Iorderedthetroopstoextendintwolines，supportedbyareservewiththefield-pieceandrocket-trough。Withthe”FortyThieves”inthefront，weadvancedalongtheplaintowardsthemountain。
TheBarisnowopenedfireuponusfromtheirvillages，fromwhichtheyweredriveninsuccession，untilnoenemyremainedtoopposeusexceptthoseuponthehighground。
Ourrightwasnowprotectedbyanexceedinglydeepravine，whichwasawatercoursecutbythetorrentsfromthemountain。Iaccordinglytookapartyofthe”FortyThieves，”andfollowingalongtheedgeoftheravine，ascendedtheslopethatledtothestockadesupontheheights。
Greatnumbersofnativeshadassembled，andwereshoutingthemostabusiveepithetsinArabicuntilwearrivedataboutahundredyardsfromtheforemoststockade。Thisnowopenedfireuponus，thenativesbeingconcealedwithin，andaimingwiththeirmusketsbetweentheintersticesoftheuprightpiles。
Myriflemennowkneltdownandfiredatthepuffsofsmokeastheyissuedfromtheimpenetrableironwoodzareebas。ThiswasjusttheworkthattheBarisunderstood，astheirpositionenabledthemtofightunseenamongthenumerousstockadesandhighrocksclothedwithbush。
Thebulletswerewhistlingmerrily，andpresentlyasoldierbymysidewasshotthroughthefleshypartofthehip。Iexaminedhim，andsawthatthebulletbadpassedthrough，——thereforehecontinuedfiring。A
wifeofoneofthesoldierswasshotthroughthecalfoftheleg。Shehadaccompaniedhimwithasmallparcelofcooking-potsandfoodfromGondokorothatmorningandthuscameunderfire。
Themainbodywasdelayedintherear，replyingtothefireoftheBarisontheothersideoftheimpassableravine。IhadonlytwentymenwithmeinadditiontoLieutenantBaker。Ithereforeorderedthebuglertosoundthe”assembly，”asIdeterminedtoattackthestockadeswiththewholeforce。
Inafewminutesthemainbodyarrived，andformedfortheattack。Thebuglesanddrumssoundedtheadvance，andthetroops，havingfiredseveralvolleys，rushedonatthedoubleandstormedtheposition。Thiswaswellexecuted，andtherushwassounexpectedbytheBaris，thatthestockadesweretakenatthepointofthebayonet；CaptainMorgianSherreef[*]distinguishinghimselfbythegallantmannerinwhichheledhiscompany；hewasthefirstmantobreakthroughthegateway。
[*Footnote：ThisofficerwasaSoudaniwhohadservedunderMarshalBazaineforfouryearsinMexico。]
ThisattackwassomethingthattheBarisdidnotcomprehend。Theyhadonlybeenaccustomedtofacetheslave-hunters’irregularcompanies，andtheyhadneverseenachargebornewiththebayonet。Theynowbegantoclamberuptherocksandascendthemountainwiththeactivityofbaboons，whileasharpfirefromthesniderriflesactedlikeaspurupontheirmovements。Ashellfromthegunnowburstoveranumberoftheenemywhohadcollectedabout800yardsinourrear。Thiswasanunmistakablenoticetoquit。Wesetfiretothestockades，andtheBarishavingdisappeared，Iselectedapositionforanight’sbivouac。
Therewasabadsupplyofwater，andwecouldprocure，nothingbutamuddymixturewhichsmeltstronglyofgoats。Wehadfoundanumberoffatcalvesandsheep；thus，havingfixeduponasiteintheflatopenplain，themencollectedfirewood，andwhentheeveningsetin，thecampfireswereblazingandeverymanwaswellsuppliedwithfood。
Idoubledthesentriesforthenight，butweremainedundisturbed。
Iwasveryanxiousaboutthemajor，AchmetRafik，asRaoufBeyandtheofficersdeclaredthathewouldhavecertainlyendeavouredtofollowthetroopsratherthanruntheriskofdisobeyingtheordershehadreceived。TheBarisnevertakeprisoners，andshouldtheymeethim，whichwouldbemostprobable，hisdeathwascertain。
OnthefollowingmorningIorderedanadvancetowardsthenorthsideoftheplain，whereIhadobservedalineofzareebasuponelevatedgroundthatcommandedaviewoftheplainandthebaseofthemountainthatwehadattackedyesterday。
Onarrivaluponthehigherground，Ifoundthecountryperfectlyflatandcompletelycoveredwithheavycropsofripedhurra，inwhichthezareebaswereconcealed，withtheexceptionofthetopsofthehuts。
Drumswerebeatingandhornsblowinginallthesestockades。
IhadasuspicionthattheBarismighthavestationedsharp-shootersinambushamongthehighdhurra。Ithereforedirectedacoupleofrocketsthroughthecorn。Therushoftheseunknownprojectilesproducedagreateffect，astheyburstthroughthestockade，andbuzzedandwhizzedaboutthehutswithinthedefence。Aneight-poundshellfromthegunnowcrashedthroughthestockadeandwenthowlingalongthroughthedensefieldsofdhurra，untilitexplodedabout500yardsintherear。
Thebugleimmediatelysoundedtheadvancewiththebayonet，andthetroopsmadearushforwardthroughthecornandcapturedthestockade。
Wenowfoundnolessthansixofthesepowerfulinclosureswithinanareaofaboutfouracres。Thesewouldformanadmirableposition。I
thereforegaveordersthatthecornshouldbeimmediatelyclearedawaysoastoleaveanopenspace。Guardswerepostedinvariousplaces；
sentrieswereplacedonthesummitsofthetallesthutstokeepagoodlook-out，whiletheremainderoftheforcesettoworkandcommencedclearing。Bysunsetwehadcutdownaboutsixacres。
IgaveorderstoRaoufBeytodividethetroopsinfourstockades，whichformedasortofquadrilateral。ThisofficersuggestedthatthemenmightallbemassacredbyaBarinight-attackifthusdivided，andheproposedtoinclosethewholeforceof450menwithinonezareeba，likesheeporcattle！Inspiteofoursuccesses，theofficershadawholesomedreadoftheBaris，thatrelievedmefromallapprehensionsoftheirerringbyanexcessofrashness。
Idividedthesoldiersofthelineinthreezareebas，whileIoccupiedthefourthwithLieutenantBakerandtwentymenofthe”FortyThieves。”
Everydaywasnowpassedincollectingcorn，butthesoldiersasusualworkedbadly。Inthemeantimethenativesworkedmostenergeticallyduringthenight，andcarriedofftentimestheamountgatheredbythetroops。Therewassobadafeelingamongtheofficers，thatitwaseasytoperceivetheywerepredeterminedtoneglectthisopportunityoffillingourgranaries。
TheBariswereexcellentdiplomatists，and，seeingthatweweretoopowerfultoresistbyopenforce，theysentwomentotreatforpeace。
Thiswassimplyamanoeuvretogaintime，asduringthetrucetheycouldcarryoffthecornbydayaswellasnight。Ialwaysleanttowardspeace，althoughthewarhadbeenwantonlyforceduponme；thuswesoonestablishedfriendlyrelationswithanoldsheiknamedJarda，abouttwomilesfromtheBelinianmountain。Thisoldfellowhadanexceedinglycleversisterwhowouldhavemadeagoodforeignminister。SheexplainedjustasmuchoftheBelinianpoliticsaswouldsuitherpurpose，andveryproperlydeclaredthatthewomenwereallinfavourofthegovernment，andtheywouldusetheirinfluencewiththemen，someofwhomsheassertedhadvery”hardheads。”
OldJarda，whowasabouteightyandhadsufficientworldlyexperiencetoappreciatethevalueofagoodcounsellor，leftthediplomaticarrangementstohissister，whobecameextremelyactive，andranaboutthecountrytocollecttheprincipalheadmen。
Wehadmanypalavers，whichasusualendedinnothingbutassurancesofgoodwill，andanexplanationthattheattacksonGondokoroweremadebycertaindistricts，butthatJarda’speoplewerenotresponsible。Inthemeantimethousandsofwomenandchildrenwereengagedincarryingoffthecorn。Thecountryseemedalivewithbaskets，astheseusefularticleswereseenglidingaboutinalldirectionsontheheadsofnativesthatwereinvisibleinthehighgrass。
IreturnedtoGondokoroforreinforcements，andIcollected200armedsailors。WiththisadditionalforcemywifealsoaccompaniedmetoourcampatBelinian。Wehadnow650mentocollectthecorn。Inoticedanextraordinarydiminutioninthecropduringmyabsenceofonlytwodays，butnotacorrespondingincreaseinthestorecollectedbythetroopsleftunderthecommandofRaoufBey。
Ihadoccupiedthevalleybyalineofthreestockadedpositions，atintervalsofaboutamileandahalf；thusaverylargeareaofcornwascommanded，andifthepatrolshaddonetheirduty，itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforthenativestohavecarrieditoff。
Nothinghadbeenheardofthemissingmajor，AchmetRafik；hehadnotreturnedtoGondokoroasIhadhoped。Inowdiscovered，throughthenativewomen，thathehadbeenkilledbytheBarisonthesamedaythatwehadarrivedatBelinian。ItappearedthattheunfortunateofficerhadsteeredhiscoursefortheBelinianmountainpeak，inthehopeofovertakingthetroops。Thisroutethroughtheforestledhimtotheextremeendofthevalleyatthefootofthemountain，quiteinthewrongdirection。HavingarrivedatthenearlydrybedoftheBelinianriver，hesatbeneathatreetorest。Thenativesquicklyobservedhim，andstalkedhimasthoughhehadbeenawildanimal。
Itappearedthat，whenattacked，hehadwoundedonenativeintheheadwithhis”littlegun，”astheBaristermedhisrevolver；andthismanwasstillalivewiththebulletinhisskull，whichthewomendeclaredwasswollenaslargeasapumpkin。
AchmetRafikwasthusoverpoweredandkilled，withthegaintotheBarisofhisarmsandammunition。
Iimmediatelystartedoffwithacompanyoftroops，ledbyaBariguide，tothewestendoftheplain，wheremyofficerhadbeenkilled。Ihadnotyetvisitedthisspot，buttheguiltynativeswerewideawake，andtheyhadconcealedthearms，whichIhadhopedtorecover。Theforestwastolerablyopen，andwasfullofsmallvillagesconcealedbythetrees。Ispreadoutmymenandregularlydrovethecovert。Suddenlywecameuponaherdofcattleandanumberofnativeswhohadimaginedthemselvessecureinthedepthsoftheforest。