A Fortiiiiate Ambush.

and ammunition. When the Jelabba of those districts were removed, Gordon did the same thing at Darra and all the country bordering Jebel Mara. In one village he arrested the powder manufacturers, and did much to render my task more easy.

But I will take up the narration of my operations.

The next day, after the successful result of my stratagem against the rebels in fi'ont and behind, I returned to Dem Suleiman by the same path as before. When I reached the village Fangala, I was met by two deserters from Suleiman's Besingers. They had been attacked by the natives, and showed me two deep wounds in their sides. I gave them all the help I could, and the one the least hurt was able to follow our column on foot, whilst the other was carried in an angerep, a kind of litter used in the Soudan and Abyssinia.

During the march we passed the torrent where we had left the old wounded Jelabba. He still lived, but was at the last extremity. He was also joined by another Besinger deserter, wounded by an arrow in the right shoulder. The point had entered deeply, and I was obliged to make a large cut in order to extract it, a difficult and painful operation.

The following day we arrived at Mount Serago, where, by-means of Cottu, I was able to have parley with the sheikh of the mountain. He furnished us with corn, and placed all his people at our disposal for the transport of the ivory we had sequestrated from the enemy's magazines. I left my troops to pass the night at Serago, while I, being in a hurry to reach Yanga, in order to organize the transport of the ivory left there, departed with an escort of only twenty men.

Our guide lost his way during the night, and unknowingly led us in exactly the opposite direction to that we wished to take ; but toAvards eleven o'clock he perceived his error, and was able to find the right U