The Degree Of Credit Which Might Be Attached To These Reports, Was Nearly Balanced In The Scales Of Probability, And

They advanced towards the town of Kouka, in a most interesting state of uncertainty, whether they should find its chief

At the head of thousands, or be received by him under a tree, surrounded by a few naked slaves.

These doubts, however, were quickly removed; Major Denham had ridden on a short distance in front of Boo Khaloom, with his train of Arabs all mounted, and dressed out in their best apparel, and from the thickness of the leaves soon lost sight of them, fancying that the road could not be mistaken. He rode still onwards, and on approaching a spot less thickly planted, was not a little surprised to see in front of him a body of several thousand cavalry, drawn up in a line, and extending right and left as far as he could see; checking his horse, he awaited the arrival of his party, under the shade of a wide-spreading acacia. The Bornou troops remained quite steady without noise or confusion, and a few horsemen, who were moving about in front giving directions, were the only persons out of the ranks. On the Arabs appearing in sight, a shout or yell was given by the sheik's people, which rent the air; a blast was blown from their rude instruments of music equally loud, and they moved on to meet Boo Khaloom and his Arabs. There was an appearance of tact and management in their movements, which astonished every one; three separate small bodies from the centre and each flank, kept charging rapidly towards them, to within a few feet of their horses' heads, without checking the speed of their own, until the movement of their halt, while the whole body moved onwards.

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