A DEADLY EEVENGE. 
41 
boats and many men^ were at Gondokoro to purchase ivory. One 
day five of these men went to a village in the neighbourhood^, and 
there^ in an occupied hut^ were guilty of indecency. The male 
natives about the place^ hearing from their wives and daughters 
of the indignity^ followed the offenders^ and killed them. The 
Khartoumers, a body of some hundred and fifty^ went to the 
village^ sacked it_, and carried off many people and cattle. Flushed 
and elated with success^ and laden with booty^ they were surprised 
in an ambuscade by the natives,, and^ powerless to defend them- 
selves,, one hundred and thirty-six were killed — pierced by lances ; 
the remaining few^ wounded and weary,, escaped to the boats. 
This account gave Petherick great concern^ but I suggested that 
one-half only was to be believed ; and in that old adage he trusted. 
This trust was dispelled,, however,, when we proceeded on our way^ 
for all was confirmed^ and at Khartoum it was officially narrated. 
Looking thus to the bright side,, we were amused at the description 
Hussein gave of a wonderful bird^ brought to Khartoum by some 
of Petherick^s men, from the interior of Africa. This bird, he said, 
could talk Arabic — it sung, it whistled, and imitated every sound 
it heard. It was thus regarded as worth untold wealth ; and the 
possessor of the bird left it at the Consulate, receiving in return 
a promise to pay to him £45 if Petherick accepted the bird. We 
felt convinced this bird was a parrot ; but the extraordinary anec- 
dotes of its sagacity, &c., &c., made us imagine it might prove a 
myth. Hussein admitted he had never seen the bird, but he knew 
that its sayings and doings were the talk of the country. To 
our great surprise he also assured us that several of the Neam 
Neams had accompanied our men from their station at the village 
of Mundo on their last journey to Khartoum, and were awaiting at 
the Consulate the arrival of Petherick. 
