CH. x] AT IMEUU HOMA 251 



skins, and carrying his war spear, came to congi'atulate 

 me on killing the elej)hant and to present me with a 

 sheep. Early the following morning everything was in 

 readiness ; the hull-necked porters lilted their loads. I 

 stepped out in front, followed by my led horse, and in 

 ten hours' march we reached Neri boma, with its neat 

 buildings, its trees, and its well-kept flower beds. 



My hunting and travelling during the following fort- 

 night will be told in the next chapter. On the evening 

 of September 6th we were all together again at JNleru 

 Boma, on the north-eastern slopes of Kenia — Kermit, 

 Tarlton, Cuninghame, Heller, and I. Thanks to the 

 unfailing kindness of the Commissioner, JNlr. Home, we 

 were given full information of the elephant in the 

 neighbourhood. He had no 'Ndorobo, but among the 

 Wa-Meru, a wild martial tribe, who lived close around 

 him, there were a number of hunters, or at least of men 

 who knew the forest and the game, and these had been 

 instructed to bring in any news. 



We had, of course, no idea that elephant would be 

 found close at hand. But next morning, about eleven. 

 Home came to our camp with four of his black scouts, 

 who repoi'ted that three elephants were in a patch of 

 thick jungle beside the shambas, not three miles away. 

 Home said that the elephants were cows, that they had 

 been in tiie neighbourhood some days, devastating the 

 shambas, and were bold and fierce, having charged some 

 men who sought to drive them away from the cultivated 

 fields ; it is curious to see how little heed these elephants 

 pay to the natives. I wanted a cow for the Museum, 

 and also another bull. So ofi' we started at once, 

 Kermit carrying his camera. I slipped on my rubber- 

 soled shoes, and had my gun-})carers accompany me 

 barefooted, with the Holland and the Springfield rifles. 



