A Tall Yarn.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 139, 10 December 1901, Page 1

A Tall Yarn.

The world-famed Mr John Smiths story of a wonderful shot he once made in South Africa, out-Munchausens Mun* chauaen aimself, leaving Ananias and th& Yankee propagator of tall stories hope* leasly in the rear* At the time the occurrence took place the Dark Continent still swarmed with game. Being out with his gun one day, 'John Smith perceived on the other side of a river some 400 yards wide a springbok drinking. AH he raised his rifle a rhinoceros also rose in sight. While deliberating as to which of the two he would Choose, he becam® aware of a lion stalking the springbok, and about to make the final leap. This nude a choice still more difficult. But Mr Smith, being an expert billiard player, instantly made up his mind, and perceiving that a line drawn through the spots occupied by the three animals Would form an obtuse angle, fired at the horn of the rhinoceros in such a manner that the glancing ball, after stunning that animal, passed through the bodies of the lion and springbok, killing both. This, however, to an expert like Mr Smith, was nothing. What was surprising was the fact, that in crossing the river, the hair killed a leaping salmon and two wild ducks on the wing, While the kick of the gun threw the sportsman on-his back, he in his fall killing a whole covey of partridges. Having crossed the rivet? to secure the rhinoceros, he found that the animal had been killed by rolling into a previously undiscovered diamond mire, out of which Mr Smith soon extracted an enormous fortune. This, however, ho attributed to luck. What ho prided himself on was the neat cannon he made off the tusk_ : of. the, rhinoceros. This yam savours much of one that is toldin this district about this exploits of one of ourcrackshotSjWhdisnowMlJingßoOre, in the same wholesale way, no doubt.