WE MARCH FOR THE MOUNTAINS 185 



Mount Elgon, but the likelihood of getting the big 

 bulls was far from encouraging. Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor Jackson thought we might be successful if 

 we directed our efforts to the southeastern slopes of 

 the mountain and avoided the northeastern slopes 

 along the River Turkwel, which had been hunted a 

 good deal by sportsmen and poachers. If we were 

 unable to get the big bulls on Elgon it might be 

 necessary to make a special trip into Uganda for 

 them. However, we determined to try, and try we 

 did, through eight weeks of hard work and wonder- 

 ful experiences in that remote district. 



At Sergoi, the very outpost of crude civilization, 

 we were warned not to go up the southern side of 

 the mountain on account of the natives that live 

 there. We were told that they were inclined to be 

 troublesome. We met Captain Ashton and Captain 

 Black coming out after six weeks on the northern 

 slopes. They reported seeing big herds, but mostly 

 cows and calves. At Sergoi we also received word 

 from Colonel Roosevelt and at once marched to the 

 Nzoia River, where we met him. 



During our march we saw no elephants, but as 

 we neared the river there were fresh signs of ele- 

 phant along the trail. It is strikingly indicative of 

 the "Roosevelt luck" that he saw, on the morning we 

 met him, the only elephants that he had seen in the 

 district, and that within twenty- four hours from 

 that time he had killed three elephants and Kermit 

 one. Of this number two cows killed by Colonel 

 Roosevelt were satisfactory for the group, and also 



