via_ Shakka. His arrival was a welcome addition
to our little circle, and it was a very great comfort to us to have the
society of such a genuine and kind friend as Lupton in these times of
trial. He remained with us for about a month; at that time we had daily
information about the movements of the English expedition, and we now
hoped that the time for our deliverance was approaching. Many of the
Mahdiists themselves were getting tired of the new _regime_, which gave
neither rest nor security of property to anyone. It was through these
malcontents that we obtained news which gave us food for argument and
speculation during the long and weary days of our captivity.

This life of a slave was terribly obnoxious to poor Lupton, who
frequently gave way to bursts of indignation, and in one of these Sherif
Mahmud arrested him, and in the first week of October he despatched him
under escort to the Mahdi. On his arrival at Omdurman he was put in
chains, where he remained for ten months, as he had attempted to escape
to Khartum. During this period of captivity, Lupton underwent terrible
sufferings, which I could not possibly describe.

Shortly after Lupton left us, we received a letter from Slatin, saying
that Gordon intended holding out until the English arrived, at the same
time he urged us to try and obtain leave to come to Omdurman; but this
was impossible. Another friend also told us that he hoped shortly to be
able to effect our release; but in his letter he wrote in such a manner
that we alone were able to grasp his meaning, for he feared that what he
had written might fall into the hands of the Dervishes.

Our anxiety can readily be understood, for we felt certain that if the
English were victorious, we should be killed in revenge. Sherif Mahmud
had already received orders from the Mahdi to encamp outside the town,
and be prepared for any eventuality. So our days passed in a whirl of
hopes and fears, and death would have been welcome.

But now a new disaster occurred; the circumstantial account of the death
of Colonel Stewart and his party, and the fact that the state of Khartum
was rapidly becoming desperate, made us full of doubt as to Gordon's
fate. The fall of Omdurman further confirmed our fears, and we trembled
to think that Khartum would fall before the English arrived. The
prolonged resistance of the town, and the knowledge that the English
were almost there, caused no small alarm amongst the people in El Obeid