Our armoury consisted of about 22 shot-guns and rifles, and about a dozen six-chambered revolvers. All the camel-men and native servants were armed with spear and shield. Having provided ourselves each with rifle, revolver, and cartridges, our two European servants; Suleiman, Ali, and Cheriff also; we called up our native servants. To the most trusty of these, including Beyrumfi, our guide, Mahomet Sali, Sali, the tracker, and Ali Bacheet, the head camel-man, we entrusted the remainder of our firearms, but unfortunately most of them had to be instructed in the use of them.
I provided myself with a few bandages, lint, and my pocket case of surgical instruments, and feeling that we were embarking on a very perilous enterprise, left instructions respecting my immortal diary, which would convey full information up to the time of our departure from camp.
Just as we were getting into the saddle who should turn up but the Chief Sheik, Hoodoo, who left our last camping place the morning after his arrival. He appeared surprised at all this commotion. Whether he was really so or not I do not know, but I am sure, from the very first, I did not feel that I should repose in him the trustful confidence of an innocent child.
Our little army consisted now of Messrs. F. L. and A. James, Phillipps, Aylmer, myself, six of our men with firearms, the Koolookoo Sheik, and 15 of his men with spear and shield. We started off, on what might prove to be our last journey, about 4 p.m. And I think we shall all remember that silent ride of eight miles up the sandy river-bed of the Mareb to Abyssinia, shaded often by trees which thickly adorned the banks. We well knew, as we approached Abyssinia, that each bush may conceal an enemy, who might at any moment spring out on us unawares, and knowing this, each one clutched his rifle with a firm grip, ready for instant use, and determined to sell his life dearly if the worst came to the worst. I felt that our present position was something like that of Fitz-James, when he held the interesting conversation with Rhoderick Dhu which Sir Walter Scott so graphically describes—
Instant, through copse and heath, arose
Bonnets, and spears, and bended bows;
On right, on left, above, below,
Sprang up at once the lurking foe;
From shingles grey their lances start,
The bracken-bush sends forth the dart,