, then I am not to blame; neither am I to blame
if she struck a rock, for she drew under two feet of water; if they
were attacked and overpowered, then I am to blame." So perfect were
his arrangements that only treachery, aided by Stewart's
over-confidence, baffled them.

With regard to the wisdom of the course pursued in thus sending away
all his European colleagues--the Austrian consul Hensall alone
refusing to quit Gordon and his place of duty--opinions will differ to
the end of time, but one is almost inclined to say that they could not
have been of much service to Gordon once their uppermost thought
became to quit Khartoum. The whole story is told very graphically in a
passage of Gordon's own diary:--

"I determined to send the _Abbas_ down with an Arab captain.
Herbin asked to be allowed to go. I jumped at his offer. Then
Stewart said he would go if I would exonerate him from deserting
me. I said, 'You do not desert me. I cannot go; but if you go you
do great service.' I then wrote him an official; he wanted me to
write him an order. I said 'No; for, though I fear not
responsibility, I will not put you in any danger in which I am
not myself.' I wrote them a letter couched thus:--'_Abbas_ is
going down; you say you are willing to go in her if I think you
can do so in honour. You can go in honour, for you can do
nothing here; and if you go you do me service in telegraphing my
views.'"

There are two points in this matter to which I must draw marked
attention. The suggestion for any European leaving Khartoum came from
M. Herbin, and when Gordon willingly acquiesced, Colonel Stewart asked
leave to do likewise. Mr Power, whose calculation was that provisions
would be exhausted before the end of September, then followed suit,
and not one of these three of the five Europeans in Khartoum seem to
have thought for a moment what would be the position of Gordon left
alone to cope with the danger from which they ran away. The suggestion
as to their going came in every case from themselves. Gordon, in his
thought for others, not merely threw no obstacle in their way, but as
far as he could provided for their safety as if they were a parcel of
women. But he declined all responsibility for their fate, as they went
not by his order but of their own free-will. He gave them his ships,
soldiers, and best counsel. They neglected the last, and were taken in
in a manner tha