I had supplied each of my men with a piece of
mackintosh waterproof to be tied over the locks of
their guns during the march. I now ordered the
drum to he beat, and all the men to form in »line
in marching order, with their locks tied up in the
waterproof. I requested Mrs. Baker to stand behind
me, and to point out any man who should attempt
to uncover his locks, when I should give the order
to lay down their arms. The act of uncovering the
locks would' prove his intention, in which event I
intended to shoot him immediately, and take my
chance with the rest of the conspirators.
I had quite determined that these scoundrels should
not rob me of my own arms and ammunition, if I
could prevent i t
The drum beat, and the vakeel himself went into
the men’s quarters, and endeavoured to prevail upon
them to answer the call.' At length fifteen assembled
in line; the others were nowhere to be found. The
locks of the arms were secured by mackintosh as
ordered; it was thus impossible for any man to fire
at me until he should have released his locks.
Upon assembling in line I ordered them immediately
to lay down their arms. This, with insolent
looks of defiance, they refused to do. “ Down with,
your guns this moment,” I shouted, “ sons of dogs! ”
And at the sharp click of the locks, as I quickly cocked
the rifle that I held in my hands, the cowardly mutineers
widened their line and wavered. Some retreated
a few paces to the rear] others sat down, and laid
their guns on the ground; while the remainder slowly
dispersed, and sat in twos, or singly, under the various
trees about eighty paces distant. Taking advantage
of their indecision, I immediately rose and ordered my
vakeel and Bicharn to disarm them as they were thus
scattered. Foreseeing that the time had arrived for
actual physical force, the cowards capitulated, agreeing
to give up their arms and ammunition if I would give
them their written discharge. I disarmed them immediately,
and the vakeel having written a discharge for
the fifteen men present, I wrote upon each paper the
word “ mutineer ” above my signature. None of them
being able to read, and this being written in English,
they unconsciously carried the evidence of their own
guilt, which I resolved to punish should I ever find
them on my return to Khartoum.
Thus disarmed, they immediately joined other of
the traders’ parties. These fifteen men were the
“ Jalyns ” of my party, the remainder being Dongo-
lowas: both Arabs of the Nile, north of Khartoum.
The Dongolowas had not appeared when summoned
by the drum, and my vakeel being of their nation*