Iimmediatelydashedintothemonhorseback，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，ColonelAbd-el-Kader，andMonsoor，followedbythetroops。Thecattle，seeingtheredshirtsofthe”FortyThieves，”hadgoneoffinaregularstampedethroughtheforest；thisprecipitateflighthadbeenquickenedbythereportoftherifles。Itwasdifficultworktomanagetheherdwithonlyfourhorses。NoonewhohasnothuntedAfrican，andespeciallyBaricattle，canhaveanideaoftheactivityoftheseanimals。Theygoalongatatremendouspace，andneverappeartogetblown：thuswewerespurringhardthroughtheforestinordertoovertaketheherd，whentomygreatsatisfactionwearrivedatthebroadbednearlydryoftheBelinianriver。Thischeckedthepace，andwereinedupourhorses，andquietlywaitedforthetroops，whowereexcellentrunners。
Afewmenof”TheForty”werethefirstup，andwemanagedtodrivethecattleacrosstheriverontotheopenplain。Hardlyhadwearrivedonthelevelground，whentheystartedoffinanotherstampede，andkeptusgoingforaboutthreemiles，asthoughwewerefollowinghounds。
Withahorseoneachflankandintherearoftheherdweatlengthmanagedtocontroltheirmovements。Fortunatelywehadbeenrunningtowardsourcamp。
Aherdofcattlegenerallydependsuponafewofitsmembers，whichareusuallyfollowedbytheothers。Uponthisoccasionthereweretwocowsthatappearedtodirecttheirmovements。Thesewildcreaturesrefusedtoenterourcattlekraaluponarrivalatthecamp，whenthetroops，havingseenourapproach，cameouttorenderassistance。Withskilfulmanagementtheherdwassecuredwithinthekraal，withtheexceptionofthetwoundisciplinedcows，whichstartedoffatfullspeedalongtheplain，followedbyAbd-el-Kaderandmyself。Ablackandwhitecowwasexceedinglyvicious，andbeinghardpressedforaboutaquarterofamile，sheturnedtobayontheopenplain。Iwasridingmybesthorse，named”ThePig，”whowasverypowerfulandfast，andunderstoodcattle-drivingthoroughly。”ThePig，”accordinglyavoidedthechargeoftheinfuriatedcow，whichdashedathimlikeawildbuffalo。I
immediatelyshotherintheshoulderwitharevolver，whichhadnoothereffectthantoturnhertowardsColonelAbd-el-Kader，whowasridingalarge，clumsychestnutcalled”Jamoos”thebuffalo。Thishorseremainedperfectlystillwhenthecowrushedathim，andAbd-ed-Kaderinsteadoffiringhisrifle，receivedthechargefulluponhisleftleg，intowhichthecowdrovehersharphorn，makingaseriouswoundnearlythroughthecalf。Ithenshotthecowthroughthehead，butAbd-el-Kaderwasingreatpainandquitedisabled。
Uponcountingourcattlewefound165。Thiswasaverysmallherd，buttheyhadbeendifficulttocapture。
Ournewally，oldJarda，withhisdiplomaticsister，cametovisitusuponhearingofoursuccess，andimmediatelyaskedforacalf，whichI
gavehim。
Jarda’ssisternowinformedmethatthesheikofthemountainwishedforpeace，andrequestedpermissiontovisitme。Onthefollowingdayheappeared。Hewasafinepowerfulfellow，butwithabadexpression。I
hadalreadyheardthatJardaandhewerenotfriends，thereforeIlookeduponthisintroductionwithsuspicion。
Aftertheusualdeclarationoffriendshipbythenewsheik，andanapologyforpastmisdemeanours，presentswererequested。Afatcalfwasgiven——thenasheepwasdemanded；thiswasalsosupplied。Wenowcametobusiness。ItappearedthattheBelinianBarishadbeencalleduponbyAllorrontobecomeallies，atthesametimethatLoqiuahadbeeninvitedtojoininthegeneralattackthathadbeenmadeuponGondokoro。
Loquiahadhesitated，buthadatlengthjoinedBelinian，asthegovernmenttroopshadbeenreportedasgreatcowardswhowereafraidtoventurefarfromtheirhead-quarters。ThemanythousandcattleknowntobeatGondokoro，andthefabulousamountofstoresandmaterial，atlengthtemptedtheLoquiatojoinforces。
Onthenightoftheattack，itnowappearedthatLoquiahadlostmanymenkilled；otherswhowerewoundeddroppedontheway，anddiedontheroutethroughBelinian。ThislosssoenragedLoquiawhoconsideredthathehadbeenonlyusedasacat’s-paw，thathewasdeterminednottoreturnhomeempty-handed。Hethereforerevengedhimselfuponhisallies，andcapturedabout2，000headofcattlefromBelinian，withwhichhereturnedtohismountainstwodays’distant。
Onthedayfollowingmyinterviewwiththesheikofthemountain，”Wani，”Ireceivedinformationwhichmademesuspectthathewasnottherealsheik，andthatsometrickwasintended。
OncemoreIwaswaiteduponbyoldJarda，withhisfemaleministerofforeignaffairs，incompanywithWani，thereputedsheikofthemountain，togetherwithanumberofheadmen。
Inowreceivedadirectproposaltoformageneralalliance。TheBelinianBarisdeclaredallegiancetothegovernment，andproposedtojoinalltheirforcestomakeagreatattack，inconjunctionwiththetroops，uponacountryaboutsixteenmilesdistant，governedbyasheiknamedLokko。Theydescribedthiscountryasaboundingincorn，andsesame，inadditiontogreatwealthincattle。Theyalsodeclaredthattheyhadalreadysentspiesintotheland，whohadreturnedwiththenewsthattheharvestwasover，andallthegrainwasstowedinthegranaries；thusthetroopswouldhavenotroubleincollectingthecorn。
TheyalsopromisedthatifIwouldmaketheattack，theywouldcollectalltheirwomenandtransportthecorntohead-quartersatGondokoro；
thusthesoldierswouldhavenofatigue。AtthesametimetheydescribedthepeopleofLokkoasverypowerful，anddeclaredthatIshouldrequirenearlyallmyforce，asveryfewtroopswouldbenownecessarytoprotectmycampatBelinian，asweWEREALLFRIENDS！
Thiskindregardformymilitaryarrangementsconfirmedmysuspicions。
Itwasintendedtodrawoffthegreaterportionofthetroopstoadistance，incompanywiththepretendedallies。TheattackwasreallytobemadeonLokko，butmytroopswerealsotobeoverpoweredwhenunsuspectinglyreturningbyanightmarchwiththespoil。ThecattlecapturedfromLokkowouldthenfallintothehandsofBelinian，andmycamp，protectedbyaweakforce，wastobesurprised。
Ipretendedtoenterintothisscheme，butIexpressedadoubtwhethertheywouldperformtheirpartoftheengagement，andconveythecornfromLokkotoGondokoro。Thistheydeclaredemphaticallytheywoulddowithoutfailing。
Iproposed，thatiftheycouldconveysuchanenormousquantitysogreatadistancefromLokkotoGondokoro，theyshouldfirstprovetheirfidelitybytransportingthefewhundredurdepsfromourBeliniancamptohead-quarters。Iftheywouldassistusinthismanner，theyshouldbepaidfortheirtrouble，andIshouldthenbelieveintheirsincerity。Ontheotherhand，iftheyrefused，IshouldbeperfectlycertainthattheywouldalsodeclinetotransportthecornfromLokko，andthateveryindividualwouldmerelyscrambleforspoil，andreturntoBelinianwithaloadofplunderforhisownuse。
WeshouldthenbeleftatLokkoinafoolishposition。
Aftermuchdiscussion，theypromisedtocarrythecorntoGondokorobeforecommencingoperationsagainstLokko；butIatonceperceivedbytheirmanner，thattheyhadnottheslightestintentionofperforminganysuchcontract。Theyfeltthattheirschemehadbeenfoundout。
AlthoughAfricansarenotoriouslycunningandtreacherous，theyhavenotsufficientpatienceorself-sacrificetoenablethemtocarryoutaperfectscheme。IftheBelinianshadwishedtosucceedintheirplan，theyshouldhavewillinglycarriedthecorntoGondokoro，andthushaveestablishedconfidence。InallmyexperiencewithAfricantribes，Ihaveobservedthiswantoforganizationintheirplans。Likeignorantchess-players，theyonlythinkofthefirstfewmoves，andthusareatalosswhensuddenlychecked。
OfcourseIhadnointentionofattackingLokko，asIhadnocomplaintagainsthim；andalthoughaBari，hewasachiefwhohadalwaysbehavedwelltotheAustrianmissionaries。ThisportionoftheBaritribe，insteadofbeingsixteenmiles，wasatleastthirtyfromthenorthofBelinian，andwassituatedontheWhiteNile，wherethesheik，Lokko，wasknowntothetradersas”OomNickla。”
Thefollowingextractsfrommyjournalwillatonceexplainthestateofaffairs。Thenativeshadlosttheirchance，andfeelingthattheirtreacheryhadbeendiscovered，theynevercametomeagain：——”September22，1871——Nonativeswillcomenearus。AbouSaoodarrivedwithfortymentoaskmypermissionthathemightstartforKhartoum。”September23——Thenatives，disappointedintheirtrick，willhavenothingtosaytous。”
Onthe25thSeptemberthenativestreacherouslyattackedanunarmedsoldier。Thismanhadstrayedafewhundredyardsfromthecamp，againstorders，tosearchforwildthyme。Anativemethimandaccostedhimbythewelcome”Adottojulio。”Thesoldieradvancedclose，whenthetreacherousBariimmediatelyshotanarrowintohim。Thispassedthroughhisarmwithsuchforcethatmorethanhalfthelengthofthearrowprotrudedontheotherside。Thesoldiershoutedforhelp，andtheBaridecampedashesawothersrunningtotherescue。
Onthesameday，twowomenwereattackedwhentheywenttofetchwater，andtheirclotheswerestolenbythenatives。
OnSeptember27，anartillerymanwenttotheriverabout400yardsdistanttofetchwater，alone。Thiswasquitecontrarytoorders。Thethoughtlessfellowlefthismusketonthebankwhilehedescendedtothesandybed，throughwhichtrickledaclearstream。
Hewaswatchedbythenativeswhowerelyinginwait，concealedbythehighdhurra。Theserascalssuddenlyrushedoutandspearedhimtodeath。
Themanscreamedsoloudlybeforehedied，thatanumberofsoldiersrushedtohisassistancefromthecamp，buttheywereonlyintimetobringinhisbody。
Thiswasat4P。M。，andIobservednativesarmed，whowerehoveringaboutonallsides。
Isoundedthebugle，andattackedthemwithoutdelay，destroyingseveralstockades。Itisimpossibletocometoanytermswithsuchtreacherouspeople。Inspiteofmykindnessandwishtodogoodandtobenefittheircountry，theyrequitemewiththemurderofanyunarmedmanwhomtheycanfind。”September29——Iattackedapositiononthemountain。Havingfiredseveralrocketsfromthebase，intoastationabout350feetabove，I
orderedthetroopstoadvancefromtwosides。Mymenscrambledquicklyuptherocksanddestroyedthestation。”September30——Afewdaysago，thesoldierspurposelyburntseveralgranariesfullofcorn，andthreatenedtokillSherroomandMorgian，myBariinterpreters，iftheyshouldreporttheacttome，saying，’Ifthecornisfinished，weshallallgobacktoKhartoum。’””Thisprovesthattheoldspiritagainsttheexpeditionstillexists。
Thementaketheircuefromtheofficers。”
Inspiteofthegeneraldiscontent，Icouldplacethegreatestrelianceuponthe”FortyThieves”andtheirofficers。Thislittlecorpsperformednearlyalltheactiveservice。Theirredshirtshadbecomesowellknown，thatthecolourwasenoughtokeepthenativesatadistance；butalthoughtheBariswerenowafraidtoriskastand-upfight，theytroubledusbytheirstealthytactics。Itwasimpossibletosaywheretheywereconcealed。Theywerespreadalloverthecountry：somehiddeninthetalldhurra，othersbehindbushes。Theirfavouriteplacewasinthegrassandscatteredbushonthebanksoftheriver，wheretheylayinwaitforanyunluckysoldierwhosedisobedienceofordersledhimtotempthisfate。
Itseemedalmostasimpossibletoclearthecountryofthesepeople，astopurgeAfricafromsnakes。Patrolswereoflittleservice，asthenativeslayascloselyconcealedasharesinform。
Ideterminedatlengthtomeetthemwiththeirowntactics：
Theyoccupiedtheneighbourhoodinambush……Iwouldalsolieinambush。ThissystemofambuscadeemployedsogenerallybytheBarishadcreatedawholesomealarmamongthetroops，whichtendedtoobedience。
Theynowbegantoappreciatetheordersthatnooneshouldstrayalonefromthecamp，andthatthewateringpartyshouldconsistofapowerfulguard。Atthesametime，thesurprisesthathadoccurredhadsomewhatshakentheirconfidence。
Icalledthe”FortyThieves”together。Thesefinefellowsalwaystookagreatinterestintheirwork。