ess children?

The moon rolled high in the heaven and changed, as if into silvery
feathers, the mimosa and acacia twigs. In the dense jungles resounded
here and there the shrill and, at the same time, mockingly mirthful
laugh of the hyenas, which in that gory region found far too many
corpses. From time to time the detachment conducting the caravan
encountered other patrols and exchanged with them the agreed
countersign. They came to the hills on the river banks and through a
long pass reached the Nile. The people and the camels embarked upon
wide and flat "dahabeahs," and soon the heavy oars began with measured
movements to break and ruffle the smooth river's depth, strewn with
starry diamonds.

After the lapse of half an hour, on the southern side, on which
dahabeahs floated upon the water, flashed lights which, as crafts
approached them, changed into sheaves of red luster lying on the water.
Nur el-Tadhil shook Idris' arm, after which, stretching out his hand
before him, he said:

"Khartum!"

XVI

They stopped at the city's limits in a house which formerly was the
property of a rich Italian merchant, and after his murder during the
assault upon the city, had fallen to Tadhil at the division of the
spoils. The wives of the emir in quite a humane manner took charge of
Nell who was barely alive after the rough treatment, and, though in all
Khartum could be felt a want of provisions, they found for the little
"jan"* [* "Jan," an expression of endearment, like "little lamb."] a
few dried dates and a little rice with honey; after which they led her
upstairs and put her to bed. Stas, who passed the night among the
camels and horses in the courtyard, had to be content with one biscuit;
on the other hand, he did not lack water, for the fountain in the
garden, by a strange chance, was not wrecked. Notwithstanding great
weariness, he could not sleep; first on account of scorpions creeping
incessantly over the saddle-cloth on which he lay, and again on account
of a mortal dread that they would separate him from Nell, and that he
would not be able to watch over her personally. This uneasiness was
evidently shared by Saba, who scented about and from time to time
howled, all of which enraged the soldiers. Stas quieted him as well as
he could from fear that some injury might be done to him. Fortunately
the giant mastiff aroused such admiration in the emir himself and in
all the dervishes that no one lifted a hand against