they were kidnapped so that Smain might exchange them for his children.
But when would that happen, and what would they encounter before that
time? What dreadful misfortune awaited them among the savage hordes
intoxicated with blood? Would Nell be able to endure all these fatigues
and privations?

This no one could answer. On the other hand, it was known that the
Mahdi and his dervishes hated Christians, and Europeans in general; so
in the soul of the boy there was bred a fear that the influence of
Smain might not be sufficient to shield them from indignities, from
rough treatment, from the cruelties and the rage of the Mahdist
believers, who even murdered Mohammedans loyal to the Government. For
the first time since the abduction deep despair beset the boy, and at
the same time some kind of vague notion that an untoward fate was
persecuting them. Why, the idea itself of abducting them from Fayum and
conveying them to Khartum was sheer madness which could be committed
only by such wild and foolish men as Idris and Gebhr, not understanding
that they would have to traverse thousands of kilometers over a country
subject to the Egyptian Government or, more properly, English people.
With proper methods they ought to have been caught on the second day,
and nevertheless everything combined so that now they were not far from
the Second Cataract and none of the preceding pursuing parties had
overtaken them, and the last one which could have detained them joined
the kidnappers and, from this time, would aid them. To Stas' despair,
to his fears about little Nell's fate, was linked a feeling of
humiliation that he was unequal to the situation and, what was more,
was unable now to devise anything, for even if they returned the rifle
and cartridges to him, he could not, of course, shoot all the Arabs
composing the caravan.

And he was gnawed all the more by these thoughts because deliverance
had been already so near. If Khartum had not fallen, or if it had
fallen only a few days later, these same men, who went over to the side
of the Mahdi, would have seized their captors and delivered them to the
Government. Stas, sitting on the camel behind Idris and listening to
their conversation, became convinced that this undoubtedly would have
happened. For, immediately after they proceeded upon their further
journey, the leader of the pursuing party began to relate to Idris what
induced them to commit treason to the Khedive. They knew previ