130 THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES sometimes fought and tore each other with their teeth like tigers. The river banks at Seg-et-taib were rather difficult of access, as strips of marshy land ran in every direction parallel to the stream. Everyone who reached the water on foot was covered with black slimy mud up to his knees; and as we rode through the bog our horses sank up to their flanks in the soft ooze, but managed somehow to flounder through it without rolling over with their riders. A pleasant spot beneath some trees was assigned for our camp, but when we reached it we found a bevy of Sudanese ladies already in possession. A little dakshish, however, solved the difficulty, and the fair ones withdrew, after cleverly tying up pots and pans and babies within the. folds of their voluminous garments.

At Seg-et-talb my companion Cross, who had been far from well for some days. past, and suffered especially from sleeplessness, became so ill that I went off in search of his friend, Surgeon-General Taylor, who throughout Cross’ illness was invariably most kind and thoughtful. This officer at once came to see the patient, and ordered him to be placed on