make the final advance on Khartum
had not yet left England. A long time would be required to get
everything ready.

In Khartum comparative quiet as yet prevailed. The dervishes bided their
time patiently, encamping barely six miles from the outworks. Shots were
exchanged only at a distance. On September 21 Gordon learned by a
messenger that the relief expedition was on the way, and ten days later
he sent his steamboats northwards to meet it and to hasten the
forwarding of troops. But thereby he lost half of his own power of
resistance.

On October 21 the Mahdi himself arrived in the camp outside Khartum, and
on the following day sent Gordon convincing proofs that Stewart's
steamboat had sunk and that all on board had been slain. He added a list
of all the journals and documents found on board. From these the Mahdi
had learned almost to a day how long Khartum could hold out, the
strength of the garrison, the scheme of defence, where the batteries
stood and how long the ammunition would last. This was a terrible blow
to the lonely soldier, but it did not break down his courage. The death
of Stewart and his companions grieved him inexpressibly, but he sent an
answer to the Mahdi that if 20,000 boats had been taken it would be all
the same to him--"I am here like iron."

In the relief expedition was a major named Kitchener, who was afterwards
to become very famous. He tried to get into Khartum in disguise to carry
information to Gordon, and he did succeed in sending him a letter with
the news that the relieving force would set out from Dongola on November
1. When the letter reached Gordon the corps had been two days on the
march, but the distance from Dongola to Khartum is 280 miles in a
straight line.

By November 22 Gordon had lost nearly 1900 of his fighting men, but his
diary shows that he was still hopeful. On December 10 there were still
provisions for fifteen days. The entries in the diary now become
shorter, and repeatedly speak of fugitives and deserters, and of the
diminishing store of provisions. On December 14 Gordon had a last
opportunity of sending news from Khartum, and the diary which the
messenger took with him closes with these words: "I have done the best
for the honour of our country. Good-bye."

After the sending-off of the diary impenetrable darkness hides the
occurrences of the last weeks in Khartum. One or two circumstances,
however, were made known by deserters. During the forty days during