GREGOEY VOLUNTEERS 87 think that it will soon begin. A good many came up with me to Wady Haifa and the stations on the river, and I heard that all who had sufficiently recovered wei*e under orders to rejoin very shortly.”

“ Yes, I suppose it won’t be long. Of course we know nothing here, and I don’t expect we shall till the order comes for us to start. This is not the time of year when one expects to be on the move, and if we do go, it is pretty certain that it is because Kitchener has made up his mind for a dash forward. You see, if we take Abu Hamed and drive the Dervishes away, we can at once push the railway on to that place; and as soon as it is done the troops can be brought up and an advance made to Berber, if not farther, during the cool season—if you can ever call it a cool season here.”

“ Is there any great force at Abu Hamed ? ” . Ho; nothing that could stand against this for a moment. Their chief force outside Omdurman is at Metemmeh under Mahmud, the Khalifa’s favourite son. You see, the Jaalin made fools of themselves. Instead of waiting until we could lend them a hand, they revolted as soon as we took Dongola, and the result was that Mahmud came down and pretty well wiped them out. They defended themselves stoutly at Metemmeh, but had no chance against such a host as he brought with him. The town was taken, and its defenders, between two and three thousand fighting men, were all massacred, together with most of the women and children. By the accounts brought down to us by men who got away, it must have been an even more horrible business than usual; and the Dervishes are past-masters in the art of massacre. However, I think that their course is nearly up. Of late a good many fugitives from Kordofan have arrived here, and they say that there will be a general revolt there when they hear that we' have given the Dervishes a heavy thrashing.”

And where do you think the great fight is likely to take place ? ” Gregory asked.

“ Not this side of Metemmeh. Except at Abu Hamed we