there was anything to be done — had left the main body and was well in advance, when he was attacked by Sefu's skirmishers, whom he drove in. Meanwhile Doorme charged Said ben a Bedi's fort. This fort defended the end of the town at which we entered, and was by a great piece of fortune carried in the first rush by Doorme, though his men had never engaged an Arab force before.

He then followed the retreating garrison through the town. Kasongo was built in a valley and on the hill-slopes on two sides of it. Doorme, in his charge, went across the valley, and appeared on the opposite hill just as our whole force deployed. This altogether upset the calculations of the defenders: in the first instance, owing to the fact that we had lost our way, we arrived by a detour instead of by the direct road, and took all their