On10thJuly，atmid-day，severalhundredBaris，havingcautiouslyapproachedthegrazingcattleunobserved，madeasuddenrushfromthebushesupontheguards，killingonesoldierandwoundinganother。Thesoldiersbelongedtotheline，andmusthavebehavedbadly，asthemusketandcartouche-boxandbeltwerestolenandcarriedofffromthedeadman。Theshotsfromtheguardimmediatelyalarmedthecamp。Thehorsesweresaddled，and，attendedbyLieutenantBaker，Irodehardinpursuit。Thenativeshadgainedtheforestandhadscattered，butwerodeared-paintedsavagetobay，whofoughttothelast，shootingtwoarrowsatme，whichIavoidedbydroppingquicklyonmyhorse’sneck，andathirdarrowstuckdeeplyinMr。Baker’ssaddleasheescapedthewell-aimedshotbyspurringhishorseacrossthelineofsight。Thesearrowswereshotatadistanceofaveryfewyards。Thenativewaskilled。
　　On12thJulytheBarisattemptedtosurprisebothmystationandthecampathead-quarters。
　　Onthe13ththenativesrepeatedtheattempt；butonewasshotdeadbythesentryatGondokoro；alsoanothermetthesamefateatmystation。
　　Nearlyeverynightweweresubjecttoattemptsatsurprise。Thiswasexcellentpracticeforthetroops，asittaughtthemthe，necessityofkeepingagoodlook-out；atthesametimeitwasverywearying，asthemenhadtoworkhardallday，andtheywerekeptawakeatnight。
　　TheBariswereirrepressibleverminthatgaveusnorest。Mymenwerealloccupiedinbuildingthestation，thereforeitwasimpossibleformetotakeaflyingcolumnandgivetheBarisaseverelesson；butImadeupmymindthatwhentheworkshouldbefinished，Iwouldtakethefightoutofthemmostthoroughly。Theynowconsideredusfairgame，thattheymightinsultastheythoughtproper；andIheardfromourtwofaithfulallies，SherroomandMorgian，thattheyimaginedweshouldbecomeafraidofthem，andthenreturntoKhartoum。
　　Theyteasedusatnightlikerats，buttheylostmanymen。Iratheradmiredthemfortheirpersistence，asthescoutsmusthavebeenadventurousfellows。Wheneverthesepeopleweretakenprisoners，theyconfessedthattheywerethespiesofthemainbodythatwasconcealedatsomedistanceintherear。ThefavouritemethodofaBariattackisduringthenight，whenthedarknessreducesthedangeroffire-arms。Onsuchoccasionstheygenerallyhalteitherinforestorhighgrass，accordingtocircumstances，abouthalfamilefromthecamptheyproposetoattack。Scoutsaresentforwardtoascertainthepositionandvigilanceofsentriesbeforetheadvanceofthemainbody。Thescouts，beingquitenaked，crawlupontheirhandsandkneesuntilthedarknesspermitsthemtoapproachwithinafewyardsofthesentries。Theythenlieflatupontheirbelliesunobserveduntiltheycanretreattotheexpectantbodyintheirrear。
　　Theattackingforcenowadvancesinperfectsilence，andapproachinguponhandsandkneesinthesamemannerasthescouts，theysuddenlyspringuponthesentries，andwithwildyellsmakeageneralrushuponthecamp。Thissuddenattackwouldbeextremelydangerousunlessprovidedagainst；andinthismannerlargepartiesoftheslave-huntershavebeencompletelydestroyed。
　　OurpassiveresistancetothenumerousnativeattemptsatsurprisehadbeenmisconstruedbytheBarisintotimidity。Thenewshadspreadthroughoutthecountrythatweshouldnotventurefarinland：thusagrandalliancehadbeenmadeamongthetribes。TheBarisdesiredtomakefriendswiththeirpowerfulenemy，theLoquia：theyaccordinglyinvitedthistribetoformanallianceandtojoininacombinedattackuponGondokoro，bywhichmeanstheyhopedtooverpoweranddestroyourforce，andtobecomepossessedofmanythousandcattlewhichwerenowathead-quarters。
　　TheLoquiaconsented；thuswewereexposedtoagrandcoalition。InthemeantimeAbouSaoodandhispeople，intheircamponthewestsideoftheriver，continuedtobemostfriendlywiththeenemiesofthegovernment，andsuppliedtheBeliniannativeswithammunition。
　　At1。30。a。m。，onJuly21，Iwasawakenedbythesoundoffiringathead-quarters。
　　Iwasdressedandarmedinafewminutes。Thebuglesoundedthealarm，and”TheForty”fellintoposition。
　　Iheardthebuglesathead-quarters，togetherwithaconfuseddinofnativedrums，horns，andyells。Thefirstshotshadappearedtoproceedfromthesentries，butthesewereshortlysucceededbyheavyfile-firingfromthewholeforceatthecamp。Anattackhadevidentlybeenmade，andaregularfightwasgoingon：itwasthereforetobeexpectedthatmysmallforcewouldsoonhavetoactonthedefensive。Spareammunitionwasquicklyinreadiness，andwewerewellprepared。
　　Inthemeantime，ageneralactionwasgrowinghottereverymoment；theyellsofthenativesandthedinoftheirhornsbecamelouder。Iwasmomentarilyexpectingtohearthesoundofcannon，andIwasspeculatingupontheeffectthatthefireoftengunsloadedwithcaseshotwouldhaveamongsuchacrowdofenemies；buttomyastonishmentnotagunwasfired。Simplytherollofmusketrycontinued。
　　Inabouthalfanhourthenativeyellsgrewfainter，thenoiseoftheirhornsanddrumswasreduced，andtheheavyfiringdwindledtodroppingshots。Iheardthebuglessound”ceasefiring。”Ithenheard”theadvance。”Againfiringcommenced，thistimeinvolleys；thenIheardoncemore”ceasefiring，”andthen”theretreat：”theattackwasrepulsed。
　　Icouldnotunderstandwhymylittlestationhadnotbeenattacked；butIsubsequentlyheardthatthenativesweremoreafraidofthe”FortyThieves”thanoftheentireforce。AddedtothiswasthepowerfulreasonthatIhadonlyafewcowsformilk，whiletheattractionofmanythousandheadofcattleinducedanattackonthecampatGondokoro。
　　OnthefollowingmorningbeforesunriseIrodeuptocamptohearthenews。Itappearedthatthenativeshadactuallysurprisedthesentries。
　　Wehadlostacorporal，killed；andalieutenantandonesoldierwerewoundedbyarrows。
　　TheBarisandtheLoquiahadattackedinlargeforcewiththeintentionofburningthestation，asmanywereprovidedwithflamingfirebrands，withwhichtheyhadadvancedbravelytotheedgeofthethornfence。Hadthestationnotbeenprotectedbythisdefenceitisprobablethattheenemymighthavesucceededinfiringthehouses。
　　Asusual，thetroopshadfiredbadly。SuchafusiladeasIhadheardshouldhavecoveredtheplainwithdead。Theofficersandmendeclaredthatgreatnumbersoftheenemywerekilled，buttheircomradeshadcarriedoffthebodies。Thiswastruetoacertainextent，asIsawbloodinmanydirections，andwefoundoneLoquialyingdeadwithtwobulletwounds，throughtheheadandthigh。
　　Therecanbenodoubtthatthecampwassurprisedthroughtheneglectofthepatrolandthesleepinessofsentries，anditwasonlysavedbythethornfenceandthefireofsolargeaforceas1，100men。Thecolonelincommandofthetroops，RaoufBey，couldgivenosatisfactoryexplanationforthesilenceoftheartillery，buthesubsequentlytoldmetheyHADFORGOTTENITSEXISTENCEintheexcitementofthemoment。
　　Anotherofficertoldmetheyhadbroughtuponegun，butcouldnotfindthekeyoftheammunition。IrememberedwhatDavidsaidinhishaste，andIcametotheconclusionthattheyhadbeendisgracefullysurprised。
　　Ideterminedtolosenotimeinprotectingthestationbyaditchandearthwork，sothatIcouldleaveagarrisonwithoutrisk，andIwouldthenattackthecountryineverydirection。
　　Theironmagazineswerecompleted，andallgoodsandsupplieswerestored。Thecampwassofarfinishedthatthemenwerehoused。I
　　thereforedrewaplanforthefort，whichIintrustedtothecareofMr。
　　Higginbotham，thechiefengineer，forexecution。Igaveordersthatallhands，includingthesailors，shouldimmediatelybeemployedtodigthefosse。Theexpeditionwaswellsuppliedwithtools，andtheworkwascommencedwithvigour，astheofficersandmendidnotobjecttohaveadeepditchbetweenthemandtheenemy。
　　Ialsoplannedatriangularfortasaprotectiontomysmallherdofaboutahundredmilchcowsatmyownstation。The”FortyThieves”didnotrequireafort，butthecattlemightbecarriedoffbyasuddenrushthatwouldinduceastampedeunlesstheywerewellsecured。”TheForty”settowork，assisteddailybythirtymenfromhead-quarters，andwesoonhadastrongfort，withditchandrampart，thatdefiedattack。
　　Ashorttimeafterthegrandsurpriseofthecampathead-quarters，thelastattemptwasmadeuponmylittlestation，whichendedasusualinmymenbeingwellonthealert，andinthedeathofoneofthescouts，shotbytheoutlyingguardthroughthethigh。Beforehedied，heconfessedthattheBelinianandtheLoquia，togetherwiththeBarisofGondokoro，hadunitedinthegeneralattackonthecamponthe21st；butthattheyhadlostmanymen，who，beingbadlywounded，haddiedontheroadduringtheretreat。
　　Mylittlestationfromthisdatewentoutoffashion，andtheBarisdeclinedtoattack，astheysubsequentlydeclaredthatmysentrieswereneverasleeplikethoseathead-quarters。”TheForty”hadearnedareputationthatincreasedtheirself-respect。
　　Notonlyweretheynearlysuretokillthewilyscouts，butpatrolsatnightsearchedoutthenatives，andgenerallycameuponthemwithfataleffect。
　　CHAPTERX
　　DESTRUCTIONOFTHESHIRDETACHMENT。
　　OnJuly30，1871，Iwasastonishedbythearrivalofthetallsheik，Niambore，withwhomIhadleftanofficerandsixmenintheShirtribe，tosuperintendthecultivationofcorn。Thisfine-lookingfellowwasintroduced，accompaniedbyfiveofhisprincipaladvisers。Heshortlytoldmehisstory。Hehadbeenfournightsontheroad，ashehadnotdaredtotravelbyday，fearingtheBaris：thus，inthedark，hehadfrequentlywanderedfromthetrack。Inthedaytimehehadsleptintheconcealmentofforests。
　　Hehadrunthisriskinordertobethefirsttogivemethebadnews，lestIshouldsuspecthimoffoulplay。Allmysoldierswerekilled，exceptthemajor，AchmetRafik，andacorporal！
　　WhenAbouSaoodhadpassedhiscountrysomeweekssince，hispeoplehadattackedaneighbouringsheik，andhadcarriedoffalargenumberofcattle，althoughhewasawareofthepresenceofagovernmentofficerwithaverysmalldetachment。AbouSaoodhadsentthreeofthecapturedcowsasapresenttotheofficerincommand，AchmetRafik，who，insteadofprotestingagainsttherazzia，had，Turk-like，actuallyacceptedthepresent，andthushadfallenintothesnare。