ur way down to the river, take a boat, and cross. Two days'
journey on foot will take us to the village where we sent our camels
with the plunder and came on here to fight, believing, like fools, that
the Mahdi was going to eat them up. We have seen what came of that, and
they say that there are crowds more of them on the way. I am ready to
fight; you have all seen me fight over and over again, and all men know
that Sheik El Bakhat is no coward; but to fight against men who fire
without stopping is more than I care for. They are Kaffirs, but they
have done me no harm, and I have no vengeance to repay them. Fortunately
we did not arrive till an hour after the fighting was over, or our bones
might be bleaching out there in the desert with those of hundreds of
others. It is the Mahdi's quarrel and not mine. Let him fight if he
wants to, I have no objection. Why should I throw away my life in his
service when even the slave we have captured is not to be my own."

As these sentiments commended themselves to his followers the sheik's
plans were carried out.

The unfortunate trader and his wife, who had been cowering in a little
chamber since the sheik and his party had unceremoniously taken
possession of the rest of the house, were called in and informed that
their guests were about to leave them, and were ordered to close the
gate after them and on no account to open it until morning. The party
then set to work to cook a large supply of cakes for the journey. A
little before midnight they sallied out, and making their way
noiselessly through the streets issued out near the river at a point
where the walls that surrounded the other sides of the town were
wanting.

There were several boats moored against the banks, and choosing one of
them they allowed it to drift quietly down the river until some distance
below the town, and then getting out the oars rowed to the other side of
the river and landed below the large town of Shendy. They made a wide
detour to get round the town, travelling at a long swinging trot that
soon tried Edgar's wind and muscles to the utmost. He was not encumbered
by much clothing, as before leaving he had been made to strip and to
wrap himself up in a native cloth. Before he did so, however, he had
been rubbed from head to foot with charcoal from the fire, for his
captors saw that the whiteness of his skin, which greatly surprised
them, for his face and hands were tanned to a colour as dark as that of