"The Mahdi is merciful," answered Idris.
After which he pondered for a while and said:
"Nevertheless, Smain having both in his hands will be certain that neither the Turks nor the English people will kill his children and Fatma."
"So he may reward us?"
"Yes. Let Abdullahi's post take them to Fashoda. A weight will fall off our heads, and when Smain returns here we will demand recompense from him."
"You say then that we will remain in Omdurmân?"
"Allah! Have you not had enough in the journey from Fayûm to Khartûm?
The time for rest has come."
The huts were now not far off. Stas, however, slackened his pace for his strength began to wane. Nell, though light, seemed heavier and heavier. The Sudânese, who were anxious to go to sleep, shouted at him to hurry and afterwards drove him on, striking him on the head with their fists. Gebhr even pricked him painfully in the shoulder with a knife. The boy endured all this in silence, protecting above all his little sister, and not until one of the Bedouins shoved him so that he almost fell, did he say to them through his set teeth:
"We are to arrive at Fashoda alive."
And these words restrained the Arabs, for they feared to violate the commands of the Mahdi. A yet more effective restraint, however, was the fact that Idris suddenly became so dizzy that he had to lean on Gebhr's arm. After an interval the dizziness passed away, but the Sudânese became frightened and said: