SAFELY BACK 129 had a long ride. In the first place, my arm wants attending to, I have a bullet in the shoulder. The next thing we need is something to eat; for the last three days we have had nothing but dates, and not too many of them. Is there any chance of getting taken up to Merawi? We came down from there to Korti in a native vessel.”

“Yes; a gun-boat with some native craft will he going up this afternoon. I will give orders at once that your horses shall be put on board.”

When the ball had been extracted from his shoulder, and the wound dressed and bandaged by the surgeon in charge, Gregory went up to the tents again, where he was warmly received by the three white ofiicers of the negro regiment. Breakfast had already been prepared, Zaki being handed over to the native officers. After having made a hearty meal, Gregory related the adventure with the Arabs in the desert, merely saying that they had found there were no Dervishes at Gakdul.

“ But why didn’t you go straight back instead of coming down here ? ” “ I wanted to see whether this line was open, and whether there were any wells on it. We only found one, and it took us four or five hours’ hard work to get at the water. It is lucky indeed that we did so, for our horses were getting very done up, and I had begun to think that they would not reach our destination alive.”

In the afternoon the adventurers started with the boats going up to Merawi, and the next morning arrived at the camp. The Dervish patches had been removed from their clothes as soon as they arrived at Ambukol. Gregory could have borrowed a white suit there, but as the stain on his skin, although somewhat lighter than when first put on, was too dark, he declined the offer.

“No one may notice me as I land now,” he said, “but everyone would stare at a man with a brown face and white uniform.”