Gregory knew that, at Wad Gamr's house, but few signs of the tragedy had been found when General Brackenbury's troops entered. Bloodstained visiting cards of Stewart's, a few scraps of paper, and a field glass had, alone, been discovered, besides the boxes of papers.
The next man who came up said that he had been with the party who fell upon the engineers and crew of the boat, by the riverside.
"I was ordered to kill them," he said. "Had I not done so, I should have been killed, myself."
"Do you know whether any booty was hidden away, before the English came?"
"No, my lord, there was no booty taken. No money was found on board the steamer. We stripped her of the brass work, and took the wood ashore, to burn. The sheik gave us a dollar and a half a man, for what we had done. There may have been some money found on the ship, but as his own men were on board first, and took all that they thought of value, I have naught to say about it."
"And you never heard of anything being hidden, before the British troops arrived?"
The Arab shook his head.
"No, my lord, but there may have been, though I never heard of it. I went and fought at Kirkeban; and when we were beaten, I fled at once to Berber, and remained there until the white troops had all gone down the country."
"I may want to question you again tomorrow," Gregory said. "Here are two dollars. I shall give you as much more, if I want you again."
The third man was then called up. He was evidently in fear.