n bosom, for his camp was full of spies, and his
own surroundings were not to be trusted.

Leaving the main portion of his troops at Dara, he advanced on Fascher
at the head of less than 1000 men, taking the lead himself with the
small bodyguard he had organised of 150 picked Soudanese. With these
he entered Fascher, where there were 3000 troops, and the Pasha,
Hassan Helmi, had 10,000 more at Kolkol, three days' journey away.
Gordon found the garrison quite demoralised, and afraid to move
outside the walls. He at once ordered Hassan Pasha to come to him,
with the intention of punishing him by dismissal for his negligence
and cowardice in commanding a force that, properly led, might have
coerced the whole province, when the alarming news reached the
Governor-General that Suleiman and his band had quitted Shaka, and
were plundering in the neighbourhood of Dara itself. The gravity of
this danger admitted of no delay. Not a moment could be spared to
either punish an incapable lieutenant or to crush the foe Haroun,
whose proceedings were the alleged main cause of trouble in Darfour.
Gordon returned with his bodyguard as fast as possible, and, leaving
even it behind, traversed the last eighty-five miles alone on his
camel in a day and a half. Here may be introduced what he wrote
himself on the subject of these rapid and often solitary camel
journeys:--

"I have a splendid camel--none like it; it flies along, and quite
astonishes even the Arabs. I came flying into this station in
Marshal's uniform, and before the men had had time to unpile
their arms, I had arrived, with only one man with me. I could not
help it; the escort did not come in for an hour and a half
afterwards. The Arab chief who came with me said it was the
telegraph. The Gordons and the camels are of the same race--let
them take an idea into their heads, and nothing will take it
out.... It is fearful to see the Governor-General arrayed in
gold clothes, flying along like a madman, with only a guide, as
if he were pursued.... If I were fastidious, I should be as many
weeks as I now am days on the road; I gain a great deal of
prestige by these unheard-of marches. It makes the people fear me
much more than if I were slow."

The situation was in every way as serious as was represented. The Dara
garrison as a fighting force was valueless, and with the exception of
his small bodyguard, still on