144 THK WORLD'S WONDERS. 



parties, while the others made off at the first intimation of trouble 

 and were seen no more. It was the expressed intention of the 

 mutineers to shoot Baker, which no doubt would have been done 

 had they not found him so well prepared to return their shots. 



GLOOMY REFLECTIONS. 



HAVING been deserted by Mohamed and compelled to dis- 

 charge the force he had engaged at Khartoum, Baker sent for a 

 Circassian chief, named Koorshid, from whom he requested the 

 service of ten elephant hunters and two interpreters ; but his 

 request was denied, for the reason that no men could be hired to 

 serve under him. This denial took away all hope from Baker, 

 and nothing remained for him to do but establish a depot and 

 remain at Gondokoro for another season. No expedition had 

 ever been more carefully planned ; everything being prepared 

 under his own directions and without regard for expense, but the 

 promise of success and reward was defeated by the very ones 

 whom he had employed to assist him. These reflections weighed 

 heavily upon the minds of Baker and his courageous wife. 

 During the night they were startled by a succession of loud 

 screams, and upon listening attentively, heard the heavy breath- 

 ing of something in their hut ; searching through the dark, they 

 discovered an object cowering close to the head of the bed. 

 Baker noiselessly drew a revolver from under his pillow, and 

 pointing it at the crouching object, asked, "Who is that?" 

 Just as he was upon the point of firing, a voice replied 

 " Fadeela ! " It was one of the black women of the party, who 

 had crept into the tent for an asylum. Upon striking a light 

 Baker found that the woman was streaming with blood, bein^ 



" O 



cut in the most frightful manner with the coorbatch (whip of 

 hippopotamus hide). Hearing the screams continued at some 

 distance from the tent, he found a party in the act of flogging 

 two women ; two men were holding each woman upon the 

 ground by sitting upon her legs and neck, while two men with 

 powerful whips operated upon each woman alternately. Their 

 backs were cut to pieces, and they were literally covered with 

 blood. The brutes had taken upon themselves the task of thus 



