were quietly pursuing their road, when one of
their party was seen running up behind them, swinging his musket over
his head and crying: "Lads, our enemy has come!" Alarm was spread
through the caravan: everyone seized his arms, and those who were riding
jumped from their camels. The man reported that a number of Tawarek,
mounted on camels, had been seen rapidly approaching, with the evident
intention of attacking the caravan. A warlike spirit prevailed, and
all, the doctor thought, would fight valiantly. Freebooting parties,
however, do not attack openly. They first introduce themselves in a
peaceable way, when, having disturbed the little unity which exists in
most caravans, they gradually throw off the mask.

After some time they came to the conclusion that it was not likely that
they would be attacked by daylight. They, therefore, sent off a body of
archers to gain information from a small caravan which was coming from
Soudan, consisting of a few Tebus, ten camels, and about forty slaves.
The unfortunate Tebus were soon afterwards attacked by a fierce tribe,
the Haddanara, who, disappointed at getting nothing from the English
expedition, murdered the whole of them and carried off their camels and
slaves.

Soon after the party had encamped at night three strangers made their
appearance; but, although they were known to be robbers, and that a
number of their companions were not far off, they were allowed to lie
down for the night. The experienced old Sheikh of the Kafeila warned
Barth to be on his guard, and exhorted his attendants to be staunch.
Everybody was crying for powder. Their clever servant, Mahomet, placed
his four pieces of boat on the outside of the tents, that they might
afford shelter in case of an attack. They kept watch the whole night,
and the strangers, seeing them well on their guard, did not venture to
assail them. In the morning they went slowly away to join their
companions, who had kept behind a rocky ridge in the distance. There
was indeed much cause for anxiety. Suddenly an alarm was raised that
the camels had been stolen. The old chief, taking advantage of this
state of things, urged Barth and Overweg to confide their property to
him and another chief. This was not entirely disinterested advice; for,
if anything had happened to the travellers, the chief would, of course,
have been their heir.

At an early hour they started with an uneasy feeling. With the first
dawn the true