In Bell's books, he pictures himself more as an explorer type, the "first white man into the Karamojo" for example.

In other books he is mentioned as one of the poachers of the Lado. The Lado was a lawless area with control vacated by the control of the Belgian sovereign before control was re-asserted by Belgian and other gov'ts. The elephant hunters there made good use of the loss of temporary control.

But many of these hunters also did hunt the Lado after legal control was asserted. One book mentions how they would cross the river from Uganda, into Belgian territory, hunt and flee back across the river when Belgian authorities chased them.

If I remember rightly when Roosevelt passed through that area, Bell was reported to be "across the river" at the time. Though it may have been someone else.

A person writes his memoirs in a favourable light. Some write in more honest manner, others not. Who knows sometimes which it is with which writer? We know which one Crapstick was ....

though his fiction is enjoyable. A lot of the "non-fictional" African stories of Karen Blixen/Isak Dineson for example were also fictional stories.

Bell is one of my historical heroes and one of the greatest "Gentlemen Adventurors" of all time for me.