第77章

Inowdeterminedtolightentheloadsconsiderably。Itwasdifficulttocarrytheangarebs，astheleascaughtinthehighgrass。Ispokeafewwordstomymen，whodeclaredthattheywerenotafraidofthenativesiftheywerenotsoheavilyladen。

Wecollectedwoodandmadeafire，uponwhichIorderedeverythingtobeburntthatwasreallycumbersome。Thebedsteadswerebrokenup；acaseofgoodFrenchcognacwascommittedtotheflames；LieutenantBaker’snavaluniform，withbox，&e。；thecockedhatfrizzleduponthetopofthebonfire。

Themenwereprovidedwithrawhides，uponwhichtheysleptatnight；

thesewerenowwetthroughandcumbersome：Ithereforeorderedthemtobethrownintothehighgrassandabandoned。

Thebrandybottlesburstuponthefire。Asergeantofthe”FortyThieves，”namedFadlullah，hadbeenattendingtotheheapofburningmaterials，andIsawhimstoopovertheflames，asthoughintendingtosaveoneoftheliquorbottlesforhimself。Atthismomentseveralburstandsaturatedhisloosecottontrouserswithblazingspirit。Themanvainlyendeavouredtoextinguishthefire，andhedancedwildlyabout，untilIseizedandthrewhimdownintheswamp，andquicklydrewthewetgreengrassoverhimandsubduedtheflames。Hewasseverelyburntaboutthelegs，fromwhichtheskinslippedoffinlargeflakes。

Inowhadtodoctorhim，wheneveryman’slegsoughttohavebeeninthebestorder。FortunatelyIhadalittleoil(forthelamp)，andthewoundswerequicklydressedandbandagedwithcottonwoolandlint。

Theforcewasnowmuchrelieved，astheloadshadbeenlightened。

Duringtheoperationofburningthesupplies，thebestshotsofthe”FortyThieves”hadbeenstationedtopickoffanynativeswhoattemptedtospyourmovementsbyascendingtheloftytrees。

Inowgavetheorderfortheadvance，andthemarchrecommenced。Inafewminuteswewereoncemoreburiedinthegiganticgrassjungle。

Wehadhardlyenteredthecovertwhentheshoutsandblowingofhornsandbeatingofdrumsoncemorecommenced。Thiswasthesignaltoambuscadesinfrontthatweweremovingforward。

Inthecourseofanhour’smarch，therearbuglehadsounded”halt”atleasthalfadozentimes，astwoofthedonkeyswereweakly，andcouldnotbedrivenonwithoutdifficulty。

Againtherearbuglesounded”halt！”Iimmediatelysentthesergeantofthebodyguard，Mohammed-el-Feel，toshootthedonkeys，andtothrowtheirloadsintothehighgrass。Twoshotsannouncedtheirend。

Thebuglesounded”advance”，andweatlengthtravelledcomfortably。

Theweatherwasfine：werejoicedinthesun，asitdriedourreekingclothes。

Suddenlytheadvance-guardopenedfire！thentherear-guardwascloseduponbyasuddenrushoftheenemy，andthewholelinecommencedfile-firingintothethickcovert。

Iorderedthebuglertosound”forward，”and”ceasefiring，”asthemenweregettingalittlewild。

Oneof”TheForty”，AliGoboor，hadbeenwoundedbyalancethroughtheleg，buthemanagedtolimpalong。

Wenowbegantounderstandtheplacesatwhichweweresuretomeetanambuscade。Wheneverwedescendedaslopetowardsamarshybottom，therewascertaintobealargeforceconcealedbehindtheloftyreedsthat

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