116 WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN dark, and, enveloping himself from head to foot in his black blanket, he crawled out until well beyond the line of tents, and then very cautiously made his way towards them again. He knew that he should see the white figures of the Dervishes before they could make him out, and he managed, unnoticed, to crawl up to one of the largest- tents and lie down against it. He heard the chatter of the women in an adjoining tent, but there was no sound in that against which he lay-i For an hour all was quiet. Then he saw two white figures coming from Mahmud’s camp, which lay some fifty yards away. To his delight they stopped at the entrance of the tent by which he was concealed, and one said : I can well understand, Ibrahim Khalim, that your brother Mahmud is sorely vexed that your father will not let him advance against the Egyptians at Merawi. I fully share his feelings for could I not with my cavalry sweep them before me into the river, even though no foot-men came with me? According to accounts they are but two or three thousand strong, and I have as many horsemen under my command.”

“ That is so, Osman Azrakyet. But methinks my father is right. If we were to march across the desert we would lose very many men and great numbers of animals, and we should arrive weakened and dispirited. -If we remain here it is the Egyptians who will have to bear the hardships of the march across the desert. Great numbers of the animals that carry the baggage and food, without which the poor infidels are unable to march, would die, and the weakened force would be an easy prey for us.”

“ That is true,” the other said, “ but they may come now, as they came to Dongola, in their boats.”

“They have the cataracts to ascend, and the rapid currents of the Nile at its full to struggle against. There is a strong force at Abu Hamed, and our Governor at Berber will move down there with all his force when he hears that the .Egyptians are coming up the cataracts. Should it be the will of Allah that they should pass them and reach Berber,