518 
THE NILE CATARACTS, 
age ; his brother, a year older, had just been devoured by a crocodile, 
and his mother, by no means averse to a further reduction in her family, 
had very willingly consented to give him to this rich English lady, for 
a consideration ; so the imp was taken and brought to England, where 
he was put to school, educated with all care, and finally blossomed out 
into a page boy to the lady who had taken pity on him. When he 
grew older he became valet to his master, was taken to travel through 
Europe, and rapidly learnt French, German, Italian. He was regarded 
as a marvel of civilisation. Here at last was an Ethiopian who had 
changed, if not his skin, certainly his habits. He was presented to the 
Emperor of Austria, the Pope had spoken to him, everybody said he 
was a first-class linguist; he understood all the duties of a personal 
attendant; to say that he rode well, and shot accurately, was only to 
say that he was a Barabera. Well, when this man joined me, I, too, 
was delighted with him, he was everything at once. He waited, made 
one’s bed, rode always near, and was a first rate shot—no small ad¬ 
vantage where cartridges were very scarce—and would stalk a lot of 
doves on a tree, until, getting half-a-dozen in a line, he could secure, 
with a single cartridge, a change of course for dinner from the eternal 
tinned beef of America, even sufficient for four persons. 
One day, astonished alike at the versatility of his genius and the 
record of his triumphant career through half the capitals of Europe, 
and before so many of the crowned heads, I asked him how it happened 
that he had come back to the Soudan again in the capacity of interpreter. 
He replied that he had come for the sake of the sport which he under¬ 
stood was to be had with large game on the Nile, that he had left a 
wife in Vienna who was connected with a circus and travelling 
menagerie business, and that he hoped to return to Austria when the 
war was over. Indeed among capitals, Vienna seemed always to be 
his favourite, and speaking of sport, he invariably expressed a prefer¬ 
ence for grouse driving. 
When the expedition returned to Wady Haifa I took a short leave 
of absence to England before assuming the command at that station; 
but before starting from Haifa, I confided my horse, camel, and 
donkey to the care of Gemaul Ghendi who had also charge of an escaped 
slave who had joined us en route from Merawi, and about whom Gemaul 
had professed philanthrophic views, which, had he delivered them 
before an English audience, must have proved highly remunerative. 
In two months I was back again at Wady Haifa. Gemaul Ghendi 
was nowhere to be found, neither were my horse or donkey; the 
camel was discovered in an emaciated condition in the transport lines, 
the escaped slave had disappeared. After a while a native turned up 
who volunteered the information that he knew of the whereabouts of 
Gemaul. He had not gone to Vienna, he was af a village about 
100 miles lower down the river near Korosko. I wrote to this village, 
but could obtain no answer. Then I communicated with the com¬ 
mandant of Korosko, asking him to send a patrol of police to the 
village indicated, there to arrest one Gemaul Ghendi, an interpreter. 
A week later, the escort arrived at Wady Haifa with their prisoner, 
