‘ 
82 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
them grunting by two’s and three’s fo near me as-to be a- 
fraid they would take fome opportunity of feizing me by the 
leg ; a piftol would have frightened them, and made them. 
f{peedily run, and I conftantly carried two loaded at my gir- 
dle, but the difcharging a piftol in the night would have a- 
larmed every one that heard it in the town, and it was not: 
now the time to add any thing to people’s fears. Iat lat 
fcarce ever went out, and nothing occupied my thoughts 
but how to efcape from this bloody country by way of 
Sennaar, and how I could beft exert my power and -influ- 
ence over Yafine at Ras el Feel to pave my way, by aflifting: 
me to pafs the defert into Atbara.. 
Tue king miffing me fome days at the palace, and hear= 
ing I had not been at Ras Michael’s, began to inquire who: 
had been with me. Ayto Confu foon found Yafine, who: 
informed him of the whole matter; upon this I was fent: 
for to the palace, where I found the king, without any bo- 
dy but menial fervants. He immediately remarked that I 
looked very ill; which, indeed, I felt to be the cafe, as I had: 
fcarcely ate or flept fince I faw him laft, or even for fome: 
days before. He afked me, in a condoling tone, What ail-. 
ed me? that, befides looking fick, I feemed as if fomething: 
had ruffled me, and put me out of humour. I told him. 
that what he obferved was true: that, coming acrofs the: 
market-place, I had feen Za Mariam, the Ras’s doorkeeper,, 
with three men bound, one of whom he fell a-hacking to: 
pieces inmy prefence. Upon feeing me running acrofs the 
place, ftopping my nofe, he called me to flay till he fhould. 
come and difpatch the other two, for he wanted to fpeak to: 
me, as if he had been engaged about ordinary bufinefs : that 
the foldiers, in confideration of his hafte, immediately fell. 
; perk 
