Iorderedthetroopstoextendintwolines，supportedbyareservewiththefield-pieceandrocket-trough。Withthe”FortyThieves”inthefront，weadvancedalongtheplaintowardsthemountain。
　　TheBarisnowopenedfireuponusfromtheirvillages，fromwhichtheyweredriveninsuccession，untilnoenemyremainedtoopposeusexceptthoseuponthehighground。
　　Ourrightwasnowprotectedbyanexceedinglydeepravine，whichwasawatercoursecutbythetorrentsfromthemountain。Iaccordinglytookapartyofthe”FortyThieves，”andfollowingalongtheedgeoftheravine，ascendedtheslopethatledtothestockadesupontheheights。
　　Greatnumbersofnativeshadassembled，andwereshoutingthemostabusiveepithetsinArabicuntilwearrivedataboutahundredyardsfromtheforemoststockade。Thisnowopenedfireuponus，thenativesbeingconcealedwithin，andaimingwiththeirmusketsbetweentheintersticesoftheuprightpiles。
　　Myriflemennowkneltdownandfiredatthepuffsofsmokeastheyissuedfromtheimpenetrableironwoodzareebas。ThiswasjusttheworkthattheBarisunderstood，astheirpositionenabledthemtofightunseenamongthenumerousstockadesandhighrocksclothedwithbush。
　　Thebulletswerewhistlingmerrily，andpresentlyasoldierbymysidewasshotthroughthefleshypartofthehip。Iexaminedhim，andsawthatthebulletbadpassedthrough，——thereforehecontinuedfiring。A
　　wifeofoneofthesoldierswasshotthroughthecalfoftheleg。Shehadaccompaniedhimwithasmallparcelofcooking-potsandfoodfromGondokorothatmorningandthuscameunderfire。
　　Themainbodywasdelayedintherear，replyingtothefireoftheBarisontheothersideoftheimpassableravine。IhadonlytwentymenwithmeinadditiontoLieutenantBaker。Ithereforeorderedthebuglertosoundthe”assembly，”asIdeterminedtoattackthestockadeswiththewholeforce。
　　Inafewminutesthemainbodyarrived，andformedfortheattack。Thebuglesanddrumssoundedtheadvance，andthetroops，havingfiredseveralvolleys，rushedonatthedoubleandstormedtheposition。Thiswaswellexecuted，andtherushwassounexpectedbytheBaris，thatthestockadesweretakenatthepointofthebayonet；CaptainMorgianSherreef[*]distinguishinghimselfbythegallantmannerinwhichheledhiscompany；hewasthefirstmantobreakthroughthegateway。
　　[*Footnote：ThisofficerwasaSoudaniwhohadservedunderMarshalBazaineforfouryearsinMexico。]
　　ThisattackwassomethingthattheBarisdidnotcomprehend。Theyhadonlybeenaccustomedtofacetheslave-hunters’irregularcompanies，andtheyhadneverseenachargebornewiththebayonet。Theynowbegantoclamberuptherocksandascendthemountainwiththeactivityofbaboons，whileasharpfirefromthesniderriflesactedlikeaspurupontheirmovements。Ashellfromthegunnowburstoveranumberoftheenemywhohadcollectedabout800yardsinourrear。Thiswasanunmistakablenoticetoquit。Wesetfiretothestockades，andtheBarishavingdisappeared，Iselectedapositionforanight’sbivouac。
　　Therewasabadsupplyofwater，andwecouldprocure，nothingbutamuddymixturewhichsmeltstronglyofgoats。Wehadfoundanumberoffatcalvesandsheep；thus，havingfixeduponasiteintheflatopenplain，themencollectedfirewood，andwhentheeveningsetin，thecampfireswereblazingandeverymanwaswellsuppliedwithfood。
　　Idoubledthesentriesforthenight，butweremainedundisturbed。
　　Iwasveryanxiousaboutthemajor，AchmetRafik，asRaoufBeyandtheofficersdeclaredthathewouldhavecertainlyendeavouredtofollowthetroopsratherthanruntheriskofdisobeyingtheordershehadreceived。TheBarisnevertakeprisoners，andshouldtheymeethim，whichwouldbemostprobable，hisdeathwascertain。
　　OnthefollowingmorningIorderedanadvancetowardsthenorthsideoftheplain，whereIhadobservedalineofzareebasuponelevatedgroundthatcommandedaviewoftheplainandthebaseofthemountainthatwehadattackedyesterday。
　　Onarrivaluponthehigherground，Ifoundthecountryperfectlyflatandcompletelycoveredwithheavycropsofripedhurra，inwhichthezareebaswereconcealed，withtheexceptionofthetopsofthehuts。
　　Drumswerebeatingandhornsblowinginallthesestockades。
　　IhadasuspicionthattheBarismighthavestationedsharp-shootersinambushamongthehighdhurra。Ithereforedirectedacoupleofrocketsthroughthecorn。Therushoftheseunknownprojectilesproducedagreateffect，astheyburstthroughthestockade，andbuzzedandwhizzedaboutthehutswithinthedefence。Aneight-poundshellfromthegunnowcrashedthroughthestockadeandwenthowlingalongthroughthedensefieldsofdhurra，untilitexplodedabout500yardsintherear。
　　Thebugleimmediatelysoundedtheadvancewiththebayonet，andthetroopsmadearushforwardthroughthecornandcapturedthestockade。
　　Wenowfoundnolessthansixofthesepowerfulinclosureswithinanareaofaboutfouracres。Thesewouldformanadmirableposition。I
　　thereforegaveordersthatthecornshouldbeimmediatelyclearedawaysoastoleaveanopenspace。Guardswerepostedinvariousplaces；
　　sentrieswereplacedonthesummitsofthetallesthutstokeepagoodlook-out，whiletheremainderoftheforcesettoworkandcommencedclearing。Bysunsetwehadcutdownaboutsixacres。
　　IgaveorderstoRaoufBeytodividethetroopsinfourstockades，whichformedasortofquadrilateral。ThisofficersuggestedthatthemenmightallbemassacredbyaBarinight-attackifthusdivided，andheproposedtoinclosethewholeforceof450menwithinonezareeba，likesheeporcattle！Inspiteofoursuccesses，theofficershadawholesomedreadoftheBaris，thatrelievedmefromallapprehensionsoftheirerringbyanexcessofrashness。
　　Idividedthesoldiersofthelineinthreezareebas，whileIoccupiedthefourthwithLieutenantBakerandtwentymenofthe”FortyThieves。”
　　Everydaywasnowpassedincollectingcorn，butthesoldiersasusualworkedbadly。Inthemeantimethenativesworkedmostenergeticallyduringthenight，andcarriedofftentimestheamountgatheredbythetroops。Therewassobadafeelingamongtheofficers，thatitwaseasytoperceivetheywerepredeterminedtoneglectthisopportunityoffillingourgranaries。
　　TheBariswereexcellentdiplomatists，and，seeingthatweweretoopowerfultoresistbyopenforce，theysentwomentotreatforpeace。
　　Thiswassimplyamanoeuvretogaintime，asduringthetrucetheycouldcarryoffthecornbydayaswellasnight。Ialwaysleanttowardspeace，althoughthewarhadbeenwantonlyforceduponme；thuswesoonestablishedfriendlyrelationswithanoldsheiknamedJarda，abouttwomilesfromtheBelinianmountain。Thisoldfellowhadanexceedinglycleversisterwhowouldhavemadeagoodforeignminister。SheexplainedjustasmuchoftheBelinianpoliticsaswouldsuitherpurpose，andveryproperlydeclaredthatthewomenwereallinfavourofthegovernment，andtheywouldusetheirinfluencewiththemen，someofwhomsheassertedhadvery”hardheads。”
　　OldJarda，whowasabouteightyandhadsufficientworldlyexperiencetoappreciatethevalueofagoodcounsellor，leftthediplomaticarrangementstohissister，whobecameextremelyactive，andranaboutthecountrytocollecttheprincipalheadmen。
　　Wehadmanypalavers，whichasusualendedinnothingbutassurancesofgoodwill，andanexplanationthattheattacksonGondokoroweremadebycertaindistricts，butthatJarda’speoplewerenotresponsible。Inthemeantimethousandsofwomenandchildrenwereengagedincarryingoffthecorn。Thecountryseemedalivewithbaskets，astheseusefularticleswereseenglidingaboutinalldirectionsontheheadsofnativesthatwereinvisibleinthehighgrass。
　　IreturnedtoGondokoroforreinforcements，andIcollected200armedsailors。WiththisadditionalforcemywifealsoaccompaniedmetoourcampatBelinian。Wehadnow650mentocollectthecorn。Inoticedanextraordinarydiminutioninthecropduringmyabsenceofonlytwodays，butnotacorrespondingincreaseinthestorecollectedbythetroopsleftunderthecommandofRaoufBey。
　　Ihadoccupiedthevalleybyalineofthreestockadedpositions，atintervalsofaboutamileandahalf；thusaverylargeareaofcornwascommanded，andifthepatrolshaddonetheirduty，itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforthenativestohavecarrieditoff。
　　Nothinghadbeenheardofthemissingmajor，AchmetRafik；hehadnotreturnedtoGondokoroasIhadhoped。Inowdiscovered，throughthenativewomen，thathehadbeenkilledbytheBarisonthesamedaythatwehadarrivedatBelinian。ItappearedthattheunfortunateofficerhadsteeredhiscoursefortheBelinianmountainpeak，inthehopeofovertakingthetroops。Thisroutethroughtheforestledhimtotheextremeendofthevalleyatthefootofthemountain，quiteinthewrongdirection。HavingarrivedatthenearlydrybedoftheBelinianriver，hesatbeneathatreetorest。Thenativesquicklyobservedhim，andstalkedhimasthoughhehadbeenawildanimal。
　　Itappearedthat，whenattacked，hehadwoundedonenativeintheheadwithhis”littlegun，”astheBaristermedhisrevolver；andthismanwasstillalivewiththebulletinhisskull，whichthewomendeclaredwasswollenaslargeasapumpkin。
　　AchmetRafikwasthusoverpoweredandkilled，withthegaintotheBarisofhisarmsandammunition。
　　Iimmediatelystartedoffwithacompanyoftroops，ledbyaBariguide，tothewestendoftheplain，wheremyofficerhadbeenkilled。Ihadnotyetvisitedthisspot，buttheguiltynativeswerewideawake，andtheyhadconcealedthearms，whichIhadhopedtorecover。Theforestwastolerablyopen，andwasfullofsmallvillagesconcealedbythetrees。Ispreadoutmymenandregularlydrovethecovert。Suddenlywecameuponaherdofcattleandanumberofnativeswhohadimaginedthemselvessecureinthedepthsoftheforest。