ow, and what need
was there to recount his treasonable vagaries?

An old Harton boy is almost sure to find some mutual acquaintance in any
group of English officers he may fall in with in any part of the world,
and when at the evening meal he was chatting with his hospitable
entertainers, Strachan's name happened to be mentioned.

"What, Tom Strachan, of the Blankshire?" he cried.

"That's the man!"

"Is his regiment in the Soudan?"

"No, but _he_ is. He is an active card, and volunteered to act on the
staff, and has done a good bit of galloping business. I think he is
working in the Transport now, at least he was when we heard last from
Korti."

From this and all else he could gather Korti was the place Harry now had
to try and make for, and he was soon once more on his travels down the
river.

We will not follow his footsteps, since he met with no adventures to be
compared at all with those he had gone through. And very glad he was of
it, for the one thing he now dreaded most was delay.

He had not long been at Korti before he saw the very old friend he had
been asking after, and soon got an opportunity of speaking to him, busy
as he seemed to be.

"Don't you know me?" he asked.

"Know you! Of course I do, just as if you were my brother; but just now
I forget whether it is tinned meats or bullocks. By Jove! Is it
possible! Harry Forsyth! And how are you, old fellow? One would think
Korti was the centre of the world, for every fellow comes here. I say,
who was to know you dressed up like that? Well, and what are you up to?
Have you found that will yet?"

"Yes."

"Nonsense! And _got_ it?"

"Yes."

"You must tell me all about that. I was just going to get something to
eat; come along and share it. You have fallen upon the right boy for
grub, I can tell you; I am in the provisioning department just for the
moment, and there is no order against looking after number one."

"And you found your uncle who had turned wild man?" observed Tom
Strachan, as the two filled and lit their pipes after a capital repast.

"Yes, poor fellow!" answered Harry. "Without him I don't suppose I
should have got the will."

"And where did you run your Egyptian clerk to earth?"

"At El Obeid, and we got it out of him with the kourbash."

"Of course; you know the cynical saying here. As Nature provides an
antidote growing in the same district with every poison, all we have to
do is to learn how to seek it.