12 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



■gratitude for our coming. The Kachella then conducted 

 me to his large Arab tent, which he placed at my disposal. 

 He then gave me a description of his fight with the Tubus, 

 saw to my comfort and arranged for the feeding of my men, 

 asking if they could do with half-rations as the supply was 

 running very short. He then begged to be excused and rode 

 back to his house, looking, as I thought at the time, very 

 worn and exhausted, for he was suffering much pain from his 

 wounds and must have lost a great deal of blood. But, like 

 the born fighter and man of iron he was, he had never said 

 a word to me about his wounds, deeming it beneath his dignity 

 as a leader, and I only got to hear of the matter owing to his 

 speaking of it later to Jose, who by now was an old friend of 

 his. Jose dressed the wounds with iodoform and bandages, 

 so was able to examine them. There were eight spear-wounds 

 in all, on back, chest, arms, and legs, and three were of con- 

 siderable depth, that would likely have been fatal, had not 

 the force of the spear-thrusts been greatly lessened by the 

 thickness of his arrow-proof coating. Jose marvelled that 

 the man could be up and doing at all, so hacked about and 

 swollen and stiff was he when off his horse and out of his 

 clothes. And only his pluck and splendid muscular frame 

 ■could have made it possible for him to hold up against the 

 pain and weakness he was undoubtedly suffering. 



The day was spent in resting my men and sending out 

 horsemen to reconnoitre. The enemy's camp was located 

 about four hours distant in French territory across the river, 

 and the Kachella, who in spite of his wounds was eager 

 to go himself, had he not had strict orders from the Govern- 

 ment not to enter French territory on any pretext whatever. 



