h alacrity; and
all felt as if El Obeid had already fallen.

But several days' more terrible marching, with insufficient water, and
many a death from sheer hardships, fatigue, or sunstroke, were to elapse
before they neared the fortress. At last, however, the time came when,
on starting at dawn, the guide assured the General that he should see
the sun set behind its walls. After four hours' march one of the senior
officers called Harry.

"You and your nag look pretty fit," he said; "that comes of being a
light weight. Is your water-bottle full?"

"Yes," replied Harry; "I have not touched it since we left the last
wells."

"That is right; I want you to take six men out scouting. You see that
rocky hill, with trees, out to the north?"

"Yes."

"The General wants to know if the enemy are behind there in any force.
Go cautiously; and if you see no one, pass through the wood, and have a
look on the other side of the hill; you can see from here that it cannot
be very extensive on the top. But if you find Arabs in the cover, try
to draw them; and if you succeed, and they are in force, come back at
once. But should they keep in cover, so that you cannot tell whether
there are half a dozen or a considerable body, skirt round the hill, and
see if there is any sign of a camp, or a large body of the enemy
concealed by it. Be cautious, so as not to get cut off. I have
selected six of the best mounted Bashi-Bazooks, in case you have to make
a bolt for it. Of course, you see the importance of knowing what we
have in our rear before attacking the place."

"All right, sir," said Harry; and in another minute he was trotting
across the plain, followed by his six picturesque, irregular horsemen.

Of course he did not go fast, as it was most important to reserve the
powers of the animal that carried him for the emergency of having to
gallop for his life, which it was not at all improbable that he would be
called upon to do; but half an hour's steady trot, the ground being
fairly free from obstacles, and not so yielding as usual, brought the
party to the foot of the hill.

Harry ordered his men to extend, and they threaded their way among the
rocks in a line, working cautiously up towards the belt of trees. When
they were within a hundred yards, however, a couple of shots were fired
from the cover, and the bullets came pattering against the rocks.

Harry had impressed upon the men beforehand what to do in such a case: