326 WITH KITCHEISTER IN THE SOUDAN they started, and his staff shouted their wishes for a safe journey. The black soldiers, seeing that, whoever these Dervishes might be, they were well known to the General and his officers, raised a cheer, to which Zaki, who had hitherto kept in the background, waved his rifle in reply. As his face was familiar to numbers of the Soudanese, they now recognized him and cheered more heartily than before, laughing like school-boys at the transformation.

CHAPTER XXI GEDAREH “ \ BDIJL AZIM was right about the camels,” Gregory said, as soon as they were fairly off. I have never ridden on one like this before. What a difference there is between them and the ordinary camel! It is not only that they go twice as fast, but the motion is so pleasant and easy.”

“ Yes, master, these are riding camels of good breed. They cost twenty times as much as the others. They think nothing of keeping up this rate for twelve hours without a stop.”

“If they do that we shall be near the Atbara before it is dark. It is ten o’clock now, and if General Hunter’s map is right we have only about eighty miles to go, and I should think they are trotting seven miles an hour.”

They carried their rifles slung behind them and across the shoulders rather than upright, as was the Arab fashion. The spears were held in their right hands.

“We must see if we can’t fasten the spears in some other way, Zaki; we should And them a nuisance if we held them in our hands all the way. I should say it would be easy to fasten them across the saddle in front of us. If we see horsemen in the distance we can take them into our hands.”

“ I think, master, it would be easier to fasten them behind