Iwasjustreturningtothecamp，andwasabouttodismount，asIcouldnotridethroughtheextremelynarrowwicket，whenIwasbeggedbyMajorAbdullahtowaitalittlelonger，asthepeopleofWat-el-Mekwerenowapproachingwiththeirnumerousflags，tosalutemeaccordingtotheusualcustom。
Sevenlargesilkcrimsonflagsupontallstaffsheadedwithlancepoints，andornamentedwithballsofblackostrichfeathers，markedtheintervalsoftheadvancinglineofruffians。
Theywereabout270strong，and，theyformedalineinveryopenorder，exactlyfacingthegovernmenttroops，ataboutfortyyards’distance。
Twoprincipalofficers，Wat-el-MekandthecelebratedAliHussein，wereexceedinglybusyrunningupanddowntheline，andformingtheirmen，soastomakethegreatestdisplayofforce。Wat-el-Mekwasdressedinbrightyellowwithlooseflowingtrousers。AliHusseinwasinasnow-whitelongrobewithblacktrousers。Theofficersweredistinguishedbycleanclothes，butthemenwerecladinvariouscostumes，generallyformedoftannedleather。
Bywayofcomplimentingme，theyhadbroughtouttwoLARGECASESOF
AMMUNITION——eachaloadforanative！
Theseboxeswereplacedwithaguardbeneathatree。Mywife，whohadasusualcometowatchtheproceedings，nowbeggedmetodismount，asshehadnoticedthecasesofcartridges，andshefearedImightbetreacherouslyshot。
OfcourseIremainedonhorsebackuntilthecompanyhadcompletedtheirarrangements。Theynowstoodinpositionwiththeirofficersintheirrespectiveplaces，butnoonemovedforward。
Icouldnotbelievethattheywouldhavetheaudacitytoattackthegovernmenttroops；buthavingwaitedforsometimefacetoface，withouttheslightest”salaam”havingbeenmadebytheofficersofAbouSaood，I
orderedMajorAbdullahtoretiretothecampwithhistroops，andtodisperse。
IthenrequestedhimtosendforWat-el-Mek，asIwishedtospeakwithhimimmediately。
Withmuchpatience，Iwaitedwithinthestationforabouthalfanhour；
duringwhichtime，fivedifferentofficershadgonetocallWat-el-Mek，andeachhadreturnedwithamessagethat”hewouldcomepresently。”
Atlength，twoofhispeople，whohadinmyabsenceinsultedandthreatenedtoattackMajorAbdullah，arrivedinthecampwithamessage”thatboththevakeelsWERESICK。”Iorderedthesementobedetained。
Icouldnolongerstandthisinsolence，asIatonceunderstoodthattheyrefusedtoappear。Accordingly，IinstructedMajorAbdullahtogohimselfwithafewsoldiers，andshouldWat-el-Mekrefusetoobeymyordertoaccompanyhim，heshouldputhimunderarrest。
Thebuglesummonedthemenwhohaddispersed，andtheyimmediatelyformedtwodeepinasmallopenspacewithinthecamp，toreceiveinstructions。Atthistime，LieutenantBakervolunteeredtogoandspeaktoWal-el-Mek，whowouldhethoughtbemorelikelytolistentohimthantoMajorAbdullah，whohadsofrequentlybeeninsultedbytheslave-huntersduringmyabsence。
Iagreedthatitwouldbeadvisable；atthesametimehemustbeaccompaniedbysometroops。Ithereforebegantoaddressthemenwhowerestandingbeforeme，andIinstructedthemtoobeyLieutenantBakerimplicitly，anduponnoaccountto——
Myinstructionswereinterruptedbyavolleyofmusketryconcentrateduponthemassofscarletuniforms！
Withouttheslightestprovocationwewerethustreacherouslyattacked，andheavyfile-firingcontinueduponthestation。Thebulletswerewhistlingthroughthestrawhuts，andsevenofmymen，includingMolodi，werestruckwithinafewseconds。
Mywife，whowasalwaysreadyinanyemergency，rushedoutofherhutwithmyrifleandbelt。
ThesoldiershadalreadycommencedfiringbythetimethatIwasarmedandhadreachedthefront，bytheedgeofthelightfenceofwattles。
Inowobservedtheenemyaboutninetyyardsdistant；manyofthemwerekneelingonthegroundandfiring，butimmediatelyaftertakingashot，theyretiredbehindthehutstoreload。Inthismannertheywerekeepingupahotfire。
Iperceivedamaninwhiteuppergarments，butwithblacktrousers：thisfellowkneltandfired。Iimmediatelytookashotathimwiththe”Dutchman。”
Weshouldhavelostmanymenifthishidingbehindhutsandpoppingfromcoverhadbeenallowedtocontinue。Ithereforecalledmy”FortyThieves”together，andorderedthebuglertosoundthechargewiththebayonet。
Pushingthroughthenarrowwicketgateway，Iformedsomethirtyorfortymeninlineandledthematfullspeedwithfixedbayonetsagainsttheenemy。
Althoughtheslave-huntershadprimedthemselveswellwitharakiandmerissabeforetheyhadscrewedupcouragetoattackthetroops，theywerenotquiteuptostandingbeforeabayonetcharge。The”FortyThieves”wereawkwardcustomers，andinaquarterofaminutetheywereamongstthem。
Theenemywereregularlycrumpledup！andhadtheynottakentoflight，theywouldhavebeenbayonetedtoaman。
InowsawWat-el-Mekinhisunmistakableyellowsuit；hewasmarchingaloneacrossaroadabout180yardsdistant。
Hewascrossingtomyright；andIimagined，ashewasalone，thatheintendedtoscreenhimselfbehindthehouses，andthensurrender。
Tomysurprise，Iobservedthatwhenherecognizedme，heatonceraisedhisgunandtookasteadyaim。
Iwasatthatmomentreloading；butIwasreadytheinstantthathehadfiredandmissedme。
Henowwalkedtowardsahutacrosstomyright。Iallowedabouthalfafootbeforehimforhispace，andthe”Dutchman”hadawordtosay。
Thebulletstruckhisrighthand，takingthemiddlefingeroffattheroot，andthenstrikingtheguninthemiddleofthelockplate，itcutitcompletelyinhalvesasthoughithadbeendividedbyablowwithanaxe。Hewasalmostimmediatelytakenprisoner。Oneof”TheForty”
SeroorwassoenragedthathewaswithdifficultypreventedfromfinishingWat-el-Mekwithabayonetthrust。
Inoworderedageneraladvanceatthedouble；andthetroopsspreadoutthroughtheextensivetownofhuts，whichoccupiedaboutthirtyacres。
Asweranthroughthetown，Iobservedabout150oftheenemyhadralliedaroundtheirflags，andwereretreatingquickly，butsteadily，inthedirectionoftheShooahill。Theycontinuedtoturnandfirefromtherearoftheirparty。
Havingreducedthedistancetoabout150yards，thecrimsonsilkbannersaffordedexcellentmarksforriflepractice。Theyfelltotherightandleft，astheshotsweredirectedalittlelowsoastohitthebearers。
Inafewminutesnotaflagwastobeseen！Thefatalsniderspouredbulletsintothedensebodyofmen，who，afterwavingtwoandfroastheshotsthinnedtheirnumber，atlengthranoffwithoutanyfurtherefforttomaintainaformation。
ForupwardsoffourmilesLieutenantBakerandIchasedtheseruffianswiththe”FortyThieves”。Manywerekilledinthepursuit；anduponourreturntothecampatFatikoat2P。M。，wehadcapturedaherdof306
cattle，130slaves，15donkeys，43prisoners，7flags，togetherwiththeentirestation。
Theenemyhadsufferedthelossofmorethanhalftheirpartykilled。
Theactualfightinghadbeendonebythe”FortyThieves”；andthemenofAbdullah’sdetachmenthadbehaveddisgracefully。Insteadoffollowingtheenemyintheretreat，theyhadfraternizedwithacrowdofnativesinpillagingtheextensivestation。
Inowhadtoclearallthesefellowsout。Theofficersappearedtohavequitelosttheirheads；andthenativeshadcarriedoffallthegunsandammunitionfromthedeadmen，andhadsackedandplunderedthepowdermagazine。
Mywifehadplacedsentriesonthehighrockswhichcommandedaviewoftheentirecountry；shealsohadthecattledrivenwithinthefence；andhadsecuredtheprisoners，includingWat-el-Mek，intwolargehuts，overwhichshehadplacedaguard。Theofficersbadbeensocompletelybewilderedbythesuddennessoftheaffair，thattheirwitshadbeenexercisedinanextraordinarydirection。TheyhadcommencedfiringHale’srocketswhilewewereinadvancepursuingtheenemy，andacoupleofthesescreechingprojectileshadactuallypassedovermyhead。
Wehadneithereatennordrunksincetheprecedingevening，withtheexceptionofsomewaterthatwehadprocuredfromastreamattheextremelimitofthepursuit；wherewehadlosttheenemy，whohadscatteredintheforest。
Withherusualforethought，mywifehadorderedthecooktohavebreakfastready；andhavingwashedhandsandfaces，wesatdowntoagoodcurryofmutton，andexcellentcafe-au-lait，themilkhavingbeenobtainedfromthecapturedcows。
Wehadworkedfairlythatmorning，havingmarchedtenmilesfromSharga，thenfoughttherebelsandrunfourmilesinpursuit，andfourmilesonourreturn，throughanexceedinglyroughcountry。
Myoldfriends，GimoroandShooli，weredelightedtoseeusagain。Thenativesheiksthrongedroundtheentranceofourhuttocongratulateusonthedefeatoftherebels；andmessengershadbeenalreadysentofftoRotJarmaandalltheprincipalheadmenofthecountry。
Wat-el-Mekwassafe。Iknewthatmostoftheprincipalofficerswereeitherkilledorwounded；butIwasanxioustobeassuredofthefateofthearch-ruffian，AliHussein。”WhereisAliHussein?”Iaskedthenatives。”DEAD！”criedanumberofvoices。”Areyoucertain?”Iasked。”Wewillbringyouhishead，forheisnotfaroff，”theyreplied；andseveralmenstartedimmediately。
Wewereveryhungry；andascurryisquicklyeaten，wewerenotlongatbreakfast；thiswashardlyconcludedwhensomenativesrushedtotheopendoor，andthrowingsomethingheavyonthefloorofthehut，IsawatmyfeetthebloodyheadofAliHussein！
Therewasnomistakeintheperson。Thevillainousexpressionwasasstronglymarkeduponthefeaturesindeathasithadbeeninlife。
Thenativeshadappropriatedhisclothes，whichtheydescribedas”alongwhiterobeandblacktrousers。”AliHusseinhadbeenstruckbytwobullets；onehadbrokenhisarm，andtheotherhadpassedthroughhisthigh。Hewasalivewhenthenativesdiscoveredhim；butashehadbeenthescourgeofthecountry，he，ofcourse，receivednomercyfromthem。
CHAPTERXXIV。
NOMEDICALMEN。
ThedeathoftheunfortunateDr。Gedge，mychiefmedicalofficeratTewfikeeyah，addedtotheretirementofoneoftheEgyptiansurgeonsfromGondokoro，hadleftmewithsoweakamedicalstaffthatIhadbeenunabletotakeadoctorfromhead-quarters。Ithereforewascompelledtoperformallnecessaryoperationsmyself，andtoattendpersonallyuponthewoundedmen。Inthelateencounter，althoughIhadnotactuallylostasoldier，sevenwerebadlywounded。Onehadabrokenthigh，andthebulletremainedintheleg。Twohadsmashedankle-joints，inoneofwhichtheballremainedfixedamongthebones。Someoftheprisonerswerealsowoundedandoneshortlydied。
Wat-el-Mek’shandwasmuchlacerated，inadditiontothelossofthemiddlefinger。
Idressedallthewoundswithaweaksolutionofcarbolicacid。Aftersometrouble，Iextractedthebulletfromthebrokenthigh，andsetthebone。Thismanwasoneof”TheForty”；andabouttwomonthsafterthewoundhewasagainonduty，andonlyslightlylame。
Wat-el-MekhadtwoexcellentEnglishdouble-barrelledguns。Thatdestroyedbythe”Dutchman”wasagunbyBlissettofLondon，whichhadbeengiventohimbyCaptainSpekewhenhepartedatGondokoro：theotherwasmyownoldgun，thatIhadgiventoIbrahimwhenItravelledwithhimduringmyfirstjourneyinAfrica。
Onthe3rdAugustItookevidenceagainstAbouSaood。MohammedWat-el-Mek，andaprisonernamedBesheer，whowasanofficerinthesamecompany，bothsworeupontheKoran，thatinfiringatme”theyhadonlyobeyedtheordersofAbouSaood，whohadinstructedthemtoattackmeandthegovernmenttroopsshouldIattempttointerferewiththeirproceedings。”
Wat-el-Mekdeclareduponoaththathehadalwayswishedtoserveme，buthehadbeenpreventedbyAbouSaoodandothers；andhehadnowbeenrightlypunished。This，hesaid，was”God’shand。”Hehadbeenincountlessfightswithnativesduringmanyyears，andhewaspossessedofpowerfulcharmsandspells，includingnumerousversesfromtheKoransuspendedfromhisarms：thesehadalwaysprotectedhimuntilthedaywhenhehadraisedhishandagainstthegovernment。Hischarmshadatoncefailedhim，andhehadlostbothhisfingerandthegunwithwhichhehadfiredatme。
MyofficersandsoldiersreallybelievedthatIhadpurposelycuthisfingeroff，andsmashedhisgunbyarifleshot，toprovetohimwhatI