222 
DEATH OF MY DESERTERS. 
[chap. y. 
while the crowd of armed savages thrust them forward 
with wild yells to the very verge of the great pre¬ 
cipice about five hundred feet below. Down they 
fell! hurled to utter destruction by the mass of La- 
tookas pressing onward ! A few fought to the last; 
but one and all were at length forced, by sheer pres¬ 
sure, over the edge of the cliff, and met a just reward 
for their atrocities. 
My men looked utterly cast down, and a feeling of 
horror pervaded the entire party. No quarter had 
been given by the Latookas; and upwards of 200 
natives, who had joined the slave-hunters in the 
attack, had also perished with their allies. Mahommed 
Her had not himself accompanied his people, both he 
and Bellaal, my late ringleader, having remained in 
camp ; the latter having, fortunately for him, been 
disabled, and placed liors de combat by the example 
I had made during the mutiny. My men were almost 
green with awe, when I asked them solemnly, “ Where 
were the men who had deserted from me ? ” Without 
answering a word they brought two of my guns and 
laid them at my feet. They were covered with clotted 
blood mixed with sand, which had hardened like 
cement over the locks and various portions of the 
barrels. My guns were all marked. As I looked 
at the numbers upon the stocks, I repeated aloud the 
