LIFE AT GUBAT. 181 It would have been very interesting to have kept a diary of shaves. The most marvellous stones were started, and they found ready credence : that Wolseley was only two days off; that the Mahdi was dead; that 15,000 of the enemy were advancing from Berber, and would be here in three days ; that 6,000 more were coming from Khartoum ; that we were to attack and take Metemmeh at once ; that the Mahdi's troops had all bolted ; that the Berberines had all come over to our side everything but the truth. Some of us used to start shaves on purpose (> see them come back with variations.

During the daytime a chain of vedettes of the 9th Hussars was kept up round the position, and erpetual " potting " went on. Stray Arabs would sconce themselves all day at a safe distance, and try to pick off the vedettes, who replied at intervals with their carbines. None of our men were ever hit, and only once did a Hussar report, with much glee, that he had shot an Arab at 1,000 yards: unfortunately no one believed him, so it did not count as an authentic kill. At sunset the Cavalry