第48章

THEADVANCETOLOBORE。

Idetermineduponanewplan。IknewthedirectionofLobore，asIhadbeenthereduringmyformerexpedition；thedistancecouldnotexceedsixtymiles。

Ifthesoldierscoulddrawthecarts，Imightyetmanagetoadvance，asIshouldbeabletoprocurecarriersonarrivalatLobore；providedalwaysthatthenativeswereasfriendlyaswhenIleftthemsomeyearsago。

Itwouldbeimpossibletoconveythesteamer，asIcouldnotexpecttoprovide2，000carriers；butImightbeabletopenetratesouth，suppresstheslave-hunters，establishthegovernment，andopenupalegitimatetrade。

Thefirststepnecessarywastoconveythelargeherdofcattleacrosstheriver，whichwasabout400yardsinwidth，withaveryrapidstream。

Ifullyexpectedthatweshouldbeattackedbythenativesingreatforceduringthisoperation，whichnecessitatedadivisionofmyforceuponbothbanksoftheNile。

Thesheepweretakenacrossinvessels，butthecowswereobligedtoswim。Thispassagewasverytedious，astheanimalswerenecessarilytakeninsmallbatches，guidedbymenwhoswambytheirsideinthemanneralreadydescribedatGondokoro。

Althoughthenativeswereavowedlyhostile，theydarednotfaceusintheopen。Theymadeanotherattemptbynighttosurprisethecattlekraal，butColonelAbd-el-Kaderimmediatelysetfiretoafewvillagesasaresponseandwarning。

Wewereoccupiedfourdaysinpassingthecattleacrosstheriver。

Duringthepassage，welostonetakenbyacrocodile，andthreecowswerewantonlyseizedanddrownedbyhippopotami。Aherdofthesecreatureshappenedtobeinthewayasthecowswerefloatinginlargenumbersdownthestream，andseveralwereseentoattackthecattleandseizethemintheirjaws。Asthehippopotamusisnotcarnivorous，thiswasanunexpectedattack。

MyEnglishmenhadbeenbusilyengagedinerectingthecarts，greasingthewheels，andattachingtheropesnecessaryforhauling。Theywereallloaded，andwerearrangedtobedrawnbyfifteenmeneach。

Ontheeveningofthe5thFebruary，whilewewereatdinner，Iwasastonishedbytheunexpectedmusteringofmywholeforce，exceptingthe”FortyThieves。”Themenwerewithoutarmsorofficers，buttheymarchedtothemarginoftheriverandformedalinetwodeepalongsidethediahbeeah，whichlaycloseagainstthebank。

Iknewatoncewhatallthismeant，butIpretendedtotakenonotice，andIcontinuedeatingmydinner。

Iwasquicklyinterruptedbyloudcriesfromthemen。”Wecan’tdrawthecarts！that’snottheworkforsoldiers；we’llfight，ordoanythingelseyoumaydesire，butwearenotcamelstodragthewaggons。”

The”FortyThieves”immediatelyseizedtheirarms，andmarchingquicklytothespot，theyformedinlineuponthebank，betweenthediahbeeahandthemenwhothusmutinouslyhadappearedwithouttheirofficers。

Iatonceorderedthebuglecallforallofficers，andatthesametimeIsentfortheEnglishmentocometothediahbeeah。

Whenallhadarrived，andtheshoutsstillcontinued，IrosefromthetableandaddressedthetroopsinArabic，fromthepoop-deckofthediahbeeah。

IrecalledtotheirrecollectionhowIhadalwaysledthemsuccessfullythrougheverydifficulty，andIassuredthemthatthedistancetoLoborewastrifling，andthatweshouldfindgoodandwillingnativestoconveythebaggage，ifwecouldonlyoncereachthedesiredtribe。

Criesof”therearenogoodnegroes-theyareallbad，”interruptedmydiscourse。Ineverthelesscontinued；buthavingathoroughknowledgeoftheAfricancharacter，andknowingthatifanegrogetsanideaintohishead，thatideacanonlybeeradicatedbycuttingtheheadoff，Iwasnotfoolenoughtopersistinswimmingagainstatorrent。The”FortyThieves”nowjoinedthetumultbydeclaringthat”THEYwoulddrawthecarts，ordoanythingthatIshouldcommand。”

Itookimmediateadvantageoftheoccasion，andexclaimed，”YouSHALLdoallthatIcommand。Ihavechangedmyplans，andIorderyoutotakethecartstopiecesatsunriseto-morrowmorning

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