第27章

Ifeltcertainthatabreachofthepeacewasathand，andImadearrangementsaccordingly。Thetroopsweredailyengagedinbuildingthestation，inwhichtheywereassistedbythesailors，allofwhomwereobligedtocarrythematerialfromadistanceoftwomilesfromtheforest。Apartyofsawyerswithasmallescortofsoldiersweresettledinacampaboutthreemilesfrommystation，asthedistancewastoogreatforadailyreturnfromtheirwork。Onenighttheywereattackedbythenatives，whoshotarrowsandyelledforaboutanhour，butfortunatelydidnotsucceedinwoundinganyofthemen，whowerewellprotectedbythetrunksofsomeverylargetrees。Thesoldiershadfiredawayaconsiderableamountofammunitioninreturn，untiltheymanagedtoescapeduringthedarkness，andrunawaytohead-quarters。

On3rdJune，atabout3P。M。，whenthecattleweregrazinginthebeautifulpark-likegroundaboutamilefromhead-quarters，someBaris，whohadstealthilyapproachedtheherdbystalkingfrombushtobush，withoutbeingobservedbythesleepyguards，madeasuddenrushwithloudyellsamongthecattle，andsucceededindrivingofftencowswithwhichtheyswamtheriverwithoutashotbeingfiredbytheunreadysoldiers。(Onthisoccasiontheguardsmusthaverunawayatthefirstonsetofthenatives。)

Onthenightofthe4thJunetwonativeswerecapturedbythesentries。

Thesepeoplehadcreptinthepitchdarkness，untiltheyhadsucceededinenteringthecattlezareeba。Oneofthemconfessedthatalargebodyofnativeswasassembledinthehighgrassnearthebanksoftheriver，withtheintentionofattackingthecampduringthenight。

Iimmediatelytookeighteenmen，andpostedtheminthreepartiesofsixatvariouspointsaboutaquarterofamilefrommystation。Theyweretolieconcealedinthesepositions，whichcommandedeveryapproachtothecamp。

At10。30P。M。Iwasarousedbythesoundoffiring，anduponarrivalattheshotIfoundthatthesentrieshadfiredintotheadvancedpartyofnatives，someofwhomtheydeclaredtobewounded，butIcouldfindnotraceofblood。

Openwarhadcommenced。Thenativeshaddesertedtheirvillagesontheportionoftheislandoppositetomycamp。Thiswasaboutsevenmilesinlength，therefore，inreturnfortheattacksmadeuponmypeopleonourmainland，IdeterminedtopaytheBarisavisit。

Iissuedthenecessaryorders。At3A。M。，onJune5th，fiveboatswithsixtymendroppedsilentlydowntheeastchanneloftheriver，withorderstolandattheextremeendoftheisland。Atthesametimetwocompaniesoftroopslandedoppositemystation，wheretheywaitedinthedarkuntilthesteamer，withmyselfandtwocompaniesonboard，hadroundedtheheadoftheisland，andhadobtainedapositioninthewestchannel。Thetroopsthenadvancedwhilethesteamerraneasilydownthestrongcurrent。Everythingwentwell，butthenoiseofthepaddlesquicklygavethealarm，andthesoundofabigdruminthedistancewasalmostimmediatelyrespondedtobymanyothersfromvariouspoints。

Thesteamernowranathalfspeedalongtheriver，theintentionofcuttingoffanynativecanoes，orinterceptinganyherdsofcattlethatmightbepassingtothewestmainland。Everyarrangementwaswellcarriedout；but，unfortunately，aswewererunningataboutninemilesanhour，thesteamersuddenlystruckuponasand-bank，wheresheremainedfixed。

Aftersomevainattemptstofloather，IinstructedRaoufBeytodohisbestwithher，andact，accordingtocircumstances，athisowndiscretion，whileIleftthesteamerinthedingy，accompaniedbyLieutenantBakerandsixsoldiersofthe”FortyThieves，”withtheintentionofjoiningthetwocompaniesunderLieutenant-ColonelAbd-el-Kader，whoweremarchingdowntheislandfromsouthtonorth。

Weroweddownthestreamforforty-fiveminutesalongthewestbankoftheisland。Ihadcalculatedthedistancebytime，andhavingallowedforthedelayonthesteamerandthepaceatwhichthetroopsunderAbd-el-Raderwouldmarch，Iconcludedthatweshouldnowlandsomewherenearthem。Thisturnedoutcorrect，aswejoinedhispartyafewminutesafterwehadlefttheboat。Iimmediatelydetachedasergeantandnineteenmentomarchalongtheeastbankuntiltheyshouldmeetmyboat，whichhadbeenorderedtocontinuealongthewestbankuntilitshouldturnroundthetailoftheisland，whenitwastoreturnhomebytheeastchannel，thatwouldleaddirecttomystation。

WehadnotseenanyBarisupontheisland，whichappearedto

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