A FIGHT WITH THE TUBUS 17 



man's excuse that he thought the main body needed his 

 support was not considered good enough and his spears and 

 horse were taken away from him, and he was degraded and 

 compelled to go on foot. 



The caravan followed the weary way without a halt, 



AN OLD WARRIOR IN ARROW PROOF COAT KILLED IN THE FIGHT 



save for the short stops such as the last when the Tubus barred 

 the road. Soon we reached Pogwa, and here there was 

 another brief pause while the treacherous palm-groves were 

 beaten for Mobbur ambushes. On the farther side of the 

 village, after a few miles travelling through thick bush, 

 the scouts came in with news of a large Tubu force ahead, 

 so the advance-guard halted till the caravan closed up, 

 concealing itself at the edge of the bush. There, away out 

 in the plain, close to the river bank was the whole force of 

 the Tubus, some 400 horfeemen in all. "We had marched 

 with greater speed than they had expected and had taken 



II B 



