第52章

Mylegsfeltlikesteelaswestrodealongbeforethehorses，withrifleonshoulder，intothebroadvalley，inwhichthemountainwehaddescendedseemedtohavetakenroot。

Thecountrywasfullofgame。Antelopesingreatnumbers，andinsomevariety，startedfromtheirreposeinthisbeautifulwilderness，andhavingforafewmomentsregardedthestrangesightsofhorses，andsoldiersinscarletuniform，theyfirsttrotted，andthencanteredfaraway。Thegracefulleucotisstoodinherdsupontheriver’sbank，andwasthelasttoretreat。

Iselectedashadyspotwithinagroveofheglik-treesforabivouac，andleavingmywifewithaguard，andthehorses，IatoncestartedoffwithLieutenantBakertoprocuresomevenison。

Wereturnedafteracoupleofhours，havingshotfiveantelopes。ThenativenameforthispartofthecountryisAfuddo。Ourpresenthaltingplacewasthirty-sevenmilesfromLobore。Formerlytherewerevillagesinthisneighbourhood，buttheyhadbeendestroyedbytheslave-hunters。

FortunatelyIhadpreparedastockoffloursufficientfortheentirejourneytoFatiko。

InmylastvisittothiscountryIhadthoroughlystudieditsfeatures；

thusIfeltquiteathome，andIknewmyrouteineverydirection。ThemountainofShooawasdistinctlyvisible，whereIhadcampedforfourorfivemonths，thusitwouldbeimpossiblefortheLoborepeopletodeceiveme。

AbouSaoodhadfourstationsthroughoutthislovelydistrict，i。e。，Fatiko，Fabbo，Faloro，andFarragenia。IwasnowsteeringforFatiko，asitwasaspotwellknowntome，andexactlyonmyproposedroadtoUnyoro。

On3rdMarch，wemarchedat6A。M。，andcontinuedalongtheplaintowardstherisinggroundthatledtoShooa。Atsixmilesfromthehaltingplacewetookbearings：

Shooahill，about35milesdistant，bearing1621/2degreesAkikohillabout16milesdistant，bearing3211/2degreesGebelKukuabout9milesdistant，2991/2degreesOurcourselaytowardstheS。S。E。，beneathawall-likerangeofprecipitousrockyhillsuponourleft，innoplacehigherthan200feet。

Theguideswereatfault，andnowatercouldbefoundupontheroad。

Aherdoftetel(AntelopeBubalis)uponourrighttemptedme，and，jumpingoffmyhorse，Imadeafairstalkandkilledafinebeastwiththe”Dutchman”at210yards。

Everyonewasthirsty，asthesunwashot，andthewall-like，rocksuponourleftreflectedtheheat。Atlengthwediscoverednativessquattingupontheverysummitsoftheperpendicularcliffs，andaftersometroublewesucceededincoaxingthemdown。Twoofthesepeoplevolunteeredtoleadustowater，andtheytookustoasteeprockyravine，inthebottomofwhichwasapoolofdirtyliquidthathadbeenbathedinbywildbuffaloes。Mymenquicklybegantodigsand-wellswiththeirhands，untilthemainbodyofthetroopsandcattlearrived。

Inaboutanhour，Iheardagreathubbub，withanoiseofquarrellingandshouting；everyonewasrunningtowardsthespot。Itappearedthatawildbuffalo，beingignorantofourarrival，hadsuddenlyvisitedhisdrinking-place，andhadthoughtlesslydescendedthedeepandnarrowgorgetodrinkhiseveningdraught。TheLoboreshadespiedhim，andtheyimmediatelyrusheddownandoverwhelmedhimwithlancesfromthecliffsabove。Therewasnowanextraordinarysceneoverthecarcase；fourhundredmenscramblingoveramassofbloodandentrails，fightingandtearingwitheachother，andcuttingoffpiecesoffleshwiththeirlance-heads，withwhichtheyescapedasdogsmayretreatwithastolenbone。

On4thMarchwestartedat6。25A。M。Theadventofthebuffalowasasadmisfortune，asithadsuppliedthenativeswithsufficientfleshtofeedthemontheroadhome；thusthirtyLoboreshadabscondedduringthenight。

Fortunatelywehadalreadyconsumedmanyloadsofflour。Iwasnowobligedtodividetwodaysrationsamongthetroopsasextraweight。Thelightloadswerethendoubled。Brandyboxesoftwelvebottleswerenowlashedtogether，soastoformaloadoftwenty-four。Severalboxesofginhadbeenentirelydestroyedbythesavagecarriers，whohadallowedthemtofallupontherocks。

HavingcrossedthebendsoftheUn-y-Amerivertwice，wehaltedforthenightinfineopenforestonthesouthbank，beneathalargetamarind-tree，thatyieldedanabundantsupplyoffruitforallhands。

Wehadonlymarchedtenmiles，owingtothedelayoccasionedbythedesertionofthecarriers。

On5thMarchIledtheway，astheLoboreguideprofessedignoranceoftheroutetoFatiko。Thefactwas，thattheLoboreshadwishedonthepreviousdaytotakemetoFarragenia，whichistwodaysnearerthanFatiko。HadIbeenignorantofthecountry，weshouldhavebeendeceived。

Isteeredthroughlowopenforest，theleavesofwhichhadbeenscorchedoffbythefirethathadclearedthecountry。Neitheravillagenortheprintofahumanf

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