ittle girl, eight years old, in
dresses--oh--reaching the knees."

"Papa told me so and papa knows best."

"He told you so because otherwise you would not understand. He would
not express himself to me in that way. The Mahdi is worse than a whole
shoal of crocodiles. Do you understand? That is a nice expression for
me. 'Naughty!' They talk that way to babes."

But, observing the little girl's clouded face, he became silent and
afterwards said:

"Nell, you know I did not want to cause you any unpleasantness. The
time will come when you will be fourteen. I certainly promise you that."

"Aha!" she replied with a worried look, "but if before that time the
Mahdi should dash into Port Said and eat me."

"The Mahdi is not a cannibal, so he does not eat people. He only kills
them. He will not dash into Port Said, but even if he did and wanted to
murder you, he would first have to do with me."

This declaration with the sniff with which Stas inhaled the air through
his nose, did not bode any good for the Mahdi and considerably quieted
Nell as to her own person.

"I know," she answered, "you would not let him harm me. But why do they
not allow Fatma to leave Port Said?"

"Because Fatma is a cousin of the Mahdi. Her husband, Smain, made an
offer to the Egyptian Government at Cairo to go to the Sudan, where the
Mahdi is staying, and secure the liberty of all Europeans who have
fallen into his hands."

"Then Smain is a good man?"

"Wait! Your papa and my papa, who knew Smain thoroughly, did not have
any confidence in him and warned Nubar Pasha not to trust him. But the
Government agreed to send Smain and Smain remained over half a year
with the Mahdi. The prisoners not only did not return, but news has
come from Khartum that the Mahdists are treating them more and more
cruelly, and that Smain, having taken money from the Government, has
become a traitor. He joined the Mahdi's army and has been appointed an
emir. The people say that in that terrible battle in which General
Hicks fell, Smain commanded the Mahdi's artillery and that he probably
taught the Mahdists how to handle the cannon, which before that time
they, as savage people, could not do. But now Smain is anxious to get
his wife and children out of Egypt. So when Fatma, who evidently knew
in advance what Smain was going to do, wanted secretly to leave Port
Said, the Government arrested her with the children."

"But what good are Fatma and her children to the G