elp one another? When the heat is over, we may go on. I have a
horse, here, which you shall ride. How far is it from the well to El
Obeid?'

"'It is four hours' journey, on foot.'

"'Good! Then you shall see your wife before morning. We will stop at
the well to give my horse a good drink; and then, if you feel well
enough to go on, we will not wait above an hour.'

"'May Allah bless you!' the man said, and he then closed his eyes, and
at once went to sleep.

"I lay down beside him, but not to sleep. I was overjoyed with my good
fortune. Now I could enter El Obeid boldly and, the wounded man being a
native there, no questions would be asked me. I had a house to go to,
and shelter, for the present.

"As to what might happen afterwards, I did not care to think. Some way
of escape would surely occur, in time. Once my position as a Mahdist
was fully established, I should be able to join any party going towards
Khartoum, and should avoid all questioning; whereas, if I were to
journey alone, I should be asked by every band I met where I came from;
and might, at any moment, be detected, if there happened to be any from
the village I should name as my abode. It was all important that this
poor fellow should live; until, at least, I had been with him two days,
in the town.

"From time to time, I dipped a piece of rag in the gourd, squeezed a
few drops of water between his lips, and then laid it on his forehead.
When the sun began to get low, I went out and caught the horse. As I
came up, the Dervish opened his eyes.

"'I am better,' he said. 'You have restored me to life. My head is
cool, and my lips no longer parched.'

"'Now,' I said, 'I will lift you into the saddle. You had better ride
with both legs on the same side. It will be better for your wound.
There is a mound of earth, a few yards away. If you will stand up on
that, I can lift you into the saddle, easily. Now put your arms round
my neck, and I will lift you in the standing position. If you try to
get up, yourself, your wound might easily break out again.'

"I managed better than I had expected and, taking the bridle, led the
horse towards the well.

"'You must tell me the way,' I said, 'for I am a stranger in this part,
having come from the Blue Nile.'

"'I know it perfectly,' he said, 'having been born in El Obeid. I
fought against the Mahdists, till we were starved out; and then, as we
all saw that the power of the Mahdi was great, and that Allah was