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somehow convinced；' he wrote； they were captured by treachery。。。
Stewart was not a bit suspicious （I am made up of it）。 I can see
in imagination the whole scene； the Sheikh inviting them to
land。。。 then a rush of wild Arabs； and all is over！' 'It is very
sad；' he added； 'but being ordained； we must not murmur。' And yet
he believed that the true responsibility lay with him； it was the
punishment of his own sins。 'I look on it；' was his unexpected
conclusion； 'as being a Nemesis on the death of the two Pashas。'
The workings of his conscience did indeed take on surprising
shapes。 Of the three ex…governors of Darfur； Bahr…el…Ghazal； and
Equatoria； Emin Pasha had disappeared； Lupton Bey had died； and
Slatin Pasha was held in captivity by the Mahdi。 By birth an
Austrian and a Catholic； Slatin； in the last desperate stages of
his resistance； had adopted the expedient of announcing his
conversion to Mohammedanism； in order to win the confidence of
his native troops。 On his capture； the fact of his conversion
procured him some degree of consideration； and； though he
occasionally suffered from the caprices of his masters； he had so
far escaped the terrible punishment which had been meted out to
some other of the Mahdi's European prisoners that of close
confinement in the common gaol。 He was now kept prisoner in one
of the camps in the neighbourhood of Khartoum。 He managed to
smuggle through a letter to Gordon； asking for assistance； in
case he could make his escape。 To this letter Gordon did not
reply。 Slatin wrote again and again； his piteous appeals； couched
in no less piteous French； made no effect upon the heart of the
Governor…General。 'Excellence！' he wrote； 'J'ai envoye deux
lettres； sans avoir recu une reponse de votre excellence。 。。。
Excellence！ j'ai me battu 27 FOIS pour le gouvernement contre
l'ennemion m'a feri deux fois； et j'ai rien fait contre
l'honneurrien de chose qui doit empeche votre excellence de
m'ecrir une reponse que je sais quoi faire。 JE VOUS PRIE；
Excellence； de m'honore avec une reponse。 P。S。 Si votre
Excellence ont peutetre entendu que j'ai fait quelque chose
contre l'honneur d'un officier et cela vous empeche de m'ecrir；
je vous prie de me donner l'occasion de me defendre； et jugez
apres la verite。' The unfortunate Slatin understood well enough
the cause of Gordon's silence。 It was in vain that he explained
the motives of his conversion； in vain that he pointed out that
it had been made easier for him since he had； 'PERHAPS UNHAPPILY；
not received a strict religious education at home'。 Gordon was
adamant。 Slatin had 'denied his Lord'； and that was enough。 His
communications with Khartoum were discovered and he was put in
chains。 When Gordon heard of it； he noted the fact grimly in his
diary； without a comment。
A more ghastly fate awaited another European who had fallen into
the hands of the Mahdi。 Clavier Pain； a French adventurer； who
had taken part in the Commune； and who was now wandering； for
reasons which have never been discovered； in the wastes of the
Sudan； was seized by the Arabs； made prisoner； and hurried from
camp to camp。 He was attacked by fever； but mercy was not among
the virtues of the savage soldiers who held him in their power。
Hoisted upon the back of a camel； he was being carried across the
desert； when； overcome by weakness； he lost his hold； and fell to
the ground。 Time or trouble were not to be wasted upon an
infidel。 Orders were given that he should be immediately buried；
the orders were carried out； and in a few moments the cavalcade
had left the little hillock far behind。 But some of those who
were present believed that Olivier Pain had been still breathing
when his body was covered with the sand。
Gordon； on hearing that a Frenchman had been captured by the
Mahdi； became extremely interested。 The idea occurred to him that
this mysterious individual was none other than Ernest Renan；
'who；' he wrote； in his last publication 'takes leave of the
world； and is said to have gone into Africa； not to reappear
again'。 He had met Renan at the rooms of the Royal Geographical
Society； had noticed that he looked boredthe result； no doubt；
of too much admirationand had felt an instinct that he would
meet him again。 The instinct now seemed to be justified。 There
could hardly be any doubt that it WAS Renan； who else could it
be？ 'If he comes to the lines；' he decided； 'and it is Renan； I
shall go and see him； for whatever one may think of his unbelief
in our Lord； he certainly dared to say what he thought； and he
has not changed his creed to save his life。' That the mellifluous
author of the Vie de Jesus should have determined to end his days
in the depths of Africa； and have come； in accordance with an
intuition； to renew his acquaintance with General Gordon in the
lines of Khartoum； would indeed have been a strange occurrence；
but who shall limit the strangeness of the possibilities that lie
in wait for the sons of men？ At that very moment； in the south…
eastern corner of the Sudan； another Frenchman； of a peculiar
eminence； was fulfilling a destiny more extraordinary than the
wildest romance。 In the town of Harrar； near the Red Sea； Arthur
Rimbaud surveyed with splenetic impatience the tragedy of
Khartoum。 'C'est justement les Anglais；' he wrote； 'avec leur
absurde politique； qui minent desormais le commerce de toutes ces
cotes。 Ils ont voulu tout remanier et ils sont arrives a faire
pire que les Egyptiens et les Turcs； ruines par eux。 Leur Gordon
est un idiot； leur Wolseley un ane； et toutes leurs entreprises
une suite insensee d'absurdites et de depredations。' So wrote the
amazing poet of the Saison d'Enfer amid those futile turmoils of
petty commerce； in which； with an inexplicable deliberation； he
had forgotten the enchantments of an unparalleled adolescence；
forgotten the fogs of London and the streets of Brussels；
forgotten Paris； forgotten the subtleties and the frenzies of
inspiration； forgotten the agonised embraces of Verlaine。
When the contents of Colonel Stewart's papers had been
interpreted to the Mahdi； he realised the serious condition of
Khartoum； and decided that the time had come to press the siege
to a final conclusion。 At the end of October； he himself； at the
head of a fresh army； appeared outside the town。 From that
moment； the investment assumed a more and more menacing
character。 The lack of provisions now for the first time began to
make itself felt。 November 30ththe date fixed by Gordon as the
last possible moment of his resistancecame and went； the
Expeditionary Force had made no sign。 The fortunate discovery of
a large store of grain； concealed by some merchants for purposes
of speculation； once more postponed the catastrophe。 But the
attacking army grew daily more active； the skirmishes around the
lines and on the river more damaging to the besieged； and the
Mahdi's guns began an intermittent bombardment of the palace。 By
December 10th it was calculated that there was not fifteen days'
food in the town； 'truly I am worn to a shadow with the food
question'； Gordon wrote； 'it is one continuous demand'。 At the
same time he received the ominous news that five of his soldiers
had deserted to the Mahdi。 His predicament was terrible； but he
calculated； from a few dubious messages that had reached him；
that the relieving force could not be very far away。 Accordingly；
on the 14th； he decided to send down one of his four remaining
steamers； the Bordeen； to meet it at Metemmah； in order to
deliver to the officer in command the latest information as to
the condition of the town。 The Bordeen carried down the last
portion of the Journals； and Gordon's final messages to his
friends。 Owing to a misunderstanding； he believed that Sir Evelyn
Baring was accompanying the expedition from Egypt； and some of
his latest and most successful satirical fancies played around
the vision of the distressed Consul…General perched for days upon
the painful eminence of a camel's hump。 'There was a slight laugh
when Khartoum heard Baring was bumping his way up here a
regular Nemesis。' But； when Sir Evelyn Baring actually arrived
in whatever condition what would happen？ Gordon lost himself in
the multitude of his speculations。 His own object； he declared；
was； 'of course； to make tracks'。 Then in one of his strange
premonitory rhapsodies； he threw out； half in jest and half in
earnest； that the best solution of all the difficulties of the
future would be the appointment of Major Kitchener as Governor…
General of the Sudan。 The Journal ended upon a note of menace and
disdain： 'Now MARK THIS； if the Expeditionary Force； and I ask
for no more than 200 men； does not come in ten days； the town may
fall； and I have done my best for the honour of our country。
Good…bye。C。 G。 G0RD0N。
'You send me no information； though you have lots of money。 C。 G。
G。'
To his sister Augusta