296 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
arrived from Uganda bearing a tame leopard named “Sandy.” 
He was a lovely beast and allowed me to take him for walks, 
though he regarded my feet as something to pounce on and 
maul. On Sauvage’s farm his chain was attached to a long length 
of fencing wire with a ring free to run along it, and so Sandy 
was able to sprint with unexpected suddenness from his kennel— 
a privilege he took advantage of to catch most of Sauvage’s un- 
suspecting fowls when they came within range. 
When the time came to entrain the whole collection at Nairobi 
station thousands of natives assembled in the goods yard jabber- 
ing excitedly as they clambered over trucks to get a close-up view 
of all the animals. I had already enlisted the aid of the police, but 
even they were helpless to cope with such a crowd. It was fortu- 
nate that Major Sharpe had agreed that his elephant boy should 
accompany me to the coast, for his presence did a lot to pacify 
Dicksi. 
As the tugs pulled the City of Calcutta from the quayside at 
Mombasa, the elephant boy burst into tears as he saw his “baby” 
slowly slipping forever from his sight. The two had formed a 
deep attachment and had been constant companions for five years. 
Dicksi was no less affected by the parting and I realized that an 
effort must be made to befriend her or she would fret and refuse 
to. cat. 
That night as we steamed up the coast of East Africa my legs 
were so tired that I could hardly stand. Only those who have 
experienced the work and anxiety of transporting a large collec- 
tion of animals by rail, shipping them and stowing them to the 
best advantage, getting tons of foodstuffs, from frozen meats to 
bananas and sugar cane, suitably stored, and meanwhile feeding 
and watering everything, can begin to realize what it all means. 
I had remained up all night on the way to the coast and had 
been on the go non-stop since 5 a.M. the previous day, but Dicksi 
had to be comforted, so I stood by her for hours far into the night, 
talking softly to her and stroking her head until the shock of 
leaving land and her guardian had to some extent worn off. It 
was I A.M. when I retired but I was back again at 5:30 AM., 
talking to and patting Dicksi at intervals while feeding the other 
animals. This perseverance and sympathy had its reward, for 
