BROUGHT TO A HALT. 139 



upon me to step out and fire. I stood up immedi- 

 ately for that purpose, and directly they saw me, the 

 whole body of the Muditu came to a sudden halt 

 as if astonished at the unexpected appearance of 

 a white man, with the deadly character of whose 

 weapons they were well acquainted, as in one en- 

 gagement, when a party of the very same tribe had 

 come down upon a Feringee Kafilah at the same 

 place, two of them were shot dead by the party 

 who accompanied it, and who, from several reasons, 

 I believe to have been Kielmeyer, the well-known 

 German adventurer, who was returning to Abys- 

 sinia, where he had long resided, and who was killed, 

 according to some accounts, but by others, reported 

 to have died a natural death of fever, at Killaloo, a 

 few days' journey farther inland. 



On the present occasion, the Muditu did not 

 hesitate long what to do, but immediately squatted 

 down in a manner similar to ourselves, on the spot 

 where they had halted, and there we were sitting 

 two hours, without either party taking farther steps, 

 for Ohmed Mahomed, upon seeing them thus 

 checked, pulled me down again by his side, and I 

 was well content not to be obliged to shed blood, 

 unless absolutely forced by the most extreme 

 necessity. Some few of our Kafilah men now went 

 and loosened the ropes that fastened the legs of the 

 tethered camels, it being far too late in the day, 

 even had not arrangements now to be made with the 

 assembled Muditu, for us to think of starting, 



