FROM FORT LAMY TO THE TOGBAU HILLS 173 



latter had got a message through to Bretonnet urging him 

 to retreat upon the river while there was yet time. But the 

 brave Bretonnet, twice wounded and in a swooning state, 

 replied : " No, we must die where we are." Gentil was then 

 obliged to make down stream, hotly pursued by Rabeh's 

 men along the bank, who fired on his boat, making a hole in it. 



It was not till late in the afternoon that Rabeh assaulted 

 the little hill to find nothing but corpses where the defenders 

 had stood. " Where are all the men who have been fighting 

 me ? " he asked. At that moment the dying Bretonnet 

 raised himself up and gazed at Rabeh. Immediately, a 

 soldier rushed forward and struck off his head and, kneeling 

 before Rabeh, held it up to him. Rabeh took it in his hands 

 and looked at it for a short space, then put it down and in 

 silence rode down the hill. 



The battle of Togbau resulted in the total annihilation 

 of the French force and the loss of three field-guns. Among 

 Rabeh's wounded was his son, Nyebe, and Ba-Bukar, the 

 General of his forces, was killed. The death of Ba-Bukar who 

 had served him all through from the Bahr-el-Ghazal was an 

 irreparable loss to Rabeh. As a fighter his fame was even 

 greater than that of Rabeh, who in the songs of the people 

 was sung of as the king, while Ba-Bukar was called the Lion. 



During the fight a white sergeant was taken prisoner 

 and brought before Rabeh, who in admiration of the French- 

 man's bravery offered him through his interpreter his hfe if 

 he would serve under him. But the brave man answered, 

 " No, I serve France." Then Rabeh quickly asked : " What 

 is that he is saying ? " And the interpreter, wishing to save 

 the man, answered : "he says he will serve." So his life was 



