Fire and sword in the Sudan - a personal narrative of fighting and serving the Dervishes, 1879-1895 (1896) (14593744519)

Identifier: fireswordinsuda00slat (find matches)
Title: Fire and sword in the Sudan : a personal narrative of fighting and serving the Dervishes, 1879-1895
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Slatin, Rudolf Carl
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Arnold
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto



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as now able to see my guides. ZekiBelal was a young fellow, with his beard still downy;Hamed Ibn Hussein, a man in the prime of life. Of what race are you.? We are from the Gilif mountains, master; and if Godwill, you will be satisfied with us. How long a start have we got from our energies.!*When will they miss you.-* the elder one asked me. They will look for me after the morning prayer; butbefore all doubt is over as to my escape, and before themen and the beasts are found with which to pursue me,some time must elapse. We may at least reckon on twelveor fourteen hours start. That is not very much, answered Hamed. But ifthe animals are up to their work, we shall have left a goodbit of ground behind us. Dont you know our animals.? Have they not beentried.? 1 asked. No. Two of them are stallions of the Anafi breed,and the third a Bisharin mare, bought expressly for yourflight from friends, was the answer. We must hope thebest of them. We drove the creatures at their swiftest pace. The
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MY FLIGHT. 593 country in these parts was flat, broken now and then bysolitary shrubs, with here and there small stony hillocks.We rode without stopping until near midday, when sud-denly my guide called out, — Halt! Let the camels kneel down at once. Bequick! I stopped. The camels knelt. Why? I see camels a long way off and two led horses, andfear we have been seen. I loaded my Remington to be prepared for any issue.**But if we have been seen, I said, it is better to ridequietly on. Our making the animals lie down will excitetheir suspicion. In what direction are they going .-* You are right, said Hamed Ibn Hussein. They aremarching northwest. We rose and changed our line of march to the northeast,and were almost confident that we had passed unobservedwhen, to our despair, we perceived one of the party, whichwas about two thousand metres away from us, jump on hishorse and gallop swiftly towards us. Hamed, said I, I will go slowly on with Zeki. Doyou stop the man, and answer his ques