Iinspectedthemen’spouches，andfoundthatmostofthemhadeighteenortwentyroundsofcartridge，whiletheminimumcontainedelevenrounds；thisiswhatthemajorconsideredashortsupplyofammunitionforamarchofamileandahalfalongbeautifulopencountrytomyvessels。
Hedescribedtheoverwhelmingnumberofthenatives，andtheirextremebraveryintheattack，whichhistroopshadrepelledwithoutanylosstothemselveseitherkilledorwounded。AtthesametimethetroopsunderhiscommandhadkilledtwentyBaris，whosebodieshehadhimselfcounted。
Inoworderedthemtoadvancetothevillage，asIwishedtoexaminetheposition。Uponarrivalatthespotwherethebattlehadtakenplace，therewereanumberofvulturessettledinvariousspotswherethegroundwasmarkedwithblood，andthecleanly-pickedskeletonofaman，lyingclosetotheeuphorbiahedge，showedthattheBarishadreallycometoclosequarters。Theofficerdeclaredthattwentyoftheenemywereslain，whilethesoldiersadmittedthatonlyfivewerekilled。
Therewasalwaysagrossexaggerationinthereports。
Thenativeshadcarriedofftheirdead，withtheexceptionofthebodythathadbeencleanedbythevultures；thismusthavebeenastrangerwhohadnofriends，astheBarisareveryparticularintheintermentoftheirpeople。
Inowmarchedmymenalongthehighgroundtowardsthesouth，andexaminedthenumeroushabitations，untilIarrivedatalittlecolonycomprisingsixvillages，allofwhichwerefullofcorn。HereIleftMajorAbdullahandhisdetachment，withorderstocollectallthedhurrafromtheneighbouringvillages，andtoformacentraldepotathispresentstation，afterwhich，thecorncouldbethrashedoutandcarriedtothevessels。Istationedanoggurbythebankexactlyoppositehisposition，abouthalfamiledistant。
Thenativeshadabandonedtheneighbourhood：andhundredsofvillagesremainedwithoutaninhabitant。
On3rdNovember，IsentoffvesselsheavilyladenwithcorntoGondokoro，underthecommandofLieutenantBaker，withinstructionsthatthedetachmentunderLieutenant-ColonelAchmetshouldjoinmeassoonaspossible，andthatemptyvesselsshouldatoncebesenttomycorndepot。
On4thNovember，Isentfifteenofthe”FortyThieves”tothesouth，whereIhaddiscoveredlargequantitiesofcorninthevillagesthathadbeenuntilnowundisturbed。Toarriveatthesevillages，itwasnecessarytopassoververyhighground，whichobscuredthemfromourviewwhenonthediahbeeah。
Mymenhadbuiltthemselveshuts，andhadformedanicelittlecamp，onthehard，stonybank，closetothespotwheremydiahbeeahandothervesselslayalongside。Myhorseswerepicketedinthecentre，andwehadtransportedanderectedagreatnumberofgranaries，whichIhadfilledwithcleanly-thrashedcorn，toawaitthearrivalofthereturnvesselsfromGondokoro。
Iwassuperintendingthearrangementsofthecamp，whenmyattentionwasattractedbyexceedinglysteadyfiringinsingleshotsatadistance，inthedirectiontakenbymysmallpartyof”TheForty。”Nothingcouldbeseen，owingtothehighgroundonthesouth。
Iimmediatelyorderedmyhorse，andaccompaniedbyMonsoorandthreesoldiersof”TheForty”Irodeatatrottowardsthedirectionofthefiring。Ihadleftasmallguardwiththeboats，asnearlyallthemenwereabsentintheinteriorcollectingthe`dhurra。
Afterridingforaboutamileandahalfoverhighgroundcoveredwithfineturf，fromthesummitofwhichIhadabeautifulviewoftheundulatingcountrybeforeme，withtheWhiteNileflowingthroughthevalley，andhighmountainsinthedistance，Icamesuddenlyuponavillage，whereIobservedtwoofmy”Forty”mountedassentriesuponthesummitsofthetallesthuts。Alittleinadvanceofthisposition，I
foundtheremainderofmyparty。Itappearedthattheyhadbeensuddenly，attacked，butthesentriesonthehouse-topshadgiventimelywarning。
Therecouldnothavebeenamoresuitablecountryforrifle-practice，asitwascompletelyopenandalmostdevoidoftrees。Thefine，swellingundulationswereintersectedwithdeeprockyravinesatrightanglestotheriver，whichafterheavyrainsbroughtdownthetorrentsfromthemountains。
Myarrivalonthesummit，onawhitehorse，attendedonlybyMonsoorandthreesoldiers，wasasignalforagreatblowingofhornsandbeatingofdrums。Immensenumbersofnativesweretobeseeninallpartsoftheviewbeforeus。Theyraneagerlyfromtheirvillages，andcollectedfromeveryquarter，evidentlybentuponafightwithmylittleparty。
Iorderedmymentoceasefiring，astheywerewastingtheirammunitionuselessly，anddestroyingtheprestigeoftheriflesbymissingatlongranges。
Iorderedageneraladvanceinopenorder，aboutfouryardsapart；thustwentymencoveredalineofaboutseventy-sixpaces。Thisfront，withthemeninscarletuniform，madeatolerableshow。IrodeattheleadonaverybeautifulArab，”GreedyGrey，”whichwasthemostperfectofallthehorsesIhadbroughtfromEgypt：excellinginbreed，speed，beauty，andtemper。
Mylittlecompanymarchedforwardinquicktime。Thiswasasignalforachorusofyellsuponallsides；thebigdrumssoundedlouderthanbefore，andthehornsoftheBarisbellowedineverydirection。
Greatnumbersofnativesnowadvancedwiththeirbowsandarrows，gesticulatingandleapingfromsidetosideintheirusualmanner，soastopreventthepossibilityofasteadyaim。
Asyet，theywereabout600yardsdistant，andIcontinuedthemarchforwardasthoughnoenemywerepresent。Aswedescendedaravineandmarcheduptheoppositeincline，Ifoundthatthenativesretiredoverthenextundulation。Theirlineoffrontextendedaboutamileandaquarter，whileweoccupiedatthemosteightypaces。
Havingmarchedaboutamilewithoutfiringashot，andfindingthatthenativesinvariablyfellbackasweadvanced，atthesametimethattheykeptthesameintervalbetweenus，Iatonceunderstoodtheirtactics。
Itwasnowfiveo’clock；thesunwouldsetwithinanhour，andtheirintentionwastodrawusforwarduntildarknesswouldreducethepoweroftherifles。Theywouldthenbeabletosurroundus，andverypossiblyoverpowerourlittleforceduringourretreattothevesselsinthedark。
Ihaltedmymen，andexplainedtothemtheBaris’dodge。Inoworderedtheretreatafterthismanner：weshouldhurrydown-hillandmarchquicklyupthenextundulation，soastodeceivetheenemywiththeideaofaprecipitateretreat。Thiswouldinduceanadvanceontheirside。
TheBariswouldbecertaintofollowusatfullspeediftheysupposedwewereafraidofthem。
Itwasmyintentiontocrossrapidlythefirstundulationwheremymenwouldforafewminutesbeoutofviewoftheenemy，andtheretoconcealtheminadesertedvillagewhichIhadnoticedduringouradvance。ThiswouldbeanambushthatwouldtaketheBarisbysurprise，astheywouldimaginethatwehadpassedahead：theywouldthereforecomenearthevillage。
Theordertothe”rightabout”wasgiven，andmymen，whotookakeeninterestintheplan，commencedsoprecipitateamarchdownthehillthatmyhorsewasforcedintoajog-trot。Iheardthesavageyellsoftheenemy，who，asIhadexpected，nowfolloweduswiththehopeofcuttingoffourretreattothevessels。
Wecrossedthedryrockybedofthetorrentinthebottom，andascendedthehill-facerapidly。Lookingback，Isawthenativesrunningatfullspeedinpursuit。Theybegantodescendthehilljustaswehadcrossedthesummitofthehighground；thustheylostsightofus，aswequicklyconcealedourselvesbehindthehutsandgranariesofadesertedvillage。
Ihidmyhorsebehindahut，andthemen，havingsurroundedtheposition，crouchedlowonthegroundbehindthemostconvenientcover。
Unfortunately，thenatives，whowereonthehighgroundonourrightflankaswefacedabout，perceivedthesnare，andendeavouredtogivethealarmbyblowingupontheirwhistlesofantelope’shorn。
Thiswaseithermisunderstood，orunheededbytheenemyinourrear，whoquicklymadetheirappearance。
Ihadorderedmymentoreservetheirfire，andnottoexpendanyammunitionuntilthecommandshouldbegiven。Thenativesonourrightflanknowpassedforward，whichwouldbringtheminourrear。Atthesametime，thoseinourfrontappearedinverylooseandopenorder，evidentlylookingforusinalldirections。
Iobservedamanpaintedred，likeastickofsealing-wax，withlargeivorybraceletsuponhisarms。Thisfellowwasinadvance，andheascendedasmallant-hilltoobtainabetterview。
Apuffofsmokeandthesharpcrackofariflestartledtheenemy，astheredsheikrolledover。Theyellsincreasedonallsides，thewhistlesoftheantelopes’hornsnowsoundedashrillalarm，duringwhichtheleadingBarisshotofftheirarrows，buttheyfellshort。
Anotherquickshotcrackeduponthebodyofanative，whowascaughtinthearmsofhiscomradesanddraggedawayastheyprecipitatelyretreatedinalldirectionsfromthedangerouslocality。
Mymennowbeggedmetoallowthemtochargeandtocapturetheman，whowasendeavouringtoescape。Igavethemleave，andabodyoffifteendashedoutinpursuit，withloudyells，aftertheretreatingnatives。
Foraboutaminutethenativesfacedthemandshottheirarrows，butthegallantfifteencoollykneltupontheclearground，andtakingsteadyrestsupontheirknees，openedafirethatdrovetheenemybeforethem。
Thefifteenimmediatelychargedforwardandbayonetedafugitive，andreturnedwithhisbowandarrowsintriumph。
Theenemyhadquicklytheworstofit。Theywerenowstandinginalldirectionsatdistancesvaryingfrom400to1，000paces。Manyofthemwereactuallyinourrear，butInoticedthatthesefellowswerealreadyopeningtotherightandleft，asthoughtheyfalteredintheirdeterminationtoresistourretreattothevessels。
TheBariswouldnotstandintheopengroundbeforethesniders。
Thegroundwasdryanddusty，thuseachbulletmarkeditsbitasthepuffofdustrosefromtheearth，likeajetofsmoke。
Someoftheenemywereknockedoveratverylongranges；othersweresoscaredbytheclosepractice，asthebulletseitherstruckthegroundattheirfeet，orpingedclosetotheirears，thattheyclearedoffasquicklyaspossible。Theirnoisydrumshadceased，andsuddenlyI
perceivedageneralskedaddle，asthoseuponourrightflankstartedoffinfullspeed，shoutingandyellingtoalarmtherest。Inowdistinguishedabodyoftroopshurryingatthedoubledownthehill-sideinthedistance。ThesewerecommandedbyanactiveSoudaniofficerlieutenantwhohadbeeninMexicounderMarshalBazaine。Hehadheardthefiringashewasreturningwithhisday’scollectionofcorntothevessels，hehadthereforedroppedthecorn，andhurriedonwithhispartytooursupport。
Iorderedthebuglertosoundtheretreat：andhavingjoinedforces，wemarchedwithoutfurtheropposition。
Wereachedthediahbeeahandmylittlecampabouthalfanhourafterdark。
CHAPTERXII。
VESSELSRETURNTOKHARTOUM。