On The Way, I Made A
Long Shot And Badly Wounded A Tetel, But Lost It In Thick Thorns;
Shortly After, I Stalked A Nellut (A. Strepsiceros), And Bagged
It With The Fletcher Rifle.
We arrived early in camp, and on the following day we moved
sixteen miles farther up stream, and camped under a tamarind tree
by the side of the river.
No European had ever been farther than
our last camp, Delladilla, and that spot had only been visited by
Johann Schmidt and Florian. In the previous year, my aggageers
had sabred some of the Base at this very camping-place; they
accordingly requested me to keep a vigilant watch during the
night, as they would be very likely to attack us in revenge,
unless they had been scared by the rifles and by the size of our
party. They advised me not to remain long in this spot, as it
would be very dangerous for my wife to be left almost alone
during the day, when we were hunting, and that the Base would be
certain to espy us from the mountains, and would most probably
attack and carry her off when they were assured of our departure.
She was not very nervous about this, but she immediately called
the dragoman, Mahomet, who knew the use of a gun, and she asked
him if he would stand by her in case they were attacked in my
absence; the faithful servant replied, "Mahomet fight the Base?
No, Missus; Mahomet not fight; if the Base come, Missus fight;
Mahomet run away; Mahomet not come all the way from Cairo to get
him killed by black fellers; Mahomet will run--Inshallah!"
(please God).
This frank avowal of his military tactics was very reassuring.
There was a high hill of basalt, something resembling a pyramid,
within a quarter of a mile of us; I accordingly ordered some of
my men every day to ascend this look-out station, and I resolved
to burn the high grass at once, so as to destroy all cover for
the concealment of an enemy.
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