第37章

TheBarisofRegiafandsouthofthathillhadbeenalliedwiththoseofBelinian，andhadtakenchargeoftheirgreatherdsduringthemonth’scampaigninthatcountry。

Westartedpunctuallyatthetimeappointed，andsailedforaboutsevenmilesuptheriver，whichatthisseasoncouldbenavigatedwithoutdifficulty。Wenowcrossedovertothewestbank，andthewindbeingfoul，thesoldiersturnedoutandhauledthevesselsagainstthestreambytow-ropes。

Thecountrywasperfectlylovely。Thehigh，rockyhills，afewmilesdistant，slopedinbeautifulundulationsofopen，park-likelandtotheriver’sbank。Hereandtherefineornamentaltreesweredottedaboutthesurface；buttheabsenceofforestwouldhaverenderedthelocalityunfitforalargestation。

Thevillageswereinnumerable：buttherewasnotasignoffriendshipamongthenumerouspopulation。Thenativespouredoutoftheirvariousstationsleaping，brandishingtheirspears，andgesticulatingwithunmistakableactionsofhostility。

Theriverwasabout500yardswide，andinseveralplacesthedull，greyheadsofrocksprotrudedfromthesurface。Wethereforecontinuedtotowthevesselsclosetothebank，withapartymarchingparalleltoprotecttheflankincaseofasuddenattack。

Thenativesevidentlyintendedtoopposeus。IalwaysgavetheBarisafairchance，andallowedthemtomakethefirsthostilemovebeforeI

proceededtoforciblemeasures。Ithereforelandedandadvancedafewhundredpacesinland。Thereweremanycuriousrocksinthisneighbourhood，someofwhichwerecleanblocksofgraniteinmassesoffortyorfiftyfeethigh，piledroughlyasthougharrangedartificially。

Thenatives，asweadvanced，movedgraduallytowardsthisshelter，inwhichtheysquatteduntilwearrivedwithinahundredandtwentypaces。

Myinterpreternowconversedwiththem，sayingthatIhadnotcometofight，buttopurchasecorn，thatIwouldgivethemacowforeachgoogoofullofunthrasheddhurra：thiswastheusualpricewhenthenativestradedamongthemselves。

Inreplytothispoliteassurance，theyusedmostinsultinglanguage，andsaid——”Youneednotofferusyourcattle，asweintendtotakethembyforce；therefore，beofftoKhartoum！”

BythistimeIhadadvancedwiththeinterpretertowithinahundredyardsofthem。Theywerecompletelyinmypower，butIresistedthetemptation。Thisisthedisadvantageintreatingwithsavages。Ialwaysaffordedthemeveryopportunityforpeacefularrangements，andreturnedcivilrepliestotheirabusiveandcoarseinsults。Thisgavethemtheadvantageofselectingtheirownconvenienceforanattack。AhundredtimesIhavehadtheminmygrasp，asuponthisoccasion，whenawell-directedvolleywouldhavecreatedaterribleeffect；butIhavealwaysbeenpatient，andallowedthemtostrikethefirstblow。

Inowexplainedtothemmyposition。IgavethemtheinstanceoftheirfriendsatBelinian，andbeggedthemtoavoidasimilarnecessity。I

musthavecorn。Theirgranarieswereoverflowing，whileminewereempty。

Ihadmanythousandcattleinadditiontoallkindsofmerchandise。I

desiredfairdealing，whichwouldgivesatisfactiontoallparties。Theysimplyshoutedaderisivereply，coupledwithmostdisgustingandinsultinglanguage。”Won’tyouhaveashot，sir，atthatfellowontherock?”saidmyshadow，Monsoor，whowasalwaysatmyelbow。Ideclinedtheinvitation，tothegreatdisappointmentofmymen；atthesametimeIexplainedtothesepig-headedBaristhattheymustaccepttheconsequencesoftheirconduct。

Iorderedthebuglertosoundtheassembly。

Withgreatreadinessthetroopsleftthevessels，andhavingformed，theymarcheduptheslopewithdrumsandbugles。Inowmadeadisplayofforce，andoncemoreaddressedthenatives，explainingthatthemenwerehungryandwouldtaketheircorngratisunlesstheywouldagreetosellaportion。

Thenativessullenlywithdrewtoagreaterdistance，andcommencedblowingtheirwhistles，and

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