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little armoured vessels close at hand on the river； with steam
up； day and night； to transport him； if so he should decide；
southward； through the enemy； to the recesses of Equatoria。 The
sudden appearance of the Arabs； the complete collapse of the
defence； saved him the necessity of making up his mind。 He had
been on the roof； in his dressing…gown； when the attack began；
and he had only time to hurry to his bedroom； to slip on a white
uniform； and to seize up a sword and a revolver； before the
foremost of the assailants were in the palace。 The crowd was led
by four of the fiercest of the Mahdi's followerstall and
swarthy Dervishes； splendid in their many…coloured jibbehs； their
great swords drawn from their scabbards of brass and velvet；
their spears flourishing above their heads。 Gordon met them at
the top of the staircase。 For a moment； there was a deathly
pause； while he stood in silence； surveying his antagonists。 Then
it is said that Taha Shahin； the Dongolawi； cried in a loud
voice； 'Mala' oun el yom yomek！' （O cursed one； your time is
come）； and plunged his spear into the Englishman's body。 His only
reply was a gesture of contempt。 Another spear transfixed him； he
fell； and the swords of the three other Dervishes instantly
hacked him to death。 Thus； if we are to believe the official
chroniclers； in the dignity of unresisting disdain； General
Gordon met his end。 But it is only fitting that the last moments
of one whose whole life was passed in contradiction should be
involved in mystery and doubt。 Other witnesses told a very
different story。 The man whom they saw die was not a saint but a
warrior。 With intrepidity； with skill； with desperation； he flew
at his enemies。 When his pistol was exhausted； he fought on with
his sword； he forced his way almost to the bottom of the
staircase； and； among； a heap of corpses； only succumbed at
length to the sheer weight of the multitudes against him。
That morning； while Slatin Pasha was sitting in his chains in the
camp at Omdurman； he saw a group of Arabs approaching； one of
whom was carrying something wrapped up in a cloth。 As the group
passed him； they stopped for a moment； and railed at him in
savage mockery。 Then the cloth was lifted； and he saw before him
Gordon's head。 The trophy was taken to the Mahdi： at last the two
fanatics had indeed met face to face。 The Mahdi ordered the head
to be fixed between the branches of a tree in the public highway；
and all who passed threw stones at it。 The hawks of the desert
swept and circled about itthose very hawks which the blue eyes
had so often watched。
The news of the catastrophe reached England； and a great outcry
arose。 The public grief vied with the public indignation。 The
Queen； in a letter to Miss Gordon； immediately gave vent both to
her own sentiments and those of the nation。 'HOW shall I write to
you；' she exclaimed； 'or how shall I attempt to express WHAT I
FEEL！ To THINK of your dear； noble； heroic Brother； who served
his Country and his Queen so truly； so heroically； with a self…
sacrifice so edifying to the World； not having been rescued。 That
the promises of support were not fulfilled which I so
frequently and constantly pressed on those who asked him to go
is to me GRIEF INEXPRESSIBLE！ Indeed； it has made me ill。。。 Would
you express to your other sisters and your elder Brother my true
sympathy； and what I do so keenly feel； the STAIN left upon
England； for your dear Brother's cruel； though heroic； fate！'
In reply； Miss Gordon presented the Queen with her brother's
Bible； which was placed in one of the corridors at Windsor； open；
on a white satin cushion； and enclosed in a crystal case。 In the
meanwhile； Gordon was acclaimed in every newspaper as a national
martyr； State services were held in his honour at Westminster and
St Paul's； ￡20；000 was voted to his family； and a great sum of
money was raised by subscription to endow a charity in his
memory。 Wrath and execration fell； in particular； upon the head
of Mr。 Gladstone。 He was little better than a murderer； he was a
traitor； he was a heartless villain； who had been seen at the
play on the very night when Gordon's death was announced。 The
storm passed； but Mr。 Gladstone had soon to cope with a still
more serious agitation。 The cry was raised on every side that the
national honour would be irreparably tarnished if the Mahdi were
left in the peaceful possession of Khartoum； and that the
Expeditionary Force should be at once employed to chastise the
false prophet and to conquer the Sudan。 But it was in vain that
the imperialists clamoured； in vain that Lord Wolseley wrote
several dispatches； proving over and over again that to leave the
Mahdi unconquered must involve the ruin of Egypt； in vain that
Lord Hartington at last discovered that he had come to the same
conclusion。 The old man stood firm。 Just then； a crisis with
Russia on the Afghan frontier supervened； and Mr。 Gladstone；
pointing out that every available soldier might be wanted at any
moment for a European war； withdrew Lord Wolseley and his army
from Egypt。 The Russian crisis disappeared。 The Mahdi remained
supreme lord of the Sudan。
And yet it was not with the Mahdi that the future lay。 Before six
months were out； in the plenitude of his power； he died； and the
Khalifa Abdullahi reigned in his stead。 The future lay with Major
Kitchener and his Maxim…Nordenfeldt guns。 Thirteen years later
the Mahdi's empire was abolished forever in the gigantic hecatomb
of Omdurman； after which it was thought proper that a religious
ceremony in honour of General Gordon should be held at the palace
at Khartoum。 The service was conducted by four chaplainsof the
Catholic； Anglican； Presbyterian； and Methodist persuasionsand
concluded with a performance of 'Abide with Me'the General's
favourite hymnby a select company of Sudanese buglers。 Every
one agreed that General Gordon had been avenged at last。 Who
could doubt it？ General Gordon himself； possibly； fluttering； in
some remote Nirvana； the pages of a phantasmal Bible； might have
ventured on a satirical remark。 But General Gordon had always
been a contradictious personeven a little off his head；
perhaps； though a hero； and besides； he was no longer there to
contradict。。。 At any rate； it had all ended very happilyin a
glorious slaughter of 20；000 Arabs； a vast addition to the
British Empire； and a step in the Peerage for Sir Evelyn Baring。
BIBLIOGRAPHY
General Gordon。 Reflections in Palestine。 Letters。 Khartoum
Journals。
E。 Hake。 The Story of Chinese Gordon。
H。 W。 Gordon。 Events in the Life of C。 G。 Gordon。
D。 C。 Boulger。 Life of General Gordon。
Sir W。 Butler。 General Gordon。
Rev。 R。 H。 Barnes and C。 E； Brown。 Charles George Gordon： A
Sketch。
A。 Bioves。 Un Grand Aventurier。
Li Hung Chang。 Memoirs。*
Colonel Chaille…Long。 My Life in Four Continents。
Lord Cromer。 Modern Egypt。
Sir R。 Wingate。 Mahdiism and the Sudan。
Sir R。 Slatin。 Fire and Sword in the Sudan。
J。 Ohrwalder。 Ten Years of Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp。
C。 Neufeld。 A Prisoner of the Khaleefa。
Wilfrid Blunt。 A Secret History of the English Occupation of
Egypt。
Gordon at Khartoum。
Winston Churchill。 The River War。
F。 Power。 Letters from Khartoum。
Lord Morley。 Life of Gladstone。
George W。 Smalley。 Mr Gladstone。 Harper's Magazine； 1898。
B。 Holland。 Life of the Eighth Duke of Devonshire。
Lord Fitzmaurice。 Life of the Second Earl Granville。
S。 Gwynn and Gertrude Tuckwell。 Life of Sir Charles Dilke。
Arthur Rimbaud。 Lettres。
G。 F。 Steevens。 With Kitchener to Khartoum。
* The authenticity of the Diary contained in this book has been
disputed； notably by Mr。 J。 0。 P。 Bland in his Li Hung Chang。
（Constable； 1917）
End