a
handful of dhurra and some water, but that was quite insufficient, and
in a few days mothers had to see their children slowly starving to
death, while the little suckling babes gathered round their mothers in
the vain search for food. Each morning the guards looked in to inquire
if there were any dead or dying, and then ordered the wretched
survivors, who had scarcely the strength to get up, to drag out their
dead and dying friends and relations.

It would take a long time to tell of all the horrible atrocities and
cruelties which these poor Nubas suffered at the hands of the
Dervishes--and why? because they tried to retain their freedom and
defend their fatherland, refusing to follow that base liar who called
himself the Mahdi, to the siege of Khartum. Amongst the captives in the
zariba was a man and his wife and two small children. The sight of his
starving children was breaking the father's heart; the view of his
native mountain so affected him that he became desperate, and knowing
that he would probably be separated from his wife and children and sold
the next day, he took a terrible resolution: in the middle of the night
he embraced his wife, kissed his little children, and then plunged his
knife into each of them, preferring rather that they should die than
become slaves; he then broke out of the zariba and fled, the guards
fired and missed him; thus the wretched man succeeded in reaching his
beloved hills.

CHAPTER VII.

FATHER OHRWALDER'S VIEWS OF GORDON'S MISSION.

Ohrwalder describes his treatment at the hands of various
masters--The Nubas surrender and afterwards desert--News from
Khartum--The capture of the English mail--Its arrival at the
Mahdi's camp--The Mahdi decides to advance on Khartum--Brief review
of events in Khartum and Berber--Ohrwalder's views on Gordon's
mission--The Mahdi sets out for Khartum--Mohammed Ali Pasha's
defeat and death--Colonel Stewart, Mr. Power, and others leave
Khartum in ss. "Abbas"--Description of their wreck and treacherous
murder.

The war with Jebel Dair dragged on a long time; the Nubas fought with
desperate courage. I used to hear of their bravery from the Dervishes
who frequented my master's house. After about a month my master was sent
to Birket, where he was ordered to collect the Arabs and send them on to
Rahad. At this place he practised unprecedented cruelty. A man found
drinking marissa he ordered to be