CHAP. IX.] 
A THIEF SHOT. 
367 
some one was at work to remove them. He imme¬ 
diately fired; and the sound of a rush of men in retreat 
induced both him and the other sentry to repeat the 
shot. By the light of the lantern we now searched the 
place, and discovered the body of a native lying close 
to the fence just above a considerable hole that he had. 
scraped beneath the thorns, in order to extract the 
stems that were buried in the ground, and thus by 
drawing away the bushes he would have effected an 
entrance. He had commenced operations exactly op¬ 
posite the sentry, and the musket being loaded with 
mould-shot, he had received the contents at close 
quarters. Although he had tempted fate and met with 
deserved misfortune, it was most disgusting to witness 
the brutality of the Turks, who, tying ropes to the 
ankles, dragged the body to the entrance of their camp, 
and wished for amusement to drive their bayonets 
through the chest. Although dying, the man was not 
dead : a shot had entered one eye, knocking it out; 
several had entered the face, chest, and thighs, as he 
was in a stooping position when the gun was fired. 
I would not allow him to be mutilated, and after 
groaning in agony for some time, he died. The 
traders people immediately amputated the hands at 
the wrists to detach the copper bracelets, while others 
cut off his helmet of beads, and the body was very 
