scale¡¡was¡¡conducted¡¡without¡¡a¡¡squabble¡£¡¡The¡¡two¡¡good¡¡men£»¡¡Shooli¡¡and
Gimoro£»¡¡who¡¡were¡¡daily¡¡visitors£»¡¡assured¡¡me¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡only¡¡one
feeling¡¡throughout¡¡the¡¡country£»¡¡of¡¡gratitude¡¡and¡¡good¡will¡£¡¡This¡¡was¡¡a
great¡¡reward¡¡to¡¡me¡¡for¡¡the¡¡many¡¡difficulties¡¡we¡¡had¡¡undergone£»¡¡but¡¡now
that¡¡the¡¡calm¡¡days¡¡of¡¡peace¡¡had¡¡arrived£»¡¡I¡¡looked¡¡back¡¡with¡¡keen¡¡regret
upon¡¡the¡¡good¡¡men¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had¡¡lost£»¡¡especially¡¡to¡¡the¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡poor
Monsoor¡£¡¡There¡¡was¡¡no¡¡person¡¡who¡¡would¡¡have¡¡enjoyed¡¡my¡¡success¡¡so¡¡much
as¡¡that¡¡worthy¡¡man¡£
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on¡¡23rd¡¡May¡¡with¡¡the¡¡post¡¡for¡¡Fatiko£»¡¡together¡¡with¡¡the¡¡300¡¡Unyoro
carriers¡¡who¡¡were¡¡to¡¡have¡¡transported¡¡Abdullah's¡¡detachment¡¡to¡¡Foweera¡£
The¡¡letter¡¡£¨concealed¡¡in¡¡a¡¡package£©¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had¡¡sent¡¡to¡¡Eddrees£»¡¡with
orders¡¡that¡¡¡¨the¡¡party¡¡might¡¡return¡¡at¡¡once¡¡to¡¡Fatiko¡¡should¡¡they
suspect¡¡foul¡¡play£»¡¨¡¡had¡¡reached¡¡them¡¡before¡¡they¡¡had¡¡crossed¡¡the
Victoria¡¡Nile¡£
Mohammed£»¡¡the¡¡Cairo¡¡dragoman£»¡¡had¡¡strongly¡¡suspected¡¡treachery£»¡¡owing¡¡to
the¡¡unaccountable¡¡tardiness¡¡of¡¡the¡¡natives¡¡in¡¡pushing¡¡straight¡¡for
Fatiko¡£¡¡Every¡¡day¡¡messengers¡¡had¡¡arrived¡¡from¡¡Masindi£»¡¡and¡¡others¡¡had
been¡¡returned¡¡in¡¡reply¡¡by¡¡the¡¡sheik¡¡Pittia£»¡¡who¡¡had¡¡charge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡300
Unyoro¡¡carriers¡£
When¡¡my¡¡letter¡¡had¡¡been¡¡received£»¡¡Mohammed¡¡advised¡¡Eddrees¡¡to¡¡return¡¡at
once¡¡to¡¡Masindi£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡latter£»¡¡finding¡¡himself¡¡about¡¡fifty¡¡miles¡¡on
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ground¡£
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and¡¡were¡¡employed¡¡in¡¡digging¡¡sweet¡¡potatoes£»¡¡when¡¡they¡¡were¡¡suddenly
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speared£»¡¡five¡¡of¡¡my¡¡troops£»¡¡and¡¡six¡¡of¡¡the¡¡irregulars¡£¡¡Fortunately¡¡some
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advisable¡¡to¡¡cross¡¡the¡¡river¡¡before¡¡the¡¡natives¡¡should¡¡attack¡¡them¡¡in
force¡£
It¡¡was¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡release¡¡Suleiman£»¡¡who¡¡was¡¡secured¡¡in¡¡a¡¡sheba¡£¡¡This
man¡¡had¡¡been¡¡committed¡¡to¡¡the¡¡charge¡¡of¡¡Mohammed¡£¡¡Before¡¡Mohammed¡¡cut
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Major¡¡Abdullah¡¡at¡¡Fatiko¡£
The¡¡party£»¡¡now¡¡reduced¡¡to¡¡twenty¡five¡¡men£»¡¡immediately¡¡started¡£¡¡Upon
arrival¡¡at¡¡the¡¡banks¡¡of¡¡the¡¡river£»¡¡they¡¡happened¡¡to¡¡come¡¡suddenly¡¡upon¡¡a
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They¡¡soon¡¡observed¡¡a¡¡canoe¡¡on¡¡the¡¡other¡¡side¡¡of¡¡the¡¡river£»¡¡in¡¡which¡¡were
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The¡¡prisoner¡¡was¡¡dressed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡usual¡¡flowing¡¡robe¡¡of¡¡bark¡cloth¡£¡¡His
hands¡¡were¡¡tied¡¡behind¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡party¡¡who¡¡could¡¡speak¡¡the
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The¡¡natives¡¡in¡¡the¡¡canoe¡¡hesitated¡£¡¡¡¨Say¡¡you¡¡will¡¡give¡¡them¡¡each¡¡a¡¡bunch
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Arab¡£
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apparently¡¡solitary¡¡native¡£
The¡¡irregulars¡¡were¡¡concealed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡high¡¡grass¡¡close¡¡to¡¡the¡¡bank£»¡¡and
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immediately¡¡secured¡¡it¡£
They¡¡now¡¡unlashed¡¡the¡¡arms¡¡of¡¡the¡¡prisoner£»¡¡and¡¡insisted¡¡upon¡¡his
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first¡¡was¡¡successful£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡regular¡¡troops£»¡¡together¡¡with¡¡the¡¡post¡¡and
Suleiman¡¡and¡¡others£»¡¡were¡¡safely¡¡landed¡£¡¡During¡¡the¡¡second¡¡journey£»¡¡as
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plunged¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡party¡¡in¡¡the¡¡river¡£¡¡Some¡¡of¡¡them¡¡were¡¡carried¡¡over¡¡the
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swimmers£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡reached¡¡the¡¡shore¡£
Although¡¡the¡¡irregulars¡¡thoroughly¡¡knew¡¡the¡¡country£»¡¡they¡¡now¡¡found
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Shooli¡¡and¡¡Madi¡¡tribes¡£
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at¡¡length¡¡discovered¡¡the¡¡regular¡¡path£»¡¡and£»¡¡after¡¡great¡¡suffering£»
reached¡¡Fatiko¡£
Eddrees£»¡¡who¡¡had¡¡been¡¡appointed¡¡vakeel£»¡¡became¡¡a¡¡traitor£»¡¡and¡¡upon
meeting¡¡Abou¡¡Saood¡¡and¡¡his¡¡people£»¡¡who¡¡had¡¡come¡¡out¡¡to¡¡receive¡¡the¡¡party
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an¡¡honourable¡¡manner¡£¡¡Instead¡¡of¡¡going¡¡into¡¡Abou¡¡Saood's¡¡camp£»¡¡he
immediately¡¡presented¡¡himself¡¡before¡¡Major¡¡Abdullah£»¡¡and¡¡confessed¡¡his
sins£»¡¡acknowledging¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡been¡¡justly¡¡punished¡£¡¡He¡¡surrendered
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Although¡¡Major¡¡Abdullah¡¡had¡¡now¡¡received¡¡the¡¡post£»¡¡together¡¡with¡¡my
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once¡¡offered¡¡to¡¡continue¡¡his¡¡duties¡¡as¡¡a¡¡government¡¡soldier¡£
A¡¡few¡¡days¡¡after¡¡the¡¡arrival¡¡of¡¡the¡¡post£»¡¡the¡¡news¡¡was¡¡brought¡¡of¡¡the
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appeared¡£
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courage¡¡nor¡¡the¡¡patience¡¡to¡¡go¡¡to¡¡Fatiko¡¡on¡¡the¡¡chance¡¡of¡¡success¡¡in
such¡¡a¡¡distant¡¡enterprise¡£
Suleiman¡¡had¡¡written¡¡me¡¡a¡¡letter¡¡imploring¡¡forgiveness¡£¡¡Wat¡el¡Mek
arrived¡¡at¡¡Fatiko¡¡after¡¡the¡¡seizure¡¡of¡¡the¡¡ammunition¡¡by
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was¡¡truly¡¡penitent£»¡¡that¡¡the¡¡devil¡¡had¡¡misled¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡Abou¡¡Saood¡¡was
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faithful£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡irregular¡¡force¡¡now¡¡established¡¡would¡¡be¡¡delighted¡¡at
such¡¡an¡¡act¡¡of¡¡clemency¡£
Although¡¡Suleiman¡¡was¡¡a¡¡great¡¡ruffian£»¡¡he¡¡was¡¡like¡¡everybody¡¡else¡¡in
that¡¡respect¡£¡¡If¡¡I¡¡had¡¡refused¡¡the¡¡enlistment¡¡of¡¡all¡¡immoral¡¡characters
in¡¡the¡¡middle¡¡of¡¡Africa£»¡¡I¡¡should¡¡have¡¡had¡¡what¡¡is¡¡now¡¡known¡¡in¡¡England
as¡¡a¡¡¡¨skeleton¡¡regiment¡£¡¨¡¡I¡¡had¡¡already¡¡punished¡¡him¡¡severely¡£¡¡In¡¡every
case¡¡of¡¡defiance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡government£»¡¡the¡¡people¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡that¡¡so¡¡small¡¡an
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without¡¡any¡¡communication¡¡with¡¡head¡quarters£»¡¡had¡¡been¡¡able¡¡to¡¡beat¡¡down
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act¡¡of¡¡clemency¡¡might£»¡¡even¡¡among¡¡half¡¡savages£»¡¡be¡¡more¡¡binding¡¡than
fetters¡£
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deliver¡¡himself¡¡up¡¡as¡¡a¡¡prisoner¡¡upon¡¡parole¡£
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came¡¡to¡¡surrender¡£
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token¡¡of¡¡repentance¡¡and¡¡humiliation¡£
Suleiman¡¡was¡¡brought¡¡before¡¡me£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡immediately¡¡rushed¡¡forward¡¡and
knelt¡¡to¡¡kiss¡¡my¡¡feet£»¡¡exhibiting¡¡at¡¡the¡¡same¡¡time¡¡considerable¡¡emotion£»
which¡¡surprised¡¡me£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡was¡¡notorious¡¡as¡¡a¡¡stern£»¡¡hard¡hearted¡¡Kurd¡£
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to¡¡exert¡¡severity£»¡¡if¡¡I¡¡could¡¡win¡¡him¡¡to¡¡obedience¡¡by¡¡good¡¡advice¡£
£¨Suleiman¡¡always¡¡remained¡¡faithful¡¡from¡¡that¡¡moment£»¡¡and¡¡became¡¡a
dependable¡¡officer¡££©¡¡I¡¡offered¡¡him¡¡a¡¡free¡¡pardon¡¡if¡¡he¡¡would¡¡swear¡¡upon
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Suleiman¡¡now¡¡declared£»¡¡and¡¡swore¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡Koran£»¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡acted¡¡only
upon¡¡orders¡¡he¡¡had¡¡received¡¡from¡¡Abou¡¡Saood¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡he¡¡who£»¡¡in¡¡spite¡¡of
my¡¡written¡¡command¡¡that¡¡the¡¡sheik¡¡Werdella¡¡should¡¡be¡¡spared£»¡¡had¡¡ordered
two¡¡of¡¡his¡¡slaves¡¡to¡¡take¡¡him¡¡from¡¡the¡¡Fabbo¡¡zareeba£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡cut¡¡his
throat¡£
Both¡¡Wat¡el¡Mek¡¡and¡¡Suleiman£»¡¡as¡¡late¡¡vakeels¡¡of¡¡Abou¡¡Saood£»¡¡swore¡¡to
their¡¡written¡¡evidence£»¡¡to¡¡which¡¡they¡¡attached¡¡their¡¡seals¡¡in¡¡the
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people¡¡employed¡¡by¡¡him¡¡received¡¡wages¡¡in¡¡money£»¡¡but¡¡that¡¡they¡¡were
invariably¡¡paid¡¡in¡¡slaves£»¡¡valued¡¡at¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡sum¡£
¡¨All¡¡the¡¡opposition¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had¡¡met¡¡with¡¡had¡¡been¡¡caused¡¡by¡¡Abou¡¡Saood¡£¡¨
Suleiman£»¡¡having¡¡received¡¡a¡¡written¡¡pardon£»¡¡made¡¡his¡¡salaam¡¡and¡¡retired¡£
An¡¡hour¡¡later¡¡he¡¡was¡¡washed¡¡beautifully¡¡clean£»¡¡and¡¡was¡¡gorgeously
dressed¡¡in¡¡a¡¡Turkish¡¡costume¡¡of¡¡light¡¡blue¡¡woollen¡¡cloth£»¡¡trimmed¡¡with
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