lived for the greater
part of his time as a long, low, story-high house of hewn logs, clean
and neat, and with many rooms. It faced the river, and in front was a
long, low veranda, where one might idle on a clear, warm day to his
heart's content. Inside, the main room contained a shelf full of the
owner's favorite outdoor books and the walls half-a-dozen pet pictures.
Rifles and shot-guns stood handy in corners, and on pegs and deer horns
hung overcoats of wolf or coon skin and gloves of otter or beaver.

That Theodore Roosevelt was a close observer of all that occurred around
him is proved by his writings. With great minuteness he has described
his life at the ranch home and while in the saddle, both in winter and
summer, telling of his experiences while rounding up cattle and while
bringing down waterfowl and larger game of various kinds. He likewise
describes the trained hunters he has met at different seasons of the
year, and tells of what they have done or were trying to do.

At this time his favorite horse was a steed called Manitou. But when on
a round-up of cattle, many ponies were taken along, so that a fresh
mount could be had at any time. It was a breezy, free life, and to it
our President undoubtedly owes the rugged constitution that he possesses
to-day.

His observations led him to make many investigations concerning the
smaller wild animals near his ranches and the larger beasts to be found
farther off. The tales which were told to him by other ranchmen and
hunters he always took "with a grain of salt," and he soon reached the
conclusion that many of the so-styled mighty hunters were only such in
name, and had brought down quantities of game only in years gone by when
such game was plentiful and could be laid low without much trouble. Once
when a man told him he had brought down a certain beast at four hundred
yards, Roosevelt measured the distance and found it to be less than half
that.

"You couldn't fool him on much," said one of the persons who met him
about that time. "He would take precious little for granted. He wanted
to know the how of everything, and he wasn't satisfied until he did
know."

Regarding his own powers as a hunter at that time, Mr. Roosevelt is very
modest. He says his eyesight was rather poor, and his hand not over
steady, so that "drawing a bead" on anything was not easy. Yet he went
into the sport with much enthusiasm, and if at times he came back at
nightfall empty-handed,