ismailia-第75节

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and　cattle　in　the　usual　manner。

The　party　started　at　the　early　hour　of　first　cock…crow；　while　the　main
body　under　Lazim　waited　for　the　result。

Hours　passed；　but　the　company　did　not　return。　A　few　shots　had　been　heard
in　the　distance。

The　country　was　clear　and　open；　but　nothing　could　be　seen。　There　was　no
lowing　of　cattle；　neither　did　the　heavy　clouds　of　smoke；　usual　on　such
occasions；　point　out　the　direction　of　burning　villages。

Presently；　drums　were　heard　in　every　direction；　the　horns　and　whistles
of　the　Umiro　sounded　the　alarm；　and　large　bodies　of　natives　rushed
across　the　plain　to　the　attack　of　Lazim's　main　body。

They　had　just　time　to　form；　and　to　post　the　men　around　the　strong　cattle
kraal；　which　they　had　occupied；　when　the　stream　of　enemies　came　down
upon　them。

Upon　the　open　plain；　the　Umiro　had　no　chance　in　attacking　so　well
defended　a　position；　and　the　muskets；　loaded　with　heavy　mould　shot；　told
with　great　effect　upon　the　naked　bodies　of　the　assailants。

The　Umiro　were　beaten　back　with　some　loss；　and　the　slave…hunters　held
the　position；　although　in　a　state　of　terror；　as　they　felt　that　some
terrible　calamity　must　have　befallen　the　party　which　had　started　to
surprise　the　villages。

After　dark；　a　Bari　native　cried　out　to　the　sentries　to　let　him　pass。
This　was　a　wounded　man　of　their　own　people；　the　only　survivor　of　all
those　who　had　left　the　main　body　on　that　morning。

The　Bari　described；　that　the　Umiro；　having　gained　information　of　the
intended　attack；　had　lain　in　ambush　within　high　withered　grass；　in　which
they　had　awaited　the　arrival　of　their　assailants。

The　slave…hunters　were　advancing　as　usual；　in　single　file；　along　the
narrow　track　through　the　high　grass；　unsuspicious　of　an　enemy；　when　the
Umiro　rushed　from　both　sides　of　the　ambuscade　upon　them。

Taken　by　surprise；　a　panic　seized　the　slave…hunters；　very　few　of　whom
had　time　to　fire　their　muskets　before　they　were　speared　by　the　pitiless
Umiro；　who　wreaked　wholesale　vengeance　by　the　massacre　of　103　of　Abou
Saood's　men　and　about　150　of　their　allies。

The　main　body　under　Lazim　were　completely　cowed；　as　they　feared　an
overwhelming　attack　that　might　exhaust　their　ammunition。　The　Umiro　had
now　become　possessed　of　103　guns　and　several　large　cases　of　cartridges；
in　addition　to　those　in　the　pouches　of　the　soldiers。

Night　favoured　the　retreat；　and　the　remnant　of　the　expedition　under
Lazim　returned　by　forced　marches　to　Fatiko。

The　defeat　had　spread　consternation　among　the　various　stations；　as　it
followed　closely　upon　the　destruction　of　a　station　belonging　to　Abou
Saood　in　the　Madi　country。

This　zareeba　had　been　under　the　command　of　a　vakeel　named　Jusef；　who　had
exasperated　the　natives　by　continual　acts　of　treachery　and
slave…hunting。　They　had　accordingly　combined　to　attack　the　station　at
night；　and　had　set　fire　to　the　straw　huts；　by　shooting　red…hot　arrows
into　the　inflammable　thatched　roofs。

These　calamities　had　happened　since　the　arrival　of　Abou　Saood　in　the
Shooli　country；　and　it　was　he　who　had　given　the　order　to　attack　the
Umiro。　His　own　people；　being　naturally　superstitious；　thought　he　had
brought　bad　luck　with　him。

It　appeared　that　when　Abou　Saood　had　first　arrived　at　Fatiko　from
Gondokoro；　the　vakeels　of　his　different　stations　were　all　prepared　for
the　journey　to　deliver　the　ivory。　They　had　given　the　cattle　obtained　in
the　first　attack　upon　Umiro　to　the　native　carriers　of　Madi　and　Shooli；
and　the　tusks　had　been　arranged　in　about　2；000　loads　for　transport。

The　sudden　arrival　of　Abou　Saood　changed　all　their　plans；　as　he
immediately　gave　orders　to　return　the　ivory　to　the　store　huts；　he　did
not　intend　to　deliver　it　at　Gondokoro　that　year。　He　also　sent　a　letter
to　his　Latooka　station；　nine　days'　march　to　the　north…east；　together
with　a　party　of　eighty　men；　with　instructions　to　his　vakeel　to　deliver
the　ivory　at　the　Bohr　station　below　Gondokoro。

He　thus　hoped　to　defraud　the　government　out　of　the　two…fifths　due　to
them　by　contract　with　Agad。　At　the　same　time；　he　had　intended　to　remain
concealed　in　the　interior　of　the　country　until　I　should　have　returned　to
England；　after　which　he　had　no　doubt　that　affairs　would　continue　in
their　original　position。

It　may　be　imagined　that　my　sudden　arrival　at　Fatiko　had　disconcerted　all
his　plans。

In　spite　of　his　extreme　cunning；　he　had　over…estimated　his　own　power　of
intrigue；　and　he　had　mismanaged　his　affairs。

According　to　the　agreement　with　Agad　&　Co。；　the　representative　of　that
firm；　Abou　Saood；　had　contracted　to　supply　the　government　troops　with
all　provisions　at　a　given　price；　including　even　sheep　and　butter；　as　he
declared　that　he　was　in　possession　of　these　articles　in　his　various
stations。　He　was　also　to　assist　the　government　expedition　in　every
manner；　and　to　supply　not　only　carriers；　but　even　troops；　should　they　be
necessary。

I　read　this　contract　to　some　of　his　principal　men；　who　fairly　laughed
outright　at　the　audacity　of　Abou　Saood　in　subscribing　to　such　utter
falsehoods。

Not　only　had　he　secretly　fraternized　with　the　enemy；　instead　of
assisting　the　government；　but　he　had　cautioned　the　Baris　not　to　carry
our　loads；　and　he　had　incited　the　Fatiko　natives　to　attack　us。　The
supply　of　food　was　too　ridiculous。　Instead　of　giving　to　the　troops；　he
had　been　obliged　to　borrow　corn　from　the　government　magazines　at
Gondokoro　for　his　own　people；　and　I　had　given　him　200　cattle　to　save　his
men　from　famine。

The　deceit　and　treachery　of　this　man　were　beyond　belief。　He　now　came　to
me　daily　at　Fatiko；　and　swore　by　the　eyes　of　the　Prophet；　eternal
fidelity。　He　wished　to　kiss　my　hand；　and　to　assure　me　how　little　his
real　character　had　been　understood；　and　that　he　felt　sure　I　had　been
influenced　against　him　by　others；　but　that　in　reality　I　had　no　servant
so　devoted　as　himself。　He　declared　that　he　had　only　attacked　the　Shir
and　stolen　their　cows　in　order　to　supply　the　government　troops　with
cattle　according　to　contract。　（Thus　he　had　the　audacity　to　assert　that
the　government　would　become　the　purchaser　of　cattle　stolen　expressly　for
their　use。）

In　spite　of　these　protestations；　he　could　not　explain　his　reason　for
having　returned　the　ivory　to　store；　instead　of　transporting　it　to
Gondokoro。　He　therefore　met　the　difficulty　by　a　flat　denial；　as　usual；
calling　upon　the　Prophet　as　a　witness。

Only　a　few　days　of　his　contract　remained；　at　the　expiration　of　which　he
should　have　withdrawn　his　establishments　from　the　country；　according　to
my　written　orders　that　had　been　given　many　months　ago。

He　had　entirely　ignored　these　orders；　as　he　had　never　expected　my
arrival；　therefore　he　had　concealed　all　such　instructions　from　his
people；　in　the　hope　that　my　terms　of　service　would　expire　fruitlessly　at
Gondokoro；　and　that；　after　my　departure；　he　would　have　little　difficulty
in　arranging　for　the　future　with　his　friend　Raouf　Bey；　who　would　most
probably　succeed　to　the　command。

I　at　once　issued　written　orders　to　the　vakeels　of　his　different
stations；　that；　at　the　end　of　the　month　Mohurram；　the　contract　with　Agad
would　cease；　and　that　all　future　action　would　be　illegal。

I　gave　all　employees　of　Abou　Saood　due　notice；　that　they　must　either
quit　the　country；　or　become　respectable　subjects。

I　granted　them　permission　to　settle　at　Gondokoro；　and　to　commence　farms
on　the　fertile　islands　of　the　Nile　free　of　all　taxation。

Or；　should　they　wish　to　enter　the　government　service　as　irregular
troops；　I　offered　the　same　pay　as　the　regulars；　with　the　advantage　of　an
annual　engagement。

I　met　several　headmen　whom　I　had　known　in　my　former　journey。　These　men
found　fault　with　Abou　Saood　for　having　left　them　in　the　dark　respecting
the　contract　with　the　government；　and　they　at　once　declared　that　they
should　be　happy　to　serve　as　irregulars　at　the　expiration　of　the
agreement。

There　was　a　great　difficulty　respecting　the　ivory；　which　comprised　in
all　the　stations　3；200　tusks。

The　cattle　that　had　been　given　to　the　native　carriers　for　the　transport
of　the　ivory　to　Gondokoro　had　only　partially　been　returned　by　the
disappointed　Madi。　Many　of　these　people　had　killed　and　eaten　the　beasts；
and　had　declared　that　they　had　died；　when　they　found　the　necessity　of
restoring　them。

It　was　now　necessary　to　move　the　ivory；　together　with　all　the
establishments；　to　Gondokoro。　This　would　require　at　least　6；000　cows。　It
was　a　complete　fix。　There　were　no　cattle　in　any　of　Abou　Saood's
stations；　they　had　all　been　consumed；　and　he　now　came　to　me　with　a
request　that　I　would　lend　him　eighty　oxen；　as　his　people　had　nothing　to
eat。

It　was　clearly　impossible　to　move　the　ivory。　Thus；　in　spite　of　my　orders
given　to　Abou　Saood　about　ten　months　previous；　the　opportunity　of　moving
had　been　lost；　and　the　time　of　departure　was　reduced　to　sine　die。　This
was　a　hopeless　condition　of　affairs。　There　were　no　cattle　in　Abou
Saood's　possession；　and　without　cows　the　ivory　could　not　be　moved。　At
the　same　time；　it　would　be　impossible　for　me　to　permit　him　to　make
razzias　upon　distant　countries；　as　I　had　arrived　to　establish
government；　and　to　afford　protection　to　all　tribes　that　would　declare
their　allegiance。

I　now　discovered　that　the　principal　vakeel　of　Abo