236 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



They truly were alarmed. Murad had already killed 

 two of their men, and they dared not begin to sow, 

 although the rains had just begun. I was to remember 

 their loyalty when I went after the Sultan, they 

 pleaded. I told them that there was no talk of attack. 

 If the Sultan was fool enough to prefer the jungle to 

 his bed, that was his affair. I gave them a letter to 

 Murad telling him not to be foolish, and told them 

 that unless they started cultivating I would in reality 

 get angry. 



That afternoon I walked round the place with the 

 officer as my sole companion, and chatted with the 

 mourners of the morning. At the Mesalit village I 

 caused great laughter by asking if it were true, as 

 Slatin states, that they make water-skins out of those 

 taken from the corpses of their departed kin and 

 enemies. Naturally they would not admit it. I 

 retired to my isolated house with the feeling one 

 would have in sleeping in a haunted room. I did not 

 for a moment anticipate attack. If I had, no power 

 on earth would have dragged me out of the fort. 



The following day the sheikhs returned. Now I 

 had rested I must be thinking of sallying forth. "The 

 postman " (!) from Dem Zubeir had brought word that 

 it was to catch Murad that I had come on patrol. I 

 must say that I would have liked to do so, but hostile 

 movements in such a country could do little good and 

 much harm, so were out of the region of practical 

 politics, save as reprisals. I pointed out that, as far as 

 I was aware, Murad was innocent of all but want of 

 courtesy, and told them to be sure to have started 



