346 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

The Ministerial deadlock was thus brought to a close. The advice of the British Government had prevailed. A native Egyptian Ministry had been formed, prepared to carry out the evacuation of the Soudan ; and the Soudanese, having recovered their freedom and independence, ought, according to the Gladstonian theory, to have abandoned all idea of further aggression. Unfortunately, in real life, facts have an awkward way of not harmonizing with theories. When we surrendered the Transvaal on the morrow of Majuba, the Boers ought to have been satisfied with our conceding their demands, and to have lived in good will and friendliness with the Power which had restored their autonomy. But from the day when we evacuated the Transvaal, the Boers began to intrigue against our rule in South Africa In much the same way, when we had compelled Egypt to follow our example in South Africa and to surrender the Soudan, after the disastrous defeat of the Egyptian troops under Hicks Pasha, the Soudanese ought, in theory, to have been content and thankful. Instead of this, they commenced at once to organize an advance on Egypt. The position of Egypt at this time always reminds me of an old Joe Miller story, about an Irish soldier in some Indian campaign, who was engaged on outpost duty, and who shouted out to the nearest sentr)' that he had caught a prisoner. On being told to bring the prisoner into camp, he replied, " I cannot, because the fellow will not let me go." Egypt, V