”Soundthetaboor！”FortunatelyIgavethisordertothebuglerbymysidewithoutonemoment’sdelay。Ihadjusttimetotellmywifetorunintothedivanandgetmyrifleandbelt，whenthesharpshootersopenedfireatmefromthebushes，withinafewyards。
Ihadwhitecottonclothes，thusIwasaveryclearobject。AsIwalkedtowardsthedivantomeetmyrifle，theserjeantwhofollowedclosebehindmefellshotthroughtheheart。Poorfellow，theshotwasaimedatme！
Thetroopshadfallenintopositionwithextraordinaryrapidity，andseveralascendedtheroofofthefort，soastoseeclearlyoverthehighgrass。Asoldierimmediatelyfell，todieinafewminutes，shotthroughtheshoulder-blade。Anothermanofthe”FortyThieves”wasshotthroughthelegabovetheknee。Thebulletswereflyingthroughthegovernmentdivan，andalongtheapproach。
Atumultuousroarofsavagevoiceshadburstfromallsides，andthewholeplacewasaliveafewinstantsafterthefirsttwoshotshadbeenheard。Thousandsofarmednativesnowrushedfromalldirectionsuponthestation。
AthrillwentthroughmewhenIthoughtofmygoodanddevotedMonsoor！
Mywifehadquicklygivenmemybeltandbreechloadingdoublerifle。
Thisbeautifulweapon，Ihavealreadymentioned，wasmadebyMr。
Holland，ofBondStreet，London。FortunatelyIhadfilledupthepouchesonthepreviouseveningwithfiftyroundsofcartridge。
Thetroopswerenowinopenorder，completelyaroundthestation，andwerepouringaheavyfireintothemassesoftheenemywithinthehighgrass，whichbadbeenleftpurposelyunclearedbyKabbaRega，inordertofavouratreacherousattack。
Thenativeskeptupasteadyfireuponthefrontfrombehindthecastor-oilbushesandthedenselythrongedhouses。
Withsixteenmenofthe”FortyThieves，”togetherwithColonelAbd-el-KaderandLieutenantBaker，R。N。，Idirectedaheavyfireintothecovert，andsoonmadeittoohotforthesharpshooters。Ihadorderedthebluelightsatthecommencementoftheattack。Myblackboys，SaatandBellaal，togetherwithsomesoldiers，nowarrivedwithagoodsupply。
Coveringtheiradvancewithaheavyfirefromthesniders，theboysandmenrushedforward，andimmediatelyignitedKabbaRega’slargedivan。
Theseactiveandpluckyladsnowrannimblyfromhuttohut，andoneslighttouchofthestrongfireofthebluelightswassufficienttoinsuretheignitionofthestrawdwellings。
Inowsentapartyoffifteensniders，underLieutenantFerritchAgha，oneofmymostcourageousofficers，withasupplyofbluelights，tosetfire，tothetownonourleftflank，andtopushontothespotwherethemissingMonsoorandFerritchhadfiredtheirrifles。
Everyarrangementhavingbeenrapidlycarriedout，theboysandafewmencontinuedtofirethehousesonourrightflank；andgivingtheordertoadvance，ourpartyofsixteenrushedforwardintothetown。
Therightandleftflankswerenowblazing，andtheflameswereroaringbeforethewind。IheardtherattlingfireofthesnidersunderFerritchAghaonourleft，andknowingthatbothflankswerenowthoroughlysecuredbytheconflagration，wedashedstraightforKabbaRega’sprincipalresidencesandcourt，drivingtheenemybeforeus。ColonelAbd-el-Kaderwasanexcellentofficerinaction。WequicklysurroundedKabbaRega’spremises，andsetfiretotheenormousstrawbuildingsonallsides。
Ifhehadbeenathomehewouldhavehadawarmreception，buttheyoungcowardhadfledwithallhiswomenbeforetheactionhadcommenced，togetherwiththemagicbambaorthrone，andthesacreddrum。
Inafewminutestheconflagrationwasterrific，asthegreatcourtofKabbaRegablazedinflamesseventyoreightyfeethigh，whichthewinddroveinvividforksintothethatchoftheadjacenthouses。
Wenowfollowedtheenemythroughoutthetown，andthesniderstoldwithsensibleeffectwherevertheymadeastand。Thebluelightscontinuedthework；theroarofflamesandthedensevolumesofsmoke，mingledwiththecontinuedrattleofmusketry，andthesavageyellsofthenatives，sweptforwardwiththebreeze，andthecapitalofUnyorowasafairsampleoftheinfernalregions。
Thenativesweredrivenoutofthetown，butthehighgrasswasswarmingwithmanythousands，who，intheneighbourhoodofthestation，stilladvancedtoattackthesoldiers。
Inowordered”TheForty”toclearthegrass，andasteadyfireofsniderriflessoonpurgedthecovertuponwhichtheenemyhadrelied。
InaboutanhourandaquarterthebattleofMasindiwaswon。Notahouseremainedofthelatelyextensivetown。Avastopenspaceofsmokeandblackashes，withflamesflickeringinsomeplaceswherethebuildingshadbeenconsumed，andatothersforkedsheetsoffirewherethefuelwasstillundestroyed，weretheonlyremainsofthecapitalofUnyoro。
Theenemyhadfled。Theirdrumsandhorns，latelysonoisy，werenowsilent。
Iorderedthebugletosound”ceasefiring。”Wemarchedthroughthescorchingstreetstoourstation，whereIfoundmywifeindeepdistress。
Thebuglesoundedtheassembly，andthemenmustered，andfellinfortheroll-call。Fourmenweremissing。
Lyingontheturf，closetothefortwall，werefourbodiesarrangedinarowandcoveredwithcloths。
ThesoldiersgatheredroundthemasIapproached。Theclothswereraised。
Myeyesrestedonthepalefeaturesofmyeverfaithfulanddevotedofficer，Monsoor！Therewasasadexpressionofpainonhisface。I
couldnothelpfeelinghispulse；buttherewasnohope；thiswasstill。
Ilaidhisarmgentlybyhisside，andpressedhishandforthelasttime，forIlovedMonsoorasatruefriend。
Hisbodywaspiercedwiththirty-twolancewounds；thushehadfoughtgallantlytothelast，andhehaddiedlikeagoodsoldier；buthewastreacherouslymurderedinsteadofdyingonafairbattle-field。
PoorFerritchBaggarawaslyingnexttohim，withtwolancewoundsthroughthechest。
Theotherbodieswerethoseofthechoushthathadfallenbymyside，andthesoldierwhohadbeenshotontheparapet。
WewerealldeeplydistressedatthedeathofpoorMonsoor。Thereneverwasamorethoroughlyunselfishandexcellentman。Hewasalwayskindtotheboys，andwouldshareevenascantymealinhardtimeswitheitherfriendorstranger。Hewasthelambinpeace，andthelioninmomentsofdanger。Iowedhimadebtofgratitude，foralthoughIwasthegeneral，andhehadbeenonlyacorporalwhenhefirstjoinedtheexpedition，hehadwatchedovermysafetylikeabrother。Ishould”neverseehislikeagain。”
MonsoorwastheonlyChristian，exceptingtheEuropeanparty。
Thegravesweremade。Igaveoutnewclothfromthestoresinwhichtowrapthebodiesoffourofmybestmen，andtheywereburiednearthefort。
Myheartwasveryheavy。GodknowsIhadworkedwiththebestintentionsforthebenefitofthecountry，andthiswasthelamentableresult。Mybestmenweretreacherouslymurdered。Wehadnarrowlyescapedageneralmassacre。Wehadwonthebattle，andMasindiwassweptfromtheearth。
Whatnext?
Ifindthesewords，whichIextractfrommyjournal，astheywerewrittenatthatmoment：-”ThusendedthebattleofMasindi，causedbythehorribletreacheryofthenatives。HadInotbeenquickinsoundingthebugleandimmediatelyassumingavigorousoffensive，weshouldhavebeenoverwhelmedbynumbers。”Sincewehavebeeninthiscountry，mymenhavebeenmodelsofvirtue；
nothinghasbeenstolen，exceptafewpotatoesononeoccasion，whenthethiefwaspubliclypunished，andthepotatoesrestoredtotheowner，neitherhavethenativesbeeninterferedwithinanymanner。Ihavedriventheslave-huntersfromtheircountry，andmytroopsfromFatikoareorderedtorestoretoUnyoroalltheslavesthathavebeenstolenbythetraders。Thedisgustingingratitudeandtreacheryofthenegrosurpassesimagination。”Whatistobecomeofthesecountries?allmygood-willbringsforthevildeeds。”
InthebattleofMasindinothingcouldhaveexceededthecool，soldier-likebearingofbothofficersandmen。Everymanhaddonehisduty。Inthefirstonset，whenaboutsevenoreightthousandnativeshadsuddenlyattackedthestation，themenhadnotonlyfallenintopositionforthedefenceofthecampwithextraordinaryalacrity，buttheyhadbehavedwithextremesteadinessandcoolness，andnotamanhadmovedfromhispostwithoutorders。
Theattackingparties，formedexclusivelyofthe”FortyThieves，”hadexhibitedanactivityandelanforwhichthisgallantlittlecorpswaseminentlydistinguished；andhadtheybeenEuropeantroops，theirconductuponthisoccasion，againstsuchoverwhelmingodds，wouldhavecoveredthemwithglory。
Wehadnonewspapercorrespondents，thereforeImustgivetheduepraisetomyofficersandmen。
DuringthedayIestablishedpatrolsthroughoutthenowclearedspacelatelyoccupiedbythetown。
IntheafternoonUmbogowasabletocallsomenativeswhowerewithinearshot。Thesemenexplainedthatthechief，Matonse，wasthecauseoftheoutbreak，andthatitwashispeoplewho，byhisorders，hadkilledMonsoorandFerritch。
Umbogohadbeensetatlibertyduringthefight，butInowsecuredhimbythenecktoaleathernthonginthehandofasentry；for，althoughagoodman，Icouldnotaffordtolosehim，andthedevilmighthavetemptedhimtorunaway。