220 COWS OF MORE VALUE THAN WOMEN. [chap. v. 
A savage holds to his cows, and his women, but 
especially to his cows. In a razzia fight he will seldom 
stand for the sake of his wives, but when he does fight 
it is to save his cattle. I now had a vivid exempli¬ 
fication of this theory. 
One day, at about 3 p. m., the men of Ibrahim started 
upon some mysterious errand, but returned equally 
mysterious at about midnight. On the following 
morning I heard that they had intended to attack 
some place upon the mountains, but they had heard 
that it was too powerful; and as “ discretion is the 
better part of valour/’ they had returned. 
On the day following I heard that there had been 
some disaster, and that the whole of Mahommed Her s 
party had been massacred. The natives seemed very 
excited, and messenger succeeded messenger, all con¬ 
firming the account that Mohammed Her had attacked 
a village on the mountains, the same that Ibrahim had 
intended to attack, and that the natives had exter¬ 
minated their whole party. 
On the following morning I sent ten of my men 
with a party of Ibrahims to Latome to make inquiries. 
They returned on the following afternoon, bringing 
with them two wounded men. 
It appeared that Mahommed Her had ordered his 
party of 110 armed men, in addition to 300 natives, 
