ismailia-第103部分

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his　men。　He　was　afraid　to　enter　my　camp　without　a　second　assurance　in
writing　that　he　should　not　be　made　prisoner。

Of　course　he　swore　that　he　had　not　given　orders　to　fire　at　me；　and　he
declared　that　his　people　of　Fatiko　had　only　fired　because　they　were
afraid　that　the　natives　who　had　accompanied　me　were　about　to　attack
them。

I　asked　him；　〃If　that　were　the　case；　why　had　they　not　communicated　with
me；　as　I　was　only　ninety　yards　distant？〃　He　said　his　people　had　not
fired　at　the　government　troops；　but　only　at　the　natives　who　were　upon
the　rock。

He　could　not　quite　explain　in　that　case　〃how　it　was　that　1；000　natives
perched　upon　the　rock　close　together；　had　escaped　without　a　man　being
wounded；　while　not　only　were　seven　of　the　government　troops　knocked　down
by　bullets；　but　the　huts　and　furniture　of　our　camp；　including　boxes　in
the　magazine；　&c；　had　been　completely　riddled　with　balls。〃　He　then　began
to　lay　the　blame　on　Wat…el…Mek；　and　even　had　the　audacity　to　declare
that　〃he　had　nothing　to　do　with　slaves；　but　that　he　could　not　restrain
his　people　from　kidnapping。〃　I　never　heard　any　human　being　pour　out　such
a　cataract　of　lies　as　this　scoundrel。　His　plausibility　and　assurance
were　such　that　I　stood　aghast；　and　after　he　had　delivered　a　long　speech；
in　which　he　declared　that　〃he　was　the　innocent　victim　of　adverse
circumstances；　and　that　every　one　was　against　him；〃　I　could　merely　reply
by　dismissing　him　with　the　assurance　that　there　was　〃only　one　really
good　and　honest　man　in　the　world；　who　invariably　spoke　the　truth；　this
man　was　ABOU　SAOOD。　All　other　men　were　liars。〃

On　the　following　morning　Abou　Saood　came　to　take　leave。　He　pretended　to
devote　himself　to　my　service；　and　declared　that　he　should　now　at　once
return　to　Fabbo　and　organize　the　best　of　his　people　into　an　irregular
corps　for　the　government；　and　he　should　act　with　energy　as　my　vakeel；
and　assist　me　in　every　manner　possible。　He　begged　me　not　to　believe　a
word　that　any　one　might　say　EXCEPT　HIMSELF；　and　he　swore　by　the　eyes　and
head　of　the　Prophet　（this　was　his　favourite　oath　whenever　he　told　the
biggest　lie）　that　there　was　no　one　so　true　to　me　as　he；　which　he　would
prove　by　his　acts。　He　then　went　back　to　Fabbo。

This　is　the　last　time　that　I　ever　saw　Abou　Saood。　　He　took　200　men　upon
his　arrival　at　Fabbo；　and　after　having　told　his　men　to　cut　the　throat　of
the　sheik　Werdella；　who　was　a　prisoner　in　the　Fabbo　camp　under　my
special　orders　for　protection；　he　went　straight　to　Gondokoro　to　his
friend　Raouf　Bey。

This　officer；　who　commanded　at　head…quarters　during　my　absence；　although
he　heard　from　Abou　Saood's　people　of　the　attack　made　upon　me　at　Fatiko；
and　Abou　Saood　had　arrived　without　either　a　passport　or　letters　from
myself；　positively　allowed　him　to　depart　to　Khartoum。

At　Khartoum　Abou　Saood　spread　every　conceivable　false　report。　　Thence　he
travelled　to　Cairo；　expressly　to　complain　to　the　Khedive's　government　of
the　manner　in　which　he　had　been　treated　by　me。

Thus　the　greatest　slave…trader　of　the　White　Nile；　who　was　so　closely
connected　with　the　Soudan　government　that　he　was　a　tenant　who　had　rented
a　country　WHICH　DID　NOT　BELONG　TO　EGYPT；　now　applied　to　that　government
for　protection　against　my　interference　with　his　murders；　kidnapping；　and
pillaging；　which　were　the　accompaniments　of　his　slave…hunting　in　Central
Africa。

The　fact　of　this　renowned　slave…hunter　having　the　audacity　to　appeal　to
the　Egyptian　authorities　for　assistance；　at　once　exhibits　the　confidence
that　the　slave…traders　felt　in　the　moral　support　of　certain　official
personages　who　represented　public　opinion　in　their　hatred　to　the
principal　object　of　the　expedition。

The　various　links　in　the　chain　which　united　the　interests　of　Abou　Saood
with　certain　officers　who　were　opposed　to　the　spirit　of　the　enterprise
will　be　at　once　perceived。

From　the　very　commencement；　this　man　had　been　the　chief　intriguer　who
had　endeavoured　to　ruin　the　expedition。　He　had　fraternized　with　the
Baris　when　they　were　at　open　war　with　the　government。　He　had　incited　the
tribes　to　attack　me；　and　at　length　his　own　companies　had　fired　at　me　by
his　orders。　HE　NOW　SOUGHT　THE　PROTECTION　OF　THE　EGYPTIAN　GOVERNMENT　AT
CAIRO。

We　shall　now　leave　Abou　Saood　in　Cairo；　where　he　spread　the　false　report
of　the　massacre　of　Lady　Baker　and　myself；　which　reached　England　and
appeared　in　the　newspapers　in　April　1873。

After　Abou　Saood's　departure　from　Fabbo；　the　influence　of　Wat…el…Mek
began　to　be　felt；　and　many　men　flocked　to　the　government　standard。
Nevertheless；　that　station　was　a　scene　of　anarchy。　The　slave…hunters
were　divided　among　themselves。　The　party　that　followed　Wat…el…Mek　were
nearly　all　Soudanis；　like　himself；　but　the　Arabs　were　split　up　into
companies；　each　of　which　had　elected　a　separate　leader。　This　dissension
was　exactly　what　I　desired；　and　I　played　the　game　accordingly。　As　I　have
before　stated；　I　wished　to　avoid　physical　force。

Ali　Genninar；　whom　I　had　engaged　at　Masindi；　was　an　excellent　fellow；
and　before　Abou　Saood　deserted　the　country；　he　had　been　the　first　man　to
arrive　at　Fatike　and　unite　with　the　government。　He　now　collected
sixty…five　men；　whom　I　at　once　enrolled；　and　having　given　them　their
government　flags；　I　started　them　off　without　delay　to　support　Rionga　in
Unyoro；　and　recalled　Abd…el…Kader　and　his　troops　to　Fatiko。　At　the　same
time　I　sent　Rionga　many　valuable　presents。

There　were　several　terrible　scoundrels　at　Fabbo；　among　whom　was
Salim…Wat…Howah；　who；　together　with　Lazim；　had　threatened　to　shoot　Major
Abdullah　in　his　own　camp　during　my　absence　in　Unyoro。

I　had　Lazim　in　irons　at　Fatiko；　but　Salim…Wat…Howah　had　escaped　on　the
day　of　attack。　This　man　Salim　was　the　head　of　the　greatest　villains　at
Fabbo；　and　he　and　his　band　of　about　one　hundred　men　daily　sallied　out　of
the　zareeba　and　plundered　and　burnt　the　neighbourhood　in　open　defiance
of　Wat…el…Mek。

When　these　ruffians　captured　women；　they　now　cut　their　throats　and　threw
them　into　the　Un…y…Ame　river；　explaining　to　the　natives　that　they　defied
me　to　〃liberate〃　them　when　their　throats　were　cut。

Every　day　the　natives　flocked　to　me　from　Fabbo　with　the　most　dreadful
tales　of　atrocities。

The　time　had　now　arrived　when　I　could　make　the　move　that　I　felt　sure
would　reduce　the　country　to　order。

The　slave…hunters　were　in　this　position。　I　had　sent　Ali　Germinar　with
sixty…five　men　to　Unyoro；　200　had　gone　off　with　Abou　Saood；　100
reprobates　clung　to　Salim…Wat…Howah；　and　the　remainder　were　true　to
Wat…el…Mek。

I　therefore　sent　a　message　to　Fabbo；　which　Wat…el…Mek　would　make　public
in　the　zareeba：　〃that；　having　received　daily　complaints　from　the　natives
of　outrages　committed　by　Salim…Wat…Howah　and　his　company；　it　was　my
intention　in　forty　eight　hours　to　visit　Fabbo　with　the　troops；　together
with　the　native　witnesses　to　the　outrages　complained　of。〃

I　ordered　〃all　those　men　who　had　enlisted　in　the　government　service；
together　with　all　others　who　were　true　to　the　Khedive；　to　retire　from
the　Fabbo　station　to　Faloro：　thus　Fabbo　alone　would　represent　the
malcontents。〃

I　felt　sure　that　the　dissension　which　had　existed　among　the　various
parties　would　now　break　out　anew；　and　that　Salim…Wat…Howah；　fearing　a
personal　visit　from　me；　would　follow　the　example　of　his　master；　Abou
Saood；　and　fly　from　the　country。

The　hint　that　I　had　given　respecting　the　retirement　of　the　loyal　people
to　Faloro；　so　that　Fabbo　would　represent　the　disloyal；　would　be
sufficient　warning　that　physical　force　was　intended；　should　other　means
fail。

The　day　upon　which　Wat…el…Mek　published　the　proclamation　was　one　of
general　consternation　in　Fabbo。

Wat…el…Mek　left　the　station　with　his　Soudanis。

Salim…Wat…Howah　and　his　men　suddenly　sprang　upon　the　vakeel；　Suleiman；
and　having　secured　him；　while　others　broke　open　the　powder…magazine；
they　possessed　themselves　of　three　cases　（1；500　rounds）　of
ball…cartridge；　together　with　the　flags　of　the　station。　With　this　prize
they　marched　out　of　the　zareeba　with　their　slaves；　who　carried　their
luggage；　and　took　the　road　towards　Latooka；　about　nine　days'　march
distant。

Without　firing　a　shot；　I　had　thus　won　the　game。　　All　the　bad　people　had
found　the　country　too　hot　for　them。　The　remaining　men　received
certificates；　and　raised　the　corps　of　irregulars　to　312　officers　and
men；　all　of　whom　were　nominally　under　Wat…el…Mek；　although　Ali　Genninar
held　a　separate　command　in　Unyoro。　I　now　strengthened　his　party　by　a
reinforcement。

From　this　date；　the　victory　was　gained；　and　I　could　only　thank　God　for
the　great　success　that　had　attended　all　my　efforts。　The　slave…hunting
was　now　at　an　end　throughout　an　immense　district；　as　the　slave…hunters
had　ceased　to　exist　south　of　Gondokoro。　Excepting　Unyoro；　the　days　of
bloodshed　were　past。　The　〃Forty　Thieves〃；　who　had　so　gallantly　stood　by
me　through　every　difficulty；　never　again　had　an　enemy　before　them。　I　was
devoutly　thankful　for　days　of　peace。　（All　readers　will　share　my　deep
regret；　that　since　my　departure　from　Central　Africa　this　gallant　body　of
men；　together　with　the　French　officer　in　command；　Monsieur　Linant　de
Bellefonds；　fell　victims　to　a　surprise　by　the　Baris　in　the　district　of
Moogi。　Colonel　Gordon；　who　was　engaged　in　towing　a　steamer　through　the
rapids；　had　sent　M。　Linant　de　Bellefonds　with　forty　sniders　to　make　a
reconnaissance　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood；　as　the　Moogi　natives　had
become　hostile。　The　force　was　supplied　with　thirty　rounds　of
ball…cartridge　in　their　pouches　together　with　two　boxes　（1000　rounds）　of
spare　ammunition。　Only　four　soldiers　escaped　to　tell　the　tale　of
destruction。）

My　task　was　now　full　of　pleasure　and　gratification。　I　had　established
perfect　confidence　among　the　natives　throughout　the　large　country　of
Shooli。　The　Lira　tribe　had　declared　their　allegiance；　and　we　had　friends
upon　all　sides。

I　had　as　usual　planted　gardens　at　Fatiko；　which　were　flourishing。　The
natives　no　longer　concealed　their　stores　of　corn；　but　dancing　and
rejoicing　had　taken　the　place　of　watchfulness　and　insecurity。

The　children　and　women　flocked　to　our　camp；　and　marketing　upon　a　large
scale　was　conducted　without　a　squabble。　The　two　good　men；　Shooli　and
Gimoro；　who　were　dail