"Yes. I heard at Merawi, from the officer in command, that some foreign troops had arrived there. I suppose nothing more is known about it?"
"No; no news will probably come down for another fortnight, perhaps longer than that."
"Who can they be?"
"The general idea is that they are French. They can only be French, or a party from the Congo States."
"They had tremendous cheek, whoever they are," the officer said. "It is precious lucky, for them, that we have given the Khalifa something else to think about, or you may be sure he would have wiped them out pretty quickly; unless they are a very strong force, which doesn't seem probable. I hear the Sirdar has taken a regiment up with him."
"Yes, but I don't suppose any actual move will be made, at present."
"No, I suppose it will be a diplomatic business. Still, I should think they would have to go."
"No one has any doubt about that, at Omdurman," Gregory said. "After all the expense and trouble we have had to retake the Soudan, it is not likely that we should let anyone else plant themselves on the road to the great lakes.
"When will you be at Abu Hamed, sir?"
"We shall be there about five o'clock--at any rate, I think you may safely reckon on catching the morning train. It goes, I think, at eight."