GAUAEONGA, THE GREAT CHIEF 185 



the capital. I felt ill and cross, and rode alone most 

 of that day, unable to keep up with the fast walk 

 of Mr Talbot's Arab, and not caring to trot, nor 

 even to dismount and walk. When we reached 

 Abugher — a big, somewhat dirty, Arab town — we 

 pitched camp beneath a huge spreading tamarind, 

 not far from the city well. The moment the beds 

 were made Mr Talbot went to have a rest — a thing 

 his wife had never known him do in all their 

 married life. We concluded, however, that the glare 

 from the fierce sun on the arid scorching ground 

 must have tried his weakened eyes and given him 

 a bad headache. 



Next day he seemed quite well, and again we pro- 

 ceeded on our march ; but this time Mrs Talbot 

 separated herself from us and lagged behind, and 

 at length admitted she was feeling very ill. We 

 were glad, indeed, when the morning's march was 

 ended and we were able to take shelter in an 

 Arab house at Ngama. It was midday when we 

 reached the town, and she lay exhausted on a native 

 wooden bed and begged us to leave her alone, for 

 she hoped to get rest enough to continue on a further 

 three hours' ride that afternoon. Ngama was a border 

 town, the last on Bagirimi territory, and we looked 

 forward to sleeping that night at Maiashe, a village 

 outside Gauaronga's jurisdiction. 



Mr Talbot and I went outside and took counsel 

 together ; and as we talked, Mohmaduba, the in- 

 terpreter, came up and told us the water at 

 Maiashe had dried up, and that we must remain 

 where we were. We were surprised, for there had 

 been plenty of water when we had come through ten 



