It skirted the hills opposite to the pass from which it had descended in the morning.

The bushes grew sparse.

It came into a black country of stones scantily relieved by yellow tasselled mimosas.
Durrance called Mather to his side.
"That Arab had a strange story to tell me.

He was Gordon's servant in Khartum.

At the beginning of 1884, eighteen months ago in fact, Gordon gave him a letter which he was to take to Berber, whence the contents were to be telegraphed to Cairo.