232 
BORDERERS OF AHEER. 
A wild and lawless set are these borderers of 
Aheer. The gathering was evidently a spontaneous 
one of all the blackguards of the country. Even 
the marabout complains, that during the expedition 
he has lost his burnouse, carpet, and fez, whilst he 
was saying his prayers, pious man ! and beseeching 
for strength to overcome the infidels ! He was on 
his knees, when a fellow of his troop came softly 
up behind, appropriated his things, mounted his 
camel, and fled away — " whist," he says, like the 
wind, and was soon out of sight, and appeared no 
more. By the way, the three Azghers were fright- 
ened, or corrupted, in the morning, and went over 
to the enemy. They change sides with fortune ; 
and when some shots were fired by the enemy, by 
way of bravado and to expedite the conferences, one 
of their muskets was brought into play, and of 
course my powder ! I am happy to reflect, how- 
ever, that they got none of the booty this time, and 
have " ^filed their minds" for nought. 
As soon as we got back our camels we proposed 
to move on, our people evincing the greatest 
anxiety to get away from a place where such dis- 
agreeable things had happened. We accordingly 
marched about two hours, the marabouts accom- 
panying us, and then pitched tent for the night. 
Sinister rumours, however, were still about, like a 
flight of ill-omened birds, and it was said that ano- 
ther troop of people were collecting further on to 
intercept our passage to Soudan. During this halt, 
