On10thJuly，atmid-day，severalhundredBaris，havingcautiouslyapproachedthegrazingcattleunobserved，madeasuddenrushfromthebushesupontheguards，killingonesoldierandwoundinganother。Thesoldiersbelongedtotheline，andmusthavebehavedbadly，asthemusketandcartouche-boxandbeltwerestolenandcarriedofffromthedeadman。Theshotsfromtheguardimmediatelyalarmedthecamp。Thehorsesweresaddled，and，attendedbyLieutenantBaker，Irodehardinpursuit。Thenativeshadgainedtheforestandhadscattered，butwerodeared-paintedsavagetobay，whofoughttothelast，shootingtwoarrowsatme，whichIavoidedbydroppingquicklyonmyhorse’sneck，andathirdarrowstuckdeeplyinMr。Baker’ssaddleasheescapedthewell-aimedshotbyspurringhishorseacrossthelineofsight。Thesearrowswereshotatadistanceofaveryfewyards。Thenativewaskilled。
On12thJulytheBarisattemptedtosurprisebothmystationandthecampathead-quarters。
Onthe13ththenativesrepeatedtheattempt；butonewasshotdeadbythesentryatGondokoro；alsoanothermetthesamefateatmystation。
Nearlyeverynightweweresubjecttoattemptsatsurprise。Thiswasexcellentpracticeforthetroops，asittaughtthemthe，necessityofkeepingagoodlook-out；atthesametimeitwasverywearying，asthemenhadtoworkhardallday，andtheywerekeptawakeatnight。
TheBariswereirrepressibleverminthatgaveusnorest。Mymenwerealloccupiedinbuildingthestation，thereforeitwasimpossibleformetotakeaflyingcolumnandgivetheBarisaseverelesson；butImadeupmymindthatwhentheworkshouldbefinished，Iwouldtakethefightoutofthemmostthoroughly。Theynowconsideredusfairgame，thattheymightinsultastheythoughtproper；andIheardfromourtwofaithfulallies，SherroomandMorgian，thattheyimaginedweshouldbecomeafraidofthem，andthenreturntoKhartoum。
Theyteasedusatnightlikerats，buttheylostmanymen。Iratheradmiredthemfortheirpersistence，asthescoutsmusthavebeenadventurousfellows。Wheneverthesepeopleweretakenprisoners，theyconfessedthattheywerethespiesofthemainbodythatwasconcealedatsomedistanceintherear。ThefavouritemethodofaBariattackisduringthenight，whenthedarknessreducesthedangeroffire-arms。Onsuchoccasionstheygenerallyhalteitherinforestorhighgrass，accordingtocircumstances，abouthalfamilefromthecamptheyproposetoattack。Scoutsaresentforwardtoascertainthepositionandvigilanceofsentriesbeforetheadvanceofthemainbody。Thescouts，beingquitenaked，crawlupontheirhandsandkneesuntilthedarknesspermitsthemtoapproachwithinafewyardsofthesentries。Theythenlieflatupontheirbelliesunobserveduntiltheycanretreattotheexpectantbodyintheirrear。
Theattackingforcenowadvancesinperfectsilence，andapproachinguponhandsandkneesinthesamemannerasthescouts，theysuddenlyspringuponthesentries，andwithwildyellsmakeageneralrushuponthecamp。Thissuddenattackwouldbeextremelydangerousunlessprovidedagainst；andinthismannerlargepartiesoftheslave-huntershavebeencompletelydestroyed。
OurpassiveresistancetothenumerousnativeattemptsatsurprisehadbeenmisconstruedbytheBarisintotimidity。Thenewshadspreadthroughoutthecountrythatweshouldnotventurefarinland：thusagrandalliancehadbeenmadeamongthetribes。TheBarisdesiredtomakefriendswiththeirpowerfulenemy，theLoquia：theyaccordinglyinvitedthistribetoformanallianceandtojoininacombinedattackuponGondokoro，bywhichmeanstheyhopedtooverpoweranddestroyourforce，andtobecomepossessedofmanythousandcattlewhichwerenowathead-quarters。
TheLoquiaconsented；thuswewereexposedtoagrandcoalition。InthemeantimeAbouSaoodandhispeople，intheircamponthewestsideoftheriver，continuedtobemostfriendlywiththeenemiesofthegovernment，andsuppliedtheBeliniannativeswithammunition。
At1。30。a。m。，onJuly21，Iwasawakenedbythesoundoffiringathead-quarters。
Iwasdressedandarmedinafewminutes。Thebuglesoundedthealarm，and”TheForty”fellintoposition。
Iheardthebuglesathead-quarters，togetherwithaconfuseddinofnativedrums，horns，andyells。Thefirstshotshadappearedtoproceedfromthesentries，butthesewereshortlysucceededbyheavyfile-firingfromthewholeforceatthecamp。Anattackhadevidentlybeenmade，andaregularfightwasgoingon：itwasthereforetobeexpectedthatmysmallforcewouldsoonhavetoactonthedefensive。Spareammunitionwasquicklyinreadiness，andwewerewellprepared。
Inthemeantime，ageneralactionwasgrowinghottereverymoment；theyellsofthenativesandthedinoftheirhornsbecamelouder。Iwasmomentarilyexpectingtohearthesoundofcannon，andIwasspeculatingupontheeffectthatthefireoftengunsloadedwithcaseshotwouldhaveamongsuchacrowdofenemies；buttomyastonishmentnotagunwasfired。Simplytherollofmusketrycontinued。
Inabouthalfanhourthenativeyellsgrewfainter，thenoiseoftheirhornsanddrumswasreduced，andtheheavyfiringdwindledtodroppingshots。Iheardthebuglessound”ceasefiring。”Ithenheard”theadvance。”Againfiringcommenced，thistimeinvolleys；thenIheardoncemore”ceasefiring，”andthen”theretreat：”theattackwasrepulsed。
Icouldnotunderstandwhymylittlestationhadnotbeenattacked；butIsubsequentlyheardthatthenativesweremoreafraidofthe”FortyThieves”thanoftheentireforce。AddedtothiswasthepowerfulreasonthatIhadonlyafewcowsformilk，whiletheattractionofmanythousandheadofcattleinducedanattackonthecampatGondokoro。
OnthefollowingmorningbeforesunriseIrodeuptocamptohearthenews。Itappearedthatthenativeshadactuallysurprisedthesentries。
Wehadlostacorporal，killed；andalieutenantandonesoldierwerewoundedbyarrows。
TheBarisandtheLoquiahadattackedinlargeforcewiththeintentionofburningthestation，asmanywereprovidedwithflamingfirebrands，withwhichtheyhadadvancedbravelytotheedgeofthethornfence。Hadthestationnotbeenprotectedbythisdefenceitisprobablethattheenemymighthavesucceededinfiringthehouses。
Asusual，thetroopshadfiredbadly。SuchafusiladeasIhadheardshouldhavecoveredtheplainwithdead。Theofficersandmendeclaredthatgreatnumbersoftheenemywerekilled，buttheircomradeshadcarriedoffthebodies。Thiswastruetoacertainextent，asIsawbloodinmanydirections，andwefoundoneLoquialyingdeadwithtwobulletwounds，throughtheheadandthigh。
Therecanbenodoubtthatthecampwassurprisedthroughtheneglectofthepatrolandthesleepinessofsentries，anditwasonlysavedbythethornfenceandthefireofsolargeaforceas1，100men。Thecolonelincommandofthetroops，RaoufBey，couldgivenosatisfactoryexplanationforthesilenceoftheartillery，buthesubsequentlytoldmetheyHADFORGOTTENITSEXISTENCEintheexcitementofthemoment。
Anotherofficertoldmetheyhadbroughtuponegun，butcouldnotfindthekeyoftheammunition。IrememberedwhatDavidsaidinhishaste，andIcametotheconclusionthattheyhadbeendisgracefullysurprised。
Ideterminedtolosenotimeinprotectingthestationbyaditchandearthwork，sothatIcouldleaveagarrisonwithoutrisk，andIwouldthenattackthecountryineverydirection。
Theironmagazineswerecompleted，andallgoodsandsupplieswerestored。Thecampwassofarfinishedthatthemenwerehoused。I
thereforedrewaplanforthefort，whichIintrustedtothecareofMr。
Higginbotham，thechiefengineer，forexecution。Igaveordersthatallhands，includingthesailors，shouldimmediatelybeemployedtodigthefosse。Theexpeditionwaswellsuppliedwithtools，andtheworkwascommencedwithvigour，astheofficersandmendidnotobjecttohaveadeepditchbetweenthemandtheenemy。
Ialsoplannedatriangularfortasaprotectiontomysmallherdofaboutahundredmilchcowsatmyownstation。The”FortyThieves”didnotrequireafort，butthecattlemightbecarriedoffbyasuddenrushthatwouldinduceastampedeunlesstheywerewellsecured。”TheForty”settowork，assisteddailybythirtymenfromhead-quarters，andwesoonhadastrongfort，withditchandrampart，thatdefiedattack。
Ashorttimeafterthegrandsurpriseofthecampathead-quarters，thelastattemptwasmadeuponmylittlestation，whichendedasusualinmymenbeingwellonthealert，andinthedeathofoneofthescouts，shotbytheoutlyingguardthroughthethigh。Beforehedied，heconfessedthattheBelinianandtheLoquia，togetherwiththeBarisofGondokoro，hadunitedinthegeneralattackonthecamponthe21st；butthattheyhadlostmanymen，who，beingbadlywounded，haddiedontheroadduringtheretreat。
Mylittlestationfromthisdatewentoutoffashion，andtheBarisdeclinedtoattack，astheysubsequentlydeclaredthatmysentrieswereneverasleeplikethoseathead-quarters。”TheForty”hadearnedareputationthatincreasedtheirself-respect。
Notonlyweretheynearlysuretokillthewilyscouts，butpatrolsatnightsearchedoutthenatives，andgenerallycameuponthemwithfataleffect。
CHAPTERX
DESTRUCTIONOFTHESHIRDETACHMENT。
OnJuly30，1871，Iwasastonishedbythearrivalofthetallsheik，Niambore，withwhomIhadleftanofficerandsixmenintheShirtribe，tosuperintendthecultivationofcorn。Thisfine-lookingfellowwasintroduced，accompaniedbyfiveofhisprincipaladvisers。Heshortlytoldmehisstory。Hehadbeenfournightsontheroad，ashehadnotdaredtotravelbyday，fearingtheBaris：thus，inthedark，hehadfrequentlywanderedfromthetrack。Inthedaytimehehadsleptintheconcealmentofforests。
Hehadrunthisriskinordertobethefirsttogivemethebadnews，lestIshouldsuspecthimoffoulplay。Allmysoldierswerekilled，exceptthemajor，AchmetRafik，andacorporal！
WhenAbouSaoodhadpassedhiscountrysomeweekssince，hispeoplehadattackedaneighbouringsheik，andhadcarriedoffalargenumberofcattle，althoughhewasawareofthepresenceofagovernmentofficerwithaverysmalldetachment。AbouSaoodhadsentthreeofthecapturedcowsasapresenttotheofficerincommand，AchmetRafik，who，insteadofprotestingagainsttherazzia，had，Turk-like，actuallyacceptedthepresent，andthushadfallenintothesnare。