English officers killed there; but as he spoke Arabic well, it is
just possible he was not killed; but, like Slatin and Neufeld, was kept
as a slave, in case he might be useful."

"There are many here who fought against Hicks," the native said. "I
myself fought there, and nearly all the Baggara who are as old as I am
were there, also. I have never heard of a white man who escaped death.
When we broke into the square, the English General and his officers
charged into the middle of us, and all fell. I was not close at the
time, but I saw their bodies, an hour afterwards."

"My father was not a fighting officer. He was the interpreter, and may
not have been near the others. When the attack by your people was made,
I have heard that one of the Soudanese regiments held together, and
marched away, and that there was a white officer with them."

"That was so. Two days afterwards, we surrounded them. They fought
hard; and at last, when we had lost many men, we offered that, if they
would surrender and become the Mahdi's men, they would be spared. Most
of them did so, just as some of our tribesmen, taken by you at Atbara,
have now taken service with you."

"But the white officer--what became of him?"

"I cannot say," the native said. "I have no memory of him. He may have
fallen before they surrendered--who can say? Certainly, I do not
remember a white man being killed, after they did so. I will ask others
who were there, and tomorrow will tell you what they say."

It was a busy day, in Omdurman. The army that had made such efforts,
and achieved so great a triumph, marched in military order, with bands
playing, through the town. The Sirdar had a double motive, in ordering
them to do so. In the first place, it was a legitimate triumph of the
troops, thus to march as conquerors through the town. In the second
place the sight would impress, not only the inhabitants, but the
Dervish prisoners, with a sense of the power of those who, henceforth,
would be their masters; and, undoubtedly, the show had the desired
effect. The orderly ranks, as they swept along, the proud demeanour of
the men, their physique and equipment, created a profound impression
among the natives. Half of them were their own kinsmen, many of whom
had fought for the Khalifa, and had now aided in defeating him. This
was what had been accomplished by drill and discipline, and the
influence of white officers. The Soudanese were evidently well fed and
cared for; n