MEETING COLONEL ROOSEVELT 137 



pants of the camp were Mr. Roosevelt and his 

 party. In the meantime the messenger had reached 

 Colonel Roosevelt, and when the latter learned that 

 Mr. Akeley's safari was in the vicinity he at once 

 ordered camp pitched forty-five minutes from our 

 camp, and started across to see Akeley. The latter 

 had also started across to see the colonel, and they 

 met on the way. And during all this time the na- 

 tive runner with the message to Colonel Roosevelt 

 was loafing the morning away in our camp. What 

 the message might be, of course, we didn't know, 

 but we hoped that it was nothing of importance. 

 It was only when the colonel and his party reached 

 our camp that the message was delivered. As we 

 stood talking and congratulating everybody on 

 how well he was looking the colonel casually opened 

 the message. 



He seemed amused, and somewhat surprised, and 

 at once read it aloud to us. It was from America, 

 and said: "Reported here you have been killed. 

 Mrs. Roosevelt worried. Cable denial American 

 Embassy, Rome." It was dated November sixth, 

 eight days before. 



"I think I might answer that by saying that the 

 report is premature," he said, laughing, and then 

 told the story of a Texas man who had commented 

 on a similar report in the same words. 



Colonel Roosevelt certainly didn't look dead. If 

 ever a man looked rugged and healthy and in splen- 

 did physical condition he certainly did on the day 

 that this despatch reached him. His cheeks were 



