They offered him two camels, and the choice of one wife out of the three, on condition he should go back to his own country and return to the desert no more.
These terms Golah indignantly refused, and declared that he would rather die in defence of his rights.
Golah was a pure negro, and one of a class of traders much disliked by the Arabs. He was a lawless intruder on their grounds, a trespasser upon their especial domain—the Great Desert. He had just acquired a large amount of wealth in goods and slaves that had been cast on their coast, and these they were determined he should not carry back with him to his own country.
Though he was as much a robber as themselves they had no sympathy with him, and would not be satisfied with merely a share of his plunder. They professed to understand all his doings in the past, and accused him of not being a fair trader.
They told him that he never came upon the desert with merchandise to exchange, but only with camels, to be driven away laden with property, justly belonging to them, the real owners of the land.
They denied his being a true believer in the Prophet, and concluded their talk by declaring that he should be thankful for the liberal terms they had offered him.
Golah’s opposition to their proposal became so demonstrative that the Arabs were obliged to disarm and bind him, though this was not accomplished without a fierce struggle in which several of his adversaries were overthrown.
A blow on the head with a stock of a musket at length reduced him to subjection, after which his hands were fast tied behind his back.
During the struggle, Golah’s son was prevented from interfering in behalf of his father by the black slaves who had been so long the victims of his cruel care; while the brother-in-law, as well as Fatima and the third wife, remained passive spectators of the scene.
On Golah being secured, the white slaves with Old Bill at their head came up and voluntarily surrendered themselves to their new masters.