THE SOUDANESE 157 



night in the trees. They cautiously returned next morning 

 on finding that I was still alive and at liberty. Some of my 

 Lendu porters had overheard the talk of putting the white men 

 to death ; their terror had communicated itself to my Swahili 

 porters, and so they all had fled. None of them could have 

 assisted me, or even warned me ; for I slept inside the fort 

 which was guarded, as usual, by Soudanese sentinels on duty 

 at the gates. Neither had I a single one of my servants with 

 me ; they, too, retired at night to a hut which was outside 

 the fort. 



Next morning I saw these two officers walking together 

 down the broad avenue which leads to the fort, and I had my 

 chance of taking a snap-shot photo. Surur Effendi, however, 

 did not like having been photographed in every-day working 

 costume. I had to promise to take him in his best uniform, 

 surrounded by his wives and children, and in front of his own 

 house. I made him doubly happy by giving him a copy of 

 the latter photo. Of course I reported the news of these alarm- 

 ing events at once, that very morning, to the officer at Mruli. 

 In the letter I mentioned, that as I was still at liberty, I 

 would endeavour to escape to Masindi and await his further 

 instructions there. But thinking the matter over, I came to the 

 conclusion, that I might do more good by remaining on the 

 spot, and thereby supporting by my presence Surur Effendi's 

 noble effort to suppress the mutinous spirit among the soldiers. 

 I therefore remained, and attended to my medical duties, as if 

 no disloyal meeting had taken place the previous night. 



At Fovira it has to be open-air doctoring, as there is no 

 hospital. Should it rain, I see the patients in the small ad- 

 joining hut, where I also inquire into such cases as have to be 

 seen in private. The gathering shown in the illustration is a fair 

 sample of an ordinary morning's work among the Soudanese, 

 their women, and children. This lot done with, I attended 

 Swahilies and Lendus, and wound up by treating such of the 

 native Wanyoro population as chose to apply. Urgent cases, 

 of course, are treated at once, and take precedence. I have 

 to act on the principle of "no admittance except on busi- 

 ness," in order to prevent gaping crowds of the curious from 

 gathering around us. 



The following day I called Surur EfTendi and Farijalla 

 Effendi to my room, and I then told Farijalla Effendi what I 



