Thinking black; 22 years without a break in the long grass of Central ...

OUR EASTERN EXODUS 329
his valediction to all weary outposts. Almost the last
line he ever wrote :
" The hosts are with me, Mahanaim."
For if it be good Hebrew to translate this word as the *' two
hosts," then surely it is better to translate the mere words
into the worshipping belief that my little garrison in the
Lofoi Fort is encircled by the same shining legions of light.
But what's that ? Ay, what is it ? A yell growing
louder and louder, and craning my neck on the bastion
I can spy the sleeping Haussa quarters vomiting out long
strings of yelling women, the absent soldiers' wives these
who can bear the suspense no longer. All night they have
debated the fortunes of war; for ten hours they have
wrangled over an ugly rumour down from the hills, and
sit still any longer they cannot. A huge Amazon leads
them in a wild war-dance, and lining out four abreast,
club in hand, they start at the double round the Fort,
roaring out a taunt-song against the Arabs. Eound they
go, once, twice, thrice, roaring out their wrath in song
every yell supposed to energise their absent husbands
and win the victory—cataracts of vituperation, torrents
of curses I They cannot pray, and they have gulped
down their anger too long ;
now for the solemn institution
of this early morning " curse "-meeting when they dance
the Devil's wild fandango. Nearly naked and wholly
wild, the flap, flap of their pendant dugs is made to
rhyme with the thud of their feet and the flourish of
the clubs. Then having encompassed the walls of their
imaginary Jericho three times, off the Amazons rush to
the river for morning bath, splashing among the crocodiles