第78章

Havingmusteredallthemen，Iturnedoutalltheammunitionfromtheirpouches。Thecartridgeswerecounted。

Iexaminedallthereserveammunition。

Thetotal，includingthatfromthemen’scartouche-boxes，wascartridgesforsniderrifles4，540andcartridgesformuskets4，330，makingatotalof8，870rounds。

Inowaddressedthemen，andabusedthemmostforcibly，callingthem”oldwomen，”andseveralotheruncomplimentaryepithetsforsoldiers。I

dividedamongthemfortyroundseach，andIsworesolemnlybytheirprophet，”thatIwouldnotgivethemanothercartridgefromthisspot(Chorobeze)untilweshouldreachMajorAbdullah’sdetachmentatFatiko。”

Iexplainedthatifanymanshouldfireawayhisammunition，heshouldcontinuethemarchwithanemptypouch——WahIllahi！Illahi！

Igavethemostpositivecommand，thatinfuturenotashotshouldbefiredwithoutorders，unlessspearsactuallywerethrown；onwhichoccasionsthetroopswouldfireafewshotsexactlyintothespotfromwhichtheweaponshadarrived；butonnoaccountwasabullettobefiredatrandom。

Idismissedthemenwiththiswarning，andsetthemtoworktoconstructanightdefenceasusual。

ItwasamostfortunatepeculiarityoftheUnyorosthattheydidnotattackatnight-time。Thiswasagrievousfaultupontheirside。Iftheyhadsurroundeduseverynight，theywouldhavekeptusawake，andnotonlywouldhavetiredthemenout，buttheywouldhavecausedauselessexpenditureofammunition。

On17thofJune，westartedat6。15A。M。，withtheintentionofreachingKoki。Irecognizedseveralvillages，butwepassedthemwithouthalting。

Weatlengtharrivedatafine，broadroute，thatwassufficientlywideforadog-cart。Thishadevidentlybeenrecentlyprepared，andtherecouldbenodoubtthatitwasarrangedasasnarethatwouldleadusintosomepowerfulambuscade。Atthesametime，thecompassshowedthatthebroadpathledintherightdirection。

Ihaltedtheforce，andwenttothefronttoexaminetheroad。Therewasnootherpath。Itwasthereforeincumbentuponustokeeptothebroadroute，althoughweknewthatitmustleadustoatrappreparedforourdestruction。

Itwaslikewalkinguponicethatwasknowntobeunsafe。Weadvanced。

Forabouthalfanhourwemarchedwithoutopposition。Thiswasalongerintervalthanusualtobefreefromanattack。Atlengthwearrivedwherethebroadroadsuddenlyterminated。Theadvance-guardhalted。

Wesearchedforapath，andatlengthdiscoveredtheoriginalnarrowrouteafewpacestoourleft。

Thishadbeenpurposelyconcealedbygrassandboughs。

Wehadhardlyenteredthispathwhenweweresuddenlyattacked。A

horsekeeperwaswoundedbyaspear，whichpassedthroughhisleg，behindtheknee，andcutthesinew，thusrenderinghimhelpless。Hewasimmediatelyplaceduponadonkey。Theunfortunateladwholedthehorseafewpacesbeforemenowutteredawildshriek，asaspearpassedcompl

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