A Pleasant Outing Spoiled before Lunch
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Safari to the Psgheti A Pleasant Outing Spoiled before Lunch |
Far up the Soumbada River lies the
turbulent area around Lake Wiyiata. The territory is British on one side
of the river, German on the other. Both European states are ostensibly dedicated
to wiping out the thriving slave trade, but something is rotten in the German
regional capital of Bungalo. The notorious German administrator, Wilhelm
Eisenschleim (or 'Bungalo Bill' as he is known up and down the river) makes
sure his Schutztruppen are otherwise occupied whenever King Haamo's Wiyiata
warriors sweep down on the villages of the inoffensive Mlari and the pygmy
Nyuk-Nyuk, selling the captives to hated slaver Mehmet Wuwoob for transport
to Wada Maroun and the Arab trading cities on the Anakanipanistan coast.
Of the tribes in the area, only the fabled but rarely seen Mshempi have
not sent entreaties to the British Governor-General, asking help against
the depredations of this unholy trio.
West of Bungalo, the Soumbada forks into two tributaries. The area between the rivers is known as the Psgheti, a rich and varied hunting region, and is claimed by both the British and the Germans. The Psgheti is home to the rare Ouargi tiger, as well as the Ouargi elephant, a small, domesticable pachyderm with full ears. Wilhelm treats the Psgheti as his private hunting preserve. (Nitpickers will note that, though it MAY resemble Africa in some ways, this is Ouargistan, and tigers DO live here. Really.)
Word reaches the British that Wilhelm is organizing
a tiger hunt in the Psgheti on the occasion of his mother's visit to Bungalo.
His guests will include various disreputable traders and officials: slave
trader Mehmet Wuwoob; Gil Baetz, proprietor of Meikroschlock Mercantile,
the most cutthroat trading company in the veldt; the infamous 'Brut'
Seifried, munitions profiteer, white slaver, and a tireless promoter
of German imperialism; and colonial finance minister Wolfgang Weisenheimer,
the "Gnome of Gnairobi," whose main occupation is funding native
rebellions in French and British Ouargistan. Captain Parian Marvell of the
23rd South Dibley Fusiliers is ordered to take a small detachment of imperial
troops and sepoys, and arrest Wilhelm, Mehmet and the other guests while
they are 'on British soil' in the Psgheti. It is hoped that this will settle
the territorial issue and eliminate most of the troublemakers in the region
at one go. Marvell can also count on help from Ukurli, the local Nyuk-Nyuk
chief, whose village is in the area.
At the beginning of the game, Bill's elephants are waiting as the semi-circle of beaters (natives beating on their shields with spears) is driving the game through the jungle toward the elephants. He is protected by Lt. Manfred von Strickland whose heroic swagger and unkempt appearance is tolerated only because these are the colonies and he is the best swordsman in them. Capt. Marvell and the British troops have spent the night unnoticed in the village and they filter through the jungle to take Bill and his elephants by surprise.
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German Forces
German Objectives |
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British Forces
British Objectives |
The Tabletop
Down the middle of the table is a swath of jungle broken by a clear trail
and thinned to narrow necks at two points. On the eastern edge is a section
of the river containing the ford which crosses back to Ostouargen (German
East Ouargistan). On the western edge are cliffs and a long hill. The Nyuk-Nyuk
village is at the north edge. The jungle continues off the table to the
south, where beaters are driving game toward the elephants.
Table size is 44 x 68" (1.1 x 1.7 m), with round ends.
The Battle
Capt. Marvell and his troopers step out
of the jungle near the trail. He calls out, in his best Eton enunciation,
"You are on British territory, and you are under arrest. I charge you
yield, in Queen Victoria's name." The response is predictable. Wilhelm's
hoarse shout, "Dieser Grund is der Kaisers und seiner Verwalter bin
Ich!" is given emphatic punctuation by the cracks of three Mausers
and the deep boom of two muskets, which drown out his dramatic finish: "Gestunkener
Englanders!" Unfortunately that is the only effect the shots have,
apart from shredding the tropical greenery behind the British.
Their mahouts goad the elephants and the three great beasts lumber down the far side of the hill to cover as the first British volley returns the compliment, but somewhat more effectively. The Captain calls for his elephant gun, and grazes Wuwoob's elephant. The mahout (driver) is able to keep the animal under control, but the rifles of the Fusiliers and the sepoys, firing from jungle cover, cut down all three visible German troopers and one of Mehmet's guards.
But he instantly regains his wits and orders the three troopers from behind the elephants to move up to the cover of the hill crest and return fire, as all three British units break from the jungle and charge the hill (aerial view). |
For a moment that paragon of Teutonic manhood, Lt. von Strickland, stands aghast at the deadly accuracy of the British fire, (and he's not the only one)
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In view of his losses already and the rapidity of the British
advance, Wilhelm cannot hope to defend the hill until the beaters arrive.
He must take the elephants out now. He immediately decides to make for the
narrow neck of jungle near the village. The path is blocked by Mgumbi and
his Nyuk-Nyuk warriors, but Wilhelm would rather face their spears than
charge into the repeating rifles of the British.
PRESS ON to Part Two of
Safari to the Psgheti
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