FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107  
108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   >>   >|  
and they see no other way of saving themselves from starvation. "There are many who fight because they are fond of fighting. You see how gladly they take service with you, and fight against their own countrymen, although you are Christians. Suppose you were to conquer the Khalifa tomorrow, half his army would enlist in your service, if you would take them. A man who would be contented to till his fields, if he could do so in peace and quiet, fears that he may see his produce eaten by others and his house set on fire; and would rather leave his home and fight--he cares not against whom. "The Mahdist army are badly fed and badly paid. They can scarce keep life together. But in the Egyptian Army the men are well taken care of. They have their rations, and their pay. They say that if they are wounded, or lose a limb, and are no more able to fight, they receive a pension. Is it wonderful that they should come to you and be faithful?" "Well, Zaki, we won't talk any longer, now. It is agreed, then, that if I go on this expedition, you will accompany me?" "Certainly, master. Wherever you go I am ready to go. Whatever happens to you will, I hope, happen to me." On the following afternoon, Gregory was sent for. "I have given the matter a good deal of thought, Mr. Hilliard," the General said, "and have decided to accept your offer. I suppose that you have been thinking the matter over. Do you decide to go on foot, or mounted?" "On horseback, sir. My boy is perfectly willing to go with me. He knows the way, and the position of the wells on the road. My plan is that, when we get near Metemmeh, he shall remain with the horses somewhere near the river; and I shall enter the camp on foot. I am less likely to be noticed that way. If questioned, my story will be that my father was at El Obeid, and that the Governor there is, by the Khalifa's orders, holding his force in hand to put down any outbreaks there may be in the province; and that, wishing to fight against the infidel, I have come on my own account. If I am asked why I had not come on horseback, I shall say that I had ridden to within the last two or three miles, and that the horse had then died. "But I do not expect to be questioned at all, as one man on foot is as nothing, in an army of twenty or thirty thousand, gathered from all over the Soudan." "You quite understand, Mr. Hilliard, that you are taking your life in your hands? And that there is no possibil
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107  
108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

matter

 

questioned

 

horseback

 
Hilliard
 
service
 

Khalifa

 
remain
 

position

 

Metemmeh

 

decided


accept
 

General

 

thought

 

suppose

 

perfectly

 
thinking
 

decide

 

mounted

 

orders

 
expect

ridden

 
twenty
 

taking

 

possibil

 

understand

 

thirty

 

thousand

 
gathered
 

Soudan

 

noticed


father

 

Governor

 

province

 

wishing

 

infidel

 

account

 

outbreaks

 

holding

 

horses

 

longer


produce

 

fields

 

Mahdist

 

contented

 

fighting

 

saving

 
starvation
 

gladly

 

countrymen

 

enlist