However, I
Noticed That My Men Most Unmistakeably Took The Part Of Mahommed Her
Against Ibrahim; They Belonging To His Tribe.
The evening arrived, and my vakeel, with his usual cunning, came to ask
me "whether I intended to start
To-morrow?" He said there was excellent
shooting in this neighbourhood, and that Ibrahim's camp not being more
than five hours' march beyond, I could at any time join him, should I
think proper. Many of my men were sullenly listening to my reply, which
was, that we should start in company with Ibrahim. The men immediately
turned their backs, and swaggered insolently to the town, muttering
something that I could not distinctly understand. I gave orders
directly, that no man should sleep in the town, but that all should be
at their posts by the luggage under the tree that I occupied. At night
several men were absent, and were with difficulty brought from the town
by the vakeel. The whole of the night was passed by the rival parties
quarrelling and fighting. At 5.30 on the following morning the drum of
Ibrahim's party beat the call, and his men with great alacrity got their
porters together and prepared to march.
My vakeel was not to be found; my men were lying idly in the positions
where they had slept; and not a man obeyed when I gave the order to
prepare to start except Richarn and Sali. I saw that the moment had
arrived. Again I gave the order to the men, to get up and load the
animals; ...not a man would move, except three or four who slowly rose
from the ground, and stood resting on their guns.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 183 of 662
Words from 49950 to 50232
of 178435
