In the night Shaw tumbled off his donkey, and would
not rise, though implored to do so. As I did not despair myself,
so I did not intend that Shaw should despair. He was lifted on
his animal, and a man was placed on each side of him to assist him;
thus we rode through the darkness. At midnight we reached Mfuto
safely, and were at once admitted into the village, from which we
had issued so valiantly, but to which we were now returned so
ignominiously.
I found all my men had arrived here before dark. Ulimengo, the
bold guide who had exulted in his weapons and in our numbers, and
was so sanguine of victory, had performed the eleven hours' march
in six hours; sturdy Chowpereh, whom I regarded as the
faithfullest of my people, had arrived only half an hour later
than Ulimengo; and frisky Khamisi, the dandy - the orator - the
rampant demagogue - yes - he had come third; and Speke's "Faithfuls"
had proved as cowardly as any poor "nigger" of them all. Only
Selim was faithful.
I asked Selim, "Why did you not also run away, and leave your
master to die?"
"Oh, sir," said the Arab boy, naively, "I was afraid you would
whip me."
CHAPTER IX. MY LIFE AND TROUBLES IN UNYANYEMBE-(continued).
It never occurred to the Arab magnates that I had cause of complaint
against them, or that I had a right to feel aggrieved at their
conduct, for the base desertion of an ally, who had, as a duty to
friendship, taken up arms for their sake. Their "salaams" the next
morning after the retreat, were given as if nothing had transpired
to mar the good feeling that had existed between us.
They were hardly seated, however, before I began to inform them
that as the war was only between them and Mirambo, and that as
I was afraid, if they were accustomed to run away after every
little check, that the war might last a much longer time than I
could afford to lose; and that as they had deserted their wounded
on the field, and left their sick friends to take care of
themselves, they must not consider me in the light of an ally
any more. "I am satisfied," said I, "having seen your mode of
fighting, that the war will not be ended in so short a time as
you think it will. It took you five years, I hear, to conquer
and kill Manwa Sera, you will certainly not conquer Mirambo in
less than a year.* I am a white man, accustomed to wars after
a different style, I know something about fighting, but I never
saw people run away from an encampment like ours at Zimbizo for
such slight cause as you had.
