way materials shall be sent up, as quickly as possible; as it has
been decided that the railway shall be carried on, at once, to
Khartoum. I expect that, as soon as the Nile falls, they will make a
temporary bridge across the Atbara."

It was six in the morning, when the steamer arrived at Abu Hamed.
Gregory at once landed, paid his four men, went up to the little
station; and, an hour later, was on his way to Atbara Fort. He had but
two hours to wait there, and reached Omdurman at three o'clock, on the
following afternoon. As he landed, he met an officer he knew.

"Is there any news?" he asked.

"Nothing but Fashoda is talked about. It has been ascertained that the
force there is undoubtedly French. The betting is about even as to
whether France will back down, or not. They have made it difficult for
themselves, by an outburst of enthusiasm at what they considered the
defeat of England. Well, of course, that does not go for much, except
that it makes it harder for their government to give in."

"And has any news been received of the whereabouts of the Khalifa?"

"No. Broadwood, with two regiments of Egyptian cavalry and the camel
corps, started in pursuit of the Khalifa and Osman, an hour after it
was found that they had got away. Slatin Pasha went with them. But as
the horses had been at work all day, they had to stop at half past
eight. They could not then get down to the water, and bivouacked where
they had halted. At four in the morning they started again, and at half
past eight found a spot where they could get down to the river; then
they rode fifteen miles farther.

"They were now thirty-five miles from Omdurman. One of the gunboats had
gone up with supplies, but owing to the Nile having overflowed, could
not get near enough to land them. Next morning they got news that the
Khalifa was twenty-five miles ahead, and had just obtained fresh
camels, so they were ordered to return to the town. They had picked up
a good many of the fugitives, among them the Khalifa's favourite wife;
who, doubtless with other women, had slipped away at one of his halting
places, feeling unable to bear the constant fatigues and hardships of
the flight in the desert.

"The cavalry have since been out again, but beyond the fact that the
Khalifa had been joined by many of the fugitives from the battle, and
was making for Kordofan, no certain news has been obtained. At present,
nothing can be done in that direction.

"That horse yo