Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/38

 could possibly invent. His legs were wide apart, both his hands were laid over the muzzle of his loaded Snider, and across his hands was stretched his lanky throat. Had that gun gone off, the ball would have passed through both hands, into his throat, and out at the crown of his head.

Bacolli!' I called in muffled tones, fearful of waking him too suddenly. No answer.

Momo!' No answer. 'That other brute is asleep, too,' I exclaimed; and sure enough, on looking up on the sun-deck, I found Momo doubled up with his rifle lying beside him. Jumping ashore, I approached Bacolli.

"When a nigger goes to sleep, he does sleep—danger or no danger; but, should he be suddenly aroused, in the former case he will let off his gun in any direction in which the weapon may be pointing, and take to his heels. I felt carefully for the hammer of the Snider, and breathed more freely as I found it only at half cock. I shook him, and shouted at him as loud as I dared, gazing fearfully round the while, and fancying an Arab in every shadow. All to no purpose. Bacolli evidently did not sleep by half measure. This would never do; so, putting my foot against the stock of his Snider, I grasped it near the muzzle. A jerk put me in possession of the gun, and sent Bacolli rolling among the rocks. Up like a shot, he was just on the point of bolting in a panic, when a sacré cochon from me reassured him, and he stood still saluting.

"What the you go for sleep?' I asked. 'You want Manyema come chop you one time!'

Master, I no go for sleep.'

"Suppressing a strong desire to kick him for a liar, I merely said:

"Then go wake Momo one time, go catch him gun first, and no make row; if them gun go off ' and I held up my revolver to let him know what he might expect if he brought the Arabs down on us. Climbing up on the sun-deck, he handed me down Momo's gun, and then, after five minutes' hard punching, succeeded in waking him, just managing to prevent his going overboard in a senseless panic.

"Giving them back their guns, I let them resume their watch; but, oh! it was weary work keeping those men awake. Did I leave them for five minutes down would go their heads, and no amount of threats of present danger or punishment to come produced any effect. The moon was sinking towards the west; in less than two hours it would be pitch dark, after which I would have to keep watch myself as well as the Houssas. There was evidently no means of keeping Bacolli and Momo awake till midnight; it was clear they had not been sleeping during the day as they should have done. I dared not go to sleep and trust to their promises of keeping awake; and if I did not get some sleep now, I should have hard work to keep myself awake during the long five hours of darkness between set of moon and rise of sun, when I should have to strain all my senses to the utmost. Perhaps Isaac and Salacco would be better; they had now had two hours' sleep, and could surely keep awake till moondown, when they could call me, and I would relieve them with Momo and Bacolli.

Momo, you go one time catch Isaac and Salacco—you no good, to-morrow you go catch plenty chicot.'

"For the first time that night Momo moved with something like energy, but it was some time before he succeeded in rousing the relief.

"When they at last came on shore I told