hdists attacked it a number of times. He was rescued by Stanley,
who conducted him with a greater part of his troops to Bagamoyo, on the
Indian Ocean.] who is located at Lado, having steamers and troops
there. Such is the command which you, Hatim, brought me. Therefore you
must return to Omdurman, for in Fashoda there will not remain a single
living soul. Here there is no place in which to live, there is nothing
to eat, and sickness is raging. I know, indeed, that the white people
do not catch small-pox, but fever will kill those children within a
month."

"I was ordered to bring them to Fashoda," replied Hatim, "so I brought
them, and need not trouble myself about them any more. But they were
recommended to me by my friend, the Greek Kaliopuli; for that reason I
would not want them to perish."

"And this will surely happen."

"Then what is to be done?"

"Instead of leaving them in desolate Fashoda, send them to Smain
together with those men who brought them to Omdurman. Smain went to the
mountains, to a dry and high region where the fever does not kill the
people as on the river."

"How will they find Smain?"

"By the trail of fire. He will set fire to the jungle, first, in order
to drive the game to the rocky ravines in which it will be easy to
surround and slaughter it, and then in order to scare out of the
thickets the heathens, who hid in them before pursuit. Smain will not
be hard to find--"

"Will they, however, overtake him?"

"He will at times pass a week in one locality to cure meat. Even though
he rode away two or three days ago they surely will overtake him."

"But why should they chase after him? He will return to Fashoda anyway."

"No. If the slave-hunt is successful, he will take the slaves to the
cities to sell them--"

"What is to be done?"

"Remember that both of us must leave Fashoda. The children, even though
the fever does not kill them, will die of starvation."

"By the prophet! That is true."

And there really remained nothing else to do but to despatch the
children upon a new wandering life. Hatim, who appeared to be a very
good man, was only troubled about this: whether Gebhr, with whose cruel
disposition he had become acquainted during the journey, would not
treat them too harshly. But the stern Seki Tamala, who aroused fear
even in his own soldiers, commanded the Sudanese to be summoned, and
announced to him that he was to convey the children alive and in good
health to Sma