第69章

UponmanyoccasionsIhadsenttorequesthisattendance，buthewasalwaysinthesanctuaryofhisownprivatehouse，orratherestablishmentofhouses；thesewereaseriesofenormousbeehive-shapedstrawandcanedwellingsinacourtyardofaboutanacre，surroundedbyafence，andguardedbymanysentries，eachofwhomhadasmallbutbuiltinthemiddleofthehedge。

Sincethedepartureoftheirregularlevy，Ihadnoticedadecidedchangeinthedemeanourofthechiefs。Kittiakara，whohadbeenourgreatestfriend，couldneverlookmeintheface，butalwayscasthiseyesuponthegroundwhenspeakingorlistening。

Thefoodforthetroopswasobtainedwiththegreatestdifficulty，afterconstantworryandendlessapplications。ItwasinvainthatIinsistedupontherightofpayingforasupplyofcorn；thechiefsreplied：”IsnotKabbaRegayourson?canasonsellcorntohisownfather”

Atthesametimeweneverhadtwodays’provisionsinstore，andweweresimplylivingfromhandtomonth。Thislookedsuspicious，asthoughthetroopsweretoberenderedhelplessbytheabsenceofsuppliesintheeventofhostilities。

MyfewBarisconsistedofmygoodinterpreterMorgian，togetherwiththreeothernatives，whohadbeenforsomeyearsintheemployofSuleiman。Ihadkeptthesepeoplewithme，astheyknewsomethingaboutthecountryandtheUnyoros。Theywereallarmedandweretolerablygoodshots。Oneofthesefellows(Molodi)，anativeoftheMadicountry，wasextremelyusefulandintelligent。HenowtoldmethatIcouldneverdependuponKabbaRega，andthathehadsimplybeggedmetosendtheirregularsoutofthecountryinorderthatIshouldnothearthetruthofhisformerconductfromthem；also，intheirabsence，Ishouldbequiteignorantofthepathsthatwerenowcompletelyovergrownwithimmenselyhighgrassthroughoutthecountry。

Anincidentoccurredonthe31stMaywhichcausedmeseriousanxiety。

Thestationwasincompleteorder：thecultivationwasthriving，andthegeneralappearanceofthegovernmentsettlementwasastrongcontrasttothesurroundingwildernessofhighgrass，andthelargeanddirtytownofMasindi。

Mytroopswerenowwithoutoccupation，thereforeIinstructedColonelAbd-el-Kadertodrillthemeverymorning。

Ithadbeenthedailypracticeofthebandtomarchupanddownthebroadapproach，andtoperformnearlyoppositeKabbaRega’spublicdivan。

Therewasnoclearplaceinwhichthetroopscouldbedrilled，exceptinthepublicsquareatthebackofKabbaRega’sdivan；thiswasaboutthecentreofthetown。

Thesquarewasanopenspaceofabouttwoacres，andwasthespotatwhichallpublicfestivitieswereheld，andwhere，uponmanyoccasions，KabbaRegadelightedtosit，inalargeopenshed，towitnesstheabsurdperformanceofhisbuffoons。

Thisopenspacewaswelladaptedfortheexerciseofacompanyoftroops。Ithereforeorderedthemenonparade，andIaccompaniedthemmyselftogetherwithLieutenantBaker。

Thebandplayed，asusual，attheheadofthecompany，andwemarchedthroughthetowntotheopensquare。

Herethetroopswereputthroughtheirmusketrydrill，andcommencedvariousevolutions。

Tomyastonishment，Isawthenativeshurryingoffinalldirections。I

wasperfectlyunarmed，aswerealsotheofficers(exceptingtheirsidearms)andLieutenantBaker。

Almostimmediatelythehugewar-drumsoundedinthehouseofKabbaRega，andthedullhollownotescontinuedtobeatthealarm！

Inlessthantenminutes，hornswereblowinganddrumswerebeatinginalldirections，andwithextraordinaryrapidity，somefiveorsixthousandmencamepouringdownfromeveryquarter，fullyarmedwithspearsandshields，inastateoffranticexcitement，andatoncesurroundedthetroops。Freshbandsofnatives，allofwhomwereintheircostumeofwar，continuedtoconcentratefromeveryside。Thecrowdofwarriorsleaptandgesticulatedaroundmylittlecompanyofmenasthoughabouttoattack。

Iimmediatelygavetheordertoformasquarewithfixedbayonets。Thismanoeuvrepuzzledthenativesextremely。

Theydancedaroundthesquare，withinafewfeetoftheglisteningrowofbayonet-points，whichwereloweredsoastoformanimpenetrablefence。

Theofficerswereofcourseinsidethesquare。Igavethemenstrictordersnottofireunderanyprovocation，unlessIgavethewordofcommand，andattendedbyLieutenantBakerandMonsoor，thelatterwithh

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