March 1909. I’d had enough of Washington. Taft would be fine, probably better off without me around. So Kermit and I set off for the opposite of Washington, a place unworn of man, where we could wake beneath the splendor of new stars: Mombasa, Kenya. The morning after making camp, we came upon four water buffalo, the largest standing just outside the others. I fired a shot through his tough hide, going through the lungs. That bull ran for a quarter of a mile before finally falling. It was clear he was tough of hide, and tough of heart. That toughness was what we encountered in that vast silence, a silence that was the opposite of Washington, a silence I needed. The full-grown male water buffalo stands about 5’6” high at the shoulders and is upwards of 12 feet long. The whole structure is very powerful, deep-chested, and surprisingly able to attain high speeds on its short legs. Our Roosevelt Duffle Bag is not that tall or long, but the hide its constructed from? Very powerful. And two words to describe the main compartment? Deep-chested. And what if you adjust the shoulder strap and bolt for the flight you’re late for? Able to attain high speeds, regardless of leg length.