ch. x] AT MERU BOMA 251 
skins, and carrying his war spear, came to congratulate 
me on killing the elephant and to present me with a 
sheep. Early the following morning everything was in 
readiness ; the bull-necked porters lifted their loads, I 
stepped out in front, followed by my led horse, and in 
ten hours’ march we reached Neri boma, with its neat 
buildings, its trees, and its well-kept flower beds. 
My hunting and travelling during the following fort¬ 
night will be told in the next chapter. On the evening 
of September 6th we were all together again at Meru 
Boma, on the north-eastern slopes of Kenia—Kermit, 
Tarlton, Cuninghame, Heller, and I. Thanks to the 
unfailing kindness of the Commissioner, Mr. Horne, we 
were given full information of the elephant in the 
neighbourhood. He had no ’Ndorobo, but among the 
Wa-Meru, a wild martial tribe, who lived close around 
him, there were a number of hunters, or at least of men 
who knew the forest and the game, and these had been 
instructed to bring in any news. 
We had, of course, no idea that elephant would be 
found close at hand. But next morning, about eleven, 
Horne came to our camp with four of his black scouts, 
who reported that three elephants were in a patch of 
thick jungle beside the shambas, not three miles away. 
Horne said that the elephants were cows, that they had 
been in the neighbourhood some days, devastating the 
shambas, and were bold and fierce, having charged some 
men who sought to drive them away from the cultivated 
fields ; it is curious to see how little heed these elephants 
pay to the natives. I wanted a cow for the Museum, 
and also another *bull. So off we started at once, 
Kermit carrying his camera. I slipped on my rubber- 
soled shoes, and had my gun-bearers accompany me 
barefooted, with the Holland and the Springfield rifles. 
