hot to reload. The enemy seldom threw away their arrows, not
shooting till they were sure of doing so with effect. Occasionally a
single horseman would gallop up and brandish his spear, while he covered
himself with his large leathern shield, returning as fast as he went and
shouting: "Shields to the wall, you soldiers of the _gadado_! Why do
you not hasten to the wall?" Many of the soldiers answered: "You have a
large shield to cover you," and disregarded the call. At length the
troops habited in quilted armour were marched forward, having at a
distance a somewhat fine appearance, as their helmets were ornamented
with black and white ostrich feathers, while at the sides pieces of tin
glittered in the sun, their long, quilted cloaks of gaudy colours
reaching down to the horses' tails and hanging over their flanks. The
riders were armed with large spears, and they had to be assisted to
mount their horses. Their quilted cloaks were so heavy that it required
two men to mount a cavalier. Six of these warriors belonged to the
sultan and six to each governor.

The besieged possessed one musket, and with this they did wonderful
execution, for it brought down the van of the quilted cavaliers, who
fell from his horse like a sack of corn, when the footmen dashed forward
and dragged him and his steed out of harm's way. He had been shot by
two balls, which went through his body, one coming out and the other
lodging in his quilted armour. There were three Arabs, armed at all
points, one of whom was struck by the Coonia musket, but the others kept
carefully behind the sultan.

The most useful and bravest person was an old female slave of the
sultan, who, mounted astraddle on a long-backed horse, rode about with
half a dozen gourds filled with water, and a brass basin, from which she
supplied the wounded and thirsty.

In the evening this valiant army retired to their camp, when the Coonia
force managed to cut off the water from the stream which supplied it,
and then an alarm was raised that they were about to make an attack. On
this the whole army, horse and foot, tumbled over each other pell-mell,
trying who should get the soonest out of danger.

Clapperton had wisely not undressed, but, making his servant saddle his
horse and load his camels, he set off in the morning with the army,
which soon afterwards retreated and returned to Sackatoo.

Though his old Arab acquaintance called upon him and pretended to be
very fri