254 WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN when the steam-boat ran ashore. I took no hand in the business; the white men had done me no harm, while the followers of the Mahdi had killed many of my family and friends. I heard what was going to be done, and I stayed in my house. I call upon Allah to witness that what I say is true ! ” “ Do you know if any remains of that expedition are still in existence ? ” “No, my lord. When the white troops came here some months afterwards I fled, as all here did; but I know that before they destroyed Wad Gamr’s house they took away some boxes of papers that had been brought ashore from the ship, and were still in the house. I know of nothing else. The clothes of the men on board the steam-boat were divided among those who took part in the attack, but there was little booty.”

Gregory knew that at Wad Gamr’s house but few signs of the tragedy had been found when General Brackenbury’s troops entered. Blood-stained visiting-cards of Stewart’s, a few scraps of paper, and a fleld-glass had alone been discovered besides the boxes of papers.

The next man who came up said that he had been with the party who fell upon the engineers and crew of the boat by the river-side. “ I was ordered to kill them,” he said. “ Had I not done so I should have been killed myself.”

“ Do you know whether any booty was hidden away before the English came ? ” “No, my lord, there was no booty taken; no money was found on board the steamer. We stripped her of the brasswork and took the wood ashore to burn. The sheik gave us a dollar and a half a man for what we had done. There may have been some money found on the ship, but as his own men were on board first and took all that they thought of value I have naught to say about it.”

“ And you never heard of anything being hidden before the British troops arrived ? ”