r, could not repel the assault of the
infuriated savages, and the city was captured; after which a massacre
of the inhabitants took place. Traces of the battle, though a month had
already elapsed since the assault, could everywhere be seen along the
ramparts; on the inside protruded the ruins of razed buildings against
which the first impetus of the victors had been directed and on the
outside the moat was full of corpses, which no one thought of burying.
Before they reached the ferry Stas counted over four hundred. They did
not, however, infect the air as the Sudanese sun dried them up like
mummies; all had the hue of gray parchment, and were so much alike that
the bodies of the Europeans, Egyptians, and negroes could not be
distinguished from each other. Amid the corpses swarmed small gray
lizards, which, at the approach of men, quickly hid under those human
remains and often in the mouths or between the dried-up ribs.

Stas walked with Nell in such a manner as to hide this horrible sight
from her, and told her to look in the direction of the city.

But from the side of the city many things transpired which struck the
eyes and soul of the little girl with terror. The sight of the
"English" children, taken into captivity, and of Saba led with a leash
by Chamis attracted a throng, which as the procession proceeded to the
ferry increased with each moment. The throng after a certain time
became so great that it was necessary to halt. From all sides came
threatening outcries. Frightfully tattooed faces leaned over Stas and
over Nell. Some of the savages burst out into laughter at the sight of
them and from joy slapped their hips with the palms of their hands;
others cursed them; some roared like wild beasts, displaying their
white teeth and rolling their eyes; finally they began to threaten and
reach out towards them with knives. Nell, partly unconscious from
fright, clung to Stas, while he shielded her as well as he knew how, in
the conviction that their last hour was approaching. Fortunately this
persistent molestation of the brutal swarm at last disgusted even Nur
el-Tadhil. By his command between ten and twenty soldiers surrounded
the children, while the others began, without mercy, to scourge the
howling mob with courbashes. The concourse dispersed hurriedly, but on
the other hand a mob began to gather behind the detachment and amid
wild shrieks accompanied it to the boat.

The children breathed more freely during t