She had witnessed the extraordinary energy which the natives
had exhibited in rushing from the neighbouring villages, almost
immediately when the war-drum had sounded. They had poured in streams
past the station, and had brandished their lances and shields at her as
they thronged at full speed within fifty yards of the government
clearing.
Fortunately, when the big nogara had sounded, both she and the troops
understood the signal, and with praiseworthy speed she had placed every
man in position to defend the station. Even the servants and our black
boys were armed, and occupied the posts assigned to them. Without these
precautions it is highly probable that the station would have been
attacked, in which case it might have been at once overwhelmed by so
immense a superiority of force.
I felt that on the whole we had narrowly escaped from ruin. My
intention, when in the open square, had been to seize a rifle from a
soldier, and at once to shoot Kabba Rega had hostilities commenced after
his appearance; but, even had we been able to hold our own, with a party
of eighty men, we should have lost the entire station, together with all
our ammunition, and every soul would have been massacred.
