CHAPTER VII
Ambuscading an Ambush
Approaching the River--Reconnoitring--The Fight on the Bluff--Checking aRush--Timely Help--A Hand-to-Hand Struggle--At Fault
Tom was that day amazed to see what could be done in an hour's time by aforce of Askaris capably directed. By half-past twelve the officers'tents had been rolled up, the baggage repacked, a meal swallowed, thecarriers marshalled, each with his proper load, and the order of marcharranged. Before one the whole column had moved out towards the sceneof the anticipated fight. Scouts led the way, under Lieutenant Mumford.Then came the advance-guard, two companies of Askaris and a Maxim-gun,with Captain Lister. At a short interval followed more Soudanese, withMajor Burnaby; then came the carriers with their guard, and finally therear-guard, of which Tom found himself in command. Dr. O'Brien hoveredabout, first at one part of the column, then at another, in case of whathe called "evenshualities".
Before giving the order to march, the major beckoned Tom apart.
"Tom," he said, "here's a rifle and a revolver for you. You know how touse the rifle, at any rate. Fate seems to have a hand in this, and asyou're here, you must make yourself useful."
Tom's eyes gleamed as he took the weapon, and he mentally resolved tobear himself worthily, whatever was in store. His elation was a littledashed when his uncle went on:
"You'll consider yourself in command of the rear-guard. Judging by yourconduct since you left Kisumu, you are able to win the respect of thenatives, and that's everything. You'll find the non-coms. a steady setof men; and remember, you must rely on them and yourself. You mustn'tworry me with questions about this, that, and t'other thing."
"All right, Uncle! I'm only too glad to be able to do anything."
"Very well then; I'll send for you if I want you."
Tom wished that he could have been with the advance-guard, but he keptthat to himself, hoping that the chances of the day would give him anopportunity of doing even the smallest thing to justify his uncle'sconfidence. Then the march began. Askaris and carriers tramped on insingle file, the Zanzibaris chattering and laughing in spite of theloads on their heads, it being one of the crosses of the major'sexistence that their tongues were never still. Some of them hadkerosene cans slung round their necks, in clanging emptiness, for theyhad not as yet been needed, the rivulets along the route havingfurnished plenty of good drinking-water. Others carried bales andprovision-boxes cleverly poised on their heads, each load averaging fromforty to fifty pounds; while the rest bore large bags of onions (afavourite food with the native troops), tent-poles, pots and kettles,and other paraphernalia of the camp.
The pace was slow, and, thanks to the doctor's careful ministrations,Tom was able to keep up without difficulty. He would not confess evento himself that a full day's rest would have been grateful to him. Themid-day sun beat down upon the marching column with scorching ferocity.For some distance the narrow path led over rolling country, broken hereand there by rocky excrescences, with not an inch of shade, the onlyrelief being afforded now and again by a brook, in which the men bathedtheir aching feet. At length, however, the appearance of scrub andtrees ahead proclaimed the proximity of a larger stream. Tom had beenwondering all the way what tactics his uncle would employ to checkmatethe plans of the Arabs. He saw now that scouts were being sent out oneach flank, and word was passed down the column for the carriers togroup themselves instead of marching in single file, and for therear-guard to close up. While moving in open country the major haddecided to make no change in the usual method of marching, so thatnothing might suggest to the enemy, if he was on the look-out, that anyspecial precautions were being taken. But now that the column hadentered a wooded region, and was nearing the expected scene ofoperations, he thought it well to make his force more compact,especially as the path had here broadened into quite a respectable road.The scouts on the flanks had orders not to penetrate more than half amile into the forest on either side, the trees being close enoughtogether to prevent anything in the nature of a rush beyond that limit.
It was now nearly three o'clock. The major ordered the guide to bebrought to him, and questioned him on their distance from the river.Learning that it was no more than three-quarters of a mile ahead, hecalled a halt and sent for his officers.
"Now, gentlemen," he said to the little group, "I assume that the storytold by the guide is true. Our scouts have not sighted the enemy, whichis pretty clear proof that if there is an enemy at all he is hiding. Iam going to send sixteen picked men up the rear of the bluff--you see itrising yonder--from which, according to these men, the logs are to beflung down on to the bridge. Our fellows will dispose of the eight ornine Arabs who, it appears, are to manage the logs. They will then givethe signal awaited by the enemy, who, we may suppose, are in hiding atleast half a mile up and down stream, and these will come on, expectingto find us cut in two at the bridge and generally in confusion.--Well,what is it, Mumford?"
"I was wondering, sir," began the lieutenant, rather taken aback atfinding his thoughts half-guessed-at by the major; "I was wondering whatwould happen if our men failed to dispose of the Arabs on the bluff."
"The enemy's plans would be spoilt, at any rate, and the engagementwould develop on other lines. But the chances are in our favour. Thebluff, as you see, is thickly wooded, and our men should be able tocreep up quite noiselessly and get within striking distance withoutbeing seen. Besides, we will distract the enemy's attention. Remember,they are relying on our complete ignorance of their scheme. They willbe impatient to see us cross the bridge. Well, I shall send a fewscouts over to guard against a possible attack from the other side, andCaptain Lister, with two or three men, will feign a careful examinationof the bridge itself. The delay will probably be unexpected, and Icount on this to enable our men to scale the bluff unperceived.
"Meanwhile the carriers will park all the baggage in a semicircle aboutthe bridge head, under guard. I shall divide the force, taking partwith me to repel the attack from the north--Mumford, you will work theMaxim--and leaving you, Lister, to meet the attack from the south.Doctor, you will come with me, I think, as mine will be the largerforce; and Tom, you will remain in charge of the baggage."
Tom tried to look pleased, but his face fell in spite of him. There wasno help for it; he must obey orders and accept his strictly defensivepart with a good grace.
"I cannot tell you our precise positions yet until scouts have been upand down the river and reported on the nature of the ground. Meanwhile,Lister, you will send forward, say, five scouts over the bridge, and therest of us will move slowly behind you."
Tom's pulse quickened as he listened to these plain directions. Hewished he could change places with Captain Lister, as that officer wentforward with the advance-guard to perform the task allotted him. Inless than fifteen minutes the bulk of the force reached the bridge head.The scouts had already crossed, and were disappearing into the woodedcountry beyond. Other scouts had been sent out on each flank to examinethe country up and down stream, and the captain, with two sergeants, wasinspecting the bridge with a critical eye. On reaching the river-bankthe major found that the water ran deep and the sides were precipitous.The bluff was inaccessible except from the rear, rising sheer up fromthe bed of the river and the path. Both up and down stream the countrywas dotted with scrub, and at the distance of about a hundred yards oneach side of the path began a belt of forest, through, which the scoutswere picking their way in skirmishing order.
"We have less than three hours of daylight left," said the major toCaptain Lister at the bridge head, "so that we must put this businessthrough as rapidly as possible. I hope you ordered the scouts toproceed cautiously, and not go too far. Half a mile will suit our book."
"Yes, and here are the down-stream fellows returning." A sergeant cameup to the major and reported that, having skirted the bluff and crosseda belt of thin forest, he had come within six minutes to an open space,
with a frontage of about two hundred yards and a breadth of some fourhundred and fifty. This was absolutely free from trees or bush, but onthe other side of it the forest was much thicker.
"Depend upon it, then, the Arabs, if here at all, are hiding in theforest beyond the clearing. We have them, Lister. If there are anyup-stream they are evidently farther away. As the forest is much denserin that direction I think a hundred men with you will suffice to beatoff any attack on that side; you must get your men to cut down sometrees and form a rough abattis. The rest of the force will comenorthwards with me. We must take advantage of that clearing. Now it'stime to send up the bluff and account for the log-rollers; that willprove conclusively how far these men have told the truth. I think weunderstand each other."
Captain Lister nodded. In a few minutes his men were busy felling thetrees with the thickest foliage. They cut a wedge in the trunks withtheir axes, then toppled them over in the same direction as the strokeshad fallen, so that they formed a high and almost impenetrable barrier.
Meanwhile Tom had already arranged the baggage in a semicircle about thebridge head, hidden by a jutting rock from anyone who might be at thesummit of the bluff. Within the enclosure thus formed the carriers wereassembled, and the rampart itself was defended by twenty-five men.
Fifteen of the most trustworthy of the Askaris, under Sergeant Abdullah,were by this time scaling the bluff from the rear, darting from tree totree with wonderful celerity, their feet bare, their right handsclutching their rifles with bayonets fixed. They drew nearer and nearerto the summit, maintaining as even a line as the nature of the groundpermitted, each man being about two yards from the next. When they camewithin a few yards of the top, and saw by the growing light that beyondthem the trees had been felled, they moved still more warily. Thus theyadvanced to the very edge of the forest, and halted. Peeping frombehind the trees they saw nine Arabs in front of them, not twenty pacesaway. Some were talking in low excited whispers, two were lying flat ontheir faces, peering over the three shaven tree-trunks that lay inreadiness at the very edge of the precipice, and turning occasionally tomake some comment on the proceedings.
Plan of the Battle of Imubinga.]
On the logs rested half a dozen short, strong poles, evidently to beused as levers. The Arabs had expected the marching force to cross thebridge at once, and the delay had at first caused them much amazementand concern. But seeing the scouts pass over and scatter on the otherside, and the careful examination of the bridge made by Captain Listerand his sergeants, they had apparently concluded that these were onlythe white man's usual measures of precaution, and were reassured. Theyhad themselves taken the precaution to post a sentry a hundred yardsdown the bluff behind them, but this man, finding after a long delaythat nothing had happened, edged gradually nearer to his companions, andwhen he saw them looking with intense interest over the ridge, hiscuriosity was too much for him. He quickened his pace and joined them,and from that moment caution was thrown to the winds.
Just as the Askaris reached the utmost verge of cover, and stood for aninstant to take breath after their climb, one of the Arabs gleefullypointed to the scouts returning over the bridge. His companionsinstantly moved towards the brink. Sergeant Abdullah saw that the momenthad arrived. He gave a nod to his men, they sprang forward with greatleaps, remembering the major's injunction to make no noise. Before theArabs were aware of their danger the enemy were upon them. Seven of thenine were despatched with the bayonet in a trice; one contrived toinflict a terrible wound on his assailant before he too was strickendown; the ninth man, with a howl of fright, sprang over the precipiceand disappeared into the stream below.
The first part of the task of the sixteen was accomplished. Climb andall it had occupied but twenty minutes. There remained to give thesignal expected by the Arabs in hiding. On the ground lay a white flagembroidered with the crescent. Abdullah stooped down, and hastilydivesting one of the fallen Arabs of his burnous, he threw it over hisown uniform, then picked up the flag, and walked northwards some thirtyyards along the bluff to the edge of the declivity, whence he obtained aview of the open space and the forest beyond. Then he waved the flag,making three curious circular movements with which he was clearlyfamiliar; he saw an answering signal from the edge of the forest morethan half a mile away; then he returned to his companions, and hurrieddownhill with twelve of them to rejoin Captain Lister's force, leavingtwo to follow more leisurely with the man wounded.
In the meantime the major had rapidly moved his three hundred mennorthwards through the woodland. On the way he left fifty of them inopen order on a wide arc to cover his right flank. Coming to the openspace reported by the scouts, he was overjoyed to find it an outcrop ofbare rock, broken in surface, cleft by fissures, and thus difficult toadvance over. His quick eye marked at a glance the possibilities of thesituation. He posted a hundred of his men about a yard apart, justwithin the edge of the forest, and stationed a second hundred twentyyards behind them as a reserve. The remaining fifty he told off toguard the left flank against surprise from the river-bed. At theextreme right of his position, a few yards in advance of thefiring-line, stood one solitary thorn bush growing on a patch of softearth amid the rock. This would form, as the major saw at once, anexcellent screen for the Maxim; but to place the gun in position at oncewould certainly attract the attention of the Arabs. He thereforeordered Lieutenant Mumford to be in readiness to move it forward as soonas the enemy emerged from the wood.
"Now, my men," he said to the sergeants when his dispositions werecomplete, "when the signal is given from the bluff the Arabs will comeout of the forest yonder and cross this open space. They know nothing,as I hope and trust, of our presence. They will not expect us here.Reserve your fire till they are within two hundred and fifty yards--thebugle will give the signal,--then fire. That will check the rush for amoment. There will be time for a second volley; then be ready tocharge. Mr. Mumford, you will bring the Maxim into action as soon asthey are well out in the open. Now mind, men," he added, turning sternlyto the eager Askaris, "not a whisper till the word is given."
The men stood at their posts, fixing their keen eyes on the trees aquarter of a mile in front of them, their mouths set, their nostrilsquivering. It was a trying ordeal. Minute after minute went by, andstill there was no sign of the enemy. The men began to fidget, and themajor, knowing the impetuous nature of the Soudanese, feared lest asingle incautious movement or exclamation should wreck his plans. Thensuddenly a hundred doors seemed to open in the green wall opposite, andout of them poured almost noiselessly a flood of tall, white-robed,turbaned Arabs. They kept no order, expecting to find their enemy inconfusion by the bridge. In this careless confidence they rushed onpell-mell, clutching their rifles by the middle. Over the rocky groundthey came, bounding like panthers, making no sound save with their quickbreathing, eager, exultant, some waving flags, their leaders brandishingscimitars, a few with silent drums jolting against their thighs. Then abugle rang out clear and shrill; from the trees and undergrowth in theirfront flashed forth a withering volley. The nearest of them went downlike grass before the mower. There was an awful silence, broken only bythe groans of wounded and dying men. Those of the foremost Arabs whowere left alive halted in consternation, hesitating whether to advanceor fly. But behind them a host of their Manyema allies was throngingfrom the woods. These had heard the volley, but had seen nothing of itseffect. Imagining that the expected collision had taken place earlierthan had been anticipated they pressed on furiously, now uttering savagecries, beating drums, invoking Allah and the Prophet. Thus the haltedfront ranks were driven on by the mass behind; Arabs and Manyema werecrowded together in an unwieldy congested heap. Another volley rang outin front of them; the rattle of the Maxim, now playing across thecrowded space, added its terrors to the scene. The stricken host fellin heaps before the pitiless hail of lead; then, in uncontrollablepanic, they turned tail and fled, trampling each other down in theirterror, carrying all before the
m in one irresistible rush to the shelterof the wood.
And now, with a fierce yell, the Soudanese darted after them with thebayonet. But in the lull that followed the first wild onset, themajor's ear caught the sound of heavy firing in his rear. CaptainLister was evidently engaged. The major at once recalled the men fromtheir pursuit, and, leaving Lieutenant Mumford with a hundred rifles tomeet a renewed attack should the enemy recover from their panic, hehurried back with the main part of his force to support the hundred withCaptain Lister up-stream.
He found the little body hard pressed. At the sound of firing to thenorth, a force of three hundred and fifty Arabs, supported by nearlyfive hundred natives, had emerged from their place of concealment in theforest. Checked in their rush by the abattis, they had made a secondimpetuous charge, losing heavily from the well-directed volleys ofCaptain Lister's men. But they had soon perceived the smallness of theforce opposed to them, and, dividing into two bands, they madesimultaneous attacks at both ends of the line. The Soudanese at theriver-end staggered, and, being more exposed than the rest of the line,gave way. Instantly a few score Arabs broke through, and, true to theirrapacious instincts, made direct for the baggage. Tom, who had beeneating his heart out with impatience, saw that he was likely after allto have his fill of fighting. It seemed almost impossible that hishandful of men could hold their own against the wild rush of the enemy,but the steady nerve which had served him so well in many a mimic battledid not fail him in this his first experience of real warfare. Biddinghis men kneel and rest their rifles on the piled boxes, he waited tillthe Arabs were within fifty yards, then gave the order to fire. Theassailants broke like a wave upon a rock. The most of them fell prone;a few, with desperate courage, came on till the Askaris could almostfeel their breath; then cold steel completed what the bullet had begun.
In the meantime the other end of the British line was yielding beforerepeated rushes, being hampered by the necessity of guarding the leftflank against the black crowds of Manyema pressing perilously near. Itwas at this critical moment that the major returned with his exultanttroops. Charging downhill at tremendous speed, they swept to thesupport of their comrades, and after a severe hand-to-hand fight againstgreat odds, they drove the enemy steadily back into the forest, withterrible loss.
It was now half-past four. The fight at the clearing having been wonwithout a single casualty on the British side, Dr. O'Brien was free toattend to the thirty wounded men who, with about half as many dead, borewitness to the severity of the struggle by the abattis. Meanwhile,Captain Lister was leading his men in pursuit of the fugitives.Suddenly the crackle of musketry broke out again far away to thenorth-east. The major turned at the sound. He caught sight of therampart of baggage, of the stricken forms lying close beneath it, of Tomstanding among his men.
"Tom," he said, with quick resolution, "I want you to take yourunwounded men up to Mumford and see if he is really being attackedagain. Some of the less severely wounded can guard the baggage. If hewants help send your boy or one of the men back to me, and I'll move upin support."
The major's tone was quiet and matter-of-fact, as though his command wasquite in the ordinary course of things. Tom needed no repetition of theorder; vowing that Uncle Jack was a brick, he started at once withtwenty-five men and Mbutu. He had been hoping against hope for such amoment. Only with the greatest difficulty had he refrained from leapinginto the fray by the abattis when he saw Captain Lister so hard pressedand defending his position so gallantly.
He reached Lieutenant Mumford's force at an opportune moment. The Arabchief, after his men had been hurled back by the enemy, had strivendesperately to rally them. Collecting some two hundred and fifty of thesurvivors, and hearing, as the major had done, the sound of brisk firingto the south, he conceived the idea of making a circuit and joining hisfriends above the bridge. He had already made some progress in thatdirection, and had actually come into touch with the extended line offlankers, when he was informed by a scout, whom he had sent toreconnoitre, that the British commander was withdrawing the larger partof his force to the assistance of a second body up-stream. The Arabinstantly wheeled round; his band was being augmented every moment byreturning fugitives, and he saw an opportunity to fall upon andoverwhelm the small British force left behind. Lieutenant Mumfordquickly divined his intention, and foresaw the direction of thethreatened attack. He at once changed front, and, turning the Maximround at right angles to its former position, left it in the hands of anon-commissioned officer, while he himself took the general command. Heposted his men on two sides of a square, thus forming a wedge. Theposition was partly protected by undergrowth, but the trees were not soclose together as to afford complete cover, and the advantage of theground lay rather with the massing Arabs.
Tom arrived just as a first charge had been repulsed. Firing insections, the Soudanese had laid many of the Arabs low, and the onsetwas checked for a moment. But the Arab chief was in no mood to brookcowardice or hesitation. Conspicuous by his huge stature and a red sashover his shoulder, he rallied his men once more. They came on throughthe scrub, with defiant cries of "Allah-il-Allah!" firing as they came,and taking advantage of cover to make rushes and draw nearer and nearerto the British lines. Tom's twenty-five men were a welcomereinforcement, for a dozen of the little force were already _hors decombat_, and the Maxim had jammed. Quickly ranging themselves with theircomrades, the new-comers brought their rifles to their shoulders andfired, and once more the Arab advance was checked.
"Couldn't we try a charge?" suggested Tom to the lieutenant. "My menare eager to have at the enemy."
"Yes; now is the moment. It's touch and go. Men, fix bayonets;charge!"
Mumford at the left of the line, Tom at the right, followed immediatelyby Mbutu, they sprang forward with a resounding cheer. Past the bushes,dodging in and out among the trees, the gallant little force made at theenemy. The Arabs had collected in a comparatively clear space withinthe forest, and as the charging Askaris came upon them they parted intotwo bands, which moved away from each other as though to take theattacking party on both flanks. Mumford immediately wheeled half hisline to the left, shouting to Tom to deal similarly with the right-handbody.
"Now, my boys," cried Tom, "we've not done much to-day. It's our turn atlast. Come along!"
The willing men followed him with a yell. No turbaned force could standagainst them. The Arabs broke and scattered, and the headstrong Askarisdashed after them in mad pursuit. The chief, with half a dozen devotedfollowers, made a gallant attempt to check the rush. He stood, a giantamong his men, swinging his curved scimitar, passionately objurgatingthe fugitives, and even cutting some of them down as they ran. Butneither his example nor his threats availed to stay the rout. His menfled for their lives. He himself seemed to bear a charmed life; thoughhe formed so conspicuous a target, he was as yet untouched. Now Tommarked him as he stood in deep impotent wrath, alone, save for abody-guard of four. Tom's eye flashed with a sudden resolve.
A Melee in the Forest]
"Mbutu," he cried, "and you, Sadi, come with me and capture that bigfellow. Now, one, two, three--with me, boys!"
Giving his rifle to Mbutu he sprang forward, revolver in hand, followedby the Muhima and a huge Somali private, who had been laying about himdoughtily with his rifle clubbed. The chief saw the three speedingtowards him, and like a gallant warrior stayed to face his foe. TheSomali, leaping with tremendous strides, was the first to get to closequarters. With his clubbed rifle he beat down the bayonet of one of theArabs and stretched him upon the ground; but it was his last stroke, forthe chief made a lunge forward, and with his keen blade pierced him tothe heart. He fell against Tom, knocking his helmet off his head, andout of his hand the revolver with which he had just accounted for one ofthe chief's body-guard. Quick as thought Tom pounced on the fallenman's rifle, and was erect again just in time to beat off the descendingscimitar. It was now a desperate hand-to-hand fight, bayonet againstsword. The red beams
of the setting sun caught the curved blade as itswept about Tom's head and body, but not for an instant did his keen eyefalter. Following his opponent's every movement, and grasping the riflefirmly with both hands, he parried thrust and beat aside lunge, ready tostrike home if he saw the hair's-breadth of an opportunity. Now thelessons of the sergeant-major at school bore good fruit; and if thatofficer could have seen the flower of his cadet corps bearing himself somanfully in this fierce duel, he would have owned himself content.
All this time Mbutu, agile as a cat, had been desperately engaging thetwo remaining Arabs, determined to prevent them from going to thechief's assistance, and burning to pay off old scores upon the kindredof his former persecutors. The level rays of the sun, coming frombehind his back, dazzled his opponents' eyes, so that they had much adoto elude the thrusts of his bayonet. At length he got within the guardof one of them, and wounded him in the sword-arm. As they fought theyhad edged close up to where Tom and the Arab were still in deadlyconflict. With indomitable pluck the wounded Arab stooped, picked uphis sword with his left hand, and before Mbutu, now hotly engaged withthe last man, could interpose, the Arab smote at Tom from below with astroke which wounded his defenceless head, and he fell to the ground.That same instant, Mbutu ran the fourth man through the body, and,turning to despatch the wounded Arab, received a deep cut from thechief's sword in his right shoulder.
Only Tom's fallen body, impeding the Arab, saved the Muhima from asecond desperate blow. The blood-stained scimitar was raised to strikea third time, when a distant bugle rang out. The chief's arm was stayedin mid-air; he gazed eagerly over Mbutu's head into the forest. NoBritish troops were to be seen; but the Arab, after a moment'sirresolution, appeared to decide that the bugle-call was the signal foranother advance, and fearing to be cut off entirely from his friends, heturned and disappeared among the trees. Mbutu, however, had recognizedthe notes of the recall, and wondered what he was to do. He bent downto examine his master's prostrate body. Finding that he still breathed,he tried to lift him, but loss of blood from his wound and his ownfierce exertions had exhausted him, and he laid Tom gently down, feelinganxious and distressed. A minute's consideration showed him that hemust follow the retiring troops and bring assistance. He started atonce in the gathering darkness, but being weaker than he had supposed,he could walk but slowly. It was more than half an hour before hereached the British lines, just after Lieutenant Mumford had rejoinedthe major, who had set his men to form a strong zariba. To the major'sanxious enquiry for Tom, Mumford replied that, having seen him go off tothe right and not return, he had taken it for granted that he would comeinto touch with the main body. At this moment Mbutu staggered up. Infaint, laboured tones he explained what had happened, and begged that aparty might be sent at once to bring his master in.
The major gave a gasp of relief when he heard that his nephew, thoughwounded, was still alive.
"Thank God!" he exclaimed. '"Now to find him before it is quite dark."
The major himself, with twenty men, accompanied Mbutu in search of hismaster. The Muhima nearly fainted as he started, and Dr. O'Brien,giving him some brandy and hastily bandaging the torn shoulder, declaredthat he too must go in case of "evenshualities". The party hurried off,and went as quickly as Mbutu's condition permitted, supported as he wasbetween Fadl and Abdullah. With native sureness he led them, as the sunset across the river, straight to the spot where he had left his master.It was just light enough to see several human forms strewn upon thetrampled grass. Mbutu bent down to examine the bodies, and the littleparty shivered as the long whine of a jackal came swelling up from thedistance, waking its echo from the rocky escarpments of the river. TheMuhima went swiftly from body to body, then uttered a forlorn andheart-broken cry.
"Not here! not here!" bewailed.
Major Burnaby and the doctor both stooped in consternation. There werefive bodies. One was that of Sadi the Somali, the rest were Arabs. Tomwas no longer there!
A dreadful silence fell upon the group. Mbutu stood as thoughparalysed. The major and Dr. O'Brien looked mutely into each other'seyes.
"Toots!" ejaculated the doctor at length, giving himself an impatientshake. "Recovered consciousness and walked off, of course he did.That's what it is, to be sure. Must have been a slight wound, you see."
"What can we do, Doctor?" said the major. "We can't search for him inthe dark; we might be cut down by the Arabs anywhere. The moon riseslate; he will hardly find his way."
"Get back to camp and blow a blast on your bugles and send up rockets;he will hear one or see t'other, and come into camp. Never fear, thatyoung fellow's safe enough. He didn't come dancing here from the ends ofthe earth to be sent to kingdom-come by Arabs."
Dr. O'Brien's cheerfulness, though it was more than half assumed,somewhat reassured the major. The party returned rapidly to camp, andthere bugles were blown and rockets skied as had been suggested. Butthough the blare and the illumination were continued far into the night,the major watched for Tom in vain, shuddering as he heard the melancholyhowl of jackals far and near, and longing for the dawn.
Tom Burnaby: A Story of Uganda and the Great Congo Forest Page 9
