After Omdurman by John Ferry

Author:John Ferry [John Ferry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780719811524
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 2013-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

IN THE CHILL of the next morning, and over a breakfast of flat bread and sweet tea, Mahmud and I discussed how we would undertake the journey. I explained that I intended to swing right around the side of both the Anglo-Egyptian and the Dervish armies, and to approach Omdurman from the west. I did not expect Mahmud to accompany me all the way into the heart of the Khalifa’s empire, for it was far too dangerous an undertaking to expect of a man. ‘You wish to die, yes?’ Mahmud said to me when I was explaining my plan.

It did indeed seem like something of a suicidal undertaking, but what else could I do at this stage? Dawson was at Omdurman and was intent on destroying our gunboats. I had to get there to stop him. But although the odds were certainly stacked against me, I sensed that there was some chance of success, for I hoped that I would not have to enter the city itself. Rather, I intended to reach the Nile near to Omdurman and try to dismantle whatever arrangement Dawson had put in place to sabotage the gunboats. Dressed as an Arab I might just get away with it. I needed Mahmud to escort me far enough through the desert so that I could safely navigate myself the rest of the way to the city.

With my plan roughly worked out, the question now was how I should attire myself for the journey. Should I remain dressed as an Arab in case we run into some Dervishes, or would I be better placed wearing my military uniform for the first stage of the journey in anticipation of stumbling across some British or Egyptian soldiers? In the end I decided it would be best to dress in the traditional Arab fashion, for I reasoned that Anglo-Egyptian soldiers would probably not fire on what they perceived to be Bedouin unless provoked. The Dervishes, however, would fire on anything they did not recognize as their own. Mahmud was good enough to furnish me with the appropriate garments – they were spare items that were the property of one of his young relations, who was not at all pleased at having to part with them.

As the sun was just rising above a cluster of rocks in the distance, Mahmud went around and embraced each one of his relatives in turn before mounting his camel to begin our adventure. I checked that my revolver was fully loaded and placed it underneath my garments.

‘Are you ready?’ I asked my companion, turning my camel to face away from the rising sun and wrapping my Arab headscarf across the front of my face.

‘I am ready,’ he said dutifully.

‘Then let us go!’ and we kicked our camels off to the cheers of Mahmud’s companions.

We started the camels at a gallop before slowing down to a steadier pace, and I remember then, as we left Mahmud’s companions far behind and rode out into the silent wilderness, a

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