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Pursued by Former Friends
was a man greatly liked and respected by the Protestant chiefs. He, with Mika Sematimba, a Protestant, had frequently been a kings messenger, appointed to take charge of Europeans either leaving or arriving at Uganda in canoes. In this capacity I had made his acquaintance some years before, while Mubinge had only a few days previously come to see me at Masaka, bringing me a present. He had been an old pupil of mine, but had received an office which brought him under the influence of the Roman Catholic Katikiro, the young Confessor Honorat, who had been killed fighting against the Muhammedans. Mubinge had welcomed me most kindly, and it v/as a melan- choly reflection that this miserable outbreak had made it necessary for these kindly friends to follow us now with arms in their hands. We had left Masaka on Wednes- day, and on Friday the enemy came upon our rear. Walker and Smith and I were well in front of the host of fugitives. Our way lay through a rich country, rising here and there into hills, at the base of which were swamps. There had been a great deal of rain this year — much more than usual — which had made the swamps particularly unpleasant. At about 10 A.M. the word was passed along that there was firing in the rear, and we heard the distant report of guns. Zakaria, Mubanda, and Thomas Mukisi, who was head of the Baganda soldiers of Budu, with some two hundred guns, many of them breech-loaders, were guarding the rear of the retreating Protestants. As soon as the}^ heard the firing, many of the terrified women, in order to expedite their movements, threw down their goods,
