Gregory's history, and said that
the Sirdar had especially asked him to put him in the way of things;
that he had seen a great deal of him on the journey up, and was very
greatly pleased with him.

"The lad is a perfect gentleman," he said, "which is certainly
astonishing, he being a product of Cairo. I consider him in all
respects--except, of course, a classical education--fully equal to the
average young officer, on first joining. He is very modest and
unassuming; and will, I feel sure, perform with credit any work that
you may give him to do."

"I see," he said, laying it down, "you have only joined the army
temporarily, and with a special purpose, and I am told to utilize your
services as I think best. You have a perfect knowledge of Arabic, and
of the Negro dialect. That will be very useful, for though we all speak
Arabic, few speak the Negro language, which is more commonly used here.

"Your father fell with Hicks Pasha, I am told, and you have joined us
with the object of obtaining news as to the manner in which he met his
death?"

"That is so, sir. It was always my mother's wish that I should, when I
was old enough, come up to the Soudan to make enquiries. As my father
was a good Arabic scholar, my mother always entertained a faint hope
that he might have escaped; especially as we know that a good many of
the Egyptian soldiers were not killed, but were taken prisoners, and
made to serve in the Mahdi's army."

"Yes, there are several of them among the Khalifa's artillerymen, but I
am very much afraid that none of the officers were spared. You see,
they kept together in a body, and died fighting to the last."

"I have hardly any hopes myself, sir. Still, as my father was
interpreter, he might not have been with the others, but in some other
part of the square that was attacked."

"That is possible; but he was a white man, and in the heat of the
battle I don't think that the Dervishes would have made any exception.
You see, there were two correspondents with Hicks, and neither of them
has ever been heard of; and they must, I should think, have joined in
that last desperate charge of his.

"Well, for the present I must make you a sort of extra aide-de-camp,
and what with one thing and another, I have no doubt that I shall find
plenty for you to do. As such, you will of course be a member of
headquarters mess, and therefore escape the trouble of providing for
yourself. You have not brought a servant up with