Alfieri and his followers were well aware already of the
strength of Mr. Fenshawe's expedition. If they imagined that it was
advancing in its full numbers, they might break and run without firing
another shot. If, however, they showed fight, Abdur Kad'r and Abdullah
had most stringent orders not to pursue the flanking parties, which
they would certainly drive in on the main body. They were to converge
towards the hillocks, where Royson would, by that time, have brought
hope and renewed courage to their hard-pressed friends. Then, granted
that the Hadendowas dared a general attack, the whole force, rescuers
and rescued, were to fall back, converting the struggle Into a rear-
guard action, and compelling the Hadendowas to relinquish the advantage
of the higher ground. Once they came into the open, Royson counted on
the superior shooting of his six sailors--all marksmen of the Royal
Navy--to turn the scale unmistakably in his favor, while his Arabs had
the confidence of knowing that each mile they gained in the retreat
brought them nearer the powerful caravan in the rear.
Pages:
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433