CHAPTER XXVII 

 A LION-SPEARING SAFARI. 



Roosevelt Takes Part in an Exciting Hunt— Sees Lion- 

 Spearing — Celebrated with War Dance — Kermit has 

 Great Luck— Elephant Hunters of the Congo Give 

 THE Colonel a Warm Greeting. 



ALONG stream of porters came winding across the veldt, 

 looking for all the world like a string of ants. The Stars 

 and Stripes was held aloft by a giant native, and the sound of 

 horns made strange discords with the chanting of the weird and 

 elusive safari song. Shortly, Colonel Roosevelt arrived on the 

 back of his favorite horse, Tranquility. It was the end of his last 

 trip in the British East African protectorate. 



This safari, which was the fourth to be made out of Nairobi, 

 gave Colonel Roosevelt and his party an opportunity to witness 

 an exciting hunt at A. E. Hoey's farm at Sirgoi, in the Guaso 

 Nguisho country, and the spearing of a lion by Mandi warriors. 



Seventy of these spearsmen had been asked to take part in 

 the drive, and they assented readily, for when a warrior spears a 

 lion he becomes a leader of the fighting section of the tribe and 

 may wear a head dress formed of the lion's mane, and walk at the 

 head of the file of Mandi warriors when on the march. In these 

 hunts they display extraordinary courage. 



The band of seventy almost naked men, with their long, 

 sharp spears, and attended by the chosen spectators, the latter 

 being mounted, proceeded down a long valley, where the grass 

 was thick and thorn trees lined its edges. Very soon a lion was 

 observed not more than four hundred yards in front. Immediately 

 the warriors gave chase, and in less than two miles they had 

 rounded up the king of the wilderness. The horsemen then 

 approached and it was seen that the lion at bay was a fully grown, 

 black-maned one. The spearmen began their task of surrounding 



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