No Quarter Had Been Given By The Latookas, And Upward Of
Two Hundred Natives Who Had Joined The Slave-Hunters In The Attack Had
Also Perished With Their Allies.
Mahommed Her had not himself
accompanied his people, both he and Bellaal, my late ringleader, having
remained in camp, the latter having, fortunately for him, been disabled,
and placed hors de combat by the example I had made during the mutiny.
My men were almost green with awe when I asked them solemnly, "Where are
the men who deserted from me?" Without answering a word they brought two
of my guns and laid them at my feet. They were covered with clotted
blood mixed with sand, which had hardened like cement over the locks and
various portions of the barrels. My guns were all marked. As I looked at
the numbers upon the stocks, I repeated aloud the names of the owners.
"Are they all dead?" I asked. "All dead," the men replied. "FOOD FOR
THE VULTURES?" I asked. "None of the bodies can be recovered," faltered
my vakeel. "The two guns were brought from the spot by some natives who
escaped, and who saw the men fall. They are all killed." "Better for
them had they remained with me and done their duty. The hand of God is
heavy," I replied. My men slunk away abashed, leaving the gory witnesses
of defeat and death upon the ground. I called Saat and ordered him to
give the two guns to Richarn to clean.
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