will not only float the whole of the flesh, but will also support several swimmers.
"To carry Ivory on pack-animals, the North African traders use nets, slinging two large teeth on each side of an ass. Small teeth are wrapped up in skins and secured with rope." (Mungo Park.)
Setting a gun as a spring-gun.--General Remarks.--The string that goes across the pathway should be dark coloured, and so fine that, if the beast struggles against it, it should break rather than cause injury to the gun. I must however, add, that in the numerous cases in which I have witnessed or heard of guns being set with success, for large beasts of prey, I have never known of injury occurring to the gun. The height of the muzzle should be properly arranged with regard to the height of the expected animal; thus, the heart of a hyena is the height of a man's knee above the ground; that of a lion, is a span higher. The string should not be tight, but hang in a bow, or the animal will cause the gun to go off on first touching the string, and will only receive a flesh-wound across the front of his chest.
1st Method.--The annexed sketch (p. 258) explains the method I have described in previous editions of this book. The stock is firmly lashed to a tree, and the muzzle to a stake planted in the ground. A "lever-stick," 8 inches long, is bound across the grip of the gun so as to stand upright; but it is not bound so tightly as to prevent a slight degree of movement. The bottom of the "lever-stick" is tied to the trigger, and the top of it to a long, fine, dark-coloured string, which is passed through the empty ramrod tubes, and is fixed to a tree on the other side of the pathway. It is evident that when a beast breasts this string, the trigger of the gun will be pulled.
2nd Method.--I have, however, been subsequently informed of a better plan of adapting the "lever-stick." It is shown in the accompanying diagram (below). The fault of the previous plan, is the trouble of tying the string to the trigger; since the curvature is usually such as to make it a matter of some painstaking to fix it securely. A, B, C, is the "lever-stick." Notch it deeply at A, where it is to receive the trigger; notch it also at B, half an inch from A; and at C, 5 inches or so from B. In lashing B to the grip of the stock at D, the firmer you make the lashing, the better. If D admit of any yielding movement, on C being pulled, the gun will not go off, either readily or surely; as will easily be seen, on making experiment.
3rd Method.--I am indebted to Captain J. Meaden for the following account of the plan used in Ceylon for setting a spring gun for leopards:--
"Remove the sear, or tie up the trigger. Load the gun, and secure it at the proper height from the ground. Opposite the muzzle of the gun, or at such distance to the right, or left, as may be required, fasted the end of a black string, or line made of horsehair or fibre, and pass it across the path to the gun. Fasten the other end to a stake, long enough to stand higher than the hammer. Stick the end of the stake slightly in the ground, and let it rest upright against the lock projection, the black line being fastened nearly at that height. Pass round the small of the stock a loop of single or double string. Take a piece of stick 6 or 8 inches long, pass through the loop, and twist tourniquet fashion until the loop is reduced to the required length. Raise the hammer carefully, and pass the short end of the lever-stick, from the inner to the outer side, over the comb, and let the long end of the lever rest against the stake: the pressure of the hammer will keep the lever steady against the stake. To prevent the lower end of the stake flying out, from the pressure of the lever on the upper part, place a log or stone against the foot.