The Adventures of 
the Red Shadow
South of the Sahara
Continued........

CHAPTER 3.  CATASTROPHE


 
10. The Cameleers immediately boarded the rear half of the train that is backing up into their melee, while the berserk foot unit charges the exposed engine. 
The passengers, few minutes earlier had abandoned the train, for the safety of nearby buildings.
Without having time to apply the breaks, the engineer and fireman, break crew and sailors, not wishing to face the onslaught of the screaming savages alight form the train with much haste and head for the safety of the building beyond the train. 

 
11. With the Tukulor warriors swarming over carriages, the train accelerates out of control, in reverse, into the sharp bend behind them. It immediately derails in a huge ball of dust and steam as most of the carriages fall over. The Cameleers at the rear of the train are either killed, wounded or stunned as their ride throws them to the dust, but the berserk Ghosts leap off in time and chase the trains crew to their refuge.
12. Back at the Redoubt and finally down to one man, the cavalry still do not break and manage to summon the courage to leap the bagged defenses and attack the soldiers there, forcing them all to flee the redoubt in terror of this loan madman. 

The French commander watching form the Fort cannot believe the results of the loan horseman charge as his troops flee in terror.

Sensing a victory, Ahmadou charges toward the fort with his bodyguard and take up positions in the building next to it to wear them down with gunfire. 
13. He is not aware however that the marines have landed, both at the dock and in the middle bay. The middle bay landing. Takes a few casualties but manages to get its machine gun set to oppose the western foot warriors who have followed the boats’ progress down the river. The gunboat alight its unit who advance from the dock firing into the rear of the berserk unit who are now advancing up the steps to the roof of the train crews refuge.