Inowdeterminedtolightentheloadsconsiderably。Itwasdifficulttocarrytheangarebs，astheleascaughtinthehighgrass。Ispokeafewwordstomymen，whodeclaredthattheywerenotafraidofthenativesiftheywerenotsoheavilyladen。
Wecollectedwoodandmadeafire，uponwhichIorderedeverythingtobeburntthatwasreallycumbersome。Thebedsteadswerebrokenup；acaseofgoodFrenchcognacwascommittedtotheflames；LieutenantBaker’snavaluniform，withbox，&e。；thecockedhatfrizzleduponthetopofthebonfire。
Themenwereprovidedwithrawhides，uponwhichtheysleptatnight；
thesewerenowwetthroughandcumbersome：Ithereforeorderedthemtobethrownintothehighgrassandabandoned。
Thebrandybottlesburstuponthefire。Asergeantofthe”FortyThieves，”namedFadlullah，hadbeenattendingtotheheapofburningmaterials，andIsawhimstoopovertheflames，asthoughintendingtosaveoneoftheliquorbottlesforhimself。Atthismomentseveralburstandsaturatedhisloosecottontrouserswithblazingspirit。Themanvainlyendeavouredtoextinguishthefire，andhedancedwildlyabout，untilIseizedandthrewhimdownintheswamp，andquicklydrewthewetgreengrassoverhimandsubduedtheflames。Hewasseverelyburntaboutthelegs，fromwhichtheskinslippedoffinlargeflakes。
Inowhadtodoctorhim，wheneveryman’slegsoughttohavebeeninthebestorder。FortunatelyIhadalittleoilforthelamp，andthewoundswerequicklydressedandbandagedwithcottonwoolandlint。
Theforcewasnowmuchrelieved，astheloadshadbeenlightened。
Duringtheoperationofburningthesupplies，thebestshotsofthe”FortyThieves”hadbeenstationedtopickoffanynativeswhoattemptedtospyourmovementsbyascendingtheloftytrees。
Inowgavetheorderfortheadvance，andthemarchrecommenced。Inafewminuteswewereoncemoreburiedinthegiganticgrassjungle。
Wehadhardlyenteredthecovertwhentheshoutsandblowingofhornsandbeatingofdrumsoncemorecommenced。Thiswasthesignaltoambuscadesinfrontthatweweremovingforward。
Inthecourseofanhour’smarch，therearbuglehadsounded”halt”atleasthalfadozentimes，astwoofthedonkeyswereweakly，andcouldnotbedrivenonwithoutdifficulty。
Againtherearbuglesounded”halt！”Iimmediatelysentthesergeantofthebodyguard，Mohammed-el-Feel，toshootthedonkeys，andtothrowtheirloadsintothehighgrass。Twoshotsannouncedtheirend。
Thebuglesounded”advance”，andweatlengthtravelledcomfortably。
Theweatherwasfine：werejoicedinthesun，asitdriedourreekingclothes。
Suddenlytheadvance-guardopenedfire！thentherear-guardwascloseduponbyasuddenrushoftheenemy，andthewholelinecommencedfile-firingintothethickcovert。
Iorderedthebuglertosound”forward，”and”ceasefiring，”asthemenweregettingalittlewild。
Oneof”TheForty”，AliGoboor，hadbeenwoundedbyalancethroughtheleg，buthemanagedtolimpalong。
Wenowbegantounderstandtheplacesatwhichweweresuretomeetanambuscade。Wheneverwedescendedaslopetowardsamarshybottom，therewascertaintobealargeforceconcealedbehindtheloftyreedsthatgrewintheswamp。Iorderedtheadvance-guardtofireafewshotslowdowninthereelswhenevertheyshouldapproachtheseplaces。Bythisplanwegenerallyinducedtheenemytothrowtheirspearsbeforewewereinthemidst；inwhichcaseweopenedaheavyfireintothegrass，andmarchedstraightforward。
Theambuscadeshadbeencarefullyplanned。Arowofgrassofperhapstwoorthreeyardsinthicknesswasleftstandinginitsnaturalpositionalongthepath；behindthisvegetablewall，thegrasshadbeeneithercutdownortornup，soastoaffordaclearspaceforthenativestotakeagoodrunwhenthrowingtheirlances。Theyaccordinglywaiteduntilweshouldenterthesnare，andtheycalculatedtheiropportunityformakingacombinedattackwhentheyconsideredthatourlineofmarchwasexactlyopposite。Ofcoursetheycouldnotseeusthroughthethickscreenofbrassanymorethanwecoulddistinguishthem。
Wewereatanadditionaldisadvantage，aswewerealwaysexposedtoattacksfromfreshenemies；theroutewasoccupiedthroughout，thustheywerenotcowedbythedefeatsofeveryambuscadeintherear。
Consideringthegreatnumbersofspearsthathadflownlikeflashesoflightthroughtheline，itwasastonishingthatwehadnothadmorenumerouscasualties。Severalmenhadbeenstruckontheirknapsacks，whichhadservedasshields。
Weatlengthcametoanexceedinglyawkwardplace，thatIfeltsurewouldbewelloccupied。Uponourrightlayarowofrockyhills，towhichweweremarchingparallel。Wehadtodescendthroughforesttolowground。Toreachthisitwasnecessarytopassbetweennumerousblocksofgranitethatcompletelycommandedthepath。Eachblockwasabouttwentyortwenty-fivefeethigh，andseveralmuchexceededthisheight。
Thebasewastheusualhighgrassandforest。
Iorderedthemennottofireunlesstheyshouldseetheenemy，andtotakeagoodaim。
Presently，aswedescendedthroughthepass，theattackcommenced。TwospearsstruckColonelAbd-el-Kader，oneinthefore-arm；thesecondrippedhistoughleathergaiter，andglancedoff。
Thesniderswereready，astheenemywereobligedtoshowtheirheadsabovetherocks，andonefellow，whowasexactlyaboveus，eitherlosthisnerve，orreceivedabullet，whichallowedhislancetocomerattlingdowntherocksasacompletefailure。Iorderedthebuglertocontinuetosound”forward”IllahReh，asitwasadvisabletopushthroughthisawkwardplaceasquicklyaspossible。
Directlythatwewereoutofthepass，ItiedupAbd-el-Kader’sarm，andwecontinuedthemarchuntilwehaltedat2。5P。M。，inapieceofopencultivatedground，whereIdeterminedtobivouacforthenight。
Ihadresolvedalwaystofinishtheday’sjourneybyonemarch，asitwouldaffordtimeforerectingaprotectionofthornsandbranchesoftreestopreventasuddennightattack。
Fortunatelytheweatherwasfine。Abd-el-Kaderwasnowfaintandweakfromlossofblood。Iattendedtohiswound，whichwasanuglygash，andgavehimagooddoseofbrandy，andadvisedhimtogotosleep。
LieutenantBakerandtheotherofficersassistedinerectingthedefenceofthorns。Allthewetclotheswerespreadouttodryinthesun，andeverythingwasgotreadyforthenight。Ididnotcareformyself，butI
wassorryforthehardshipthatmywifemustendure，withoutabedortent。Mymencuttwoforkedpoles，uponwhichtheylashedahorizontalbar，whichsupportedacamp-sheettoprotectherfromrainordew。A
pileoflonggreengrasswaslaidonthegroundbeneath，uponwhichwasstretchedamackintoshcamp-sheet，andagoodthickblanket。
WehadbeenmostfortunateinhavingonlyalossofonekilledandtwowoundedsinceweleftMasindi。
Mymenhadfiredawayanenormousamountofammunitionduringthemarch，astheyappearedtobecomemoreandmorenervousastheyadvanced。Everythickclumpofreedsthatroseafewfeethigherthanthesurroundinggrasswassupposedtoconcealanenemy，anditwasimmediatelyrakedbyahotfirefromtheadvance-guard。
On16thJune，thenighthavingpassedquietly，westartedat6。30A。M。，andmarchedsilently。
Therewasacuriousfeelinguponfirstwakinginthemorning，whenweroseandbuckledontheammunition-belts。Everyonewasawarethathisnervesmustbeuponthestretch，andthathisfingermustbereadyforthetrigger，fromthecommencementtilltheendofthemarch，toactagainstunseenenemies。
Uponarrivalatastreaminamuddybottom，wewereimmediatelyattackedbyastrongforceinambuscade。Someoftheenemyexposedthemselvesboldly，andrusheduponthesoldiersjustinfrontoftherear-guard。
Severalwereshotbythesniders，butonefellow，withunusualpluck，spearedasoldierwhosemuskethadmissedfire，throughthechest。Thispoorfellow，thusmortallywounded，grappledwithhisassailant，andtuggingthespearfromhisownwound，hedroveitthroughthenative’sheart。
Therearbuglesounded”halt，”whiletheknapsackandcartouche-beltweredetachedfromthegallantsoldier，whosebodywasleftbythesideofhisenemy。
Wemarcheduntil10。15A。M。，havingfoughtnearlythewholeway，andexpendedafrightfulamountofammunition。Wehadnowarrivedatouroldhalting-place，Chorobezetwenty-sevenmilesfromMasindi。
MymenhadbecomesoextravagantoftheircartridgesthatIwasforcedtointerfere。Ifthisnervousnessshouldcontinue，weshouldbesoonleftwithoutammunition，andeverysoulwouldbemassacred。
Ithereforemusteredthetroops，andexaminedalltheirpouches。Someoftheadvance-guardhadfiredawayeightyroundseach，onlyduringthemorning’smarch！
Manyhadfiredfiftyrounds！Themusketshadnotusedsomany，owingtothegreaterdifficultyofloading，buttheyalsohadbeenfrightfullyextravagant。
Themenhadcometotheconclusionthattheonlyplanofmarchinginsafetythroughthehighgrass，whichwasfullofunseenenemies，wastoconstitutethemselvesintoasortofinfernalmachine，thatwouldbeperpetuallyemittingfireandbulletsonallsides。
Thiswasallverywellwithanunlimitedsupplyofammunition，butwehadnoideaofwhatmightstillbeinstoreforus。WewerenowslightlymorethanfiftymilesfromFoweera。Fortunately，inourjourneyfromtherivertoMasindi，Ihadtimedeverymarchwithinfiveminutes，andIhadallparticularsinmynote-book；thereforeIcouldguessthepositionprettycloselyduringthemorning’sadvance。