234 A Sportsman at Large 



benefit to British prisoners of war, and where he acted with 

 never-failing tact and urbanity as mediator between Austria 

 and the Allies. 



It is worthy of note that the Mahdi was so enraged at 

 Slatin's escape that he vowed that if ever, or whenever, he 

 could recapture the fugitive, he would have him scraped to 

 death with oyster shells ! 



Truly, a most unpleasing and messy death ! 



It was on the occasion of my first visit to Cairo that I came 

 in contact with Major Herbert Kitchener and Captain 

 " Paddy " Mahon the former destined, in time to come, to be 

 known to world-wide fame as Earl Kitchener of Khartoum ; 

 the latter, as reliever of Mafeking and a notable army corps 

 commander in the more recent ragings of Bellona. 



Kitchener, at the time I write of, was already causing a 

 considerable stir in military and diplomatic circles. He had 

 just returned to Cairo after having, single-handed, penetrated 

 certain disaffected districts in the Upper Nile, camouflaged as 

 a full-blooded native. The information which he had thus 

 gathered proving of the greatest value to the H.Q.S. 



There was some talk of my riding a very smart pony of his 

 in " The Cairo Derby," but, much to my disappointment, 

 the animal, a very nippy and game Arab, broke down a few 

 days before the race was to be decided at the Khedivial Club. 



It was on the occasion of my previous visit to the land of 

 backsheesh and beetles that, when embarking at Naples on 

 the Orient liner Oroya (subsequently wrecked), I found myself 

 a fellow passenger of one Jack Seely, who was regarded by all 

 on board with admiration and awe, by reason of his having 

 recently performed an act of outstanding valour, for which 

 he had received the Albert Medal. This was he who sub- 

 sequently rose effulgently on the Parliamentary firmament, 

 and became War Minister, and afterwards in the Great War 

 a most distinguished major-general. 



Hassanein, having failed in persuading us to pitch our 

 tents on the plains of Fayoum during our previous visit 

 to Egypt, now renewed the attack so persistently that, for 

 the sake of peace and quiet, we at last consented to fall in 

 with his views. Accordingly he fitted us out and fixed us up 



