ismailia-第114节

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pieces　of　reed；　the　size　of　drawing　pencils　which　represented　the　number
of　houses　belonging　to　able…bodied　men。　This　tax　was　always　paid
cheerfully；　in　gratitude　for　the　protection　afforded　by　the　government。＇

The　first　step　was　to　summon　Abou　Saood　and　to　hear　his　defence　from　his
own　mouth。

I　had　given　the　prisoners　their　choice；　of　either　enlisting　in　the
government　service；　or　returning　to　Khartoum。

Of　course　they　ought　to　have　been　shot　in　a　batch；　but　I　could　not
afford　to　shoot　them。　I　had　to　catch　and　tame　my　wild　beasts　instead　
of　destroying　them。

A　considerable　number　agreed　to　serve　under　Wat…el…Mek。

I　wrote；　on　5th　August；　a　letter　addressed　to　Abou　Saood；　summoning　hum
to　appear　instantly　at　Fatiko：　at　the　same　time　I　promised　him　a　free
exit；　without　which　written　assurance　I　might　as　well　have　summoned　the
〃man　in　the　moon〃。

It　was　difficult　to　procure　natives　who　would　accompany　the　new
irregulars　with　the　letter；　as　news　had　arrived　that　Abou　Saood's　people
were　plundering　and　laying　waste　the　neighbourhood　of　Fabbo。

At　length　I　arranged　that　eight　of　the　new　levy；　together　with　the
native　blacksmith　and　several　others　from　Fatiko；　who　were　well　known　in
the　Madi　country；　should　go　to　Fabbo　（22　miles）　with　my　letter　to　Abou
Saood。　The　blacksmith　would　protect　the　irregulars　by　explaining　their
new　position　to　any　natives　who　might　desire　to　molest　them。

I　also　sent　a　proclamation　to　be　read　publicly　in　the　zareeba；　summoning
all　subjects　of　the　Khedive　to　declare　their　allegiance　to　the
government。

On　the　following　day　（6th　August）　the　blacksmith　and　his　people　returned
to　Fabbo　thoroughly　disgusted。　Upon　their　arrival　near　the　zareeba　of
Abou　Saood　they　had　cried　out　to　the　slave…hunters　that　they　had　brought
〃a　letter　from　the　Pacha　to　Abou　Saood！〃　The　slave…hunters　had　replied
with　a　well…known　form　of　abuse　in　that　country；　and　had　immediately
fired　a　volley　into　the　blacksmith　and　the　eight　men　of　their　own
people！

The　blacksmith　and　his　natives　had　lost　no　time　in　running　back　to
Fatiko；　and　the　eight　irregulars　having　thrown　themselves　on　the　ground；
had　（the　blacksmith　supposed）　at　length　explained　who　they　were。

The　patience　and　forbearance　that　I　was　obliged　to　assume　were　far　more
trying　to　my　feelings　than　the　march　from　Masindi。

It　has　always　been　an　intense　satisfaction　to　me　that　I　had　reliable
witnesses　to　every　incident　of　the　expedition；　otherwise；　I　might
perhaps　have　been　suspected　of　some　prejudice　against　Abou　Saood　and
certain　Egyptian　authorities　that；　unknown　to　myself；　might　have
discoloured　the　true　aspect　of　affairs。　I　can　only　refer　to　Lieutenant
Baker；　R。N。；　and　that　gallant　officer；　Lieutenant…Colonel　Abd…el…Kader；
and　many　others；　including　all　soldiers　and　servants　who　belonged　to　the
detachment　at　Fatiko。

These　persons　subsequently　gave　their　evidence；　which　they　will　be　ready
at　all　times　to　repeat。

On　7th　August；　at　about　5　P。M。；　Abou　Saood　appeared　with　about　forty　of
his　men。　He　was　afraid　to　enter　my　camp　without　a　second　assurance　in
writing　that　he　should　not　be　made　prisoner。

Of　course　he　swore　that　he　had　not　given　orders　to　fire　at　me；　and　he
declared　that　his　people　of　Fatiko　had　only　fired　because　they　were
afraid　that　the　natives　who　had　accompanied　me　were　about　to　attack
them。

I　asked　him；　〃If　that　were　the　case；　why　had　they　not　communicated　with
me；　as　I　was　only　ninety　yards　distant？〃　He　said　his　people　had　not
fired　at　the　government　troops；　but　only　at　the　natives　who　were　upon
the　rock。

He　could　not　quite　explain　in　that　case　〃how　it　was　that　1；000　natives
perched　upon　the　rock　close　together；　had　escaped　without　a　man　being
wounded；　while　not　only　were　seven　of　the　government　troops　knocked　down
by　bullets；　but　the　huts　and　furniture　of　our　camp；　including　boxes　in
the　magazine；　&c；　had　been　completely　riddled　with　balls。〃　He　then　began
to　lay　the　blame　on　Wat…el…Mek；　and　even　had　the　audacity　to　declare
that　〃he　had　nothing　to　do　with　slaves；　but　that　he　could　not　restrain
his　people　from　kidnapping。〃　I　never　heard　any　human　being　pour　out　such
a　cataract　of　lies　as　this　scoundrel。　His　plausibility　and　assurance
were　such　that　I　stood　aghast；　and　after　he　had　delivered　a　long　speech；
in　which　he　declared　that　〃he　was　the　innocent　victim　of　adverse
circumstances；　and　that　every　one　was　against　him；〃　I　could　merely　reply
by　dismissing　him　with　the　assurance　that　there　was　〃only　one　really
good　and　honest　man　in　the　world；　who　invariably　spoke　the　truth；　this
man　was　ABOU　SAOOD。　All　other　men　were　liars。〃

On　the　following　morning　Abou　Saood　came　to　take　leave。　He　pretended　to
devote　himself　to　my　service；　and　declared　that　he　should　now　at　once
return　to　Fabbo　and　organize　the　best　of　his　people　into　an　irregular
corps　for　the　government；　and　he　should　act　with　energy　as　my　vakeel；
and　assist　me　in　every　manner　possible。　He　begged　me　not　to　believe　a
word　that　any　one　might　say　EXCEPT　HIMSELF；　and　he　swore　by　the　eyes　and
head　of　the　Prophet　（this　was　his　favourite　oath　whenever　he　told　the
biggest　lie）　that　there　was　no　one　so　true　to　me　as　he；　which　he　would
prove　by　his　acts。　He　then　went　back　to　Fabbo。

This　is　the　last　time　that　I　ever　saw　Abou　Saood。　　He　took　200　men　upon
his　arrival　at　Fabbo；　and　after　having　told　his　men　to　cut　the　throat　of
the　sheik　Werdella；　who　was　a　prisoner　in　the　Fabbo　camp　under　my
special　orders　for　protection；　he　went　straight　to　Gondokoro　to　his
friend　Raouf　Bey。

This　officer；　who　commanded　at　head…quarters　during　my　absence；　although
he　heard　from　Abou　Saood's　people　of　the　attack　made　upon　me　at　Fatiko；
and　Abou　Saood　had　arrived　without　either　a　passport　or　letters　from
myself；　positively　allowed　him　to　depart　to　Khartoum。

At　Khartoum　Abou　Saood　spread　every　conceivable　false　report。　　Thence　he
travelled　to　Cairo；　expressly　to　complain　to　the　Khedive's　government　of
the　manner　in　which　he　had　been　treated　by　me。

Thus　the　greatest　slave…trader　of　the　White　Nile；　who　was　so　closely
connected　with　the　Soudan　government　that　he　was　a　tenant　who　had　rented
a　country　WHICH　DID　NOT　BELONG　TO　EGYPT；　now　applied　to　that　government
for　protection　against　my　interference　with　his　murders；　kidnapping；　and
pillaging；　which　were　the　accompaniments　of　his　slave…hunting　in　Central
Africa。

The　fact　of　this　renowned　slave…hunter　having　the　audacity　to　appeal　to
the　Egyptian　authorities　for　assistance；　at　once　exhibits　the　confidence
that　the　slave…traders　felt　in　the　moral　support　of　certain　official
personages　who　represented　public　opinion　in　their　hatred　to　the
principal　object　of　the　expedition。

The　various　links　in　the　chain　which　united　the　interests　of　Abou　Saood
with　certain　officers　who　were　opposed　to　the　spirit　of　the　enterprise
will　be　at　once　perceived。

From　the　very　commencement；　this　man　had　been　the　chief　intriguer　who
had　endeavoured　to　ruin　the　expedition。　He　had　fraternized　with　the
Baris　when　they　were　at　open　war　with　the　government。　He　had　incited　the
tribes　to　attack　me；　and　at　length　his　own　companies　had　fired　at　me　by
his　orders。　HE　NOW　SOUGHT　THE　PROTECTION　OF　THE　EGYPTIAN　GOVERNMENT　AT
CAIRO。

We　shall　now　leave　Abou　Saood　in　Cairo；　where　he　spread　the　false　report
of　the　massacre　of　Lady　Baker　and　myself；　which　reached　England　and
appeared　in　the　newspapers　in　April　1873。

After　Abou　Saood's　departure　from　Fabbo；　the　influence　of　Wat…el…Mek
began　to　be　felt；　and　many　men　flocked　to　the　government　standard。
Nevertheless；　that　station　was　a　scene　of　anarchy。　The　slave…hunters
were　divided　among　themselves。　The　party　that　followed　Wat…el…Mek　were
nearly　all　Soudanis；　like　himself；　but　the　Arabs　were　split　up　into
companies；　each　of　which　had　elected　a　separate　leader。　This　dissension
was　exactly　what　I　desired；　and　I　played　the　game　accordingly。　As　I　have
before　stated；　I　wished　to　avoid　physical　force。

Ali　Genninar；　whom　I　had　engaged　at　Masindi；　was　an　excellent　fellow；
and　before　Abou　Saood　deserted　the　country；　he　had　been　the　first　man　to
arrive　at　Fatike　and　unite　with　the　government。　He　now　collected
sixty…five　men；　whom　I　at　once　enrolled；　and　having　given　them　their
government　flags；　I　started　them　off　without　delay　to　support　Rionga　in
Unyoro；　and　recalled　Abd…el…Kader　and　his　troops　to　Fatiko。　At　the　same
time　I　sent　Rionga　many　valuable　presents。

There　were　several　terrible　scoundrels　at　Fabbo；　among　whom　was
Salim…Wat…Howah；　who；　together　with　Lazim；　had　threatened　to　shoot　Major
Abdullah　in　his　own　camp　during　my　absence　in　Unyoro。

I　had　Lazim　in　irons　at　Fatiko；　but　Salim…Wat…Howah　had　escaped　on　the
day　of　attack。　This　man　Salim　was　the　head　of　the　greatest　villains　at
Fabbo；　and　he　and　his　band　of　about　one　hundred　men　daily　sallied　out　of
the　zareeba　and　plundered　and　burnt　the　neighbourhood　in　open　defiance
of　Wat…el…Mek。

When　these　ruffians　captured　women；　they　now　cut　their　throats　and　threw
them　into　the　Un…y…Ame　river；　explaining　to　the　natives　that　they　defied
me　to　〃liberate〃　them　when　their　throats　were　cut。

Every　day　the　natives　flocked　to　me　from　Fabbo　with　the　most　dreadful
tales　of　atrocit