TO METEMMEH 105 behave. These are all natives of the Soudan, and no small proportion of them have been followers of the Mahdi and have fought against us, so they may be taken as typical of the men you are going among. It is in all these little matters that you will have to be careful. Now, I will not detain you longer. I suppose your horses are on board?”

It had been arranged that Gregory should be taken down to Korti in a native craft that was carrying some stores required at that camp.

Yes, sir; my boy put them on board two hours ago.” “ Here is the pass by which you can enter or leave the British lines at any time. The boat will be there before daylight, but the landing of the stores will not, of course, take place until later. Show this pass to the first officer who comes down. It contains an order for you to be allowed to start on your journey at once. This other pass is for your return. You had better, at your first halt, sew it under one of your patches. It is, as you see, written on a piece of linen,> so that however closely you may be examined, there will be no stiffness or crackling, as would be the case with paper. Now good-bye, Hilliard! It is a satisfaction to me that you have undertaken this journey on your own initiative, and on your own request. I believe that you have a fair chance of carrying it through—more so than men with wider shoulders and bigger limbs would have. If you come to grief I shall blame myself for having accepted your offer, but I shall, at least know that I thought it over seriously, and that, seeing the importance of the object in view, I did not feel myself justified in refusing.”

With a cordial shake of the hand he said good-bye to Gregory. The latter went off to his hut. He did not leave it until dusk, and then went down to the boat, where Zaki had remained with the horses. As soon as it started, they lay down alongside some bales on the deck of the native craft and were soon asleep. They did not wake until a slight bump told them they were alongside the wharf at Korti.