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。