98 THE KHARTOUM ESCORT. [chap. ii. 
follow. Previous to leaving Khartoum I had felt con¬ 
vinced that I could not succeed with such villains for 
escort as these Khartoumers : thus I had applied to 
the Egyptian authorities for a few troops, hut had been 
refused. I was now in an awkward position. All my 
men had received five months’ wages in advance, ac¬ 
cording to the custom of the White Nile ; thus I had 
no control over them. There were no Egyptian 
authorities in Gondokoro ; it was a nest of robbers; 
and my men had just exhibited so pleasantly their 
attachment to me, and their fidelity. There was no 
European beyond Gondokoro, thus I should be the only 
white man among this colony of wolves; and I had in 
perspective a difficult and uncertain path, where the 
only chance of success lay in the complete discipline 
of my escort, and the perfect organization of the ex¬ 
pedition. After the scene just enacted I felt sure that 
my escort would give me more cause of anxiety than 
the acknowledged hostility of the natives. 
I made arrangements with a Circassian trader, Koor- 
shid Aga, for the purchase of a few oxen, and a fat 
beast was immediately slaughtered for the men. They 
were shortly in the best humour, feasting upon masses 
of flesh cut in strips and laid for a few minutes upon 
the embers, while the regular meal was being prepared. 
They were now almost affectionate, vowing that they 
