The Washington herald., 1910-08-28
AFRICAN GAME TRAILS-BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT

attention to one Of the men who had
left with the lame horse. He was run
ming back 70 tell Us that they had just
seen big, named lion walking along In
the open plain toward the body Of a
zebra he had killed the night before.
Immediately Tarlton and 1 galloped In
the direction indicated. while the heart
broken Kermit ran after US on foot, so
as not to miss the fun, the sun-bearers
and saises stringing out behind him. In
a few minutes Tsrlton pointed out the
lion. splendid old fellow. a heavy male
with yellow and blaAk name: and after
him we went There was no need to 90
fast; he was too burly and too savage
20 run hard and we We're anxious. that
our hands should be reasonably steady
when we shot. all told. the horses. gal
Looping and cautering, did net take us
two miles
The lion stopped and lay down behind
a bush; Jumping of. I took a shot at
him at 200 yards. but only wounded him
slightly In one paw; and, after mo-
ment's sullen hesitation, off he went
lashing his tail. We mounted our horses
and went after him; Tarlton lost sight
OF him, but I marked him lying down
behind a low grassy anthill. Again we
dismounted at a distance of 2g0 yards;
Tarlton telling me that now he was sure
10 charge. In all East Africa there is
no man. not even Cuninghame himself.
whom I would rather have BY me than
Tarlton. if I'm difficulties with a charging
lion; on this occasion. however. I am
glad to say that his rifle was badly
sighted. and shot altogether too low.
Again / knelt and fred: but the mass
Of hair on the Lion made me think he
was nearer than he was. ard undershot.
innicting a flesh wound that was neither
Gripping nor fatal He was already
gruntlng sayagely and tossing his tair
erect. with his head held low; and at the
shot the great sinewy beast came toward
US with the speed OF a greyhound. Tarl-
Ton then. very properly fred. for Hon
hunting Is no chlld's play, and it IS not
good 10 run risks Ordinarily II is a very
mean thing 70 experience joy at friends
miss: but this was not an ordinary case.
and felt keen delight when the bullet
from the badly sighted rifle missed. strik-
ing the grouIr3 many yards short. I was
sighting carefully. from NY knee. and
knew I had the lion all right; for though
he galloped at a great pace. he came on
steadily-ears laid back. and uttering ter
rife coughing grunts-and there was now
no question OF making allowance for die
lance, nor as he was out in the open,
for the fact that he had not before been
distinctly visible The bead of my fore
sight was exactly on his chest as I press
ed che trigger, and the bullet went as
true as IL the place had been plotted with
dividers. The blow brought him Up all
standing, and he feH forward on his head
The soft-nOse Winchester bullet had gone
straight through the chest cavity, smash
ing the lungs and big blood-vessels OF the
heart. Painfully he recovered his feet
and tried to come on. his ferocious oour-
age holding out TO the last; but he stag
gered. and turned from side TO side. un-
able to stand firmly. stin less to advance
at faster pace than a walk. He had
not ten seconds 10 live; but IL is a
sound principle to take no chances with
lions Tarlton hit him with his second
bullet, probably in the shoulder; and with
my next shot I broke his neck had
stopped him when he was stiu 100 yards
away; and certainly no finer sight could
be imagined than that of this great
named lion as he charged. Kermit glee-
fully joined us as we walked up % the
body; only one Of our followers had been
able 20 keep up with him on his two
miles run. He had had a fine view OF
the charge, from one side, as he ran up,
stiII 300 yards distant; he could see all the
muscles play as the lion galloped in. and
then everything relax as he fell to the
shock Of my bullet
The lion was a big old male still in
MS prime. Between uprights his length
was 9 feet, inches, and his weight 4lO
pounds, for he was not fat We skinned
him and started for camp. which we
reached after dark. There was a thunder
storm In the southwest and In the red
sunset that burned behind US the rain
clouds turned to many gorgeous hues.
/ Then daylight failed. the clouds cleared.
and as we made our way across the
formless plain. the half moon hung high
overhead. strange stars shone in the bril-
liant heavens. and the Southern Cross
lay radiant above the sky line.