trong, in France, and they certainly will not like
backing down; but they will have to do that or fight and, with all
their big talk, I don't think they are ready to risk a war with us;
especially as, though their occupation of Fashoda would be an immense
annoyance to us, it would be of no possible utility to them.

"By the way, we have all got to sell our horses. There is no
possibility of taking them down, and it is a question of giving them
away, rather than of selling; for, of course, the officers of the
British regiments do not want to buy. I have a horse for which I gave
twenty-five pounds, at Cairo. You are welcome to him. You can give me a
couple of pounds, for the saddle and things."

"I am very much obliged to you, but it would be robbery."

"Not at all. If you won't take him, I shall have him shot, tonight. A
horse could not possibly pick up food here, and would die of starvation
without a master; and it would be still more cruel to give him to a
native, for they are brutal horse masters."

"Well, in that case I shall be glad, indeed, to have him; and I am
extremely obliged to you."

"That is right. If you will send your man round, I will hand it over to
him."

"As you are going tomorrow, it is likely that I shall go with you; for
I am going down, also, as far as Abu Hamed, for ten days."

"That will be pleasant, though I do not know that it will be so for
you; for I own the majority of us are rather sour-tempered, at present.
Though we may be glad enough to go, one does not care to be sent off at
a moment's notice, just as fractious children are turned out of a room,
when their elders want a private chat. However, for myself, I am not
inclined to grumble. I want to go, and therefore I do not stand on the
order of going."

Later, General Hunter gave Gregory an order, for a passage in a steamer
on which the correspondents of the various newspapers were going down.

"What shall we take, master?" Zaki asked.

"Just the clothes we stand in, Zaki. I have got a couple of the Dervish
Remingtons, and several packets of ammunition. I will take them, and I
can get four more. We will take them all down, as we know the people
about Hebbeh are not disposed to be friendly. I don't suppose, for a
minute, that they are likely to show any hostile feeling; for you may
be sure that the fall of Omdurman has spread, by this time, over the
whole land, and they will be on their best behaviour. Still, it is just
as well