de a melancholy echo in the deep recesses of the hills. I never heard
a more touching lamentation for the dead. It was as if all nature joined
in sympathy with these poor people, whose happy homes had been
destroyed. I was deeply affected, and the more so as I thought over the
cruel fate which now seemed to be hanging over our heads.

Soon afterwards the Baggara appeared again, but this time they were seen
from a distance, and by a preconcerted signal all fled to places of
security, and the robbers returned empty-handed. The Nubas now wanted to
lie in wait for the Baggara, and asked the captain commanding the
company to assist them with twenty men. This, however, he refused to do,
so we gave them twenty rifles from the Mission, and they then prepared
an ambush for the unsuspecting Arabs, who a few days afterwards came
riding along on their tired horses. The Nubas waited till they came
quite close, and then suddenly opened fire; fifteen of the enemy fell,
and the remainder galloped off at full speed; eight horses and some
booty fell into the hands of the Nubas, who returned in triumph to the
village, and were welcomed with great rejoicings. It was interesting to
see them as they marched slowly along, leading their captured horses,
while the maidens of the village danced in front of them and sang songs
in honour of the braves.

We had now a short period of tranquillity, but soon afterwards the
Baggara renewed their attacks, and we were in a state of constant alarm.
Our information about the Mahdi was distorted and unreliable; we had
practically no news from El Obeid, and we could only arrive at the
conclusion that the Government was powerless, otherwise why should the
Baggara attack us?

One evening the captain told us that he had certain information that we
were to be massacred that night; he had heard that the Baggaras had made
a compact with the Khojur Kakum and the Nubas, and that our destruction
had been agreed upon. The alarm which fell upon our little colony at
this news can be readily understood.

It was a very dark night, and in the distance we saw a line of fires
which we took to be the Baggara camp-fires. As we all quite believed in
the captain's information, we prepared ourselves for defence; but as we
thought over the situation we began to wonder how it was that Kakum, who
had hitherto been our sworn friend, and united to us by the tie of
blood-brotherhood, should suddenly join with his bitterest enemies,