Evening star., 1903-08-15

ably AZ you would at home. even though
the big gray and black wolves may keep
up their dismal howl an night. with the
With no one but his half-breed guide for
company and his rifle at his side. President
Roosevelt has slept many night there
guide to keep the fire well alight for with
out 1t numbering cinnamon bear, or even
grizzly. might take fancy to pay one
visit. But all Wild animals fear FIRE. and
though the shine OF the encircling wolves
eyes may be seen like sparks of an cleo
trio light, not fifty yards away, they will
come no nearer, even though the hanging
venison or elk's haunch on the limbs of the
surrounding trees may be ever so tempting.
President Roosevelt is not a hunter with
the brown-barreled double gun. The man
who uses that is what the western big
game killers call "a bird hunter" He is
a rifieman pure and simple He does oeca-
sionally use the shotgun. but it would not
be suitable weapon for elk. black-tail
deer and white, or, in the northern noun
tains, along our British Columbian line,
the occasional moose. President Roosevelt
has had much experience with white hunt
ers and red, and Canadian coureurs du
bais. In one fact he concurs with all ex-
perienced mountain men. 1t is that an In
dian. be he full-blood half-breed, is
never as skillful hunter as the white
man. II have had many guides and track
ers, he said to friend not long since.
''but though an Indian may be even more
expert in knowledge of the ways of game
or any wild thing than the white man. he
is never his equal in killing 1t or as a
crack shot. 1 have never known an Indian
who could shoot as straight or was as GER
tain Of his quarry when he did shoot as the
best white hunters Then they will not
take the pains in keeping their rifles IN
good shooting condition that the white
hunter does. The white man always real
ICES that his life may some time depend on
the sureness. the readiness, and the ac-
curacy of his weapons. The Indian knows
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to take the care of them that the white
man always does"
The President has used several makes
of rifles but he has two upon which he
specially relies. One Is a single-shot arm
with Sharp's action, upon which he has
had fitted thirty-inch 45-caliber barrel
weighing about eight pounds. This gun Is
sighted with the ordinary old-time notch
and-head sight, with a Lyman peep-sight
on the rifles grip that can be turned down
or taken Off in moment when not in
tended to be used. This arm shoots a
10O-grain cartridge and a 45O-grain 45-calf-
ber bullet. 1t has effective range Of
800 yards. Up to 400 or 800 he can kill an
elk or any similar sized animal in five
shots out of ten If he has a good position.
OF course. he never uses the hundred-year-
old crescent-rigged stock on his rifle.
II have found a heavy shotgun butt the
best and readiest stock that was ever de-
vised. and l have 1t on all my guns he
said.
The other rifle is one built for him
especially by company famous for its
repeating rifles. 1t carries four cartridges
In Its cartridge receiver. and one in the
barrel always ready for instant use. This
is perhaps my favorite arm," he said a
short time since. talking of his panther
hunting trip to Colorado 1t is also a
thirty-inch- -barreled rifle, weighing COM
plete. about ten pounds. 1t is sighted, as
the other is. with an ivory front sight and
a wide shallow V-shaped notch in the back
sight and turn-up peep on the rifles grip.
This is the weapon with which he killed
fourteen cougars. or, as we in the south
call them. panthers. The Colorado pam
ther Is not as large as his fellow-feline of
Louisiana. Mississippi and Texas, but he is
pretty formidable beast to tackle after
all. An animal that can pick up a year
ling calf In his jaws and climb over a six
rallied fence with it, and never once loose
his grip. would not be a pleasant antag-
onist to meet If he were hungry and you
alone. with nothing in your hands but
bird gun.
deer. black tails and the Virginia species,
besides elk galore. He got west a little
too late for the buffalo in any quantity
Still, he has one or two shaggy heads that
fell to his rifle which in massiveness are
equal to any found in old Kit Carson's
days.
Quick on the Trigger.
The writer of this saw in 1860 what was
called the great southern herd of buffalo
crossing the Red Fork of the Arkansas in
what Is now known western Oklahoma
The column was probably three miles in
width and how long could not be seen
Our four troops of the I'd United
States Cavalry waited nearly three days
to get our baggage and ammunition
wagons ahead. for they were moving di-
rectly across the trail. Finally Major Van
Dorm. In command. concluded we were los
ing too much time, and we made detour
that took us to another ford higher I'D
on the river. When we lost sight of them
the rear end of the column of buffaloes had
not come in sight. And to think of it,
today the largest herd known consists of
about eighty calves in all, and but for
the constant vigilance of the miners and
ranchmen In the little valley where this
remnant of mighty race of beasts now
lives they would have been exterminated
long ago by Cheyennes. Comanches and
Lipans and half-wild white men. who covet
their skins for the few miserable dollars
they will bring, and the meat because they
could sell it at the nearest mining camp.