Having reduced the distance to about 150 yards, the crimson silk banners
afforded excellent marks for rifle practice. They fell to the right and
left, as the shots were directed a little low so as to hit the bearers.
In a few minutes not a flag was to be seen! The fatal sniders poured
bullets into the dense body of men, who, after waving two and fro as the
shots thinned their number, at length ran off without any further effort
to maintain a formation.
For upwards of four miles Lieutenant Baker and I chased these ruffians
with the "Forty Thieves". Many were killed in the pursuit; and upon our
return to the camp at Fatiko at 2 P.M., we had captured a herd of 306
cattle, 130 slaves, 15 donkeys, 43 prisoners, 7 flags, together with the
entire station.
The enemy had suffered the loss of more than half their party killed.
The actual fighting had been done by the "Forty Thieves"; and the men of
Abdullah's detachment had behaved disgracefully. Instead of following
the enemy in the retreat, they had fraternized with a crowd of natives
in pillaging the extensive station.
I now had to clear all these fellows out. The officers appeared to have
quite lost their heads; and the natives had carried off all the guns and
ammunition from the dead men, and had sacked and plundered the powder
magazine.
