Iwasalmostconvincedthatwewereagainsubjectedtothefoulesttreachery，andIwasextremelyanxiousaboutRamadanandHafiz。Icouldhardlybelieveitpossiblethatthesepoormen，unarmed，andcarryingavaluablepresent，wouldbecruellymurdered。
　　Thedaypassedinhopeandexpectationoftheirreturn。Lateintheevening，theactofincendiarismoftheprecedingnightwasrenewed，andthedesertedhouseofColonelAbd-el-Kaderwasinabrightblazewithoutanativebeingvisible。
　　Noyellswereheard，noranyothersound。Thetroopsturnedoutwiththeirusualquietdiscipline，butnotashotwasfired。
　　The13thJunearrived——StilltherewerenotidingsofeitherUmbogo，Ramadan，orHafiz。Inowfeltconvincedthattheyoungvillain，KabbaRega，hadplayedmefalse，andthathewasonlygainingtimetocollectandorganizethewholeforceofUnyorotoattackus，andtolinethepathtotheriverwithambuscades。
　　ItisimpossibletothisdaytosaywhetherUmbogowastrueorfalse。I
　　neversawhimagain；andtheunfortunateRamadanandHafizwerewantonlymurdered。
　　Atabout10A。M。，13thJune，wewereletintothesecretofKabbaRega’svillainy。Asuddenrushofnativeswasmadeuponthecattle，whichweregrazingwithinsixtyyardsofthefort！Poisonedarrowswereshot，andageneralattackwasmadeuponthestation。Gunsfired；thebulletswhistledoverourheads，andIthoughtIrecognizedthecrackofourlostsnidersthoseofMonsoorandFerritch，thatwereemployedagainstus。
　　Thecurtainhadnowrisen。Whentheactualfightingarrived，therewassomelittlerelaxationfromtheintenseanxietyofmindthatIhadsufferedforsomedays。
　　Iatonceorderedthemenintoline，andthebuglesanddrumssoundedthechargewiththebayonet。
　　Thegallant”FortyThieves”ledtheway，withdrumsbeatingandaheartycheer，anddashedthroughtheruinsofthetownandstraightintothehighgrassontheotherside，fromwhichthecowardlyenemyfledlikehares。
　　Onourreturntothestation，IatonceorderedColonelAbd-el-Kadertotakeeightymenandsomebluelights，andtodestroyeveryvillageintheneighbourhood。Theattackwasmadeontheinstant。Thelargevillage，about700yardsdistant，whichIhadrakedwiththefireofafewsniders，whileAbd-el-Kaderdescendedtheslopetotheattack，wassoonamassofrollingflames。Inanhour’stimevolumesofsmokewererisinginvariousdirections。
　　Myactiveandgallantcolonelreturned，havingdriventheenemyfromeveryposition，andutterlydestroyedtheneighbourhood。
　　Ihadmadeupmymind。TherecouldbenolongeranydoubtofthediabolicaltreacheryofKabbaRega。Hehadonlyendeavouredtogaintimebyspeciousassurancesofgood-will，combinedwithpresents，inordertoorganizethewholecountryagainstus。ThenativeswhoshotarrowsmusthavecomefromMagungo，asnoneoftheotherdistrictswerearmedwithbows。Thearrowsthathadbeenshotatus，whichmymenhadcollected，werethicklypoisonedwithahardgummymatter。
　　ItwasnowrenderedcertainthatasnarehadbeenlaidforthemassacreofMajorAbdullah’sparty。
　　KabbaRegahadnodoubtorderedthevariousroutestowardsRionga’sprovincetobeambuscaded。
　　IdeterminedatoncetopushstraightforthecampatFoweeraontheVictoriaNile，asRionga’sislandwasaboutfifteenmilesfromthatpoint。
　　Amongthemenofthe”FortyThieves”，therewasasoldiernamedAbdullah，whohadanextraordinaryinstinctforfindinghisway。Thismanneverforgotapathifhehadevertravelleduponthesameroute。
　　IalsodependeduponmyBarisandMolodi；althoughtheyhadnotlongexperienceofthepathbywhichwehadarrivedfromFoweerawiththecattle，theywerecleverasguides。
　　Unfortunately，thecountryhadchangedterriblybytheimmensegrowthofthegrassandtangledcreepers。
　　Ifeltsurethattheroutewouldbeoccupiedbytheenemythroughoutthewholedistance，andthatweshouldhavetofighteverymileofthepathatagravedisadvantage。
　　Thequestionofasupplyoffoodwasvital。Themenhadmostlyexhaustedtheirprovisions。
　　Atthiscriticalmoment，wheneverymanoftheexpeditionfeltthefataltruth，mywifeconfidedhersecret，thatshehadhithertoconcealed，lesttheknowledgeofahiddenstoreshouldhavemadethemenextravagant。Shenowinformedthemthatinpastdaysofplenty，whenflourhadbeenabundant，shehad，fromtimetotime，secretedaquantity，andshehadnowSIXLARGEIRONBOXESFULLabouttwelvebushels。Thisprivatestoreshehadlaidbyintheeventofsomesuddenemergency。”Godshallgiveheralonglife！”exclaimedbothofficersandmen。WehadnowenoughflourforthemarchofsevendaystoFoweera，atwhichplacetherewereregularforestsofplantains。
　　Myherdofcattlehadbeenreducedtoseventy，andImuchdoubtedthepossibilityofdrivingtheminahighgrasscountry，astheywouldscatterandmakeastampedeshouldwebeattacked；theywouldbescaredbytheguns。
　　Imusteredmyforceandspoketomymen，towhomIexplainedtheirexactposition，andmyplanofaction。
　　Ishouldimmediatelydivideamongthem，aspresents，allthecottonstuffsthatbelongedtotheexpedition。
　　Eachmanwouldcarrythreepoundsofbeadsinhisknapsack，one-thirdofwhichshouldsubsequentlybelongtohim。
　　Thelineofmarchwouldbethusarranged——aBari，whoprofessedtoknowthepath，wouldleadtheadvance-guardoffifteensniders，commandedbyLieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，supportedbymyselfwithtensnidersinchargeoftheammunition，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，mywife，andtwoservants，carryingdoublebreechloadingelephantrifles。Therear-guardwouldconsistoffifteensniders。Thefewremainingsniderswouldbedistributedalongtheline。
　　Neithertheadvance；norrear-guardwouldcarryanyloadsbeyondtheirknapsacksandasmallbagofflour。Fiveofthesniderswithmewouldalsobeexemptedfromcarryingloads；buteveryothersoldier，andeverywomanandboy，wouldcarryeitheroneofthemetalboxesorsomeotherpackage。
　　Iexplainedtothementhattheywouldbeattackedthroughouttherouteatagreatdisadvantage，butthatsuccesswoulddependuponthestrictobservanceofordersforthemarchcombinedwiththeutmostcoolness。
　　Eachmanwastokeepjustnearenoughtobeabletotouchwithhisoutstretchedhandtheknapsackofthemanbeforehim，anduponnoaccounttowidenthisdistance，buttokeepthelineintact。Shoulditbebrokenbythesuddenrushoftheenemy，weshouldatoncebelost。
　　Shouldtheattackbemadesimultaneouslyonbothsides，alternatefileswouldfacetorightandleft，placetheirloadsupontheground，andfirelowdowninthegrass，asthenativesalwayscrouchedafterthrowingaspearfromcovert。
　　Abuglerwouldaccompanythecolonelcommandingtheadvance-guard，inadditiontobuglerswithmyselfandtherear-guard；thusweshouldbeabletocommunicatealongtheline，whichwouldbeconcealedfromviewbythehighgrass。
　　Onarrivalatwater，andincrossingeitherswampsorstreams，nomanorwomanwastostoptodrinkunlessthebugleoftheadvance-guardsoundedhalt。
　　Nowomanwouldbeallowedtospeakduringthemarch，asprofoundsilencemustbeobserved。
　　Theofficersandmenreceivedtheirinstructions，merelydeclaringthatwhereverIshouldleadthem，theywouldfollowandobey。
　　Iatoncedividedtheeffectsthatcouldbecarried，intotherequisitenumberofloads，whichwerecarefullypackedinmetalboxesbymywifeandherblackmaids。Itwashardandanxiouswork。Thestrongestmenwereselectedtocarrytheboxesofsnidercartridges，whichweighed64
　　lbs。each。
　　AlltherestofthebaggageIarrangedinpiles，anddistributedinthegovernmentdivanandthevarioushouses。Ispreadmylargetentovertheluggageinthedivan，andpouredoveritaquantityofnitrousether，spiritsofwine，lamp-oil，spiritsofturpentine，andallthecontentsofthelargemedicine-chest。
　　Ifilledupmysmallchest，andtookagoodrollofadhesiveplaster，anumberofbandages，andapacketoflint。
　　Uponthetent-cloth，renderedhighlyinflammablebythesaturationofspiritsandoil，Ilaidaboutsixtyrockets。
　　Mytwohorsesandthreedonkeyswouldbeloadedwithbaggage。
　　Igaveordersforthemarchearlyonthefollowingmorning。Therear-guardwastosetfiretothestation；thiswasthesadresultofourindustryandlabourinalandofdetestablesavages。
　　CHAPTERXXII
　　THEMARCHTORIONGA。
　　Onthemorningofthe14thofJune，1872，at9。30，theadvance-guardfiledalongthegravelpath，andhaltedattheextremityofthestationatMasindi。Thelinewascomplete，accordingtotheordersforthemarch。Notawordwasspoken。Alight，drizzlingrainfell，andtheskywasadullgrey。
　　Ilookedback，andwaitedforthedestructionofmyfavouritestation。
　　Inourlittlehousewehadleftpicturesofmyownchildren，andeverythingthatwasnotabsolutelynecessarytoourexistence。EventheQueenandthePrincessofWalesweretoperishintheconflagration，togetherwithmuchthatwaspartedwithinthismomentofexigency。
　　Thesmokenowcurledinthick，whitefoldsfromthegovernmentdivanandourownprivatehouse。