156 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



the charge ; but Surur Effendi would not venture on such a 

 step in presence of the mutinous spirit which he knew per- 

 vaded his troop. 



Scarcely had my companion left, when the Soudanese called 

 a mass-meeting for the night, being summoned together with 

 the call, " Number one fall in." I remember I was roused 

 out of my sleep and heard the words ; but I thought I must 

 be dreaming, and I fell asleep again. When my Arab boy 

 repeated the words to me next morning, I at once remembered 

 that I too had heard the call in the night. At this mass-meet- 

 ing they publicly discussed putting my companion to death 

 and seizing me. I was not to be put to death, either because 

 they did not hate me, or because they wished to secure my 

 medical services. At any rate, my lot was to have been cap- 

 tivity in their midst. My captivity would no doubt sooner or 

 later have ended in my being murdered ; for Major Thruston 

 and his two unfortunate companions at Luba's were not mas- 

 sacred straight off, but were first made prisoners and subse- 

 quently murdered. 



The Unyoro Soudanese were fully aware of all that was 

 happening in Uganda. They had just heard that the muti- 

 neers, originally hemmed in at Luba's, had broken through, 

 had crossed the Nile, had landed in Uganda Proper, and 

 were making their way towards Unyoro, where the great 

 bulk of the Soudanese happened to be stationed. The Fovira 

 garrison apparently felt inclined to throw in their lot with 

 the mutineers, their own kindred and relatives. The dis- 

 loyal officer was said to be the first lieutenant, Farijalla 

 Dongolawi Effendi. But Surur Effendi, the captain, refused 

 to give his consent to the soldiers making me a prisoner there 

 and then. He warned them, that if they attempted to lay their 

 hands on me, he would get me into a boat and accompany me 

 down the Nile, leaving his wives and children to follow overland 

 or in other boats as best they could. This determined attitude 

 of the captain saved my companion from death, me from 

 captivity, and in all probability saved the various Soudanese 

 garrisons in Unyoro from irretrievably linking their fate with 

 the mutineers. 



How serious and critical the situation was on this night, 

 may be gathered from the fact, that all my porters, Lendus 

 and Swahilies, fled for safety to the woods and passed the 



