Beddencontinuedinacold，stoicalmanner，anddeclaredthathispeopleweredeterminednottoworkforme；theyhadneverbeforecarriedfor”TheTurks，”andnothingwouldinducethemtoengageinsuchalabour。
Ibeggedhimtoremembertheimportanceofhispromise，uponwhichIhaddependedwhenmakingallmyarrangementsforthejourney。Ifhefailedmenow，Ishouldbeentirelyruined；whereasifheassistedme，asIhadrelieduponhishonour，weshouldalwaysremainthefirmestfriends，andhewouldbebenefitedbyagrandherdofcattle，andwouldreceivemostvaluablepresents。
Henowdeclared”thathispeoplehadtakenthematterintoconsideration，andtheywerequitedetermined。Theywouldnotlistentohim，orbepersuadedtoanythingtheydisliked。Theyneverhadcarried，andtheyneverwould。”
IhadthetwonativeswithmewhohadresidedforsometimeinourstationatGondokoro。Oneofthesemen，namedPittia，endeavouredtopersuadeBeddentobeathisnogarabigdrumandtosummonhistribe；
hemightthen，inmypresence，explaintheworkproposed，andhispeoplewouldseethecowswhichtheywouldreceiveaspaymentfortheirlabour。
Beddenlookedveryillathisease；butaftersomedelay，herosefromhisseat，anddeclaredhisintentionofimmediatelybeatinghisnogara。
Hetookleaveanddepartedwithhispeople。
FrommyexperienceofBaris，IfeltsurethatIshouldneverseeBeddenagain。
Hehadhardlyleftthetent，whenPittiaexclaimed，”Iwillfollowhimandlistentowhathesaystohispeople。IbelievehewilltellthemNOTtocarrytheloads。”Pittiaimmediatelydisappeared。
Manynativeshadcollectedontheeastsideoftheriver，wheremyvesselshadnowformedalinealonethebank；Ithereforecrossedoverinthedingytoconversewiththeminthefainthopeofsecuringcarriers。
Thenativesweresquattingaboutinsmallgroups，andtheylistenedcoldlytoallIhadtosay。TheonlyanswerIcouldobtainwas，”thattheybelongedtoBedden，andifhetoldthemtocarryourthings，theywouldobey；butwithouthisordertheycoulddonothing。”
ThisistheregularAfricandiplomacywhenworkisrequired。Thepeoplesay，”Wemustreceiveordersfromoursheik。”Thesheiksays，”Iamwilling，butmypeoplewillnotobeyme。”Itisthispassiveresistancethatmayruinanexpedition。
MyfirstexplorationinAfricamustnecessarilyhavefailedhadInotbeenprovidedwithtransportanimals。Thereadersof”TheAlbertN’yanza”mayrememberthatIcouldnotobtainasinglenative，andthatIstartedfromGondokorobymoonlightwithoutevenaninterpreterorguide。
ThehorriblestateoftheWhiteNilehadpreventedallpossibilityofconveyingcamelsfromKhartoum。Mycartsandcamelharnesswereprepared，buttheinvaluableanimalscouldnotbetransported。Iwasthusdependentuponsuchrottenreedsasnativepromises。
NoonewhoisinexperiencedinAfricantravelcanrealizethehopelesspositionofbeingleftwithamassofmaterialwithoutanypossibilityoftransportingit。
Thetravellermaysituponhisboxuntilhestiffensintoamonumentofpatienceanddespair，buttheboxwillnotmovewithoutacarrier。Thereisonlyonemethodoftravellingsuccessfully，andthisnecessitatestheintroductionoftransportanimals，wherethebaggageisheavyanduponanextensivescale。
Ifeltperfectlyhelpless。Mycolonel，Abd-el-Kader，advisedmetoseizethesheik，Bedden，andtotiehimupuntilhispeopleshouldhavedeliveredalltheeffectsatLobore。
ThisImighthavedone，butitmightalsohaveoccasionedwar，whichwouldpreventthepossibilityofsecuringcarriers。Ishouldalsoincurtheresponsibilityofhavingprovokedthewarbyanactwhich，althoughnecessary，couldhardlybejustifiedaccordingtocivilizedideas。
Ihadverylittlehope，butIhadsofrequentlyseenasuddenrayofgoodfortunewhenallhadlookeddarkandcloudy，thatIwenttobedatnighttrustingthatsomethingmightturnupinourfavourto-morrow。
On29thJanuary，1872，Pittiareturnedwithbadnews。Beddenhadsentmealaconicmessagethat”heshouldnotcallagain，andthathispeopledeclinedtocarrythebaggage。”
Pittiaexplainedthatthenativeshadalllefttheneighbourhoodtogetherwiththeirsheik，thereforeitwouldbewellnottoallowthesoldierstostrayfarfromcamp。
ThiswasthegrossingratitudeexhibitedbyBeddenandhispeople。NotonlyhadIscrupulouslyrespectedalltheirproperty，butIhadevenplacedsentriesovertheirtobaccogardenstopreventthepossibilityoftheft。
Theabsenceofthewomenandchildrenhadbeenacertainsignofill-will。
Itwasnecessarytoconsiderwhatshouldbedone。Wewereperfectlyhelpless。
Ihadabout2，500headofcattleand1，800sheep。Theseanimalsweredriveneveryeveningtothemarginoftheriver，andwereonlyprotectedatnightbyalineofsoldierswhosleptaroundthem。
Theconductofthenativesfilledmewithsuspicions。Thesightofsolargeaherdwithoutprotectionmighthaveexcitedtheircupidity。Theyhadexpectedmyarrivalwiththisgrandsupplyofcattle，andinsteadoffindingtheirvillagesoccupied，Ihadobservedthattheirownherdshadbeendrivenoffforconcealment；notawomanorchildwastobeseeninthecountry；thenativeshadrefusedtocarry；and，lastly，theirsheikandhispeoplehadabsolutelyabsconded。
Inthemeantimemycattlewereunprotectedatnight，thus，shouldthenativesmakeasuddenattackinthedarkness，therewouldbearegularstampede，asthelargeherdwouldbeseizedwithapanicattheredflashesofthemusketsduringtheattack，andtheywouldscatteralloverthecountry，andneverbeseenagain。
Thenativeshadprobablyconsideredthat，insteadofcarryingourloads，andtherebyearningacowperman，itmightsavethemmuchtroubleshouldtheypossessthemselvesofourcattlewithoutthenecessityofcarryingthebaggage。
FrommyknowledgeofthebrutalcharacterofallBaris，Iarrivedattheaboveconclusion。
Iatoncegaveorderstosecurethecattle。Atadistanceofabouthalfamile，therewerethreesmallvillagesonthehighslopingground，situatedabouteightyyardsapart，andformingatriangle。Iinstructedmymentomakeaninclosure，byconnectingeachvillagewithastronghedgeofthorns。
Thecountrywasgenerallybareoftrees，butfortunatelytherewasagroveofhegliknotfardistant；andthetroopsatoncebegantofellthesetrees，andtoformfencesbylayingthepricklybranchesinthepositionIhadselected。
The”FortyThieves”wereallprovidedwithsmallandsharpCanadaaxes，whichtheycarriedunderthestrapoftheirknapsacks；thusforty-eightaxeswereatwork，inadditiontotheheavierinstrumentsbelongingtotheexpedition。
Alltheofficersandmensharedmysuspicions，andtheyworkedwithgreatalacrity。
Itwasjustdarkbythetimethatthethreefenceswerecompleted，andtheherdofcattleweredrivenandsecuredwithintheinclosure。
Iarrangedaguardofsixtymen：twentyuponeachsideofthetriangle。
Theyweretoremainoutsidethefence，andtokeepavigilantlook-out。
Thisworkbeingover，IreturnedatnighttothediahbeeahtogetherwithLieutenantBaker。Wefounddinnerreadyonthepoop-deck，wheremywifehadbeenratheranxiouslyexpectingus。IsentforColonelAbd-el-Kader，andgavehimthenecessaryordersforthenight。
Mydiahbeeahwasacharmingvessel，thathadoriginallybeensentfromCairotoKhartoum，whentheformerViceroyofEgypt，SaidPacha，visitedtheSoudan。
Thepoop-deckwasloftyandveryspacious。Thiscomfortableboathadbeenmyhomefortwoyears，andshewaskeptinadmirableorder。
TherewerenomosquitoesduringthisseasoninBedden’scountry，althoughtheywereverynumerousatallseasonsatGondokoro，therefore，beingrelievedfromthesepests，theenjoymentoftheeveningwasdelightful。
Thenightwascalm，asusualintheselatitudes。Dinnerwasconcluded。I
wasenjoyingmyeveningchibouquewiththebestGhebbellitobacco，thatsoothesmanyanxieties。Thetroopswereforthemostpartasleep，andallwasquiet。Mywifewassittingonthesofaordivan，andLieutenantBakerhadbeenrecallingsomereminiscenceofthenavy，whenseveralmusketshotsinthedirectionofthecattlekraalsuddenlystartledeverysoldierfromhissleep。
Theshotswerealmostimmediatelysucceededbyheavyfiringfromthewholeforcestationedatthecattlezareeba。Thebuglessoundedthealarm，andeverymanwasquicklyunderarms。
Havingarrangedthemeninpositiontodefendthevesselsincaseofageneralattack，Itooktwentymenofthe”FortyThieves，”togetherwithasupplyofrockets。IwasaccompaniedbyLieutenantBakerandmostoftheEnglishmen，andwepushedrapidlyforwardtowardsthecattlezareeba，wheretheflashesofmusketsweredistinctlyvisible。
Asweapproachedtheposition，Iorderedmybuglertosound”ceasefiring，”asIexpectedtoreceiveafewbulletsintendedfortheenemy。
Wewerequicklychallengeduponarrivalatthezareeba。Wefoundthecattleallsafe；onlyafewsheephadbeenkilledbytheheavyattemptatastampedewhenthecowstookfrightatthemusketry。
Iwasinformedthatthenativesinconsiderableforcehadmadeasuddenrushuponthezareeba，andhadthrownshowersofstonesinordertocreateapanicamongthecattle，whichtheyexpectedwouldbreakthroughthefenceandscatteroverthecountry。
ItwasfortunatethatIhadtakentheprecautionofsecuringthem。
Iwasdeterminedtocleartheneighbourhoodbeforetheattackshouldberenewed。Thenightwasdark。Iwasprovidedwithmatchesandport-fires，andIquicklymadeanexcursionandsentseveralrocketsintothenearestvillages。TheHale’srockets，asusual，rushedthroughthehouseswithoutignitingthem；butafewofthepowerfulEgyptianrocketsthatareusedasfireworks，rapidlylightedupthescene，asthedescendingfire-ballsignitedthethatchedroofs。
Theserocketswerefiredfromaninclinedrestofasoldier’sfixedbayonet。
Havingclearedtheneighbourhood，Ireturnedtothediahbeeahatmidnight。
Ifindthisentryinmyjournal：-”January29，1872-Allthegoogoosorgranariesaboundwithcorn。Thenativesaresorich，bothindhurraandcattle，thattheywillnotwork，buttheyareonlyreadytosleeporsteal。Afterallmykindness，theyhavewantonlyattackedmycattlewithoutthepleaeitherofhungerorprovocation。”Whatcanbeaccomplishedwithsuchpeople?IshallbeobligedtoreturnthesteamertoIsmailiaGondokoro。Itisheartbreakingworkafterallmytroubleinhavingbroughthertothisdistantpoint。”Nothingcanbedonewithoutcamels，andtheseanimalscannotbebroughtfromKhartoumintheclosedstateoftheriver。”Myoriginalplanincluded200camels，200cavalry，andfifteenlargedeckedsloops。NoneofthesenecessaryitemshavebeensentfromKhartoum，thusIamparalyzed。”
CHAPTERXV。