nce, to bring me
the news."

"Very well, sir. I will keep them at it, if I can."

The sheik rejoined his band, which gathered round to hear the result of
his interview with the white general.

"The steamer is injured," he said, "but she will soon be made right,
and will follow us. We are to have the honour of going on and occupying
Berber, and will show ourselves worthy of it. There is little chance of
our meeting the Dervishes. Had they been in Berber, we should have
heard of them before this. If we meet them we will fight; and you, Abu,
who have the fastest camel among us, will ride back here at all speed,
and the General and his soldiers will come up to help us.

"Now, let us not waste a moment, but push forward. In five hours we
shall be at Berber; and throughout your lives, you will be proud to say
that you were the first to enter the town that the Dervishes have so
long held."

A few of the men waved their guns, and shouted. The rest looked grave.
However, they obeyed their chief's orders, and the cavalcade at once
started. As they did so, Gregory drew his horse up alongside Zaki.

"Look here," he said, "if we see the Dervishes coming in force, I shall
come to you, at once. You shall take my horse, it is faster than yours.
I shall give you a note for the General, and you will ride back at full
gallop, and give it to him. The horse is fast, and there will be no
fear of their catching you, even if they chase; which they will not be
likely to do, as they will be thinking of attacking us."

"Very well, master. I will do as you order me, but I would rather stop
and fight, by your side."

"That you may be able to do some other time, Zaki. This time, you have
got to fetch aid."

Then he rode on to join the chief. There was no talking along the line,
every man had his rifle unslung and in his hand, every eye scanned the
country. Hitherto, they had had unlimited faith in the power of the
gunboat to protect them; now that they might have to face the Dervishes
unaided, they felt the danger a serious one. They had come to fight the
Dervishes, and were ready to do so, in anything like equal numbers; but
the force they might meet would possibly be greatly stronger than their
own--so strong that, although they might sell their lives dearly; they
would, in the end, be overpowered.

For the first three hours, the camels were kept going at the top of
their speed; but as they neared Berber, there was a perceptible
slack