THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 441
Here I left Kafmati Netcho, and was making my way towards the king's tent, when I was met by a fervant of confidence of Kefla Yafous, who had that day commanded the rear in the retreat, a very experienced officer, brave even to a fault, but full of mildnefs and humanity, and the moft fenfible and affable man in the army. He fent to de- fire that I would come to him alone, or that I would fend one of the Greeks that followed me. I promifed to do fo, after having anfwered moll of the queftions that he bade his fervant afk of me. After this I fearched for Strates and Sebaftos, who had been fick upon the road.
I soon came up with them, and was more furprifed than I had been for feveral days, to fee them both lie extended on the ground ; Strates bleeding at a large wound in his forehead, fpeaking Greek to himfelf, and crying out his leg was broken, whilft he prefled it with both his hands below the knee, feemingly regardlefs of the gafh in his head, which appeared to me a very ugly one, fo that I, of courfe, thought his leg was ltill worfe. Sebaftos was lying ftretch- ed along the ground, fcarcely faying, any thing, but fighing loudly. Upon my afking him whether his arm was broken I he anfwered feebly, that he was a dying man, and that his legs, his arms, and his ribs were broken to pieces. I could not for my life conceive how this calamity had happened fo fuddenly, for I had not been half an hour abfent talking to Kefla Yafous's fervant ; and, what feemed to me flill ftranger, every body around them were burfting out into fits of laughter.
Ali Mahomet's fervant, who was the only perfon that I
faw concerned, upon my afking, told me that it was all ow=
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