第79章

Mywifewasdreadfullytired，andsometimesthepacewastoosevereforher。Atlengthshewassofatiguedthatshedeclaredshemustrest，ifonlyforafewminutes。Itwasimpossibletohaltinthethickjungleandgrass；therefore，asIhadobservedalargegroveofplantainsonthecrestofthehillbeforeus，Igavehermyhandtoassistintheascent，andweshortlyenteredthedarkforestofbananas，whichwas，asusual，clearandfreefromgrass。

Allthewomenweregladtorest，asthepoorthingswerecarryingheavyloads。Wehaltedinthemidstoftheplantains，andeveryonesatdown，exceptthenumeroussentrieswhomIplacedinconcealmentinvariouspositions。Ifullyexpectedthatnativesmightbefollowingus，inthehopesofpickinguptheloadofsomewoundedmanthathadbeenleftbehind。

Notawordwasspoken，orevenwhispered。

Mymenwereverybloodthirsty。Theyhadbeenatrociouslytreatedbythenatives，andhadsufferedmuch。Theylongedtogettheirenemiesfairlybeforethem，andthe”FortyThieves”werenowkeenlylookingoutfortheapproachofthewilyUnyoros。

Wehearddistantvoices；theywerecomingnearer。Asharpclickingoflocksmightbeheard，asthemengotready。

AllSadikwasoneofmybestshotsin”TheForty。”Inowsawhimtakingasteadyaim。SaatChoush，whowasthechampionshotof”TheForty”，hadalsoraisedhisrifle，andalmostimmediatelyseveralshotswerefired，andthetroopsrushedforward！Twonativeshadbeenknockedover，andsomeofthemenreturned，dragginginabodybytheheels。

Inowscouredtheimmediateneighbourhood，anddiscoveredaquantityofdhurrathatwasjustripened。Thiswasimmediatelygatheredasagreatprize。

Duringthisinterval，mymenhadbeenengagedinamostbarbarousceremony，thatperfectlydisgustedme。

Thesesuperstitiouspeoplehadanidea，thateverybullettheymightfirewouldkillanUnyoro，iftheycouldonlydevouraportionoftheirenemy’sliver。

Theyhadaccordinglycutouttheliverofthedeadman，andhavingdivideditamongthem，theypositivelyHADEATENIT——raw！Theyhadthencutthebodyintopieceswiththeirsword-bayonets，andhaddisposedthemuponthelimbsofvariousbushesthatoverhungthepath，asawarningtoanyUnyoroswhoshouldattempttofollowus。

Iwouldnothavebelievedthatmy”FortyThieves”，whomIhadconsideredtobenearlycivilized，couldhavecommittedsuchabarbarity。Thetruthwas，thatinthehighgrasstheycouldnotseetheeffectoftheirshots；thereforetheyimaginedthatthehorridriteofeatinganenemy’sliverwouldgiveafataldirectiontoarandombullet。

Wemarched，andhavinghadseveralencounterswiththeenemyinjungle，ifpossibleworsethanbefore，wehaltedatKaseega。

Oneofmybestmen，Serroor，hadanarrowescape；alancewentthroughhisneck，almostgrazingthejugularvein。

On19thJune，wemarchedat6。5A。M。Thiswasoneoftheworstjourneys，astheravineswerenumerous，andtheforestdarkandtangled。Itwasdifficultforoursolitaryhorse(Jamoos)tocarryhisload，asitbecamecontinuallyhookedinthehangingloopsofthewildvines。Wewerequicklyattackedbyvariousambuscades，inoneofwhichmywifesufferedthelossofagreatfavourite。ThiswaspoorlittleJarvah，whowentbythenameofthe”fatboy。”Tw

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