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in a circle； beat time with their feet； and accompanied their
gestures with a curious sound of clucking。 At last the Austrian
Consul； overcome by the exhilaration of the scene； flung himself
in a frenzy among the dancers； the Governor…General； shouting
with delight； seemed about to follow suit； when Gordon abruptly
left the room； and the party broke up in confusion。
When； 1；500 miles to the southward； Gordon reached the seat of
his government； and the desolation of the Tropics closed over
him； the agonising nature of his task stood fully revealed。 For
the next three years he struggled with enormous difficulties
with the confused and horrible country； the appalling climate；
the maddening insects and the loathsome diseases； the
indifference of subordinates and superiors； the savagery of the
slave…traders； and the hatred of the inhabitants。 One by one the
small company of his European staff succumbed。 With a few hundred
Egyptian soldiers he had to suppress insurrections； make roads；
establish fortified posts； and enforce the government monopoly of
ivory。 All this he accomplished； he even succeeded in sending
enough money to Cairo to pay for the expenses of the expedition。
But a deep gloom had fallen upon his spirit。 When； after a series
of incredible obstacles had been overcome； a steamer was launched
upon the unexplored Albert Nyanza； he turned his back upon the
lake； leaving the glory of its navigation to his Italian
lieutenant； Gessi。 'I wish；' he wrote； 'to give a practical proof
of what I think regarding the inordinate praise which is given to
an explorer。' Among his distresses and self…mortifications； he
loathed the thought of all such honours； and remembered the
attentions of English society with a snarl。 'When； D。V。； I get
home； I do not dine out。 My reminiscences of these lands will
not be more pleasant to me than the China ones。 What I shall have
done； will be what I have done。 Men think giving dinners is
conferring a favour on you。。。 Why not give dinners to those who
need them？' No！ His heart was set upon a very different object。
'To each is allotted a distinct work； to each a destined goal； to
some the seat at the right hand or left hand of the Saviour。 （It
was not His to give； it was already given Matthew xx； 23。
Again；
Judas went to 〃HIS OWN PLACE〃Acts i； 25。） It is difficult for
the flesh to accept： 〃Ye are dead； ye have naught to do with the
world〃。 How difficult for anyone to be circumcised from the
world； to be as indifferent to its pleasures； its sorrows； and
its comforts as a corpse is！ That is to know the resurrection。'
But the Holy Bible was not his only solace。 For now； under the
parching African sun； we catch glimpses； for the first time； of
Gordon's hand stretching out towards stimulants of a more
material quality。 For months together； we are told； he would
drink nothing but pure water； and then 。。。 water that was not so
pure。 In his fits of melancholy； he would shut himself up in his
tent for days at a time； with a hatchet and a flag placed at the
door to indicate that he was not to be disturbed for any reason
whatever； until at last the cloud would lift； the signals would
be removed； and the Governor would reappear； brisk and cheerful。
During； one of these retirements； there was grave danger of a
native attack upon the camp。 Colonel Long； the Chief of Staff；
ventured； after some hesitation； to ignore the flag and hatchet；
and to enter the forbidden tent。 He found Gordon seated at a
table； upon which were an open Bible and an open bottle of
brandy。 Long explained the circumstances； but could obtain no
answer beyond the abrupt words'You are commander of the camp'
and was obliged to retire； nonplussed； to deal with the situation
as best he could。 On the following morning； Gordon； cleanly
shaven； and in the full…dress uniform of the Royal Engineers；
entered Long's hut with his usual tripping step； exclaiming 'Old
fellow； now don't be angry with me。 I was very low last night。
Let's have a good breakfasta little b。 and s。 Do you feel up to
it？' And； with these veering moods and dangerous restoratives；
there came an intensification of the queer and violent elements
in the temper of the man。
His eccentricities grew upon him。 He found it more and more
uncomfortable
to follow the ordinary course。 Official routine was an agony to
him。 His
caustic and satirical humour expressed itself in a style that
astounded
government departments。 While he jibed at his superiors； his
subordinates
learned to dread the explosions of his wrath。 There were moments
when his
passion became utterly ungovernable； and the gentle soldier of
God； who
had spent the day in quoting texts for the edification of his
sister； would
slap the face of his Arab aide…de…camp in a sudden access of
fury； or set
upon his Alsatian servant and kick him until he screamed。
At the end of three years； Gordon resigned his post in Equatoria；
and prepared to return home。 But again Providence intervened： the
Khedive offered him； as an inducement to remain in the Egyptian
service； a position of still higher consequence the Governor…
Generalship of the whole Sudan； and Gordon once more took up his
task。 Another three years were passed in grappling with vast
revolting provinces； with the ineradicable iniquities of the
slave…trade； and with all the complications of weakness and
corruption incident to an oriental administration extending over
almost boundless tracts of savage territory which had never been
effectively subdued。 His headquarters were fixed in the palace at
Khartoum； but there were various interludes in his government。
Once；
when the Khedive's finances had become peculiarly embroiled； he
summoned Gordon to Cairo to preside over a commission which
should set matters to rights。
Gordon accepted the post； but soon found that his situation was
untenable。 He was between the devil and the deep sea between
the
unscrupulous cunning of the Egyptian Pashas； and the immeasurable
immensity of the Khedive's debts to his European creditors。 The
Pashas
were anxious to use him as a respectable mask for their own
nefarious
dealings； and the representatives of the European creditors； who
looked
upon him as an irresponsible intruder； were anxious simply to get
rid
of him as soon as they could。 One of these representatives was
Sir Evelyn Baring； whom Gordon now met for the first time。 An
immediate antagonism flashed out between the two men。 But their
hostility had no time to mature； for Gordon； baffled on all
sides； and deserted even by the Khedive； precipitately returned
to his Governor…Generalship。 Whatever else Providence might have
decreed； it had certainly not decided that he should be a
financier。
His tastes and his talents were indeed of a very different kind。
In his absence； a rebellion had broken out in Darfur one of the
vast outlying provinces of his government where a native
chieftain； Zobeir； had erected； on a basis of slave…traffic； a
dangerous military power。 Zobeir himself had been lured to Cairo；
where he was detained in a state of semi…captivity； but his son；
Suleiman； ruled in his stead； and was now defying the Governor…
General。 Gordon determined upon a hazardous stroke。 He mounted a
camel； and rode； alone； in the blazing heat； across eighty…five
miles of desert； to Suleiman's camp。 His sudden apparition
dumbfounded the rebels； his imperious bearing overawed them； he
signified to them that in two days they must disarm and disperse；
and the whole host obeyed。 Gordon returned to Khartoum in
triumph。
But he had not heard the last of Suleiman。 Flying southwards from
Darfur to the neighbouring province of Bahr…el…Ghazal； the young
man was soon once more at the head of a formidable force。 A
prolonged campaign of extreme difficulty and danger followed。
Eventually； Gordon； summoned again to Cairo； was obliged to leave
to Gessi the task of finally crushing the revolt。 After a
brilliant campaign； Gessi forced Suleiman to surrender； and then
shot him as a rebel。 The deed was to exercise a curious influence
upon Gordon's fate。
Though Suleiman had been killed and his power broken； the slave…
trade still flourished in the Sudan。 Gordon's efforts to suppress
it resembled the palliatives of an empiric treating the
superficial symptoms of some profound constitutional disease。 The
root of the malady lay in the slave…markets of Cairo and
Constantinople： the supply followed the demand。 Gordon； after
years of labour； might here and there stop up a spring or divert
a tributary； but； somehow or other the waters would reach the
river…bed。 In the end； he himself came to recognise this。 'When
you have got the ink