no matter who the man might be, the boy would
challenge him, regardless of all consequences.
We were very fond of this boy; he was thoroughly
good ; and in that land of iniquity, thousands of miles
away from all except what was evil, there was a comfort
in having some one innocent and faithful, in whom
to trust.
We were to start upon the following Monday.
Mahommed had paid me a visit, assuring me of his
devotion, and begging me to have my baggage in
marching order, as he would send me fifty porters
on the Monday, and we would move off in company.
At the very moment that he thus professed, he was
coolly deceiving me. He had arranged to start without
me oh the Saturday, while he was proposing to
march together on the Monday. This I did not know
at the time.
One morning I had returned to the. tent after
having, as usual, inspected the transport animals,
when I observed Mrs. Baker looking extraordinarily
pale, and immediately upon my arrival she gave
orders for the presence of the vakeel (headman).
There was something in her manner, so different to
her usual calm, that I was utterly bewildered when
I heard her question the vakeel, “ Whether the men
were willing to march ? ” Perfectly ready was the
reply. “ Then order them to strike the tent, and
load the animals; we start this moment. The man
appeared confused, but not more so than I. Something
was evidently on foot, but what I could not
conjecture. The vakeel wavered, and to my astonishment
I heard the accusation made against him, that,
“ during the night, the whole of the escort had mutinously
conspired to desert me, with my arms and
ammunition that were in their hands, and to fire
simultaneously at me should I attempt to disarm
them.” At first this charge was indignantly denied
until the boy Saat manfully stepped forward, and
declared that the conspiracy was entered into by the
whole of the escort, and that both he and Bicharn,
knowing that mutiny was intended, had listened purposely
to the conversation during the nig h t; at daybreak
the boy had reported the fact to his mistress.
Mutiny, robbery, and murder were thus deliberately
determined.
I immediately ordered an angarep (travelling bedstead)
to be placed outside the tent under a large
tree; upon this I laid five double-barrelled guns
loaded with buck shot, a revolver, and naked sabre
as sharp as a razor. A sixth rifle I kept in my hands
while I sat upon the angarep, with Bicharn and Saat
both with double-barrelled guns behind me. Formerly