第31章

On10thJuly，atmid-day，severalhundredBaris，havingcautiouslyapproachedthegrazingcattleunobserved，madeasuddenrushfromthebushesupontheguards，killingonesoldierandwoundinganother。Thesoldiersbelongedtotheline，andmusthavebehavedbadly，asthemusketandcartouche-boxandbeltwerestolenandcarriedofffromthedeadman。Theshotsfromtheguardimmediatelyalarmedthecamp。Thehorsesweresaddled，and，attendedbyLieutenantBaker，Irodehardinpursuit。Thenativeshadgainedtheforestandhadscattered，butwerodeared-paintedsavagetobay，whofoughttothelast，shootingtwoarrowsatme，whichIavoidedbydroppingquicklyonmyhorse’sneck，andathirdarrowstuckdeeplyinMr。Baker’ssaddleasheescapedthewell-aimedshotbyspurringhishorseacrossthelineofsight。Thesearrowswereshotatadistanceofaveryfewyards。Thenativewaskilled。

On12thJulytheBarisattemptedtosurprisebothmystationandthecampathead-quarters。

Onthe13ththenativesrepeatedtheattempt；butonewasshotdeadbythesentryatGondokoro；alsoanothermetthesamefateatmystation。

Nearlyeverynightweweresubjecttoattemptsatsurprise。Thiswasexcellentpracticeforthetroops，asittaughtthemthe，necessityofkeepingagoodlook-out；atthesametimeitwasverywearying，asthemenhadtoworkhardallday，andtheywerekeptawakeatnight。

TheBariswereirrepressibleverminthatgaveusnorest。Mymenwerealloccupiedinbuildingthestation，thereforeitwasimpossibleformetotakeaflyingcolumnandgivetheBarisaseverelesson；butImadeupmymindthatwhentheworkshouldbefinished，Iwouldtakethefightoutofthemmostthoroughly。Theynowconsideredusfairgame，thattheymightinsultastheythoughtproper；andIheardfromourtwofaithfulallies，SherroomandMorgian，thattheyimaginedweshouldbecomeafraidofthem，andthenreturntoKhartoum。

Theyteasedusatnightlikerats，buttheylostmanymen。Iratheradmiredthemfortheirpersistence，asthescoutsmusthavebeenadventurousfellows。Wheneverthesepeopleweretakenprisoners，theyconfessedthattheywerethespiesofthemainbodythatwasconcealedatsomedistanceintherear。ThefavouritemethodofaBariattackisduringthenight，whenthedarknessreducesthedangeroffire-arms。Onsuchoccasionstheygenerallyhalteitherinforestorhighgrass，accordingtocircumstances，abouthalfamilefromthecamptheyproposetoattack。Scoutsaresentforwardtoascertainthepositionandvigilanceofsentriesbeforetheadvanceofthemainbody。Thescouts，beingquitenaked，crawlupontheirhandsandkneesuntilthedarknesspermitsthemtoapproachwithinafewyardsofthesentries。Theythenlieflatupontheirbelliesunobserveduntiltheycanretreattotheexpectantbodyintheirrear。

Theattackingforcenowadvancesinperfectsilence，andapproachinguponhandsandkneesinthesamemannerasthescouts，theysuddenlyspringuponthesentries，andwithwildyellsmakeageneralrushuponthecamp。Thissuddenattackwouldbeextremelydangerousunlessprovidedagainst；andinthismannerlargepartiesoftheslave-huntershavebeencompletelydestroyed。

OurpassiveresistancetothenumerousnativeattemptsatsurprisehadbeenmisconstruedbytheBarisintotimidity。Thenewshadspreadthroughoutthecountrythatweshouldnotventurefarinland：thusagrandalliancehadbeenmadeamongthetribes。TheBarisdesiredtomakefriendswiththeirpowerfu

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