BAD NEWS FOR THE HAMRANS. 179 



blamed for showing such good taste. The loss of the 

 sick horse is of no importance, beyond the fact that we 

 might have saved our old friend a painful death ; and that 

 if the lions do eat him, it is a pity that we shall not have a 

 chance of hastening their digestion. The worst news of 

 the day, however, has been brought from the Hamran 

 village by the men we sent there on the 2ist, and it has 

 thrown a great gloom over the camp. No laughter or 

 singing can be heard to-night around the camp-fire, not 

 even the dulcet sounds of the everlasting ' rababa,' but 

 the men are seen to be talking together in a low tone, 

 well out of hearing of the old soldier, whom they look 

 upon as their common enemy. This is an unnecessary 

 precaution for them to take to-night, whilst plotting and 

 planning for the future, as Hadji Basheer, poor old fellow, 

 if he has not cried himself to sleep, is far too much ab- 

 sorbed with thoughts of his lost Jarrone to pay attention 

 to what they may be saying against the Turks, as they 

 call the people of whom he is the official representative 

 with us. The report which has burst like a shell upon our 

 men is that Wadd ab Sin, the Sheik of Khartoum, 

 through whom the Hamrans pay taxes to the Khedive 

 (or Sultan, as they call him), has just sent some soldiers 

 to Sheik Aghill to tell him that from henceforth their 

 taxation will be doubled. This announcement, com- 

 municated by Aghill to the various villages under Egypt's 

 rule through their respective Sheiks, has caused utter 



