AT FORT LAMY 137 



from off his head. It was returned to him in a second, 

 but the people believed it to be of evil augury. The 

 prayer ended, he stepped forward, took Commandant 

 Maillard's hand within his and raised it three times to 

 his forehead. He was followed by the exiled Sultan of 

 Fort Archambault, but though he, too, took the Com- 

 mandant's hand, he let it go before raising his own to 

 his forehead the three ceremonial times. The farewell 

 returned, Commandant Maillard came to say good-bye 

 to us, then turned to leave. His horse was a spirited 

 animal, fretted with waiting, and, as he mounted, it 

 reared and threw him : we all shuddered at the omen. 

 He never let go of the reins, and was on its back 

 again in a second. He had overcome the difficulty, and 

 we called out " la premiere victoire " as he rode slowly 

 away, turning to wave to us before he passed out of 

 sight. ^ 



The same day that Commandant Maillard left us 

 two new friends arrived. They came from Kusseri in 

 a little basket, and when they were lifted out proved 

 to be two round, fluffy, kittenish lion-cubs. Zakoki, 

 as the boys called them — zaki being the Hausa word 

 for lion. We, however, gave them individual names — 

 those of the two towns with which they were so closely 

 associated — Lamy and Kusseri. They were only three 

 weeks old and could barely walk, but from the first 

 they showed a lofty spirit of independence. Sometimes 

 my heart would be filled with pity for Lamy when he 



1 The enemy did not dare face Commandant Maillard, and, despite his 

 masterly leadership, he failed to force an action upon them. It was as he 

 feared, the victory that would have promised future security evaded him. 

 His efforts, however, were not in vain : in the autumn of 1911 the great 

 leaders of revolt — Am Doko of Massalit and Moude Mourra of Wadai — 

 tendered their submission to the French. 



