Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-07-12

Nyanza and on the banks of the Nile did not le.-
sen my regard for them as men. Perhaps their
calling as elephant-poachers may not have been
regular in the eyes of the law but then there was
such an element of danger connected with their
work that the ofenses of which they guilty
paled before all other considerations and one is
forced to concede to them the possession OF the
acme of pluck. The freebooter soldier OF for
tune is ever a picturesque figure and the Congo
poachers amply fill this role.
had marched hundred and sixty-fve miles
across the dreary. swelteringly hot Uganda coun-
try, and IT was with feelings of extreme relief
that ! saw the shimmerng expanse of the waters
of the Albert Nyanza from the rugged hilltops
overlooking Butiaba, the small port the sandy
shore OF the lake
l pitched camp on the site of the recent Roose-
welt encampment within hundred feet of the
lake.
had heard from natives that of the Congo
poachers was in camp at Butaba, but none of
them seemed to know his name and l at
loss 10 know who he might be. I remembered that
there were number of men whom knew inti-
mately poaching in this district, and I wondered
whether perchance to be given opportu-
nifty of renewing my acquaintance with one of
them Perhaps 1t might be John Boyes nick
named King of the Kikuyu:" or "KaromoJa"
Bell. the mghtiest of eephant-hunters: the Hon
orable Rupert Craven, brother of Earl Craven:
young Quentin Grogan brother of Captain Ewart
S. Grogan of Cape-toCairo fame: Pickering a
noted elephanthunter; bennett. ex-englneer of
the Nile launches; W. Buckley. partner OF Pick
whom had met from time to time I men
tion them by their correct names for they made
no secret of their calling and feel sure that
am not committing any lndiscreton by so doing.
Each one of these men has history. and each
and every one of them can tell thrilling tales of
his experiences not only in the Congo but also in
every other part of Africa.
My interested conjectures as to who the man
Mt Butiaba might be soon set at rest II is
the custom for all white men in Africa TO call on
m In fhpi
ctnity. and so II was not long before the pOacher'
came to my camp 10 me. 1t proved to be
Bennett. the eXengineer of the Uganda Nile fleet
who had abandoned his professional calling for the
more thrilling and lucrative work of shooting ele-
plants for their ivory. For many years he had
between Butiaba and Nimue on the Nile and dur
ing these years he had done much shooting on
the banks of the river. His haul of ivory added
each year to his small income as a launch engi.
neer. so that it was bad year indeed when he
did not double, nay treble. his paltry salary He
had been with Winston Churchill. when the lat
ter made his trip up the Nile on the government
flotilla when inspecting East Africa and Uganda
In his official capacity under secretary of state
for the colonies
This is the story of man. as told TO me on
my first night in camp at Butlaba sitting in my
tent beating OFF the attack of greedy mosquitoes
while entertaining Bennett with the aid of nv linn
tied supply of whisky. The story was so startling
that often had TO pinch myself during its recital
to satisfy myself that was not dreaming of the
days of Emin Pasha and Stanley the result OF
the association of my surroundings
! noticed that his hands badly lacerated
in fact in fearful state and all the time we
conversed about generalities l was wondering
what had been the cause Presently the couver-
sation turned to the subject of elephant
and I asked him how he WAS progressing with his
quest for ivory had got him interested
and leaned back In my easy campchnir to listen