Barttelot left, and did not shake it off till several days afterwards. Towards evening on the third day I received a message from the chief, asking me to come up to the hut where he was living as he had important instructions to give me. On going up to the Arab house which he used as his headquarters, I learnt that he had had some row with Tippoo Tib about the limits of the latter's territory. What had actually happened I never heard, and could only gather, from the reports of the men who had been present, that the Belgian had folded his arms across his chest and told the Arab chief he would not allow him to enter the territory of Bangala; and that Tippoo in reply had merely pointed to the canoes that had brought the white man over to the south and ejaculated, 'Inshallah! enda zako!'
"Inshallah! Enda zako!"
"Whatever the row had been, the chief was greatly alarmed, and ordered me to get everything ready in case the Arabs attacked us that night. Most of the stores were on shore, and it would have been hopeless to convey them to the boat without attracting the attention of the Arabs; but, as soon as it was dark, the greater part of the ammunition and provisions were carried down, and got safely on board the launch, before, the dark clouds drifting from the moon, a flood of silvery light poured over all the land. The boat was lying well away from all forest and bush, so there was very little danger of attack until the moon set, between twelve and one—and this gave me plenty of time to carry out the chief's orders. I felt sick and giddy, and the fever burned like hell fire; but seldom have I worked as I did that night. The majority of the Houssas were to remain on shore with the chief. I was to have six in the launch with me, besides my boy—two to work the engines in case of need, and four to do sentry-go. The usual allowance was two, but that night I was to set a double watch—one man on the sun-deck of the steamer, and one on shore, close to where the anchor lay, in order that he might lose no time in carrying it on board if necessary.
"My orders were to have everything in readiness to get up steam in case of need, load every gun and rifle on board, and keep a good watch, doing sentry myself, as soon as the moon was down, till daylight. As the chief considered it of the first importance that the Arabs should not capture the steamer, he gave me for sentries four Houssas who had been on night duty for some time, and had been given the whole day for sleep. In case of attack, I was, on the first alarm, to push out into deep water, and light the fire, keeping as near the shore as I could, with all my guns ready to cover the retreat of the chief and his men. As soon as they were safe aboard, we were to
