Gordon at Work.

that these two merchants mtended to elude his vigihince and transport elsewhere a large number.

The Governor finally left Fashoda at the end of August to return to Gondokoro. The Vekils of Kushuk Ali and Gatasc profited by his departure, and transported, that same day, to the territories of the Dinkas on the opposite shore, sixteen hundred slaves and one hundred and ninety oxen under the escort of thirty mercenaries.

The Dinkas, authorized to prevent any passage of slaves through their territory, raised every kind of obstacle along the roads of this convoy to give time to the soldiers of Fashoda to arrive at the place.

Yussuf Bey sent in fact two hundred soldiers, rendering it impossible for the merchants to retire as they had intended. To the right they had the Nile, in front the vice-regal troops, and behind them the tribe of the Dinkas. So the merchants surrendered, and twenty-four hours after the troops re-entered the town with the prisoners. Vekils, slaves, and mercenaries were all sent under a good escort to Khartoum, where a very hard lesson was prepared for the rebels.

This fortunate capture paralyzed every other attempt at infraction of the Colonel's orders, and the Vekils were convinced that when the power is not in the hands of corrupt persons, it can, in spite of the immense distance, make its severity felt, and prevent the trafiic in slaves.