THE COLONEL KILLS THREE ELEPHANTS 147 



calves. It had not been intended or desired to kill 

 more than two of the cows, but with a herd of angry 

 elephants threatening- to annihilate an attacking 

 party, sometimes the prearranged plans do not 

 work out according to specifications. 



Kermit was hastily despatched to notify our 

 camp and the work of preparing the skins of the 

 elephants was at once begun. 



In the meantime, we at our camp, eight miles 

 away from the scene of battle, were waiting eagerly 

 for news of the hunting party, although expect- 

 ing nothing for a day of so. It seemed too 

 much to expect that the hunt should have such a 

 quick and successful termination. So when Kermit 

 rode in with the news late in the afternoon it was a 

 time for felicitation. We all solemnly took a drink, 

 which in itself was an event, for our camp was a 

 "dry" camp when in the field. Only the killing of 

 a lion had been sufficient provocation for taking off 

 the "lid," but on the strength of three elephants for 

 the group the "lid" was momentarily raised with 

 much ceremony and circumstance. 



The burden of Kermit's message was "sajft, salt, 

 salt!" and porters and second gunbearers to help 

 with the skinning. So James L. Clark, who has 

 been connected with the American Museum of 

 History for some time and who was with us on the 

 Mount Elgon trip to help Mr. Akeley with the 

 preparation of the group, started off with a lot of 

 porters laden with salt for preserving the skins. It 

 was his plan to go direct to the main Roosevelt 



