— 41 — hear and obey" , and the slaves were tied one to the other by a piece of cloth, and despatched on their way. As soon as this had been accomplished one of the slaves came to me and said, "Your slaves have set forth" . So I left Billali, and returned to my zeriba, but, as I was upon the road, I heard the sound of firing, and learned that my slaves and those of Billali had quarrelled. I directed my steps towards the fray, and, when I had drawn near to it, Billali's men suddenly opened fire upon me. The fight was but a chance one, and, as fate decreed, no sooner had I reached the scene of the tumult than my men overcame those of Billali, who fled away, and, meeting me in their path, commenced to fire. I had with me at the time but thirty men, which was as naught in comparison with the force that was now opposed to me: some reinforcements, however, came to my rescue, so that we were enabled to drive the enemy to their homes: on that day we lost nine men but, as for the enemy, they did not make good their escape before that nineteen of their number had been overtaken by death.

Following on these events Billali and I made peace one with the other, although he wrote to the Governor General, who sent him two companies of troops and a cannon, of which, however, my friends in Khartoum gave me timely warning. Now none of