第85章
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  Thefactofthisrenownedslave-hunterhavingtheaudacitytoappealtotheEgyptianauthoritiesforassistance,atonceexhibitstheconfidencethattheslave-tradersfeltinthemoralsupportofcertainofficialpersonageswhorepresentedpublicopinionintheirhatredtotheprincipalobjectoftheexpedition。

  ThevariouslinksinthechainwhichunitedtheinterestsofAbouSaoodwithcertainofficerswhowereopposedtothespiritoftheenterprisewillbeatonceperceived。

  Fromtheverycommencement,thismanhadbeenthechiefintriguerwhohadendeavouredtoruintheexpedition。HehadfraternizedwiththeBariswhentheywereatopenwarwiththegovernment。Hehadincitedthetribestoattackme,andatlengthhisowncompanieshadfiredatmebyhisorders。HENOWSOUGHTTHEPROTECTIONOFTHEEGYPTIANGOVERNMENTAT

  CAIRO。

  WeshallnowleaveAbouSaoodinCairo,wherehespreadthefalsereportofthemassacreofLadyBakerandmyself,whichreachedEnglandandappearedinthenewspapersinApril1873。

  AfterAbouSaood’sdeparturefromFabbo,theinfluenceofWat-el-Mekbegantobefelt,andmanymenflockedtothegovernmentstandard。

  Nevertheless,thatstationwasasceneofanarchy。Theslave-huntersweredividedamongthemselves。ThepartythatfollowedWat-el-MekwerenearlyallSoudanis,likehimself,buttheArabsweresplitupintocompanies,eachofwhichhadelectedaseparateleader。ThisdissensionwasexactlywhatIdesired,andIplayedthegameaccordingly。AsIhavebeforestated,Iwishedtoavoidphysicalforce。

  AliGenninar,whomIhadengagedatMasindi,wasanexcellentfellow,andbeforeAbouSaooddesertedthecountry,hehadbeenthefirstmantoarriveatFatikeandunitewiththegovernment。Henowcollectedsixty-fivemen,whomIatonceenrolled,andhavinggiventhemtheirgovernmentflags,IstartedthemoffwithoutdelaytosupportRiongainUnyoro,andrecalledAbd-el-KaderandhistroopstoFatiko。AtthesametimeIsentRiongamanyvaluablepresents。

  TherewereseveralterriblescoundrelsatFabbo,amongwhomwasSalim-Wat-Howah,who,togetherwithLazim,hadthreatenedtoshootMajorAbdullahinhisowncampduringmyabsenceinUnyoro。

  IhadLaziminironsatFatiko,butSalim-Wat-Howahhadescapedonthedayofattack。ThismanSalimwastheheadofthegreatestvillainsatFabbo,andheandhisbandofaboutonehundredmendailysalliedoutofthezareebaandplunderedandburnttheneighbourhoodinopendefianceofWat-el-Mek。

  Whentheseruffianscapturedwomen,theynowcuttheirthroatsandthrewthemintotheUn-y-Ameriver,explainingtothenativesthattheydefiedmeto”liberate”themwhentheirthroatswerecut。

  EverydaythenativesflockedtomefromFabbowiththemostdreadfultalesofatrocities。

  ThetimehadnowarrivedwhenIcouldmakethemovethatIfeltsurewouldreducethecountrytoorder。

  Theslave-hunterswereinthisposition。IhadsentAliGerminarwithsixty-fivementoUnyoro,200hadgoneoffwithAbouSaood,100

  reprobatesclungtoSalim-Wat-Howah,andtheremainderweretruetoWat-el-Mek。

  IthereforesentamessagetoFabbo,whichWat-el-Mekwouldmakepublicinthezareeba:”that,havingreceiveddailycomplaintsfromthenativesofoutragescommittedbySalim-Wat-Howahandhiscompany,itwasmyintentioninfortyeighthourstovisitFabbowiththetroops,togetherwiththenativewitnessestotheoutragescomplainedof。”

  Iordered”allthosemenwhohadenlistedinthegovernmentservice,togetherwithallotherswhoweretruetotheKhedive,toretirefromtheFabbostationtoFaloro:thusFabboalonewouldrepresentthemalcontents。”

  Ifeltsurethatthedissensionwhichhadexistedamongthevariouspartieswouldnowbreakoutanew,andthatSalim-Wat-Howah,fearingapersonalvisitfromme,wouldfollowtheexampleofhismaster,AbouSaood,andflyfromthecountry。

  ThehintthatIhadgivenrespectingtheretirementoftheloyalpeopletoFaloro,sothatFabbowouldrepresentthedisloyal,wouldbesufficientwarningthatphysicalforcewasintended,shouldothermeansfail。

  ThedayuponwhichWat-el-MekpublishedtheproclamationwasoneofgeneralconsternationinFabbo。

  Wat-el-MekleftthestationwithhisSoudanis。

  Salim-Wat-Howahandhismensuddenlyspranguponthevakeel,Suleiman,andhavingsecuredhim,whileothersbrokeopenthepowder-magazine,theypossessedthemselvesofthreecases1,500roundsofball-cartridge,togetherwiththeflagsofthestation。Withthisprizetheymarchedoutofthezareebawiththeirslaves,whocarriedtheirluggage,andtooktheroadtowardsLatooka,aboutninedays’marchdistant。

  Withoutfiringashot,Ihadthuswonthegame。Allthebadpeoplehadfoundthecountrytoohotforthem。Theremainingmenreceivedcertificates,andraisedthecorpsofirregularsto312officersandmen;allofwhomwerenominallyunderWat-el-Mek,althoughAliGenninarheldaseparatecommandinUnyoro。Inowstrengthenedhispartybyareinforcement。

  Fromthisdate,thevictorywasgained,andIcouldonlythankGodforthegreatsuccessthathadattendedallmyefforts。Theslave-huntingwasnowatanendthroughoutanimmensedistrict,astheslave-huntershadceasedtoexistsouthofGondokoro。ExceptingUnyoro,thedaysofbloodshedwerepast。The”FortyThieves”,whohadsogallantlystoodbymethrougheverydifficulty,neveragainhadanenemybeforethem。Iwasdevoutlythankfulfordaysofpeace。Allreaderswillsharemydeepregret,thatsincemydeparturefromCentralAfricathisgallantbodyofmen,togetherwiththeFrenchofficerincommand,MonsieurLinantdeBellefonds,fellvictimstoasurprisebytheBarisinthedistrictofMoogi。ColonelGordon,whowasengagedintowingasteamerthroughtherapids,hadsentM。LinantdeBellefondswithfortysniderstomakeareconnaissanceintheimmediateneighbourhood,astheMooginativeshadbecomehostile。Theforcewassuppliedwiththirtyroundsofball-cartridgeintheirpouchestogetherwithtwoboxes1000roundsofspareammunition。Onlyfoursoldiersescapedtotellthetaleofdestruction。

  Mytaskwasnowfullofpleasureandgratification。IhadestablishedperfectconfidenceamongthenativesthroughoutthelargecountryofShooli。TheLiratribehaddeclaredtheirallegiance,andwehadfriendsuponallsides。

  IhadasusualplantedgardensatFatiko,whichwereflourishing。Thenativesnolongerconcealedtheirstoresofcorn;butdancingandrejoicinghadtakentheplaceofwatchfulnessandinsecurity。

  Thechildrenandwomenflockedtoourcamp;andmarketinguponalargescalewasconductedwithoutasquabble。Thetwogoodmen,ShooliandGimoro,whoweredailyvisitors,assuredmethattherewasonlyonefeelingthroughoutthecountry,ofgratitudeandgood-will。Thiswasagreatrewardtomeforthemanydifficultieswehadundergone;butnowthatthecalmdaysofpeacehadarrived,IlookedbackwithkeenregretuponthegoodmenthatIhadlost,especiallytothememoryofpoorMonsoor。Therewasnopersonwhowouldhaveenjoyedmysuccesssomuchasthatworthyman。

  ItisnowtimetospeakofSuleimanandthepartywhohadleftMasindion23rdMaywiththepostforFatiko,togetherwiththe300UnyorocarrierswhoweretohavetransportedAbdullah’sdetachmenttoFoweera。

  TheletterconcealedinapackagethatIhadsenttoEddrees,withordersthat”thepartymightreturnatoncetoFatikoshouldtheysuspectfoulplay,”hadreachedthembeforetheyhadcrossedtheVictoriaNile。

  Mohammed,theCairodragoman,hadstronglysuspectedtreachery,owingtotheunaccountabletardinessofthenativesinpushingstraightforFatiko。EverydaymessengershadarrivedfromMasindi,andothershadbeenreturnedinreplybythesheikPittia,whohadchargeofthe300

  Unyorocarriers。

  Whenmyletterhadbeenreceived,MohammedadvisedEddreestoreturnatoncetoMasindi;butthelatter,findinghimselfaboutfiftymilesonthejourney,concludedthatitwouldbebettertocontinuethemarch。

  Theyhaddelayedsomanydaysontheroad,thatthestockofflourintendedforthewholejourneywouldhavefailed,hadtheynotsparedtheirsupply,andfeduponpotatoeswhenevertheyhaltednearcultivatedground。

  Ononeoccasion,anumberoftheirmenhadasusualgoneofftoforage,andwereemployedindiggingsweetpotatoes,whentheyweresuddenlyattackedbythenativesconcealedinthehighgrass,andelevenmenwerespeared;fiveofmytroops,andsixoftheirregulars。Fortunatelysomeofthesemenhadfiredtheirmusketsbeforetheydied,andthereportsalarmedtheremainderoftheparty,whowereinasmallvillage。Therewasnotanativetobeseen,butthedrumsandhornsweresounding,andastheVictoriaNilewascloseathand,theyconsidereditwouldbeadvisabletocrosstheriverbeforethenativesshouldattacktheminforce。

  ItwasnecessarytoreleaseSuleiman,whowassecuredinasheba。ThismanhadbeencommittedtothechargeofMohammed。BeforeMohammedcuttherawhidestripwhichsecuredtheforkedpole,hemadeSuleimanswearbytheprophetnottoescape,butthathewoulddeliverhimselfuptoMajorAbdullahatFatiko。

  Theparty,nowreducedtotwenty-fivemen,immediatelystarted。Uponarrivalatthebanksoftheriver,theyhappenedtocomesuddenlyuponanative,whomtheyseized。

  Theysoonobservedacanoeontheothersideoftheriver,inwhichweretwomen。Theynowmadeanarrangementforthecaptureofthecanoe,whichwastothemacaseoflifeordeath。

  Theprisonerwasdressedintheusualflowingrobeofbark-cloth。Hishandsweretiedbehindhim,andoneofthepartywhocouldspeakthelanguagenowconcealedhimselfbehindthebark-clothrobe,andholdingthenativetightlybythearms,hethreatenedhimwithinstantdeathunlesshecalledthetwonativesinthecanoe。

  Atfirsthehesitated,butfearingtheknifeathisback,thepointofwhichjustprickedhimtolethimknowthatitwasready,heshoutedtothemenintheboat。”Sayyouhaveanumberofplantains,andyouwanttotakethemacrosstheriver,”whisperedhisinvisibleprompterfrombehind。

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