the few lines which
were to give us a new life. The note was signed by Marcopoli Bey, by
order of General Hicks, and was to the effect that we should not abandon
hope, for as soon as the winter season began, a large army would advance
into the Sudan to attack the Mahdi. We kissed that dirty little bit of
paper, and thanked God most heartily for sending us news so full of
comfort. We became reassured, and now our dark future gave place to
cheerful hopes which brightened the few months of anxious delay which
followed the receipt of this note. The letter was dated from the White
Nile, where the General had already gained a victory over Wad Makashef,
and soon the news of the intended expedition against the Mahdi spread
like wildfire through the camp.

[Illustration: HICKS PASHA.]

It appears that Consul Hansal also wrote a letter to the Mahdi, but the
latter said nothing to us about it. Amina, one of our black girls whom
the Mahdi had taken as a concubine, said she saw in the Mahdi's hand a
letter with a large seal, on which the "double-headed eagle" was
represented; but the Mahdi does not appear to have taken much notice of
it. In Darfur the news of the intended Hicks expedition had considerable
effect. Slatin, the Governor-General, had been fighting continuously
against the natives of Darfur and against the Rizighat, Habbanieh, and
other Arab tribes; he was now in the north, then in the south,
combating with bravery and unusual rapidity the various revolts which
sprang up throughout his province. He was a scourge to the Arabs and
killed thousands of them; he even pursued them into the almost
inaccessible hills and valleys of Jebel Marra. His powers of endurance
were wonderful, and he would often be twenty-four hours in the saddle,
constantly fighting, and with nothing to eat or drink. He slept on the
bare floor or ground beside his native soldiers, and lived on dhurra
soaked in water; he was just, never took bribes, generous, ever ready to
assist the poor and needy, and never refused admittance to old and young
who sought his help. In spite, however, of his having--as he himself
told me--fought in twenty-seven battles against the Arabs, he could not
crush them, for they were like fungus growing out of the earth.

In action Slatin was most heroic. On one occasion he was struck by a
bullet which shattered one of his fingers; but, undismayed, he seized
the hanging remnant with his other hand and ordered the man standing
n