THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 173 



At this time the Koccob hoiTe, and Yafine with his Mcor.-. 

 (who had the charge of the road above till all the tronp.-j 

 were gone) arrived, being as it were fhut out from the ar- 

 my, who were engaged at the other fide of the hill. Kefla 

 Yafous, after defcending through the winding road into the 

 valley, ordered Guebra Mafcal to pafs the pool, and \land 

 at the bottom of the winding road, for fear the enemy 

 fliould enter at the valley on the king's right, where the. 

 river ran, and fo cut us off from our camp. 



This fpace he was then occupying when Yafme, firft, and^ 

 afterwards, our black horfe, arrived. He had, it feems, cried 

 out to me before from the fide of the pool, but I had not 

 then heard him. He now, however, repeated. Where are 

 you going, Yagoube ? To die, faid I, furlily ; it is the bufinefs 

 of the day. He then added, Kefia Yafous has croffed over 

 behind Balha Hezekias, and fallen into the king's rear. 

 You know well, faid I, our poft is in his front. Then follow 

 me, cried Mafcal, for by G--d I fay you fliall not take one 

 Hep to-day, but I will go five before you. So faying, he ad- 

 vanced very haftily, and when he faw the Begem der co- 

 lours retreating before the king, he poured- in a volley, 

 which, though at a conliderable diflance, turned all to a. 

 perfect: flight. 



We entered upon the fmoke, juft before the Shoa; 

 horfe, with no lofs, and very little refiftance, and came 

 jull: into the place which we occupied in the morning. 

 Though the flight of the rebels was apparently real, Kefla 

 Yafous would not fuffer a purfuit into the plain, but ad- 

 vancing fingly before us, began to form immediately ; the 

 mufc^uetry were planted on each lide of the valley as far 



