defend it to the last."

"Not rally here, Ibrahim?" said Frank eagerly.

"No, Excellency. This is no place to defend. The well-drilled troops
would sweep through it after their heavy guns and scatter the mud-houses
into heaps. No, the dervishes will hoist their standards at Khartoum.
But we must make a brave effort to avoid being shut in there."

He said no more, for there seemed to be no more to say, and the desire
of all was to listen to the distant thunder, which had been increasing
as he spoke, telling plainly enough of the terrible battle going on,
while suddenly, and as if close at hand, there came the heavy reports of
guns away to the east.

"The gunboats," said Ibrahim quietly, "and the forts answering back.
This is the day that the fate of the Soudan must be known."

How the time went no one could tell in that wildly exciting, agonising
time of doubt. The firing from miles away to the north continued, and
the cannonading from the river was maintained, but there was no news of
how the fight progressed, and a feeling of despair was attacking the
prisoners when all at once the firing ceased.

What did it mean? That the collected army of the Khalifa was immense
they were well aware. Had it swept on and on in the great white wave
the Sheikh had described, vastly overlapping the Anglo-Egyptian force,
and, curling round its flanks, achieved the Baggara Emir's threat of
sweeping the infidels into the river, now cumbered with the slain?

For the silence was ominous; even the gunboats had ceased firing, and
their guard had made no sign.

In the hurried discussion which ensued, the professor drew attention to
this; but it was repelled with contempt by Harry.

"What of that?" he said. "The forts were so much mud, with a few poorly
served guns. They have been silenced, and there is nothing more to fire
at. Even now the boats may have landed men who are marching into the
town."

"But the firing on the field!" said Frank excitedly. "Oh, if we only
knew!"

Almost as he spoke the Emir's officer came in, and there was a look of
triumph in his eyes as he said to the Sheikh--

"There will be no journey to-day, O Sheikh, for the enemies of Allah are
being swept away. The Emir my master will be back before night, and all
my prisoners are safe."

He left them, and they saw that he went in the direction of the women's
part of the palace, evidently to give his good news there and set the
poor creatures at res