Hemingway's guns

[Grantham Forester]

Originally Posted by Steve McCarty

Coupla months ago I re-read the Green Hills of Africa, written about HEM's first safari in '33/34, paid for by his wife's uncle. They scared up the old boy who PH'd TR and Kermit's safari in (I think) 1905/6.

I took my time with the work and enjoyed it. At the same time I read The Horn of the Hunter by Ruark. Of course Bobby R. doesn't have the following that HEM has, but darn it all, I enjoyed that book too.

Aren't the Nick Adams tales about hunting/fishing? I've always enjoyed the story about the Indian who committed suicide as his wife was giving birth.

When Hem wrote Green Hills he was in his prime and it shows in the work.

Ruark died at age 49 and didn't require any embalming fluid to become pickled. He also owned some nice guns. He lived in Spain. (taxes you know). Ruark lived under Hem's shadow and he knew and didn't like it. Hem was born in '99 and Ruark in '18, so they were about a generation apart in age, but similar in many ways. Ruark liked safari martinis which was straight gin poured from a bottle left in the sun on the back seat of the Landrover and served up in a plastic cup. Yummm. I've been on safari (camera) and did some drinking after hours with a few of the young PH's. Hint, if someone offers you a pink gin, consider turning it down.

Just a few notes--The PH you mentioned was indeed Phillip Percival-- he was most likely the model for Robert Wilson in Hemingway's best short story ever-IMO anyway-- "The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber"--Wilson carried a George Gibbs BA in .505 Gibbs caliber, Phillip Percival most likely had his .470 H&H double express rifle when he guided Teddy and Kermit Roosevelt, it was later damaged when run over by a lorry, and he went to a .416 Rigby with express sights and used that for the rest of his hunting/guiding career. I think Ruark was a first rate writer, he was born in 1915 and died in Spain in 1965 at age 50. He had Hemingway both used booze and women to excess, but Hemingway was not a known smoker, Ruark was a two-pack a day Lucky Strike man, and he died from cancer. His friend and PH from Africa was Harry Selby.