20 THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES

gratify his wishes in this respect. To have a cook bending over the fire with a belt full of cartridges, or walking round one’s tent with a loaded rifle—these were indeed added terrors

to the perils of a Sudan campaign. He was, however, permitted to wear the gigantic sword, as I thought it might come in handy for

cutting wood or opening tins of meat.

We were not sorry to get out of Cairo. The moist heat which prevailed in the town clogged

all the pores of the skin and was extremely

trying. Just before we left, a detachment of the Grenadier Guards entrained for the front.

These fine fellows were marched from Abbas- seeyeh to the station—no great distance—in the hottest part of the day, between twelve

o'clock and two. When they reached the

station the perspiration was streaming from

their faces, and they were kept at “attention ”

to prevent them from drinking water in this

condition. But the heat had already begun to

tell in several cases; three men fell prostrate, and quite a number were attacked by violent

sickness. The drainage, too, of the city was in

a deplorable condition. The old native system had been recently abolished, and during the