WORK AGAIN 255 



own district there was the makings of a village at every 

 one. When near the Pongo I met the ex-Sultan 

 Ibrahim Dardug. I had been much against the method 

 of his incarceration, but now saw, with dismay, the 

 effect it would have on the district were he to return 

 to it at this moment. I brought him back with me. 

 It turned out that some one had found him a prisoner 

 at large, and no one, Dardug included, pretended to 

 know why he was kept, so he was released. Sub- 

 sequently he was given a passage to Kordofan, and 

 doubtless made his way back to his country. He was 

 a very plausible fellow, as all the entourage of the 

 Khalifa had to be, and had I not had to combat the 

 obstructions he put in the way of administration I 

 had no quarrel with him. I have no doubt that, if 

 after being reinstated he threw his lot in with us, he 

 would be the most useful, because the cleverest, man 

 in the western district. 



On the morning of the fourteenth day I cantered 

 my donkey into Wau. It was strange to talk English 

 again — of course I had done so to Tibsherani Eff. 

 when he was with me. Strange, too, to see some one's 

 face opposite me at meals. 



I parted with my fiery beard, which, as was said of 

 another's, was worth an escort of twenty rifles, and 

 settled down to my work. 



The news about it was not pleasing. There was a 

 complete deadlock in the carrier question. It was 

 thought that the food supply would not last till the 

 river Jur rose sufficiently to allow a steamer to bring 

 some. 



