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。