第49章

Iaskedhimwhetherhewouldkeeptherainawayduringthejourney，asitwouldbeveryunpleasantshouldthesoldiers’kitsgetwet。Heimmediatelyblewhisrain-whistlethatwassuspendedtohisneck，andlookedatmeasthoughIcouldnolongerdoubthiscapability。IthensentforaGermanhornfrommycabin。Thiswasapolishedcow’shorn，fittedwithbrass，whichIthinkhadcostashilling。Ibeggedtheoldrain-maker’sacceptanceofthisinstrument，whichmightbeperhapssuperiortohiswhistle。

Thewinehadnowsofarwarmedhisoldblood，thattheancientsorcererwasjustinthatstateofgood-willwithallmankindwhichmadehimdoublygratefulforsointerestingapresent。Heblewthehorn！——again，andagain！Hegrinnedtillthetearsrandownhiseyes，andatoncesuspendedtheglitteringtoyaroundhisneck。Henowsaid，”Iamagreatsheik；thereisnorain-makersogreatasI；youwilltravelwithme，andthishornshallkeepyoudry。Don’ttroubleyourselfabouttheBaris，theywon’tmolestyou；butstartassoonasyoucan。”

Wehadthusgainedavaluableallyandguide。AlthoughIknewthedirectionofLobore，Ishouldhavebeenobligedtotravelbycompass，thereforeIwasoverjoyedthatwehadobtainedsoexperiencedanoldfellowastherain-maker。HisnamewasLokko。

At3p。m。，on8thFebruary，westarted，oldLokkoleadingtheway，andwavingacoupleofthin，peeledsticksatarefractoryblackcloudthatappeareddeterminedtodefyhisrain-rulingpowers。Afewloudblastsuponthenewhorn，andagooddealofpantomimeandgesticulationonthepartofoldLokko，atlengthhadthedesiredeffect；thecloudwentoffaboutitsbusiness，andLokko，havinggivenhisfaceanextraruboffreshwood-ashesbeforestarting，lookeduglyenoughtofrightenanyrain-deviloutofhiswits。

Mypeoplewereheavilyladen。Atthecommencementofthejourney，anoxthatMonsoorhadbeentraining，kickedoffitsload，andwentoffatfullgalloplikeawildanimal，andweneversawitagain。PoorMonsoornowshoulderedtheloadthattheoxhadlefthelpless，andmarchedthusheavilyladenupthehill。

Mywiferode”GreedyGrey，”whichcarriedasmuchascouldbehunguponthesaddle。Irodethepowerfulchestnut”Jamoos。”LieutenantBakermountedaveryhandsomelightchestnut”Gazelle，”andColonelAbd-el-KaderrodetheZafteer。ThelatterwasafineoldArabthatIhadpurchasedofazafteer(mountedpolice)inCairo。Ihadtendonkeyswhichcarriedofficers’effects，spareammunition，flour，&c。Thetwenty-twoboatmencarriedboxes。

MywifeandI，withLieutenantBakerandanadvancedguardoffiveof”TheForty，”followedoldLokko，wholedtheway；andColonelAbd-el-KaderandCaptainMohammedDeiiwerewiththerear-guard，whichdrove1，000cowsand500sheep。ThecattlewereinthechargeoftheBariinterpreter，Morgian。

Ourboysandgirlsallcarriedloads。AmarnlookedlikeasmallRobinsonCrusoe，withatannedsheepskinbagofclothesuponhisback，uponwhichwasslungthecoffee-pot，anumbrella，andvarioussmallerarticles，whileheassistedhimselfwithalongstaffinhishand。LittleCuckoo，who，althoughhardlysevenyearsold，wasasstrongasalittlepony，strodealongbehindmyhorse，carryinguponhisheadmysmalltravellingbag。

Everybodywasinthebestspirits，asthereactionfromdespairtosuccesswasdelightful。Wewerereallyoffatlast，andwereactuallyonthemarchtotheinterior。

Thateveningwehaltedatavillageontheheights，onlythreemilesfromthevessels。Thenativeshaddesertedtheirhabitationsonourapproach，andwouldnotcomenearus。Iorderedthetroopstosavetheirflour，andtoeatfromthatdiscoveredinthevillage，forwhichonthefollowingmorningIlefttwocowsasapresent。Theyweretiedupinthenativezareeba。Thecowswereworthatleastfiftytimestheflourwehadconsumed；butIwishedtoadoptthisplanthroughoutthejourneytoLobore，inordertoestablishconfidence，andtoopenuptheroadforthefuture。

On9thFebruarywestartedat5。35a。m。，andmarchedtwohoursandahalfthroughaverybeautifulundulatingcountry，diversifiedwithrocks，streams，andhandsomepark-liketimber。

WehaltedatavillagecalledKoojok，beneathalargefig-tree(FicusIndica)。OuroldfriendLokkoappearedtobeperfec

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