eminent victorians-第54章

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again　that　help　would　be　here；　but　it　has　never　come；　and　now

they　must　see　I　tell　them　lies。　I　can　do　nothing　more。　Go；　and

collect　all　the　people　you　can　on　the　lines；　and　make　a　good

stand。　Now　leave　me　to　smoke　these　cigarettes。'　Bordeini　Bey　knew

then；　he　tells　us；　that　Gordon　Pasha　was　in　despair。　He　left　the

room；　having　looked　upon　the　Governor…General　for　the　last　time。



When　the　English　force　reached　Metemmah；　the　Mahdi；　who　had

originally　intended　to　reduce　Khartoum　to　surrender　through

starvation；　decided　to　attempt　its　capture　by　assault。　The

receding　Nile　had　left　one　portion　of　the　town's　circumference

undefended；　as　the　river　withdrew；　the　rampart　had　crumbled；　a

broad　expanse　of　mud　was　left　between　the　wall　and　the　water；　and

the　soldiers；　overcome　by　hunger　and　the　lassitude　of

hopelessness；　had　trusted　to　the　morass　to　protect　them；　and

neglected　to　repair　the　breach。　Early　on　the　morning　of　the　26th；

the　Arabs　crossed　the　river　at　this　point。　The　mud；　partially

dried　up；　presented　no　obstacle；　nor　did　the　ruined

fortification；　feebly　manned　by　some　half…dying　troops。

Resistance　was　futile；　and　it　was　scarcely　offered：　the　Mahdi's

army　swarmed　into　Khartoum。　Gordon　had　long　debated　with　himself

what　his　action　should　be　at　the　supreme　moment。　'I　shall　never

（D。V。）；'　he　had　told　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　'be　taken　alive。'　He　had

had　gunpowder　put　into　the　cellars　of　the　palace；　so　that　the

whole　building　might；　at　a　moment's　notice；　be　blown　into　the

air。　But　then　misgivings　had　come　upon　him；　was　it　not　his　duty

'to　maintain　the　faith；　and；　if　necessary；　to　suffer　for　it'？to

remain　a　tortured　and　humiliated　witness　of　his　Lord　in　the

Mahdi's　chains？　The　blowing　up　of　the　palace　would　have；　he

thought；　'more　or　less　the　taint　of　suicide'；　would　be；　in　a　way；

taking　things　out　of　God's　hands'。　He　remained　undecided；　and

meanwhile；　to　be　ready　for　every　contingency；　he　kept　one　of　his

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