SeveraltimesduringthedayLieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，togetherwithMonsoor，hadbeensenttothedivanofKabbaRega，toimpressuponhischiefsthenecessityofasupplyoffood。Theyexplainedmygreatannoyance，asthiswaspreciselytheresultthatIhadforetoldwhenKabbaRegahadneglectedtoclearthegroundforcultivation。
Atabout3P。M。，thetallchiefMatonseappeared，togetherwithUmbogo，andseveralnatives，whocarriedfivelargejarsofplantaincider。
TheseweresenttomefromKabbaRega，withapolitebutlyingmessage，that”hemuchregrettedthescarcityofcorn；therewaspositivelynoneinMasindi，butalargequantitywouldarriveto-morrowfromAgguse。”InthemeantimehebeggedIwouldacceptforthetroopsapresentoffivejarsofcider。
Ideclinedtoacceptthepresent，asIdidnotrequiredrink，butsolidfoodforthetroops。Thejarswerethereforereturned。
AboutsunsetMatonseagainappeared，accompaniedbyUmbogoandnativeswithSEVENjarsofcider，andtwolargepackagesofflour，whichheassuredmehadbeenborrowedfromRahonka。Hewasexceedinglypolite，andsmiledandbowed，beseechingmetoacceptthecider，asplentyofcornwouldbesentonthefollowingday，whenbetterarrangementswouldbemadeforfuturesupplies。
Icouldnolongerrefusethecider，thereforeIsentforAbd-el-Kader，andgavehimfivejarsfortheofficersandtroops。
Itwasatthistimeaboutseveno’clock，andwesatdowntodinnerinthedivan，asitwastoochillytodineoutside。
Wehadjustfinisheddinner，whenAbd-el-Kadersuddenlyenteredthedivaninastateoftroubledexcitement，toinformmethat”manyofthetroopsappearedtobedying，andtheyhadevidentlybeenPOISONEDbytheplantaincider！”
Iinquired”howmanymenhaddrunkfromthejars?”Hecouldnottell，buthefearedthatatleasthalfthecompanyhadtakensomeportion，moreorless。Hehadhimselfdrunkatumblerful，andhealreadyfeltuncomfortable，withatightnessofthethroat，andaburningpaininhisinside。
Iatonceflewtomymedicinalarms。Independentlyofthelargemedicine-chest，Ihadasmallbox，aboutnineinchesbyfive，whichcontainedallthatcouldbedesiredforanyemergency。Thislittlechesthadbeenmycompanionfortwenty-fiveyears。
Ibeggedmywifetogetasmuchmustardandstrongsaltandwaterreadyasshecouldmixinahurry，andIstartedoffwithAbd-el-KaderandLieutenantBaker。IimmediatelysentMonsoortofindUmbogo。
Onarrivalatthecamp，whichwasabout120yardsdistant，myfirstorderwastodoubleallthesentries。
Ifoundthemeninaterriblestate。Severallayinsensible，whileaboutthirtyweresufferingfromviolentconstrictionofthethroat，whichalmostpreventedthemfrombreathing。Thiswasaccompaniedbyspasmsandburningpaininthestomach，withdelirium，apartialpalsyofthelowerextremities，andintheworstcases，totallossofconsciousness。
Iopenedthejawsoftheinsensible，andpoureddownadessert-spoonfulofwater，containingthreegrainsofemetictartar，and，inabouttenminutes，Idosedeverybodywhohadpartakenofthepoisonedciderwiththesameemetic，whileIinsisteduponafloodofmustardandsaltandwaterbeingswallowed。Fortunatelywehadeverythingathand。Thesoldierswhoweresoundwereallnursingthesick，andtheypoureddowngallonsofbrine，untilthepatientsbegantofeelthesymptomsofaroughpassageacrosstheBritishChannel。
Myservantsalwayskeptthelanternstrimmed——thiswasapositiveorder。Thelightswerenowmovingtoandfro，andhavingseenallthepoisonedunderthefulleffectofalargedoseoftartarisedantimony，withanaccompanimentofstrongbrineandmustard，Ireturnedtothedivan，whereIfoundUmbogohadjustarrivedwithMonsoor，whohadmetwithhimathisownhut。
Isatquietlyatthetableasthoughnothinghadoccurred。”Areyoufondofmerissa，Umbogo?””Yes，”hereplied。”WouldyouliketodrinksomethatyoubroughtfromKabbaRega，thisevening?””Yes，ifyouhaveanytospare，”repliedUmbogo。
IorderedMonsoortofillagourd-shellthatwouldcontainaboutaquart。Thiswashandedtohim，togetherwithareed。
Umbogobegantosuckitvigorouslythroughthetube。Mywifethoughthewasshamming。”Drinkitoff，Umbogo！”Iexclaimed。
Hedrankwithenjoyment——therewasnomistake。”Stophim！——that’senough，Umbogo！Don’tdrinkitall。”Themanwasevidentlynotguilty，althoughhehadbeenemployedtobringthepoisonedstuff。
Umbogohadonlytoleavethedivanandturnthecorner，beforehefelltotheground，withthesamesymptomsthathadbeenexhibitedamongthemen。Hehaddrunkmorethantheothers。Hiseyeswereblood-stained，andnearlystartedfromhishead，ashestrovewildlyuponthegroundandwrestledwiththosewhoendeavouredtoassisthim，inastateoftotalunconsciousness。
Iwasbyhissideimmediately，andadministeredthesameremedies。
Inoworderedallthesickmentobeeithercarriedorledwithinthefort，fromwhichtheycouldnotescape。Thosewhowereslightlybetter，nowendeavouredtowanderaboutindelirium，andtheywouldhavebeenlostinthehighgrassunlessIhadthussecuredthem。
Allthatwaspossiblehadbeendone；thesick，weresecured，andthenightguardsforreliefwereattheirpostswithdoublesentriesawakeandonduty；thusnomanwouldsleepwithinthestation。
IsentMonsoortocallthechief，Matonse，whosehousewaswithin200
yardsofthegovernmentdivan。
MonsoorshortlyreturnedwithoutMatonse。Hehadbroughtaninterpreterfromthischief，inlieuofUmbogo，whowasincapacitated；andMatonsehadsentamessage”thathecouldnotcometomeinthedark，buthewouldcallonthefollowingday。”
InthemeantimeanominousstillnessreignedthroughouttheusuallyboisterouspopulationofMasindi。Notasoundwastobeheard，althoughthenightlycustomofthepeoplewassinging，howling，andblowinghorns。
Myarmsandammunitionwerealwaysinreadiness，butIfilledupmypouchestothemaximumoffiftycartridges，andatmidnightIwenttobed。
Iwokefrequentlytolisten，asIwasanxious，andthereforesleptlightly。ThefaithfulMonsoorwasunderarms，andwaspacingthroughoutthewholenightbeforemydoor；heneverslept。
Atabout2A。M。therewasasoundthroughoutthetownoffowlscackling，asthoughtheywerebeingdisturbedandcaughtwhileatroost。
Atabout3A。M。thelowingofcattlewasheard，asthoughKabbaRega’scowswerebeingdrivenoff。
Alittleafter5A。M。Igotup，andwentoutatdaybreaktovisitthesickwithinthefort。IfoundMonsoorwaitingbymydoor。
Theemeticshadcounteractedthepoison，andmypatients，althoughweakly，werequiteoutofdanger。
Havingexaminedthem，Iorderedthementotheirquarters，andtheyallleftthefort，withtheexceptionofthenightguard。
Thetwointerpreters，UmbogoandAbooKooka，weresecuredbyathincordfastenedroundtheirnecks。
Havinggivenallthenecessaryinstructions，IorderedMonsoortogotothechiefMatonse，withamessagethatIwishedtoseehim，asthemenhadbeenillafterdrinkingthecider，andalthoughnowrecovered，itwouldbesatisfactoryifhewouldexaminetheremainingjars。
Monsoortookhisrifle，andaccompaniedbyacorporal，FerritchBaggara，oneofthebestsoldiersofthe”FortyThieves，”startedonhismission。
Matonse’shouse，asalreadydescribed，waswithin200yardsofthegovernmentdivan。
Itwasnowabout5。45A。M。InoticedthatKabbaRega’sdivan，withinfiftyyardsofthegovernmenthouse，seemedfullofpeople，someofwhomwerewashingtheirfaces，asthoughtheyhadjustrisenfromsleep。
Mywifehadnowjoinedme，and，accordingtomyusualhabit，Istrolledupanddownthebroadgravelledapproachandsmokedashortpipe。Wewereconversingtogetheraboutthepresentstateofaffairs，andwereanxiouslyexpectingthereturnofMonsoorwithMatonse，whowouldperhapsthrowsomelightonthematter。
Iwasfollowedcloselybyabuglerandachoushsergeant。Themainentranceoftheapproachfromthetownwasbordereduponeithersidebyadenseplantationofcastor-oiltrees，whichcontinuedinathickfringealongtheedgeofthegarden，soastoscreenthehutsfromourview，althoughtheywerewithintwentypacesoftheentranceofthedrive。
Thecastor-oilbusheswerewithinfiveyardsoftheentrance，andgraduallyincreasedthedistance，astheyturnedobliquelytowardstheprivatedivanofKabbaRega。
Welittlesuspectedthatsharpshooterswerealreadyconcealedwithinthisdensecovert。
MywifeandIhadreachedtheentranceoftheapproach。Nothingseemedtodenotehostilityonthepartofthenatives，nopersonbeingvisible，exceptthoseguardswhooccupiedtheking’sdivan。
Suddenlywewerestartledbythesavageyellsofsomethousandvoices，whichburstunexpectedlyuponus！
ThishorriblesoundcamefromthedirectionofMatonse’shouse，andwaswithin120yardsfromthespotonwhichwestood；butthetownwasnotvisible，owingtothethickcovertofoilbushes。
Thesavageyellswerealmostimmediatelyfollowedbytworifleshotsinthesamedirection。