engaged
in trade and various affairs, and some, especially those who pretended
to change their faith, were even officers of the Mahdi, and this gave
them considerable importance among the wild dervishes. One of these
Greeks stopped the detachment and began to question the children as to
how they happened to be there. Learning with amazement that they had
just arrived, and that they had been kidnapped from far-away Fayum, he
promised to speak about them to the Mahdi and to inquire about them in
the future. In the meantime he nodded his head compassionately at Nell
and gave to each a few handfuls of dried wild figs and a silver dollar
with an image of Maria Theresa. After which he admonished the soldiers
not to dare to do any harm to the little girl, and he left, repeating
in English: "Poor little bird!"

XVII

Through tortuous little streets they finally arrived at the
market-place which was situated in the center of the city. On the way
they saw many men with a hand or foot cut off. They were thieves or
transgressors who had concealed booty. The punishment meted by the
caliphs for disobedience or violation of the laws promulgated by the
prophet was horrible, and even for a trivial offense, such as smoking
tobacco, the delinquent was whipped with courbashes until he bled or
became unconscious. But the caliphs themselves observed these commands
only seemingly; at home they indulged in everything, so that the
penalties fell upon the poor, who at one blow were despoiled of all
their goods. Afterwards there remained for them nothing to do but beg;
and as in Omdurman there was a scarcity of provisions they died of
starvation.

A large number of beggars also swarmed around the provision stalls. The
first object, however, which attracted the attention of the children
was a human head fastened on a high bamboo set up in the center of the
market-place. The face of this head was dried up and almost black,
while the hair on the skull and the chin was as white as milk. One of
the soldiers explained to Idris that that was Gordon's head. Stas, when
he heard this, was seized by fathomless sorrow, indignation, and a
burning desire for revenge; at the same time terror froze the blood in
his veins. Thus had perished that hero, that knight without fear and
without reproach; a man, just and kind, who was loved even in the
Sudan. And the English people had not come in time to his aid, and
later retired, leaving his remains without a