The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-20
KERMlT'S KILL.
Roosevelt Lad Brings Down
Charging Leopard.
His Father Makes 1t Feature of
Hunting Story.
THE HIPPO is EASY.
lie HIPPO is EASY.
At Least That Was the COlOnel's
First Experience.
Latest InStallment of African
Hunt Tale Is Interesting.

New York. Dec. 20-The fourth in
stallment of Colonel Roosevelt's story
OF his African hunt, which appears in
the January Scribner, is quite as inter-
esting as any of those that have gone
before. In it the ex-president describes
the hunting Journeys which he took
while the guest of Mr.. Mcmillan at
Juju Farm, place where game came
right around the house." The hippo
were hunted in wild places along the
REVERB river where they abound. There
Is also an account Of hunting leopards,
one of which, brought down by Kermit
Roosevelt, proved to be great fighter
and mauled one of the heaters. OF this
incident Mr.. Roosevelt wrote:
I'm one of these beats they put up a
leopard and saw it sinking forward
ahead of them through the bushes.
Then they lost sight of it, end came to
the conclusion that it was in a large
thicket- So Kermit went on one side
of it an Mcmillan on the other, and
the beaters approached to try and get
the leopard out. OF course none of the
heaters Lad guns; their. function was
merely =. make disturbance and
rouse the game, and they were eau
toned on no account to get into dan
ger. But the leopard did not wait to be
driven.
Leopard Charges Kermit.
without any warning, out he came
and charged straight at Kermit. who
stopped him when he was but six yards
off with a bullet in the forepart of the
body; the leopard turned. and as he
galloped back Kermit hit him again,
cri0pNng him in the hips.
1.-THE wounds were fatal. and they
would have knocked the fight out of
any animal less plucky and savage
than the leopard; but not even in
Africa is there a beast of more I'M
f1inching courage than this spotted cat.
The aters were much excited by the
D., sight of the charge and the way in
which it was stopped and they pressed
iubilantIy forward. too heedIessly; one
OF them. who was on McMillan's side of
the thicket. went too near it, and out
came the wounded leopa~ at him.
1T was badly crippled or it would
have go the beaten at once; as it was,
1t was slowly overtaking him as he ran
through the tall grass when Mcmillan,
standing on an ant heap. shot IT again.
Yet. in spite of having this third bullet
in it. it ran down the heater and seized
him. worrying him with teeth and
claws but it was weak because OF its
wounds. and the powerful savage
wrenched himself free. while Mcmillan
fired into the beast again; and back it
went through the long grass into the
thioket. $50
There was a pause. and the wound
ed heater was removed to a place of
safety. while a MESSENGER was sent OH
to us 10 bring up the Roer dogs. But
while thew We're waiting the Leopard
on it's own initiative. brought matters
to a crisis. for out it came again
straight at Kermit and this time it
dropped dead to Kermit's bullet
Mr.. Roosev eIt's First Hippo.
Another interesting feature of this
latest chapter of the Roosevelt hunt is
the success Colonel Roosevelt achieved
in his quest for hippopotami. He tells
of his first kill of this sort of beast as
follows:
But we got within half a mile of
McMillan's house without seeing
hippo, and the light was rapidly fad
ing. Judd announced that we would
go home, but took one last look around
the next bend. and instantly sank to
his knees. reckoning to me- 1 crept
forward on all-fours and he pointed out
to me an object in the stream, 80 Yards
OF, under the overhanging branch of a
tree. which jutted out from the steep
bank opposite. In that light 1 should
not myself have recognized it as a
hippo head; but it was one, looking
toward us, with the ears up and the
nostrils. eyes. and forehead above wa
ter. / aimed for the center; the sound
told that the bullet had struck some
where on the head. and the animal dis
appeared without a splash Judd was
sure I had killed, but 1 was by no
means so confident myself, and there
was no way of telling until next morn
ing. for the hippo always sinks when
shot and does not rise to the surface
for several hours. Accordingly, back
we walked to the house.
The Dead Hippo.
"At sunrise next morning Cunning
hame, Judd, and 1, with a crowd of