— 64 -with Ahmed Shatta. I had begun to question him concerning the forces of the Furs when the outlooks, whom I had posted on the top of the minaret of the Dara mosque for the purpose of keeping watch on the enemy, beckoned to me to come up to them ; I went and saw the camp of the Furs seething with excitement : so I hastened down, and said to the king, "If you will go back and find out for me what is happening in the camp of the Furs I will hand over to you your daughter without ransom". He made me swear on the Koran to that effect, and undertook in return to bring me correct news. Then he went back to his people, and said to them, "Zubeir wants 20 okes of gold for the ransom of my daughter but I only had ten." Then they said "Take these other ten okes and hasten to redeem your daughter as the army is preparing to attack the fortress on all sides to-morrow". He took possession of the okes and after dark that evening, on the thirty first of August, 1874, he brought me news. During the night the Furs drank much wine and indulged in a feast of sheep and camel meat, so I seized the precious opportunity of making a sally with 8,000 men, whom I drew up in the form of a square. When I was only a hundred metres distance from the enemy I ordered my troops to open fire on them, which they did with such effect that the bullets were showered on them like rain. They awoke in great alarm, and, seizing their arms, returned our fire, a random shot hitting me in the right arm and wounding me severely. T