第84章

couldaccomplishwitharifle；andthustowarnamanwhowouldbeusefultome，insteadofkillinghim。

Wat-el-MeknowofferedtoswearupontheKoranfidelityandallegianceifIwouldpardonhim；andhewouldatonceprovehissinceritybyraisinganirregularcorps。

Thismanwasacuriouscharacter；hissuperstitiousnaturehadbeenseizedwiththeconvictionthathispresentpositionwasaspecialvisitationofdivinewrath。Hewasacourageousfellow，andheknewthecountryandthenativesbetterthananymanliving。Ihadalwayswishedtoengagehisservices，andIconsideredthisanexcellentopportunity。

Theofficersnowbeggedmetoforgivehim。Hewasledawaytoastreamofclearwater，wherehewentthroughtheprocessofwashingwithacakeofsoap，whichwassorelyneeded。Hewasthendressedincleanclothesthatwerelenttohimforthatpurpose，andtheKoranwasbroughtandlaidopenataparticularpassage。

Placinghiswoundedhanduponthepage，herepeatedwithgreatdevotiontheformaloath。(Wat-el-Mekalwaysbehavedwellfromthattime。)

Inowgavehimafewwordsofgoodadvice，encouraginghispreconceivedideathatGodhadchastisedhimspecially，andthatthefuturewoulddependuponhisownconduct。

Havingthussecuredthisvaluableman，whomIhadalwayswishedtoengageatthecommencementoftheexpedition，therewasmuchtobedone，anditwillbenecessarytomakeafewextractsfrommyjournalthatwillbetterexplaintheposition：——”August5，1872——IoughttohangAbouSaood，butmuchdiplomacyisnecessary。Therebelsintheirthreestations，Fabbo，Faloro，andFarragenianumberabout600，exclusiveofarmedBaris。”Ihavewithme146men，includingofficers。ShouldIraisethewholecountry，thedifficultywouldbetopreventthenativesfromexterminatingAbouSaoodandthewholeofhisforces。Shouldsuchaneventoccur，howshouldIbeabletooccupythisextensivecountrywithsosmallaforce?IhavelatelyhadapainfullessoninthetreacheryofKabbaRega，who，whenIhadrelievedhimofhisenemies，theslave-traders，immediatelyturnedagainstME。Thesenativesmightprobablydothesame。Negroesrespectnothingbutforce；andtheforcethatnowexists，ifremoved，willleavethemfreetoactagainstthegovernment。Alreadytheyhavebenefitedbythefightwiththeslave-hunters，byrunningoffwiththearmsandammunition，togetherwithanumberofcattle，whileourtroopswereengagedwiththeenemy。”

Icametotheconclusionthatitwouldbeunwisetogetridoftheslave-huntersbyphysicalforce。AlthoughIfeltthattheywereentirelyinmypower，asIcouldbombardtheirstationswithHale’srockets，iftheyshouldrefusetoturnout，thenativeswould，intheeventofaflight，mostassuredlypossessthemselvesofthegunsandammunition。

With146men，Icouldnottakemorethaneightymentoactagainst600，asthesmallforceofsixty-sixwouldbetheminimumthatIcouldleavetoprotecttheFatikostation。Ifwitheightymen，togetherwithawildarmyofnatives，IshouldattackFabbo(inwhichIhadheardthatAbouSaoodwasconcentratinghispeoplefromtheotherstations)，everyoneoftheslave-traderswouldbemassacred。Itwouldbeimpossibleforeightymentofight，andtosecureatthesametimethe600standofarmsthatwouldbeinthehandsoftherebels。These，togetherwiththemusketsbelongingtotheBaris，wouldallfallintothepossessionofmynativeallies，whowouldimmediatelyscatteranddisappearwiththeirprize。

ShouldIattackFabbo，there

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