irts, as the abode of
Fatma and her two attendants, purchased suitable provisions, and made
what arrangements he could for her comfort. Late in the evening he had
escorted her there, and left Zaki to sleep in an outhouse attached to
it, to secure them from all intrusion.

Then he went down to the river and, finding the Zafir lying there, went
on board. He was received as one returned from the dead by Captain
Keppel, Lieutenant Beatty, and Lieutenant Hood--the commanders of the
other gunboats--who had been dining on board. He had become a general
favourite, during the time he had spent with them, and their
congratulations on his safe return were warm and hearty.

"You may imagine our surprise when, after the fight was over," said
Captain Keppel, "it was discovered that you were missing. No one could
imagine what had become of you. One of the blacks who had been working
your Maxim said they had not noticed your leaving them; and that, when
they found you were not there, they supposed you had come to confer
with me. Then I sent for your man; but he, too, was missing. We
searched everywhere, but no signs of you, dead or alive, and no marks
of blood were to be found. So it seemed that the matter must remain a
mystery. Early the next morning, however, we saw a white rag waving on
the bank, and then a black entered the water and swam out towards us. I
sent the boat to meet him, and when he came on board I found that he
was your man, and the mystery was explained. I fancy I used some strong
language; for I never before heard of a man being so hare-brained as to
spring overboard, in the middle of a battle, and pick up a woman,
without saying a word to anyone of what he was doing, and that with the
boat still steaming ahead. Of course, your man told us that it was
Mahmud's wife you had saved, and that she had taken you under her
protection; but I did not expect that, among those fanatics, your life
would be spared.

"Now, tell us all about your adventures, and how you got down here just
in time to see our fellows enter, in triumph. I suppose you managed to
give them the slip, somehow?"

Gregory then told his story. When he had concluded, Captain Keppel
said:

"Well, you have the luck of the old one! First, you have got hold of as
faithful a fellow as is to be found in all Egypt, or anywhere else;
and, in the second place, you have been in the battle of Atbara, while
we have been kicking our heels here, and fuming at being o