their halting-place he learned from the sheik what he
had gathered in the village. The natives were all heartily sick of the
present state of affairs. They had no market for their goods, and were
deprived of the trade upon which they had hitherto relied. A few
restless spirits had joined the Mahdi's people and had gone to the war;
but the cultivators in general sighed for a return of the old state of
things, and of the peaceful days they enjoyed while under the rule of
Egypt.

Even the tribesmen of the interior were highly dissatisfied. None had
gained anything from the war except those who had taken an actual part
in the capture of Berber, Khartoum, or other cities. These had obtained
a considerable amount of plunder. But beyond this all were worse off
than before. There was no longer any profitable employment for their
camels for trade purposes, and the promises of the Mahdi had been
altogether falsified. Many of the tribes on the other side of the river
had gone down to fight under Osman Digma at Suakim, but instead of the
promises of victory being fulfilled they had suffered terribly, had lost
vast numbers of men, and Suakim was as far off being taken as ever.
Berber itself, the great market and centre of trade of that part of the
country, was, all said, like a dead city. The shops were closed, the
traders had been either killed or fled, the markets were empty; the
Mahdi's soldiers treated the inhabitants as slaves. The sheik satisfied
himself that there was no rumour current of there being any white
prisoners in the hands of the tribesmen.

"There are white prisoners at Khartoum," the people said. "Gordon was
killed, and great numbers with him; but others of the Egyptian officers
and traders with their wives and families were made slaves and divided
among the Mahdi's officers. But of the white soldiers who had come
across the desert, they had heard of no prisoners being taken."

"Why should there be?" they asked. "They beat the Arabs in two battles,
they carried off their wounded on their camels, and had any been left
behind them they would have been killed at once. Why do you ask?"

The sheik had replied that the merchant far down the river from whom he
had purchased his goods had told him that the whites were always ready
to pay a good ransom to recover any of their colour who might have been
taken captive, and had advised him if he should hear of any prisoners in
the hands of the Arabs to ask what they would