I went to headquarters for the
letter to General Hunter."

"Then we may as well take our places, at once. We have nearly an hour
before the train starts; but it is worth waiting, in order to get two
seats next the window, on the river side. We need not sit there till
the train starts, if we put our traps in to keep our places. I know
four or five other officers coming up, so we will spread our things
about, and keep the whole carriage to ourselves, if we can."

In an hour, the train started. Every place was occupied. Ewart had
spoken to his friends, as they arrived, and they had all taken places
in the same compartment. The journey lasted forty hours, and Gregory
admitted that the description Captain Ewart had given him, of the dust,
was by no means exaggerated. He had brought, as had been suggested, a
water skin and a porous earthenware bottle; together with a roll of
cotton-wool to serve as a stopper to the latter, to keep out the dust.
In a tightly fitting handbag he had an ample supply of food for three
days. Along the opening of this he had pasted a strip of paper.

"That will do very well for your first meal, Hilliard, but it will be
of no good afterwards."

"I have prepared for that," Gregory said. "I have bought a gum bottle,
and as I have a newspaper in my pocket, I can seal it up after each
meal."

"By Jove, that is a good idea, one I never thought of!"

"The gum will be quite sufficient for us all, up to Assouan. I have two
more bottles in my box. That should be sufficient to last me for a long
time, when I am in the desert; and as it won't take half a minute to
put a fresh paper on, after each meal, I shall have the satisfaction of
eating my food without its being mixed with the dust."

There was a general chorus of approval, and all declared that they
would search every shop in Assouan, and endeavour to find gum.

"Paste will do as well," Ewart said, "and as we can always get flour,
we shall be able to defy the dust fiend as far as our food goes.

"I certainly did not expect that old campaigners would learn a lesson
from you, Hilliard, as soon as you started."

"It was just an idea that occurred to me," Gregory said.

The gum bottle was handed round, and although nothing could be done for
those who had brought their provisions in hampers, three of them who
had, like Gregory, put their food in bags, were able to seal them up
tightly.

It was now May, and the heat was becoming intolerable, espec