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Project Gutenberg's The Land of Footprints, by Stewart Edward White This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Land of Footprints Author: Stewart Edward White Posting Date: August 20, 2008 [EBook #1378] Release Date: July, 1998 Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS *** Produced by Aaron Cannon THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS by Stewart Edward White 1913 I. ON BOOKS OF ADVENTURE Books of sporting, travel, and adventure in countries little known to the average reader naturally fall in two classes-neither, with a very few exceptions, of great value. One class is perhaps the logical result of the other. Of the first type is the book that is written to make the most of far travels, to extract from adventure the last thrill, to impress the awestricken reader with a full sense of the danger and hardship the writer has undergone. Thus, if the latter takes out quite an ordinary routine permit to go into certain districts, he makes the most of travelling in "closed territory," implying that he has obtained an especial privilege, and has penetrated where few have gone before him. As a matter of fact, the permit is issued merely that the authorities may keep track of who is where. Anybody can get one. This class of writer tells of shooting beasts at customary ranges of four and five hundred yards. I remember one in especial who airily and as a matter of fact killed all his antelope at such ranges. Most men have shot occasional beasts at a quarter mile or so, but not airily nor as a matter of fact: rather with thanksgiving and a certain amount of surprise. The gentleman of whom I speak mentioned getting an eland at seven hundred and fifty yards. By chance I happened to mention this to a native Africander. "Yes," said he, "I remember that; I was there." This interested me-and I said so. "He made a long shot," said I. "A GOOD long shot," replied the Africander. "Did you pace the distance?" He laughed. "No," said he, "the old chap was immensely delighted. 'Eight hundred yards if it was an inch!' he cried." "How far was it?" "About three hundred and fifty. But it was a long shot, all r
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