icient for the men
here; certainly we have no transport that could keep up the supply for
the whole force. However, all this will be settled by the Sirdar, who
will very shortly be with us."

It was now the 6th of September and, the same afternoon, two gunboats
were sent up to Ed Damer, an important position lying a mile or two
beyond the junction of Atbara river with the Nile. On the opposite bank
of the Nile, they found encamped the Dervishes who had retired from
Berber. The guns opened fire upon them, and they retired inland;
leaving behind them fourteen large boats, laden with grain. These were
at once sent down to Berber, where they were most welcome; and a
portion of the grain was distributed among the almost starving
population, nearly five thousand in number, principally women and
children.

Supplies soon began to arrive from below, being brought up in native
craft, from Abu Hamed, as far as the cataract; then unloaded and
carried up past the rapids on camels; then again placed in boats, and
so brought to Berber. Macdonald's brigade started a fortnight after the
occupation, their place at Abu Hamed having been taken by a brigade
from Kassinger, each battalion having towed up boats carrying two
months' supply of provisions.

A fort was now erected at the junction of the two rivers, and occupied
by a small force, under an English officer. Two small steamers were
employed in towing the native craft from Abu Hamed to Berber. Still, it
was evident that it would be impossible to accumulate the necessary
stores for the whole force that would take the field; accordingly, as
soon as the railway reached Abu Hamed, the Sirdar ordered it to be
carried on as far as Berber. He himself came up with Colonel Wingate,
the head of the Intelligence Department; and, diligently as all had
worked before, their exertions were now redoubled.

On the morning after the Sirdar's arrival, an orderly came across to
General Hunter's quarters, with a request that Mr. Hilliard should at
once be sent to headquarters. Gregory had to wait nearly half an hour,
until the officers who had been there before him had had their
audience, and received their orders. He was then shown in.

"You have done very valuable service, Mr. Hilliard," the Sirdar said.
"Exceptionally valuable, and obtained at extraordinary risk. I
certainly did not expect, when I saw you a few months ago in Cairo,
that you would so speedily distinguish yourself. I was then struc