ruined for life--such of 'em at least as don't leave their
miserable bones in the sand, and I know that I'm on the road to
destruction, but I can't--I _won't_ give it up!"

"Ha! Johnson," said Armstrong, "these are the very words quoted by the
new parson at the temperance meetin' last night--an' he's a splendid
fellow with his tongue. `Hard drinker,' says he, `you are humbuggin'
yourself. You say you _can't_ give up the drink. The real truth is, my
man, that you _won't_ give it up. If only I could persuade you, in
God's strength, to say "I _will_," you'd soon come all right.' Now,
Johnson, if you'll come with me to the next meetin'--"

"What! _me_ go to a temperance meetin'?" cried the trooper with
something of scorn in his laugh. "You might as well ask the devil to go
to church! No, no, Armstrong, I'm past prayin' for--thank you all the
same for invitin' me. But what was you askin' about news bein' true?
What news?"

"Why, that the old shepherd has been killed, and all our cattle are
captured, and the Egyptian cavalry sent after them."

"You don't say so!" cried the trooper, with the air of a man who
suddenly shakes off a heavy burden. "If that's so, they'll be wantin'
us also, no doubt."

Without another word he turned and strode away as fast as his long legs
could carry him.

Although there might possibly be a call for infantry to follow, Miles
and his friend did not see that it was needful to make for their fort at
more than their ordinary pace.

It was a curious and crowded scene they had to traverse. Besides the
grog-shops already mentioned there were numerous coffee-houses, where,
from diminutive cups, natives of temperate habits slaked their thirst
and discussed the news--of which, by the way, there was no lack at the
time; for, besides the activity of Osman Digna and his hordes, there
were frequent arrivals of mails, and sometimes of reinforcements, from
Lower Egypt. In the side-streets were many smithies, where lance-heads
and knives were being forged by men who had not the most distant belief
that such weapons would ever be turned into pruning-hooks. There were
also workers in leather, who sewed up passages of the Koran in leathern
cases and sold them as amulets to be worn on necks and arms. Elsewhere,
hairdressers were busy greasing and powdering with the dust of red-wood
the bushy locks of Hadendoa dandies. In short, all the activities of
Eastern city life were being carried on as ene