TREKKING THROUGH THE THIRST 



195 



wounded him and crippled him so that he could not come 

 at any pace and was easily stopped before covering half the 

 distance. Although nearly a foot longer than the biggest 

 of the lions I had already killed, he was so gaunt whereas 

 they were very fat that he weighed but little more, only 

 four hundred and twelve pounds. 



The following day I was out by myself, after impalla 

 and Roberts' gazelle; and the day after I went out with 



The big lion shot by Kermit 

 From a photograph by Kermit Roosevelt 



Tarlton to try for lion. We were away from camp for 

 over fifteen hours. Each was followed by his sais and 

 gun-bearers, and we took a dozen porters also. The day 

 may be worth describing, as a sample of the days when we 

 did not start before dawn for a morning's hunt. 



We left camp at seven, steering for a high, rocky hill, 

 four miles off. We passed zebra and hartebeest, and on the 

 hill came upon Chanler's reedbuck; but we wanted none of 

 these. Continually, Tarlton stopped to examine some dis- 

 tant object with his glasses, and from the hill we scanned 



