tives enter their animals. Of course we have no chance with them
on our little tats, but we sometimes manage to requisition two or three
horses from the Hussars. I dare not ride myself, for though the horses
and ponies are both very sure-footed these natives ride in the wildest
way and one might get cannoned over. Still it is an amusement to look on
and make small bets and watch the natives; crowds of them come out to
see it, and they get tremendously excited over it. I wish we could get
up a good football match, the Guards against Dongola; it would be awful
fun. As far as running goes we should not be in it, and if one of them
got the ball he would carry it right through us up to the goal, for
they are as active and slippery as eels. Of course when it came to a
good close fight we should have it our own way."

"Have you managed to get up football on board ship, Skinner?" Easton,
who was stretched at full length on the ground, asked lazily.

"Not yet," Skinner laughed. "If we played at all we should have to use a
cannon-ball, so that it should not be kicked over the sides; but then,
unless we got iron shoes made for the purpose, we should all be laid up.
But I have got a football in my cabin, and once or twice we have had
games at Suakim, and very good fun it was too."

"No news, I suppose, Clinton?" Easton asked, sitting up.

Rupert shook his head. "Not a word. We hear very little of what is going
on above us, and the natives who do come in lie so, there's no believing
a word they say. I have been thinking that if one could trust them I
would pay one of the sheiks to dress me up and stain my skin and take me
with him on a wandering expedition to Khartoum and over the country on
both sides of the river."

"It would be madness," Easton said. "Of course if you could talk their
language perfectly it might be possible to manage it, for I suppose that
with dye and false hair one might be got up to pass as far as
appearances go, but not being able to speak the language would be
fatal."

"Of course I should have to go as a dumb man. I was asking the surgeon
the other day if there would be any great difficulty in cutting a
fellow's tongue out."

"In doing what?" Easton and Skinner asked in astonishment.

"Cutting my tongue out," Rupert said seriously. "You see, if my tongue
was cut out anyone could see at once that I was dumb. Of course it
wouldn't be pleasant, but I believe it would be possible to get to talk
after so