f
his brother's capture, and how he was a prisoner of some men belonging
to the Jahrin tribe. Major Kitchener promised that his spies should make
every inquiry, and held out hopes that by the offer of a large reward
his captors might be induced to bring him down to the camp.

The time passed very slowly, the heat increased in intensity and became
intolerable from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon.
Between those hours there was nothing to do but to lie still in the mud
huts that had now been erected, for it would have been well-nigh
impossible to exist in the little tents that the troops had brought with
them.

In the early morning and in the evening every one bathed in the Nile.
Then the officers, each of whom had picked up some sort of pony from the
natives, went for a ride, chased the wild dogs, or wandered gun on
shoulder in search of such game as was to be found. After sunset was the
only really pleasant time of day, and when the moon was up both officers
and men enjoyed themselves; but on dark nights neither walking nor
riding could be indulged in, so broken was the ground, and there was
nothing to do but to talk, sing, and vary the tedium by a game of cards.

The Guards' Camel Regiment were posted close to Dongola. Rupert, who
since the death of General Stewart had no longer any staff duties, was
attached to the transport corps and spent a considerable portion of his
time going up or down the river in boats. He did not, therefore, see
much of his friends, although he never passed Dongola without managing
to make it a halting-place so as to have a few hours' talk with them.

"You have thoroughly picked up again, Clinton," Skinner said as he
arrived upon one of these visits. "No one would know you to be the same
fellow who was brought down to Korti with me on that wretched camel's
back. I think you are very lucky to have got put on to that transport
work."

"So do I, Skinner; it gives me little time to sit and think, and though
it is terrifically hot in the middle of the day I can always manage to
get up some sort of shelter with straw or matting of some kind, and at
any rate it is cooler there than on shore."

"I wish they would give me a turn at it," Skinner said. "I cannot offer
to take an oar, for although my arm is going on very well the doctor
says it may be months before I can venture to use it in anything like
hard work. We get up jolly horse races here once a week in the evening.
The na