Visit to Texel Island--Intends to make expedition to the Bahr-el-Ghazal--Frustrated by the war--Selous' patriotism--Efforts to serve--Lord Kitchener thinks him "too old"--Col. Driscoll and the War Office--At last taken for service in East Africa--Selous' account of the capture of Bukoba--Letter to Heatley Noble--The position in East Africa in 1915--Letters to the author--German ascendancy--The Indian Government forces--Precarious position of the British forces--Intends to publish his experiences--Roosevelt's letters--German thoroughness--Roosevelt anxious for America to join the Allies--Letters to the author on the difficulties of the campaign--Unfortunate mistakes--The Munyamwesi--Wonderful fighters--Advance to Kilimanjaro--General Smuts in command--Description of the advance--A deadly climate in the wet season--Returns home for an operation--Again leaves for the front 299 CHAPTER XIV SEPTEMBER, 1916-1917 The last journey--Arrival at Tanga--German East Africa in 1916--The difficulties of the campaign--Progress by General Smuts--The Royal Fusiliers go to Mikesse--A fearful march--General Smuts on the action at Beho-Beho--Selous' gallantry--His death at the head of his men--A noble life--Captain Haines on the last days of Selous--Selous' grave--General Smuts on the future of German East Africa 340 CHAPTER XV CHARACTER, APPEARANCE, ETC.--SOME STORIES OF HIM Untiring energy as a hunter--His modest requirements--Rifles--A story of his practical nature--Sir Alfred Pease on Selous as a hunter and naturalist--The average of shots required in various lands--Selous as a hunter--His love of the shot-gun--Perseverance to excel--The Brocklehursts--A lover of cricket--Bicycling--The triumph of physical fitness--His personal magnetism--Memory--Powers as a story-teller--Diffidence--Inclined to melancholy--The spring of perennial youth--The force of heredity--Slatin Pasha's estimation of Col. Marchand--Selous' opinion of Marchand--Powers of speech--His independence of thought and action--Literary gifts--Kindness of heart--Hatred of crowds--The perpetual call of the wild--Home-sickness--The nostalgia of travel--A great reader--His preferences in literature--Personal friends--Hospitality at home--Lewanika's fears--His attitude towards religion--Roosevelt on Selous--Selous' great influence as a pioneer--A noble life and a fitting end 352 INDEX 377 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS