100 THE WAR IN THE SOUDAN.

CHAPTER XXV.

LEFT ALONE.

We have seen the army hurrying on to reach the three Englishmen shut up in Khartoum. Strong arms pull vigorously at the oars. The boats are dragged through the surging rapids. The mounted corps ride along day by day and often far into the night. Khartoum must be reached and its de¬ fenders delivered. Not an hour is needlessly wasted. Yet meanwhile what is happening ? They do not know at Khartoum that help is on the way. They are fighting hard as well as they can by themselves. The Nile is now high and General Gordon sends his steamers out daily on excursions. They go up stream as far south as Senaar, shelling the enemy and obtaining pro¬ visions ; they go north too with the same errands and come back victorious— except on one sad occasion, and it is this occasion that must now be chronicled.

No news from the outside world reaches the invested town. There is an opportunity now to obtain some : it is high Nile ; the steamers have shown their ability to pass up and down comparatively unscathed ; why should they not go all the way to Berber and from thence to Merawi 1 Major Kitchener, they know, is at Debbeh, not far from Merawi ; he will know if an army is on its way ; he will link the exiles once more with their friends ; they will find out from him for certain what is being done for them. It is running a desperate risk ; but it shall be attempted.

Had they counted the cost, these three brave men 1 Did they know all the dangers that surrounded such an expedition ? An open enemy they need not fear. But behind these there lurked that ever-present spectre—treachery. It dogged our General like a shadow. He could not free himself from it. Wherever he went it followed him. Stealthy, silent, unseen. Working in the dark. Unapproachable. Not to be grappled with. Never revealing it¬ self till its cold deathly grip was on the throats of its victims. Now appear¬ ing as a peaceful ally ; now stalking unnoticed amongst the ranks of apparently friendly soldiers. A powerful foe. Much to be dreaded. Always to be watched for. Already it had slain its thousands, and none could tell where its blow would next be dealt. It was quiet in its way of working ; it waited patiently for an opportunity to lure on its enemies to destruction, and when the opportunity came it was remorseless. If this spectre treachery could have been annihilated, the history of the Soudan war would have been different.