one of those
who were taken prisoners, at the Atbara, had heard of any white man
having escaped the slaughter of Hicks's army.

Just as the general movement began, the force was joined by three
companies of Soudanese. These had marched from Suakim to Berber, two
hundred and eighty-eight miles, in fifteen days, an average of nineteen
miles a day--a record for such a march, and one that no European force
could have performed. One day, after marching thirty miles, they came
to a well and found it dry, and had to march thirty miles farther to
another water hole, a feat probably altogether without precedent.

"You had better fall back upon your old work, Hilliard," the General
said, the day before they started. "As my aide I shall find plenty for
you to do, now that I command the whole division."

"Thank you very much, sir! I don't think that I shall find any work
hard, after what I have been doing for the past four months."

"You have got your horse?"

"Yes; he is in good condition, for I have had no riding to do, for some
time."

"Well, you had better get him on board one of the gyasses we shall tow
up, tomorrow. All our horses will embark this evening. We shall be on
board at daybreak. Our private camels are going with the marching
column; you had better put yours with them. No doubt they will join us
somewhere. Of course, your kit will be carried with us."

It was a delight to Gregory to be on the water again. There was
generally a cool breeze on the river, and always an absence of dust. He
was now halfway between seventeen and eighteen, but the sun had tanned
him to a deep brown, and had parched his face; thus adding some years
to his appearance, so that the subalterns of the newly-arrived
regiments looked boyish beside him. The responsibilities of his work
had steadied him, and though he retained his good spirits, his laugh
had lost the old boyish ring. The title of Bimbashi, which had seemed
absurd to him seven months before, was now nothing out of the way, for
he looked as old as many of the British subalterns serving with that
rank in the Egyptian army.

Returning to the little hut that Zaki, with the aid of some of the
blacks, had built for him; he gave his orders, and in a short time the
camel--a very good one, which he had obtained in exchange for that
which he had handed over to the transport--started, with its driver, to
join those that were to carry up the baggage and stores of General
Hunter, and hi