eted granaries of the town. There is no necessity to repeat the
details of the siege during the summer of 1884. They are made up of
almost daily interchanges of artillery fire from the town, and of
rifle fire in reply from the Arab lines. That this was not merely
child's play may be gathered from two of Gordon's protected ships
showing nearly a thousand bullet-marks apiece. Whenever the rebels
attempted to force their way through the lines they were repulsed by
the mines; and the steamers not only inflicted loss on their fighting
men, but often succeeded in picking up useful supplies of food and
grain. No further reverses were reported, because Gordon was most
careful to avoid all risk, and the only misfortunes occurred in
Gordon's rear, when first Berber, through the treachery of the Greek
Cuzzi, and then Shendy passed into the hands of the Mahdists, thus, as
Gordon said, "completely hemming him in." In April a detached force up
the Blue Nile went over to the Mahdi, taking with them a small
steamer, but this loss was of no great importance, as the men were of
what Gordon called "the Arabi hen or hero type," and the steamer could
not force its way past Khartoum and its powerful flotilla. In the four
months from 16th March to 30th July Gordon stated that the total loss
of the garrison was only thirty killed and fifty or sixty wounded,
while half a million cartridges had been fired against the enemy. The
conduct of both the people and garrison had been excellent, and this
was the more creditable, because Gordon was obliged from the very
beginning, owing to the capture of the bullion sent him at Berber, to
make all payments in paper money bearing his signature and seal.
During that period the total reinforcement to the garrison numbered
seven men, including Gordon himself, while over 2600 persons had been
sent out of it in safety as far as Berber.

The reader will be interested in the following extracts from a letter
written by Colonel Duncan, R.A., M.P., showing the remarkable way in
which General Gordon organised the despatch of these refugees from
Khartoum. The letter is dated 29th November 1886, and addressed to
Miss Gordon:--

"When your brother, on reaching Khartoum, found that he could
commence sending refugees to Egypt, I was sent on the 3rd March
1884 to Assouan and Korosko to receive those whom he sent down.
As an instance of your brother's thoughtfulness, I may mention
that he requeste