the road from Fascher, Gordon had not a
man on whom he could count. Suleiman and his whole force were encamped
not three miles from the town. Gordon quite realised the position; he
saw that his own life, and, what he valued more, the whole work on
which he had been so long engaged, were at stake, and that a moment's
hesitation would mean ruin. He rose to the crisis. At daybreak,
attired in his official costume, with the Medjidieh gleaming on his
breast, he mounted his horse and rode off to Suleiman's camp. Suleiman
meditated treachery, and a trifle would have decided him to take the
step of seizing Gordon, and holding him as hostage for his father. Had
Gordon delayed even a few hours, there is no doubt that the
slave-hunters would have executed their original design; but his
extraordinary promptitude and self-confidence disconcerted them, and
probably saved his own life. Gordon rode down the brigand lines;
Suleiman, described as "a nice-looking lad of twenty-two," received
him with marks of respect, and the Governor-General, without giving
them a moment to think, at once summoned him and his chief lieutenants
to an audience in the tent placed at his disposal. Here Gordon went
straight to the point, accusing them of meditated rebellion, and
telling them that he meant to break up their confederacy. After
listening to this indictment, they all made him submission very
abjectly; but Gordon saw that Suleiman had not forgiven him, and when
the truth came afterwards to be known, it was found that he did not
carry out his project only because his principal lieutenants had
deserted him. When the negotiations were over, Suleiman retired with
1500 men to Shaka, where we shall hear of him again, and Gordon took
into his pay the other half of the brigand force. In this remarkable
manner did he stave off the greatest peril which had yet threatened
him in the Soudan.

The following corroborative account of this incident was furnished
long afterwards by Slatin Pasha:--

"In the midst of all this discussion and difference of opinion,
Gordon, travelling by Keriut and Shieria, had halted at a spot
about four hours' march from Dara; and having instructed his
escort to follow him as usual, he and his two secretaries started
in advance on camels. Hearing of his approach, Suleiman had
given orders to his troops to deploy in three lines between the
camp and the fort, and while this operation was being carri