ROOSEVELT IN WILDS OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA 399 



antagonist it has become well aware, and will usually avoid an 

 encounter with him except when cornered or when a wound has 

 aroused its ferocious spirit. If, however, it has once had a taste of 

 human blood its eagerness to make man its prey is such as to overcome 

 all sense of danger and it becomes a persistent and deadly hunter of the 

 human invaders of its haunts. 



The natural desire of the American hunter to cope with this lord 

 of the African wilds was quickly gratified. Sir Alfred Pease inviting 

 his guest to spend a day in lion hunting shortly after the latter had 

 reached the ranch of his host on the Athi River. With Sir Alfred as 

 guide, Roosevelt and some members of his party, accompanied by the 

 usual native aids and hunting dogs, set out on their pioneer lion hunt. 

 The Americans were naturally eager and excited. A new and perilous 

 experience was before them. Roosevelt had brought down many 

 specimens of every game animal of which America can boast, not 

 omitting the ferocious grizzly bear, yet he had never coped with a 

 creature of the fame of the lion, and his heart throbbed with anticipa- 

 tion when the behavior of the dogs showed that the scent of this 

 creature was in the air. 



Their way had led down a dry water course, the natives throwing 

 stones into each patch of bushes they met in the hope of stirring up 

 some lurking brute. The honors of the day were reserved by Sir 

 Alfred for his guest, and when the growling alertness of the dogs 

 showed that the prey they sought was close at hand. Sir Alfred fixed 

 his eyes on a nearby covert in which he had caught significant signs of 

 game. "Shoot !" he called out to his guest. 



Roosevelt gazed intently into the clump of bushes close beside him 

 and caught through the green leaves indistinct glimpses of a tawny 

 hide. Without an instant's hesitation he raised his piece and fired, 

 Kermit following with a second shot. The next instant there bounded 

 out of the bushes two wounded animals of the size of a large dog. 

 They were lion cubs which had been hiding there apart from their 

 dam and met with their fate in consequence. 



Disappointed at this unsatisfactory outcome of their first effort to 

 bag a lion, the hunters rode on to another donga, or shallow water 

 course, first making sure of the death of the cubs. In every case pos- 



