There
was not a native to be seen, but the drums and horns were sounding, and
as the Victoria Nile was close at hand, they considered it would be
advisable to cross the river before the natives should attack them in
force.
It was necessary to release Suleiman, who was secured in a sheba. This
man had been committed to the charge of Mohammed. Before Mohammed cut
the raw hide strip which secured the forked pole, he made Suleiman swear
by the prophet not to escape, but that he would deliver himself up to
Major Abdullah at Fatiko.
The party, now reduced to twenty-five men, immediately started. Upon
arrival at the banks of the river, they happened to come suddenly upon a
native, whom they seized.
They soon observed a canoe on the other side of the river, in which were
two men. They now made an arrangement for the capture of the canoe,
which was to them a case of life or death.
The prisoner was dressed in the usual flowing robe of bark-cloth. His
hands were tied behind him, and one of the party who could speak the
language now concealed himself behind the bark-cloth robe, and holding
the native tightly by the arms, he threatened him with instant death
unless he called the two natives in the canoe.
At first he hesitated, but fearing the knife at his back, the point of
which just pricked him to let him know that it was ready, he shouted to
the men in the boat.
"Say you have a number of plantains, and you want to take them across
the river," whispered his invisible prompter from behind.
The natives in the canoe hesitated. "Say you will give them each a bunch
of plantains if they will ferry you over," again whispered the cunning
Arab.
The canoe now pushed off from the bank, and paddled towards the
apparently solitary native.
The irregulars were concealed in the high grass close to the bank, and
as the canoe touched the shore, they shot the two natives dead, and
immediately secured it.
They now unlashed the arms of the prisoner, and insisted upon his
paddling the canoe across the river. Two journeys were necessary. The
first was successful, and the regular troops, together with the post and
Suleiman and others, were safely landed. During the second journey, as
the canoe was passing a rock above some dangerous rapids, the native
suddenly upset the boat by throwing his weight quickly to one side, and
plunged the whole party in the river.
