Abdullah, too,
assured the millionaire that the Italian officer who accompanied
Alfieri from Massowah warned the latter against any act of violence,
and would have restrained him from undertaking an apparently useless
search if the instructions received from Rome had not directed that
"every assistance was to be given to Signor Giuseppe Alfieri."
There could be no manner of doubt that the Italian had begun an
unprovoked attack on the smaller _kafila_. His only messengers were
bullets, and the orders he issued to the Hadendowas were definite. The
whole party was to be exterminated, with the exception of Mrs. Haxton,
who was to be taken alive if possible. Again, there was direct evidence
of his duplicity with regard to the meeting arranged for that morning.
Fenshawe's friendly letter was found among his papers, so he had
hurried from his camp on the Suleiman's Well route with the deliberate
intention of wiping out of existence the man who was his sworn enemy.
Still, the affair wore an ugly look, and tired though he was, Fenshawe
had no thought of rest until the contradictory elements of a most
perplexing business were sifted.
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