The gunboats will be running up and down the river, stirring up the Dervishes at Metemmeh and other places; and as neither Keppel, nor the commanders of the other two boats can speak Arabic with anything like fluency, it is important that he should have an interpreter.
"I think you will find the berth a pleasant one.

Of course, I don't know what arrangements will be made, or whether you would permanently live on board one of the boats.

If so, I think you would be envied by all of us, as you would get away from the dust, and all the discomforts of the encampment." "Thank you very much, sir! It would indeed be pleasant, and I was beginning to feel that I was very useless here." "You have not been useless at all, Mr.Hilliard.The Sirdar asked me about you, and I was able to give him a very favourable report of your readiness to be of service, for whatever work I have found for you to do.

I have told him that I had great doubts whether Ahmed Bey would have pushed forward to this place, after he had lost the protection of the gunboats, if you had not been with him." Gregory at once went to the quarters of Colonel Wingate, and sent in his name.

In two or three minutes he was shown in.