dispose of his merchandise the caravan set
forward.

It was with mingled emotions that Rupert entered the town. Here perhaps
Edgar was a captive, or had possibly been put to death for refusing to
acknowledge the Mahdi. Here Gordon had fallen a victim to fanatical
zeal, the hesitation of the English government, and the treachery of
some of the troops he had led to victory. Here hundreds of Egyptian men,
women, and children had been slain. Here were the head-quarters of the
false Prophet who had brought such ruin and destruction over fertile
provinces.

Upon showing the pass to the officials at the ferry leading across to
the city a soldier had been told off to accompany them, and he conducted
them to an empty caravansary in the city. One of the Arabs was
despatched with two unladen camels to the market-place, where he bought
a store of provender brought in by the country people. On his return
Rupert and Ibrahim fed the animals, which were fastened by ropes from
their head-stalls to rings in the wall of the court-yard, and then
sallied out with one of the Arabs into the town.

It was still a busy place, although its aspect had greatly changed since
its capture. There were no Egyptian soldiers in their gray cotton
uniforms and fezes, no officials or traders in European costume in the
streets, and the shops which had formerly held large assortments of
goods brought up from Egypt were occupied by natives vending the
absolute necessaries of life. The Mahdi's soldiers in their cotton
shirts, decorated with rags of coloured cloth, and carrying guns,
lounged about the streets, and the poorer part of the native population
went about with a cowed and dejected air. Food was scarce and dear, for
although the Mahdi by promising protection to all coming in to trade had
endeavoured to induce the agricultural population to bring in their
produce for sale, the invitation was very partially accepted. The
country round, indeed, had been swept clean of its grain during the
progress of the siege, and the fear of the Mahdi's followers was so
great that the peasants contented themselves with tilling only
sufficient for their needs. The Arab muttered curses beneath his breath
as he walked along, while Rupert and Ibrahim followed in silence,
seemingly paying no attention to what was going on around them.

When they returned to the caravansary they found the sheik with several
of the native shop-keepers engaged with him in conversation. At h