396 ROOSEVELT IN WILDS OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA 



of that famous stream. In those pages Httle was said of his experience 

 as a hunter, only a few passing incidents being given. This was done 

 advisedly with the purpose of giving his hunting adventures by them- 

 selves, after describing the stage on which they took place. 



The railway station at Kapiti Plains, the nearest to the ranch 

 of Sir Alfred Pease, was reached by the train from Mombasa on April 

 23d and the Roosevelt party left the cars and pitched their tents near 

 the station, proposing to spend here their first night under canvas in 

 Africa. It was an elaborate camp, the total hunting caravan consist- 

 ing of two hundred persons, who seemed glad to rest under the Ameri- 

 can flag, which waved its starry folds over the leader's tent. 



The native porters had been collected at this point by Mr. R. J. 

 Cunninghame, the Scotch scout and hunter, in advance of the coming 

 of the expedition, and hailed the advent of the party with shouts of 

 welcome, being lined up on the platform as the train rolled in. Sir 

 Alfred Pease stepped forward to greet his guest as Colonel Roosevelt 

 descended from his post of observation on the engine's front, a sturdy 

 figure in khaki hunting dress and with a white helmet on his head. 

 There was a look of warm gratification upon his face as he heard the 

 shouting blacks and vigorously grasped the hand of his English host, 

 who was evidently equally gratified at the visit of his illustrious guest. 



That he was in a country probably fuller of game animals than 

 any equal region elsewhere on the earth Roosevelt had become con- 

 vinced from the seemingly numberless animals he had seen on his 

 ride, and that they were not all of the harmless kinds he had evidence 

 that night from the low but threatening growls of lions prowling 

 about in the vicinity of the tents, doubtless attracted thither by the 

 scent of hoped-for prey. 



A short hunting excursion was made on the 24th while the party 

 was preparing to break camp and march to Pease's ranch. The first 

 fruit of the expedition fell to the ardent Kermit Roosevelt, the boy 

 member of the party, who, while his father was unpacking his kit, 

 went out with an old settler who had taken a fancy to him and proved 

 his markmanship by bringing down a passing antelope with his first 

 shot. His father's maiden efifort was made on the 25th, when he 

 bagged two wildebeests — the African name for the species of antelope 



