called to a native
officer, "Pass these two men beyond the outposts. They have an order
from General Hunter."

"Will you be away long?" he asked Gregory, in Arabic.

"A week or more, my lord," the latter replied.

"Ah! I suppose you are going to Gakdul. As far as we have heard, there
are no Dervishes there. Well, you must keep a sharp lookout. They may
be in hiding anywhere about there, and your heads won't be worth much,
if they lay hands on you."

"We intend to do so, sir;" and then, mounting, they rode on, the native
officer walking beside them.

"You know the country, I suppose?" he said. "The Dervishes are bad, but
I would rather fall into their hands than lose my way in the desert.
The one is a musket ball or a quick chop with a knife, the other an
agony for two or three days."

"I have been along the road before," Zaki said. "There is no fear of my
losing my way; and, even if I did so, I could travel by the stars."

"I wish we were all moving," the native said. "It is dull work staying
here, month after month."

As soon as they were beyond the lines, they thanked the officer and
went off, at a pace native horses are capable of keeping up for hours.

"Korti is a much pleasanter camp to stay in than Merawi," Gregory said.
"It really looks a delightful place. It is quite evident that the
Mahdists have never made a raid here."

The camp stood on a high bank above the river. There were spreading
groves of trees, and the broad avenues, that had been constructed when
the Gordon relief expedition was encamped there, could still be seen.
Beyond it was a stretch of land which had been partly cultivated. Sevas
grass grew plentifully, and acacia and mimosa shrubs in patches.

They rode to the wells of Hambok, a distance of some five-and-thirty
miles, which they covered in five hours. There they halted, watered
their horses and, after giving them a good feed, turned them out to
munch the shrubs or graze on the grass, as they chose. They then had a
meal from the food they had brought with them, made a shelter of
bushes, for the heat was intense, and afterwards sewed the Mahdi
patches upon their clothes.

When the sun went down they fetched the horses in, gave them a small
feed, and then fastened them to some bushes near. As there was plenty
of water in the wells, they took an empty gourd down and, stripping,
poured water over their heads and bodies; then, feeling greatly
refreshed, dressed and lay down to sleep.