ELEPHANT HUNTING 301 



Next morning some of the 'Ndorobo went off on the trail 

 of Cuninghame's elephant to see if it had fallen, but found 

 that it had travelled steadily, though its wounds were 

 probably mortal. There was no object in my staying, for 

 Heller and Cuninghame would be busy for the next ten 

 days, and would ultimately have to use all the porters in 

 taking off and curing the skin, and transporting it to Neri; 

 so I made up my mind to go down to the plains for a hunt 

 by myself. Taking one porter to carry my bedding, and 

 with my gun-bearers, and a Dorobo as guide, I struck off 

 through the forest for the main camp, reaching it early in 

 the afternoon. Thence I bundled off a safari to Cuning- 

 hame and Heller, with food for a week, and tents and 

 clothing; and then enjoyed the luxury of a shave and a warm 

 bath. Next day was spent in writing and making prepara- 

 tions for my own trip. A Kikuyu chief, clad in a cloak of 

 hyrax skins, and carrying his war spear, came to congratu- 

 late me on killing the elephant and to present me with a 

 sheep. Early the following morning everything was in read- 

 iness; the bull-necked porters lifted their loads, I stepped 

 out in front, foUowed 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 Meru 

 boma, on the north-eastern slopes of Kenia Kermit, Tarl- 

 ton, Cuninghame, Heller, and I. Thanks to the unfailing 

 kindness of the commissioner, Mr. Home, we were given 

 full information of the elephant in the neighborhood. He 

 had no 'Ndorobo, but among the Wa-Meru, a wild mar- 

 tial tribe, who lived close around him, there were a num- 

 ber 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, 



