CHAP. XV.] 
TEE M’JFA’S DRUM BEATS. 
421 
No porters had arrived from Kamrasi, neither had 
any reply been sent to the message I had forwarded 
by Eddrees ;—the evening arrived, and much dispirited 
at the loss of my old servant, I lay down on my 
angarep for the night. At about eight o’clock, in the 
stillness of our solitude, my men asleep, with the ex¬ 
ception of the sentry, we were startled by the sound of 
a nogara at no great distance to the south of our huts. 
The two natives who had remained with us immediately 
woke the men, and declared that the drums we heard 
were those of the M’was who were evidently approach¬ 
ing our village ;—the natives knew the peculiar sound 
of the nogaras of the enemy, which were different to 
those of Kamrasi. This was rather awkward—our am¬ 
munition was at Foweera, and we had no more than the 
supply in our cartouche boxes, my men thirty rounds 
each, while 1 carried in my pouch twenty-one. Our 
position w~as untenable, as the drinking place was three 
miles distant. Again the nogara sounded, and the 
native guides declared that they could not remain 
where we then were, but they would conceal them¬ 
selves in the high grass. My wife proposed that we 
should forsake our luggage, and march at once for 
Foweera and effect a junction with our men and am¬ 
munition before daybreak. I was sure that it could 
not be less than twelve or thirteen miles, and in her 
weak state it would be impossible for her to accomplish 
the distance, through high grass, in darkness, over a 
rough path, with the chance of the route being already 
occupied by the enemy. However, she was determined 
to risk the march. I accordingly prepared to start at 
9 P.M., as at that time the moon would be about 30° 
above the horizon and would afford us a good light. 
I piled all the luggage within the hut;—packed our 
blankets in a canvas bag, to be carried by one of the 
natives, and ordered one of our black women to carry 
a jar of water. Thus provided, and forsaking all other 
effects, we started at exactly nine o’clock, following our 
two natives as guides. 
