THE STORY OF THE CAVASS. 223 there appears to have been throughout the siege an influential section of the people in favour of the Mahdi, and he considers that an act of treachery such as that attributed to Faragh was not surprising under the circumstances. Faragh, however, was killed after the capture of Khartum—as was supposed by the orders of the IMahdi, but Behnasawi was afterwards known to be in high favour.

This is the brief but well-grounded account given by Sir Charles Wilson, Avho concludes by saying that there were two independent accounts of Gordon's death which in all essential particulars agreed with each other, and appeared to be trustworthy. One was that of the cavass, which was telegraphed in brief by Lord Wolseley to Cairo. This man professed to be an eye-witness, and said : " On hearing the noise I got my master's donkey and went with him to the palace. We met Gordon Pasha at the outer door of the palace. Muhammed Bey Mustafa, with my master, Ibrahim Bey Rushdi, and about twenty cavasses then went with Gordon towards the house of the Austrian consul, Hansal, near the church, when we met some rebels in open space near the outer gate of the palace. Gordon Pasha was walking in front leading the party. The rebels fired a volley, and Gordon was killed at once: nine of the cavasses, Ibrahim Bey Rushdi, and Muhammed Bey Mustafa, were killed, the rest ran away." The messenger who gave the other account was not present, but went to the palace soon after sunrise. His statement was: "Faragh Pasha v/ithdrew the soldiers from the gate near the White Nile and allowed the rebels to enter. Wad en Nejumi and Khalifa Ali led the way; every one was asleep, and before the sun rose the town was full of Arabs. Some went to the palace and met Gordon attended by some of his <Tuard at the crate. Gordon fired his revolver, and the rebels fired a volley, killing Gordon immediately. I saw Gordon lying dead near the palace gate." Sir Charles thought it not unlikely that General Gordon, when he heard that the Arabs had entered the crtv, tried to reach the church where the ammunition was stored, and that he intended either to try and hold out there until the relief expedition arrived, or to blow up the magazine and prevent