CHAPTER XVIII 



AN ESCAPE IN THE DARK 



News came in one morning that large numbers of 

 elephants were to the north of us, and working across from 

 east to north-west ; but for me the news was of little 

 interest, inasmuch as I was suffering from Nile boils and 

 other skin sores inflicted by thorns and grass. I was now 

 unable to stand the laborious work of long, hurried 

 marches, for I was very weak from incessant attacks of 

 malaria, therefore I reluctantly yielded to my friend's 

 advice and decided to leave for Wadelai. The journey, 

 we reckoned, would occupy some fifteen to seventeen 

 days. 



There is one incident worth recording here that took 

 place ere my departure. Juma, my old syce, and 

 Zaabaali, after helping themselves to some of the other 

 boys' worldly possessions, knives, etc., disappeared in 

 the night, and without a doubt by the time we discovered 

 their desertion they were already well on the road to 

 Aba. Probably their intention was to set the Belgians 

 against us by spinning some plausible yarn. The chief 

 on hearing this agreed to send parties of warriors to track 

 them down. Half an hour later small bands of young 

 bloods, armed with bows and arrows in quivers of ante- 

 lope-skin, spears, knives, and old flint-lock guns, minus 

 ammunition, set out in every direction. We had given 

 them instructions to bring the boys back unscathed. 

 This seemed to disappoint them, for they had evidently 

 thought that there was a chance of a good man hunt 



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