He therefore set his men to work to build a strong fort.  They cut thick logs of wood, and planted them firmly in the ground, prepared fireproof rooms for the ammunition, and were in the course of a few days ready in case of emergency.

These preparations had been made none too soon.

[Illustration:  Burning the king’s Divan and Huts.]

A few days later a very strange thing happened.  The king sent Sir Samuel a present of some jars of cider.  This he gave to his troops.  A little while afterwards one of his officers rushed in to say the men had been poisoned.

It was really so.  The men who had drunk of the cider were lying about in terrible pain, and apparently dying.  At once Sir Samuel gave them mustard and water and other emetics, and they were soon better.  But he knew that trouble was at hand.

Next morning he was standing at the entrance to the fort with one of his men when a chorus of yells burst upon his ear.  He told his bugler to sound the alarm, and was walking towards the house to get a rifle when the man beside him fell shot through the heart.

The fort was surrounded by thousands of natives, who kept up a continuous fire, and the bushes near at hand were full of sharp-shooters.  But the fort was strong, and its defenders fought bravely; the woods were gradually cleared of sharp-shooters, and the natives, ere long, broke and fled.

Then Sir Samuel sent a detachment out of the fort, and set fire to the king’s divan and to the surrounding huts to teach the people a lesson for their treachery.

But the place was full of foes.  A poisoned spear was thrown at Sir Samuel, and every day he remained his force was in danger of destruction, so he determined to go on to King Riongo, whom he hoped would be more friendly.

It is wonderful that the party ever got there.  First of all it was found that they would probably be a week without provisions; but, happily, Lady Baker had put by some supplies, and great was the rejoicing when her forethought became known.

Then it was discovered that the country through which they had to pass was full of concealed foes.  From the long grass and bushes spears were constantly hurled at them, and not a few of the men were mortally wounded.  Sir Samuel saw several lances pass close to his wife’s head, and he narrowly escaped being hit on various occasions.

But, at last, Riongo’s territory was reached.  The king was friendly, and for a time they were in comparative safety.

By April, 1873, Baker had returned to Gondokoro, and his mission ended.  It was, to a great extent, the story of a failure, so far as its main purpose was concerned, owing to the opposition of the men who were making a profit by dealing in slaves; and who, whilst appearing to be friendly, stirred up the natives to attack him.  But, failure though it was, he had done all that man could do; and the expedition stands out as one of the most glorious efforts which have been made against overwhelming odds to put an end to the slave trade.