would hire my camels I had this time brought up a load on my own
account, and that it seemed to me there was money to be made if one
could purchase some of the people who had been enslaved when the city
was taken. He said that this could not be, that the greater part of the
traders had been killed, and that all who remained were now zealous
followers of the Mahdi. Lupton Bey was held as a slave by the Mahdi
himself, and had to run before him when he rode. There would be no
possibility of releasing him or the others in the Mahdi's hands.

"I inquired whether any of the Kaffirs who had come to Metemmeh had been
taken prisoners. He said they had heard of but one, who was reported by
a black slave to be in the hands of a petty sheik who was living at an
oasis in the desert some nine days' journey from here. It had already
been reported to the Mahdi that this man had taken a Kaffir prisoner at
Metemmeh and had refused to give him up, and had escaped with the Kaffir
in the night; and strict orders had been issued for his arrest, but
nothing had been heard of him until the slave brought the news. The
Mahdi sent off three officers and forty men on camels with orders to
destroy everything, and to kill all they found with the exception of the
sheik himself and his white captive, who were to be brought here to
await his pleasure. They went, but though this is two months ago they
have never returned.

"Another party was sent three weeks later to the place to order them to
return instantly, but when they arrived there they found the oasis
deserted. Two skeletons were found, but the sun and the vultures had
done their work, and whether they had belonged to the troop that went or
to the Arabs there none could say. It may be they found that this sheik
and his party had travelled to El-Obeid or elsewhere and had pursued
them, but so far no news has been heard of them and the whole matter is
a mystery."

"What do you think has happened, sheik?"

"I know not what to think. My kinsman said that the black slave reported
there were but twenty men in all with the sheik, and not more than half
of these could be considered as fighting men, therefore they could not
have resisted for a moment the force against them. It is possible they
may have fled into the desert. The tribes know of wells whose existence
is kept a secret from all, and it may be that such a well was known to
the sheik and that he has made for it. It may be that the negro guid