A/N: I forgot to mention in the first chapter; this story is written according to the PlayStation 2 version of Cabela's African Safari, because I own an old PS2, and I happen to like the console a lot.
Part 1: South Africa 2
The next morning, after having some porridge for breakfast, Safari Joe was soon ready to take up the next part of his hunt in South Africa. He walked over to his guide and said, "I'm ready to go hunting again at any time, guide."
The guide said, "Good, man, because one of yesterday's hunts, the one you passed on, is up for hunting again. You have another chance to track and shoot a Kudu as the earlier half of today's schedule."
"Excellent!" said Safari Joe, "It takes a lot of skill to track a Kudu, and I happen to have a lot of it! What else?"
"Well, after the Kudu hunt," replied the guide, "you will go on an extended regular hunt of some Duikers and Springboks. The hunting is really good down where we found them."
"Good," Safari Joe said, "Now, Mule, what is there to say about the Kudu in order for me to hunt it efficiently?"
Mule activated the holojector again. Another Antelope appeared on the screen. Mule explained, "The Kudu is a narrow-bodied Antelope with long legs and a reddish- or bluish-brown coat of fur. Males are usually larger than females. They inhabit thick bushes, rocky hillsides, dry riverbeds, and any other place with a constant supply of water. They also normally avoid open areas to avoid becoming easy targets for predators. Recommended ammo for hunting Kudu is .338, sir. As one extra detail for tracking Kudu, red bugs tend to follow in the wake of its tracks."
Safari Joe looked eager. "Excellent!" he said again. "When Safari Joe goes hunting, the weak herbivores had better beware!" He laughed.
"Remember," the guide told him, "You will find your prey by following the signs your robot, Mule, pointed out for you. And this time, Joe, please do not shoot anything you don't have to shoot."
"I'll do my best," Safari Joe reassured him.
The tracker pointed out that the Kudu's tracks had been found several meters to the north. He had one hour to track and kill it before it would leave the hunting territory behind and get away. Safari Joe got out there and began to search for the beginning of the tracks.
After about ten minutes of careful examination of the ground, Joe found footprints that looked unmistakably like a Kudu's footprints. He made sure by checking for the red bugs, and sure enough, there they were, swarming around the tracks. Safari Joe kept his eyes to the ground and to his compass, so that he could find his way back to camp after the hunt was over.
It took a long time to follow the tracks to where they stopped, but Safari Joe didn't complain. He was a seasoned hunter, and nothing that went with the hunt, like fatigue or sweat, got to him for quite a long time. He was on this until the hunt was complete.
Finally, Safari Joe realized that he was almost to the end of the tracks. He peeked through the tall grass and found the Kudu grazing only ten meters away from his hiding place. Joe slowly crept towards the Kudu, taking care to be quiet again, and when he deemed himself close enough, he aimed his .338 barrel, and fired.
BAM! It was another success! The Kudu was now dead. Safari Joe stepped in carefully and made sure the animal was dead. Then, he once again shouted his favorite motto: "Safari Joe does it again!"
After bringing back proof of his kill, the guide, the tracker, and Mule congratulated Safari Joe again. "No, no need to thank me," he said modestly, "It's all in a day's work for the best big game hunter in the galaxy."
Joe then took a short breather with a glass of his favorite cold cherryade, while the others prepared the next hunt for him. When it was ready, the guide informed him that the rest of that day's hunt would involve hunting four Duikers and four Springboks while fending off possible attacks from some African wild dogs in the area. They, too, were believed to be wandering in the space throughout Karoo.
Safari Joe perked up. "Sounds like a decent challenge to me, mate," he said. "Mule, show me what these animals are like!"
Again, the holojector was activated, and another Antelope appeared within it. Mule said, "The Duiker is a medium-sized Antelope with two short horns on its head. These horns make it able to effectively navigate through dense rainforests and quickly dive into bushes when threatened. It also is found in more open areas like savannahs, and can run fast and for long distances. These characteristics separate it into two sub-species, the Yellow-backed Duiker, and the Common gray Duiker. They are highly independent and prefer to act alone. Recommended ammo for hunting Duiker is .243."
"The Springbok is a very slender and graceful Antelope, colored brown and white, and it has an extraordinary jumping ability. It has a pocket-like skin flap that it uses to show off its strength and attract a mate. It is also one of the most abundant Antelopes in all of Africa, numbering over two million individuals. It is known for such leaping actions as 'pronking' and 'stotting.' Recommended ammo for hunting Springbok is same as for Duiker, .243."
"The African wild dog, also known as Lycaon pictus, is a natural predator on the savannahs and other landscapes of Africa. It lives and hunts in large packs, traditionally. Their successful kills range at 80%, compared to the lion's 30%. They usually kill larger prey by immobilization and disemboweling, very rapid and efficient, but it should not be mistaken to be cruel or fierce. Human hunters must be mindful of them while hunting in their territory, for they can be very aggressive and do not tolerate trespassers. Recommended ammo to use against African wild dogs: .243 is just as effective against them as it is against Duikers and Springboks."
Safari Joe whistled. "These big dogs are dangerous. No doubt they'll be an impediment to my safari, but they are the ones that should truly beware. Even if it is their territory, no territorial animal can stand up to the talents and weapons of Safari Joe!" He laughed again.
A few minutes later, Safari Joe had reloaded his gun and refilled his canteen and rations, and he was ready to resume the day's hunt. As he started out, he felt that luck was with him that day, because a large herd of Springboks suddenly started to stampede off to his left. Needless to say, this pleased him greatly. "This makes part of my job even easier than I expected it to be!" he said to himself.
Hunkering down in the bushes, he aimed and fired. One Springbok fell down, never to return to the herd. He remembered that his guide and tracker had told him to try to kill four of each kind of Antelope, and to kill no more wild dogs than he needed to in order to survive, so he aimed for a second Springbok and shot it, too.
"Two." Said Safari Joe. He aimed again. BAM! "Three." Aiming one more time, he shot a young Springbok trailing at the back of the herd, killing it. "Four! Safari Joe does it again!"
Half of his hunt was already complete. He remembered that his guide told him that the Duikers were off to the northeast of his starting point, near the Karoo Plateau, but not within it. Safari Joe checked his gun and was on his way.
He had a couple of hours to find these animals. Safari Joe sat down for a second; his feet were getting a little sore, but he wouldn't let that slow him down for long. He wiped his face with his neckerchief and took a drink from his canteen again. Finally, he ate a cube of rations and got up, resuming the hunt.
At last, he started to come upon some Duikers not far from the lake where he had found the Impala the previous day. Before he could get close, however, he heard the familiar barking of wild dogs. He turned and saw about half a dozen of them ganging up on him. They growled at him as if to say, "You think you're going anywhere on our home turf? We don't think so! Run away, or we'll eat you!"
Safari Joe almost seemed to read their minds, because he said to them, as if they could understand him, "Oh, yeah? Are you gonna make me run? I don't think so! Come near me, and I'll turn you freaks into dog rugs!"
The dogs snarled aggressively. One of them started to attack Safari Joe, but he fired one of his more futuristic weapons at it, his energy ray, which transformed into a ferocious tiger. Of course, African wild dogs have never seen or heard of tigers, but the terrifying ferocity of the fake creature scared the dog out of its wits, and it ran back to its pack.
Another dog, which might have been the leader, snarled angrily and got ready to attack, too. Fortunately, Safari Joe had once heard of a clever way to earn a wild dog pack's respect. As the big lead dog sprung into action, Safari Joe fired a .243 round of ammo from point-blank range, right into the dog's head. The dog fell to the ground, dead.
The other dogs whimpered for a few seconds at the loss of their leader, but it was obvious that Safari Joe had earned their respect, all right.
"That's right, doggies," he said soothingly, "You're going to have to find yourselves a new leader. But for now, I will lead you. Follow me!" He gestured with his hand and walked forward quietly. The dogs followed.
They got close to the small herd of Duikers, and the dogs noticed them. "That's right," said Joe, using signs so that the dogs would understand him better, "I'm hunting them, and you're going to help me get them. You're going to flush them out of that rocky area where two of them are obviously visible, while I shoot them, got it?"
The wild dogs acknowledged this, almost as if they were nodding humanely. They trotted stealthily towards the rocks, and soon enough, numerous Duikers came running out. The dogs were baying and barking, continuing to spook the animals. Safari Joe took aim, and shot first one Duiker, then two, and then three. He suddenly realized that the lead dog wasn't quite dead, and wanted vengeance on him. Joe swiftly turned and finished off the lead dog before the other dogs could see their leader still living. Then he turned swiftly again, and took down his fourth and last Duiker.
Another successful hunt for Safari Joe. "Ha! Safari Joe does it again!"
He then proceeded to dismiss the dogs, congratulating them for helping a grizzled old hunter bag the rest of his daily kills. He even allowed the dogs to feed off of part of the Duikers' corpses as a reward.
"Oh, man," said his guide back at camp, "That sounds very clever, you taming those wild animals and using them to finish your daily hunt! You really are good at your job."
"I'll say I am!" said the ever-proud Safari Joe. "Well, I guess its back to base camp for another night's rest, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Joe," said the guide, "No more hunting for today. But we promise you will have another good challenge tomorrow."
"Good," said Safari Joe before heading to the bungalow, "Because what's a sport without a challenge?" He chuckled to himself.