Having Told Mr. Baker
To Take The First Shot, He Sent A Spherical No.
8 through the shoulder
of the nearest bull, which, after a few plunges, fell dead.
The other,
startled at the shot, dashed off; at the same time he received a shell
from my rifle in the flank, and a shot from the left-hand barrel in the
rear. With these shots he went off about three hundred paces, and lay
down, as we thought, to die. I intended to stalk him from behind the
white ant-hills, but my sailors, in intense excitement, rushed forward,
supposing that his beef was their own, and although badly hit, he again
rose and cantered off till lost in high rushes.
"March 31.-As we proceeded, the banks became drier. The two steamers had
arrived during the night, and the whole fleet is coming up astern. The
river is now about fifty yards wide, but I am getting nervous about the
depth; the water is very shallow in some of the bends, and I fear there
will be great difficulty in getting through with the steamers and heavy
vessels. My diahbeeah, which is of iron, although roomy, is exceedingly
light, and only requires two feet three inches of water. We have been
fifty-one days from Khartoum. Never have I known so miserable a voyage.
Wind fresh from the south."
CHAPTER III
THE RETREAT
"April 1. - All the vessels are stuck fast for want of water! This is
terrible. I went on in advance with my diahbeeah, accompanied by Mr.
Baker, for about three miles to explore.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 65 of 782
Words from 16919 to 17185
of 207249
