" Some who had a few savings sent them--for
torture was worse than poverty; but this did not improve their
condition. Theodore believed that they had more, and as they had
nothing to give, many died under the daily repetition of the tortures
Theodore now inflicted on his prisoners; amongst whom were his
bravest soldiers, his staunchest supporters, nay, his bosom friends.
Desertions were now more frequent than ever; chiefs left in the
open day with their followers; the gunman threw away his weapon,
and joined his oppressed brother the peasant; great numbers of the
Begemder soldiery daily abandoned his cause and returned to their
villages. Theodore, in this plight, resorted to a former practice
of his. He must plunder, and feed his army by plunder. But the
Begemder men would not plunder their own countrymen, and he did not
place much confidence in the bravery of his Dembea men: therefore
he pitted the man of Gahinte against the peasant of Ifag, the sons
of Mahdera Mariam against those of Este--all districts of the same
province, but far distant from one another, and with long feuds
existing between some of them. At first he succeeded, and returned
from his expeditions with ample supplies; but his fearful cruelties
at last aroused the peasants. Joined by the deserters they fought
in their own way, cut off stragglers, sent their families to distant
provinces, and for miles around Debra Tabor ceased cultivating the
soil.
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