DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 153 



frightened by the noise behind, started up and ran off. 



The Fellatas were instantly up, when four of his compa- 

 nions were stabbed beside him, uttering the most frightful 

 cries. He himself was fully prepared for the same fate ; 

 but happily his clothes formed a valuable booty, through 

 which the savages were loath to run their spears. After in- 

 flicting some slight wounds, therefore, they stripped him to 

 the skin, and forthwith began to quarrel about the plunder. 

 While they were thus busied, he contrived to slip away, 

 and though hotly pursued, and nearly overtaken, succeeded 

 in reaching a mountain-stream gliding at the bottom of a 

 deep and precipitous ravine. Here he had snatched the 

 young branches issuing from the stump of a large over- 

 hanging tree, in order to let himself down into the water, 

 when, beneath his hand, a large liffa, the most dangerous 

 serpent in this country, rose from its coil, as in the very 

 act of darting upon him. Struck with horror. Major Den- 

 ham lost all recollection, and fell headlong into the water ; 

 but the shock revived him, and, with three strokes of his arm, 

 he reached the opposite bank, and felt himself for luvj mo- 

 ment in safety. Running forward, he was delighted to see 

 his friends Barca Gana and Boo Khalloom ; but amid the 

 cheers with which they were endeavouring to rally their 

 troops, and the cries of those who were falling under the 

 Fellata spears, he could not for some time make himself 

 heard. Then Maramy, a negro appointed by the sheik to 

 attend on him, rode up and took him on his own horse. 

 Boo Khalloom ordered a burnouse to be thrown over him, — - 

 very seasonably, for the burning sun had begun to blister 

 his naked body. Suddenly, however, Maramy called out, 

 *' See, see ! Boo Khalloom is dead !" and that spirited 

 chief, overpowered by the wound of a poisoned arrow, 

 dropped from his horse, and spoke no more. The others 

 now thought only of pressing their flight, and soon reached 

 a stream, where they refreshed themselves by copious 

 draughts, and a halt was made to collect the stragglers. 

 Major Denham here fell into a swoon ; during which, as 

 he afterward learned, Maramy complained that the jaded 

 horse could scarcely carry the stranger forward, when Barca 

 Gana said,-^" By the head of the prophet ! believers enough 

 have breathed their last to-day ; why should we concern 

 .liiselyes about a Christian's death?' Malem Chadily, 



