Iwasalmostconvincedthatwewereagainsubjectedtothefoulesttreachery，andIwasextremelyanxiousaboutRamadanandHafiz。Icouldhardlybelieveitpossiblethatthesepoormen，unarmed，andcarryingavaluablepresent，wouldbecruellymurdered。
Thedaypassedinhopeandexpectationoftheirreturn。Lateintheevening，theactofincendiarismoftheprecedingnightwasrenewed，andthedesertedhouseofColonelAbd-el-Kaderwasinabrightblazewithoutanativebeingvisible。
Noyellswereheard，noranyothersound。Thetroopsturnedoutwiththeirusualquietdiscipline，butnotashotwasfired。
The13thJunearrived——StilltherewerenotidingsofeitherUmbogo，Ramadan，orHafiz。Inowfeltconvincedthattheyoungvillain，KabbaRega，hadplayedmefalse，andthathewasonlygainingtimetocollectandorganizethewholeforceofUnyorotoattackus，andtolinethepathtotheriverwithambuscades。
ItisimpossibletothisdaytosaywhetherUmbogowastrueorfalse。I
neversawhimagain；andtheunfortunateRamadanandHafizwerewantonlymurdered。
Atabout10A。M。，13thJune，wewereletintothesecretofKabbaRega’svillainy。Asuddenrushofnativeswasmadeuponthecattle，whichweregrazingwithinsixtyyardsofthefort！Poisonedarrowswereshot，andageneralattackwasmadeuponthestation。Gunsfired；thebulletswhistledoverourheads，andIthoughtIrecognizedthecrackofourlostsnidersthoseofMonsoorandFerritch，thatwereemployedagainstus。
Thecurtainhadnowrisen。Whentheactualfightingarrived，therewassomelittlerelaxationfromtheintenseanxietyofmindthatIhadsufferedforsomedays。
Iatonceorderedthemenintoline，andthebuglesanddrumssoundedthechargewiththebayonet。
Thegallant”FortyThieves”ledtheway，withdrumsbeatingandaheartycheer，anddashedthroughtheruinsofthetownandstraightintothehighgrassontheotherside，fromwhichthecowardlyenemyfledlikehares。
Onourreturntothestation，IatonceorderedColonelAbd-el-Kadertotakeeightymenandsomebluelights，andtodestroyeveryvillageintheneighbourhood。Theattackwasmadeontheinstant。Thelargevillage，about700yardsdistant，whichIhadrakedwiththefireofafewsniders，whileAbd-el-Kaderdescendedtheslopetotheattack，wassoonamassofrollingflames。Inanhour’stimevolumesofsmokewererisinginvariousdirections。
Myactiveandgallantcolonelreturned，havingdriventheenemyfromeveryposition，andutterlydestroyedtheneighbourhood。
Ihadmadeupmymind。TherecouldbenolongeranydoubtofthediabolicaltreacheryofKabbaRega。Hehadonlyendeavouredtogaintimebyspeciousassurancesofgood-will，combinedwithpresents，inordertoorganizethewholecountryagainstus。ThenativeswhoshotarrowsmusthavecomefromMagungo，asnoneoftheotherdistrictswerearmedwithbows。Thearrowsthathadbeenshotatus，whichmymenhadcollected，werethicklypoisonedwithahardgummymatter。
ItwasnowrenderedcertainthatasnarehadbeenlaidforthemassacreofMajorAbdullah’sparty。
KabbaRegahadnodoubtorderedthevariousroutestowardsRionga’sprovincetobeambuscaded。
IdeterminedatoncetopushstraightforthecampatFoweeraontheVictoriaNile，asRionga’sislandwasaboutfifteenmilesfromthatpoint。
Amongthemenofthe”FortyThieves”，therewasasoldiernamedAbdullah，whohadanextraordinaryinstinctforfindinghisway。Thismanneverforgotapathifhehadevertravelleduponthesameroute。
IalsodependeduponmyBarisandMolodi；althoughtheyhadnotlongexperienceofthepathbywhichwehadarrivedfromFoweerawiththecattle，theywerecleverasguides。
Unfortunately，thecountryhadchangedterriblybytheimmensegrowthofthegrassandtangledcreepers。
Ifeltsurethattheroutewouldbeoccupiedbytheenemythroughoutthewholedistance，andthatweshouldhavetofighteverymileofthepathatagravedisadvantage。
Thequestionofasupplyoffoodwasvital。Themenhadmostlyexhaustedtheirprovisions。
Atthiscriticalmoment，wheneverymanoftheexpeditionfeltthefataltruth，mywifeconfidedhersecret，thatshehadhithertoconcealed，lesttheknowledgeofahiddenstoreshouldhavemadethemenextravagant。Shenowinformedthemthatinpastdaysofplenty，whenflourhadbeenabundant，shehad，fromtimetotime，secretedaquantity，andshehadnowSIXLARGEIRONBOXESFULLabouttwelvebushels。Thisprivatestoreshehadlaidbyintheeventofsomesuddenemergency。”Godshallgiveheralonglife！”exclaimedbothofficersandmen。WehadnowenoughflourforthemarchofsevendaystoFoweera，atwhichplacetherewereregularforestsofplantains。
Myherdofcattlehadbeenreducedtoseventy，andImuchdoubtedthepossibilityofdrivingtheminahighgrasscountry，astheywouldscatterandmakeastampedeshouldwebeattacked；theywouldbescaredbytheguns。
Imusteredmyforceandspoketomymen，towhomIexplainedtheirexactposition，andmyplanofaction。
Ishouldimmediatelydivideamongthem，aspresents，allthecottonstuffsthatbelongedtotheexpedition。
Eachmanwouldcarrythreepoundsofbeadsinhisknapsack，one-thirdofwhichshouldsubsequentlybelongtohim。
Thelineofmarchwouldbethusarranged——aBari，whoprofessedtoknowthepath，wouldleadtheadvance-guardoffifteensniders，commandedbyLieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，supportedbymyselfwithtensnidersinchargeoftheammunition，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，mywife，andtwoservants，carryingdoublebreechloadingelephantrifles。Therear-guardwouldconsistoffifteensniders。Thefewremainingsniderswouldbedistributedalongtheline。
Neithertheadvance；norrear-guardwouldcarryanyloadsbeyondtheirknapsacksandasmallbagofflour。Fiveofthesniderswithmewouldalsobeexemptedfromcarryingloads；buteveryothersoldier，andeverywomanandboy，wouldcarryeitheroneofthemetalboxesorsomeotherpackage。
Iexplainedtothementhattheywouldbeattackedthroughouttherouteatagreatdisadvantage，butthatsuccesswoulddependuponthestrictobservanceofordersforthemarchcombinedwiththeutmostcoolness。
Eachmanwastokeepjustnearenoughtobeabletotouchwithhisoutstretchedhandtheknapsackofthemanbeforehim，anduponnoaccounttowidenthisdistance，buttokeepthelineintact。Shoulditbebrokenbythesuddenrushoftheenemy，weshouldatoncebelost。
Shouldtheattackbemadesimultaneouslyonbothsides，alternatefileswouldfacetorightandleft，placetheirloadsupontheground，andfirelowdowninthegrass，asthenativesalwayscrouchedafterthrowingaspearfromcovert。
Abuglerwouldaccompanythecolonelcommandingtheadvance-guard，inadditiontobuglerswithmyselfandtherear-guard；thusweshouldbeabletocommunicatealongtheline，whichwouldbeconcealedfromviewbythehighgrass。
Onarrivalatwater，andincrossingeitherswampsorstreams，nomanorwomanwastostoptodrinkunlessthebugleoftheadvance-guardsoundedhalt。
Nowomanwouldbeallowedtospeakduringthemarch，asprofoundsilencemustbeobserved。
Theofficersandmenreceivedtheirinstructions，merelydeclaringthatwhereverIshouldleadthem，theywouldfollowandobey。
Iatoncedividedtheeffectsthatcouldbecarried，intotherequisitenumberofloads，whichwerecarefullypackedinmetalboxesbymywifeandherblackmaids。Itwashardandanxiouswork。Thestrongestmenwereselectedtocarrytheboxesofsnidercartridges，whichweighed64
lbs。each。
AlltherestofthebaggageIarrangedinpiles，anddistributedinthegovernmentdivanandthevarioushouses。Ispreadmylargetentovertheluggageinthedivan，andpouredoveritaquantityofnitrousether，spiritsofwine，lamp-oil，spiritsofturpentine，andallthecontentsofthelargemedicine-chest。
Ifilledupmysmallchest，andtookagoodrollofadhesiveplaster，anumberofbandages，andapacketoflint。
Uponthetent-cloth，renderedhighlyinflammablebythesaturationofspiritsandoil，Ilaidaboutsixtyrockets。
Mytwohorsesandthreedonkeyswouldbeloadedwithbaggage。
Igaveordersforthemarchearlyonthefollowingmorning。Therear-guardwastosetfiretothestation；thiswasthesadresultofourindustryandlabourinalandofdetestablesavages。
CHAPTERXXII
THEMARCHTORIONGA。
Onthemorningofthe14thofJune，1872，at9。30，theadvance-guardfiledalongthegravelpath，andhaltedattheextremityofthestationatMasindi。Thelinewascomplete，accordingtotheordersforthemarch。Notawordwasspoken。Alight，drizzlingrainfell，andtheskywasadullgrey。
Ilookedback，andwaitedforthedestructionofmyfavouritestation。
Inourlittlehousewehadleftpicturesofmyownchildren，andeverythingthatwasnotabsolutelynecessarytoourexistence。EventheQueenandthePrincessofWalesweretoperishintheconflagration，togetherwithmuchthatwaspartedwithinthismomentofexigency。
Thesmokenowcurledinthick，whitefoldsfromthegovernmentdivanandourownprivatehouse。