THE WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE tog at last the old ferry-boat came blundering across, the official in charge, who seemed, from his manner, to have caught the Sirdar’s mental attitude towards correspondents, brusquely refused to take us over to Hagir, because no one had given him orders to do so. Consequently the #7 Zahra left us and recrossed to the camp with her precious commander, although one of our number was suffering severely from the sun, and lay prostrate on the ground. As all our baggage was on the other side of the river, having been sent on by camels, we had absolutely nothing to protect us from the heat as it grew fiercer and fiercer every moment, so we simply sat on the ground and grilled in the sun. The misery of such an experience is very real indeed when the thermometer stands at 115° in the shade! As one lies amid a dreary waste of sand and rock, | | sub curru nimium propinqui Solis in terra domibus negata, with the pitiless rays of noontide beating down upon one’s head, visions of iced cups and other delights rise like a mental mirage and mock one’s misery! The thoughts stray