CHAPTER XXIV.

Prospects of an autumn campaign Orders to quit Down-stream iri whalers Red spiders Dongola.

ON arriving at the river, the first questions naturally asked were : " What is going to happen now ? Are we really going to have an autumn campaign ? An we going to stick here all the summer, or are we going to quit at once ?

" Nobody knew. Wolseley was determined upon an autumn campaign, and getting to Khartoum, even though the main reason for the expedition was gone. The question was, " Would the country stand it ? " We rather thought not ; but still it was " on the cards," and meantime we amused ourselves by mild bets about whether we should be home for the Derby, for Lord's, for the 1 2th, or for next Christmas. Two or three days followed of nothing in particular, except that we assisted the Heavies in finishing