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 “salt, 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 
