The Meeker herald., 1914-06-13

district I was threatened with instant death and
torture II was caught again by them.
Then began six days journey through the
hiaSing African sun with III my clothes in rags.
no helmet and NO hat NO water. and no food ex-
cept Whist could md my the way. which was
very little. seeing that had NO rihe All my
camp equipment, stores and rifles had been taken
away from me and had lost all my ivory, the
result Of many months arduous work in the
Congo.
AT last, after days Of infinite torture, I
reached the camp Of . Belgian ofncial near Ma
hasi. who clothed and fed me. promising me that
kind Of him. for 1t must be remembered that
was . poacher in the Belgian territory and liable
to tan years imprisonment II captured BY the
Belgians in the act of poaching ivory. I have
came to Butiaba to try to get together another
outfit and return to the Mahagi district to re
place my losses. am determined to make up my
lost time and feel confident that can do 80"
Wish that could tell the tale with the
affected simplicity and nothing ut-ofthe-ordnary
manner in which Bennett told It to me.
The next day left by launch for Koba. the hrst
government post on the Nile. Here found
small village Of white OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, but all
Of them were away after ivory in the Congo at
tho time Of my visit They live on the British side
OF the Nile and make periodical excursions into
the Congo after ivory The British government
allows Congo ivory to pass through Its territory
payment Of twenty-five per cent custom duty
and in = way this encourages the poachers. for
they are allowed to shoot only two. or at most
three. elephants each year In Fist Africa or
Congo no license IL necessary and they may shoot
many tuskers a. they can. without . license. II
they can evade being captured by the Belgians
or the natives.
Each man takes untold risks when he follows
this calling. Not only does he chance ten Year,
imprisonment in q chain-gang in the interior Of
the Congo, II caught by the Belgians but he also
takes his life In his hands every time he shoots
an elephant, for he crawls into q herd through
the fifteen or twenty-foot grass. selects the big.
gest bull and then shoots It at range Of from
ten to fifteen yards. No one who has not tried
elephant shooting realise the terrifying aspect
Of herd Of elephants when you are close to
them. They move 30 silently. and yet each one IL
capable Of crushing the life out Of any man who
dares disturb their. peace
At Koba found tho houses made Of grass and
mud, Of John Boyes, the Honorable Rupert Craven
and Of Pickering and Buckley. "Kara1oma" Bell
had given up poaching for the time being A. he
had made more than sufficient out Of It to satisfy
all his desires Bell 10 > young Englishman. who
has big estate ia England and an annual rent.
roll Of some $4,000. He came out to Central AZ.
RIGA seeking adventure in 1909. when only eight
cen years Of age. and at turned his attention
to slephant.hunting.
l am told that in the last eight years Bell has
spsat 100000 in seeking ivory and has made
s2oo.ooo 20 that he has cleared one hundred per
cont.
John Boyes. alias rKing Of the Kfkuyu." was,
unfortunately. poaching in the Congo. should
have. liked to renew my acquaintance with him,
for hs IL remarkable character. Boyes was at
one time an abie-bodied seaman on 4 msrchsut
vessel and was wrecked. or deserted, know not
which. at Zanzibar. many years previous to nv
Arst meeting with him In 1904. He had spent ali
his time cattls-trading and ivory.huntine IN the
wiids. and for many years made the territory Of
the Aktkuyu tribe his headquartOrs He had Be.
come bloodbrothsr to their king, Kinanjui. a,A
then had made himself virtually their hing