Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1912-07-18

Nyanza and on the banks of the Nile did not les
sen my regard for them as men, PERHAPS their
calling as elephantpoachers 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 offenses of which they were guilty.
paled before all other considerations and one is
forced to concede to them the possession of the
acme Of pluck. The freebooter or soldier of for
tune is ever picturesque figure and the Congo
poachers amply fill this role
had marched one hundred and sixty-fve miles
across the dreary, swelteringly hot Uganda coun-
try and 1t with feelings of extreme relief
that saw the shtmmerng eXpanse Of the waters
of the Albert Nyanza from the rugged hill-tops
overlooking Butaba the small port on the sandy
shore Of the lake.
pitched camp on the site Of the recent Roose-
welt encampment within hundred feet of the
lake.
had heard from natives that one of the Congo
poachers was In camp at Butiaba but none of
them seemed to know his name and was at a
loss to know who he might be. I remembered that
there were number of men whom knew init.
mately poaching in this district, and I wondered
whether perchance l was to be given an 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 mightiest of elephant-hunters; the Hon.
orable Rupert Craven, brother of Earl Craven;
young Quentin Grogan, brother of Captain Ewart
S. Grogan of Cape-to-Cairo fame; Pickering a
noted elephant-hunter; Bennett an ex-engineer Of
the Nile launches; W. Buckley partner of Pick
erings; or Pearson, to say nothing of many 9TH
ers whom had met from time to time | men,
ton them by their correct Names for they made
no secret of their calling and feel sure that
am not committing any indiscretion by so doing
Each one of these has a history, and each
and every one Of them 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
at Butiaba might be were soon set at rest 1t is
the custom for all white men in Africa to call on
any other white man who may camp in their vi
cinity and so 1t not long before the "poacher"
came to my camp to me- It proved to be
Bennett, the eX-engineer 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
been in charge OF the small steam launch plying
between Butiaba and Minute 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 launch engl.
neer, so that 1t 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
fotilla when inspecting East Africa and Uganda
In his official capacity under secretary of state
for the colonies.
This is the story OF a man. as told tn me on
my first night in camp at Butiaba sitting in my
tent beating off the attack Of greedy mosquitoes
while entertaining Bennett with the aid of nv lin.
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 as the result Of
the association of my surroundings
noticed that his hands were badly acerated
in fact in a fearful state and all the time we
conversed about generalities was wondering
what had been the cause. Presently the CONVEX
sation turned to the subject of elephant-shootina
and asked him how he was progressing with his
quest for ivory. l had got him interested now
and leaned sack in my easy camp-chair to listen.