Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/160

 third term in the "N. Y. State As-sem-bly," he bought a ranch in North Da-ko-ta where there were all sorts of big game. Books went out there with him. Tales of wild beasts, words of Burns, the poet of the soil, Poe and his weird themes, and not a few more. He found joy in ranch life and wrote "Hunt-ing Trips of a Ranch-man," "Ranch Life and the Hunt-ing Trail," "The Wil-der-ness Hun- ters," and more books, which are known on both sides of the At-lan-tic and have brought him much fame.

Pres-i-dent McKin-ley sent for The-o-dore Roose-velt to come to Wash-ing-ton in 1897 and be "As-sist-ant Sec-re- ta-ry of the Na-vy." Mr. Roose-velt took the post and at once made it his task to learn just what there was to do. He saw that there was a great lack of ships. He knew, in case of war, the U-ni-ted States could not hold her own with a foe o'er the sea. He did his best to make the new war ships fit for work as soon as they could be, and he had old ships put in good shape. He saw the war with Spain on its way a year ere it broke out. All the year of 1897 the "As-sist-ant Sec-re-ta-ry" was hard at work. He chose the men who were to come to the fore on the ships in that war with Spain.

When war was at hand, Mr. Roose-velt could not rest in such a post. "There is more for me to do," he said. "I must go and fight." He was told to stay at Wash-ing-ton, and that he was the man for the place, and if he left he would spoil his chance. Words like these could not stop him. He felt that he had a call to the field and that he could be of use there. He gave up his post, was sworn in as "Lieut. Col. of U. S. Vol-un-teers." Men came to join him from all parts: cow-boys from the plains of the West,