CHAPTER XXIII. 
ROOSEVELT’S THRILLING EXPERIENCES. 
How Col. Roosevelt Hunted Lions—Exciting Adventures with Elephants, Rhinoceri, Hippo¬ 
potami, Lions, Etc.—Hunting Big Game Hard, Strenuous Work—The Colonel a Mighty 
Hunter—Saved from Death in the Nick of Time—Kermit a Good Shot—What the Small¬ 
pox Scare Revealed—Loring and Mearns Climb Mount Kenia—Col. Roosevelt Discovers 
New Animal—Last Stage of the Hunting Trip—Smithsonian Institute Receives Greatest 
Collection of Specimens in the World. 
By J. T. Thompson. 
In hunting lions Col. Roosevelt took with him a great many natives 
armed with bows and arrows who beat the hush, raise a noise and drive 
the lion from his lair. Dogs formed the vanguard of the shooting party 
which was accompanied by gunbearers, for the lion is so quick in attack 
that even an expert hunter has no time to reload his gun after a shot. 
Col. Roosevelt shot his lions at a distance of from 60 to 150 yards. His 
habit was to put three bullets into it, one in the chest as he faced him, 
one in the withers as he turned to run and one in the hack to break the 
vertebrae. The order of the shots depended upon the lion’s attitude. 
Many of the Colonel’s first shots broke the lion’s backs, although 
as many as five shots were necessary to dispatch one huge brute, the 
additional two shots being fired, one each by Sir Alfred Pease and 
Kermit Roosevelt. 
One of the interesting bits about the distinguished Colonel’s lion 
shooting in the Kapiti Country was that Lady Pease accompanied the 
party on all its lion hunts and saw the ex-President shoot all his lions 
and never flinched during the critical moments of the hunt, which are 
many, and sorely try even experienced hunters. 
Elephant hunting is the most fascinating of all Big Game pursuits 
because of the element of danger in connection with it. It is considered, 
that everything being equal, the chances are about even for the hunter 
and the hunted. It is not a pleasure trip, nor is it a task for any but 
the most seasoned and nervy hunters. The hunter must be in the saddle 
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