the acme
of suffering, and that one more stroke must drive the soul from the
body, some time before the last had cut into his palpitating flesh.

But it takes a good deal to kill, and when all was over he was alive,
though unable to stand, and when spurned from the courtyard into the
street, managed to crawl and drag himself home, where he obtained the
draught of water, the want of which had been his chief torment since the
stripes ended.

"And now we have recovered the will, uncle, how are we to send it to my
mother?" asked Harry when the distracting cries extracted by the
courbash had ceased. "The old one I will destroy, as should have been
done before. The money will add to her comfort, but news that I am
alive and with you will make her happier still."

This last was a skilful touch, and, I fear, Harry was becoming a bit of
a cheat. For, though tidings of her son's own safety would undoubtedly
be the best news Mrs Forsyth could receive, the fact that he was
domiciled with her crazy brother would as certainly not add to her
satisfaction.

"Keep it safely for the present," said the sheikh, after smoking some
time in thoughtful deliberation; "we shall find a method of transmitting
it. Great events will occur soon. The authority of the Mahdi being
established in the Soudan, we shall sweep Egypt like the simoom, and
Cairo and Alexandria once in our hands, we shall find no difficulty in
communicating with Europe. Or, perhaps, it may be done more quickly by
Suakim, should the forces of the Mahdi's lieutenant, Osman Digna,
recover from their check," he added, musing and thinking aloud rather
than addressing his nephew.

Harry longed to ask what check, but it was part of his newly-formed
system not to ask questions or show curiosity, but yield himself
passively to the course of events, and watch his opportunity. For the
same reason he would not propose taking the will home himself, feeling
certain that so obvious a course would be suggested by his uncle himself
if he could feel it was practicable. But it was evident what he was
driving at now; as his nephew picked up health and strength he began
asking him about his connection with the volunteers, and whether he had
paid attention to the theory as well as the practice of shooting.

And though Harry pretended not to understand, and parried the questions
as well as he could, he saw very well that he wanted him to take an
active part in the training of Soudanese