第51章

On29thFebruarywewerereadyforthestart。Theloadswereallpreparedandarrangedinseparatedivisionsoftwentyeach，underthechargeofselectedofficersandmen。

Thebignogarahadsounded，thenativescollected，andeachmanstoodbyhisload；thustwenty-fivegangsoftwentyeachshouldhavestoodinline。

InowdiscoveredthatthevauntedhonestyoftheLoborewasofthesameorderasthatofothernegroes。Fivehundredcowshadbeengiventoasmanynatives，forallofwhichthesheikAbbiohaddeclaredhimselfresponsible。Thebignogarasoundedinvain。Afterwaitingforsomehours，andsendingnumerousmessengerstoasmanyvillages，only433

carrierscouldbemustered；thussixty-sevenhadelopedwithasmanycows！

Noonecanimaginethetroubleofsuchajourneywithsolongaretinueofcarriers，mostofwhomaredishonest，andonlyseekanopportunitytoabscondupontheroad。

TheLoboreareimmenselypowerfulmen，andtheycarriedtheboxesofHale’srocketsassingleloads，althoughweighingupwardsofseventy-twopounds。Atthesametimetheyquarrelledamongthemselvesastothechoiceofparcels，andIcouldwithdifficultyprevailuponthemtocarrythezincboat，althoughitdidnotexceed130lbs。Fourmenactuallyrefusedtotouchit，asitsatuneasilyupontheirheads。

Thishandylittlevesselwasmadeofzincuponanironframework，andwouldcontainfourpeopleuponapinch，butwouldeasilyconveythreeacrossariver。Ihadarrangeditupontwostoutbamboossoadjustedthatfourmenshouldhavecarrieditwithease。Thenativesdemandedeight，butIatlengthcompromisedforsix。

Thedelaycausedbythenon-appearanceofthesixty-sevencarrierswasextremelydangerous，asitincreasedthechanceofdesertions。Alreadymanyhadvolunteeredtosearchfortheirmissingfriends，whichwouldhaveresultedinasearchforthemalso，untilmybodyofcarrierswouldhavemeltedaway。

FortunatelyIhadmadeaconsiderableallowancefordesertionsontheroad，andIcouldmanagetostartwiththeassistanceofthesoldiersandtheirwives，amongwhomIdividedmanybasketsofflour。

At3。25P。M。westarted。

TherewasnodangernowthatwehadpassedtheBaritribe，thereforewecouldpushonwithanadvanceguardoffivepickedmenof”TheForty，”

whoalwaysaccompaniedus，andleavethechargeofthemarchandbaggagetoColonelAbd-el-Kaderandthevariousofficers。

Weaccordinglymarched，atfourmilesanhour，througharockyandhillycountry，generallywooded，whichwouldhavebeenanawkwardpositionifheldbyanenemy。

At6P。M。wehaltedatarockyravinewherewaterhadbeenexpectedbyourguide。Toourdismaywefounditnearlydry，anditwasnecessarytodigtemporarywellsinthesandtoprocureasupplyforourselves，whilethehorseswereforcedtocontentthemselveswiththeimpurepool。

Itquicklybecamedark，andthetroopsandbaggagewerefarbehind。Wethereforegatheredwoodandmadeablazingfiretoshowourposition；atthesametimeabugleranddrummerwhohadaccompaniedus，madeasmuchnoiseaspossiblefromthesummitofasmallhill。

At7。30P。M。thecattlearrivedbytorchlight，togetherwiththetroopsandbaggage。SomeoftheLoborecarriershadalreadydesertedontheroad，whichhadcausedmuchdelay。

Wehadmarchedninemiles，butitwasabsolutelynecessarytosendfourmenbacktoLobore，toinsistuponfreshcarriersbeingimmediatelysenttoreplacetherunaways。

OnMarch1westartedathalf-pastsixA。M。，afteraterrificscrambleforloadsby400Loborecarriers，whorushedinandtuggedandwrestledfortheirpackageslikewolvesoveracarcase。Boxeswereturnedupsidedown，andcarriedinthatmannerwithanutterdisregardforthecontents。

TheinvertedcanteenwasdiscoveredupontheheadofabrutalLobore，whosebodywasbeingbastedwithCognacandginthatshoweredfromtheloosenedstoppersofthedecanters。

Ineversawsuchawildpackofsavages；theywereonlyfittocarrytheelephants’tusksofthetraders；butanycivilizedbaggageranariskofinstantdestruction。

Theoldsheik，Abbio，hadgivenmehissontokeeporderamongthepeople。Thisyoungmanwasabouttwenty-sevenyearsofage，but，althoughrespectableinappearance，hedidnotappeartohavetheslightestcontroloverhispeople，andheregardedtheirdesertionswithseemingindifference。

Ihadastrongsuspicionthathemightquietlyabscondatnight，inwhichcaseeverymanmightinstantlyfollowhisexample。Ithereforeordere

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