are not Dervishes, master," Zaki said, after a long, steady look.
"They have not white turbans. Some of their clothes are light, and some
dark; but all have dark caps, like those the Soudanese troops wear."

"That is good enough, Zaki. We will turn our robes inside out, so as to
hide the patches, as otherwise we might have a hot reception."

When they were a quarter of a mile from the village, several men
started out from the bushes, rifle in hand. They were all in Egyptian
uniform.

"We are friends!" Gregory shouted in Arabic. "I am an officer of the
Khedive, and have come from Omdurman, with a message to your
commander."

A native officer, one of the party, at once saluted.

"You will find the bey in the village, Bimbashi."

"How long have you been here?"

"We came in yesterday, and I hear that we shall start tomorrow, but I
know not whether that is so."

"Are there any Dervishes about?"

"Yes; forty of them yesterday afternoon, coming from Gedareh, and
ignorant that we were here, rode in among our outposts on that hill to
the west. Three of them were killed, and three made prisoners. The rest
rode away."

With a word of thanks, Gregory rode on. He dismounted when he reached
the village, and was directed to a neighbouring hut. Here Colonel
Parsons and the six white officers with him were assembled. A native
soldier was on sentry, at the door.

"I want to speak to Parsons Bey."

The Colonel, hearing the words, came to the door.

"Colonel Parsons," Gregory said in English, "I am Major Hilliard of the
Egyptian Army, and have the honour to be the bearer of a message to
you, from General Rundle, now in command at Omdurman."

"You are well disguised, indeed, sir," the Colonel said with a smile,
as he held out his hand. "I should never have taken you for anything
but a native. Where did you spring from? You can never have ridden,
much less walked, across the desert from Omdurman?"

"No, sir. I was landed from one of the gunboats in which General
Hunter, with fifteen hundred Soudanese troops, is ascending the Blue
Nile, to prevent Fadil from crossing and joining the Khalifa."

"Have you a written despatch?"

"It was thought better that I should carry nothing, so that even the
strictest search would not show that I was a messenger."

"Is your message of a private character?"

"No, sir, I think not."

"Then will you come in?"

Gregory followed Colonel Parsons into the hut, which contained but one
ro