THE ESCORT. 



181 



to command the Wasawahili. Almost every 

 black brain would have been turned by this rapid 

 and dazzling rise: Sidi Mubarak Bombay did not, 

 however, as I had anticipated, 'prove himself a 

 failure in the end.' 



A machine so formed could hardly be expected 

 to begin work without some creaking. The Ba- 

 loch were not entirely and solely under us, and in 

 the East no man will, even if he can, serve two 

 masters. Eor the first few days many a muttered 

 cursing and loud wrangling showed signs of disso- 

 lution. One would not proceed because the Bider 

 King kept the gunpowder, another started on his 

 way home because he was refused some dates, 

 and, during the night after departm^e, all Bombay's 

 efforts, we afterwards heard, were in requisition 

 to prevent a break-up en masse. But by degrees 

 the component parts fitted smoothly and moved 

 steadily, till at last we had little to complain of, 

 and the men volunteered to follow wherever we 

 might lead. By acting upon the old Oriental prin- 

 ciple, ' the word is gone forth and must be heard,' 

 Ave never failed to win a disputed point, and one 

 success paved the way for others. Amongst 

 these perverse and headstrong races, however, the 

 traveller must be careful in committing himself 

 to an ultimatum, and he must be prepared when 



