154 IN AFRICA 



"I never drank whisky," he said; "not from prin- 

 ciple, but because I don't like it. I seldom drink 

 wine, because I'm rather particular about the kind 

 of wine I drink. We have some champagne with 

 us, but the thought of drinking hot champagne in 

 this country is unpleasant. Sometimes, when I can 

 get wines that just suit my taste, I drink a little, 

 but never much. The three drinks of brandy are 

 all I've had in Africa, and I'm sure that I've not 

 taken one in the last four months. They had all 

 sorts of stories out about me before I left Wash- 

 ington that I was drinking hard and that I was 

 crazy. I may be crazy," he said, laughing, "but 

 I most certainly haven't been drinking hard." 



The luncheon was a merry affair. Heller had 

 been out in the swamp in front of the camp and 

 had shot some ducks for luncheon. 



"On my way in," said the colonel, "I shot an oribi, 

 but when I heard that Heller had shot some ducks 

 I knew that my oribi would not be served." 



It was evident that the most thorough good fel- 

 lowship existed among the members of the 

 colonel's party. His fondness for all of them was 

 in constant evidence in the way he joked with 

 them and in the complete absence of restraint in 

 their attitude toward him. 



"They were told that I would be a hard man to 

 get along with in the field," Colonel Roosevelt said, 

 "but we've had a perfectly splendid time together." 



I asked him whether he had been receiving news- 

 papers, and, if not, whether he would like to see 



