A Curious Story about Kitchener.

Manawatu Herald, 6 July 1899, Page 3

A Curious Story about Kitchener.

It is told by Charles L°wia Shaw in the " Canadian Magazine " foMnreh. He was with the Canadian Vnya&eura under Lord Wolselpy in 1884*85 " Ciptain Kitchener, ns he was thfn, used to spend hi* leaves of absence in Arab villages, in crowded bazaars, and on dese.n oases." "For two years h< wandered from the Red Sea to Ber ber, from Cairo to Abn Hamed. He was chief of the secret service, and many strange tales were told of hi> mysterionr doings. The Mudir of Dongola was in camp with severul thousand follower* ostensibly as allies, possibly (it was suspected) with other designs. The writer and a coYorade hearing there were ructions among the Dongaleee went in among them, mingled in ths fray, and " wo wound up in thr guard tent," He was chattering with his comrade there — when a tall man, tied apparently hand and foot, was thrown among-t ua. I though * he looked a different brand of Arnb than I had been accustomed to H n was ; he was Kitchener. He wa« after the. conspiracy. 1 didn't know much Arabic in those days, but we could hear the Dongalese — they were all Dongalese —talk and talk in excited tones the whole night, the bound man occasionally aaying a few words When we paraded in and before the large open faced orderly tent next morning we were almost paralysed to see Lord Wolseley himself seated at the little table with Kitchener beside him, both in full et»ff uniform, • .

A tall, fine-lookiog Arab, the handsomest D.)ngal?se Arab I ever saw, wa9 being examined through the interpreter. Ha didn't seem impressed by, the glittering uniforms or the presence of the Commander-in-chief, or embarrassed by their questions. Once or twice an expression of surprise flitted over his face, but his eyes wire always fix.d on Kitchener, who would now and again stoop and whisper something in Lard Wolselty's ear. Once he rai-ed his voice. The prisoner heard its intonation and recognised him. With a fiaice bound, the long, lithe Arab made a spring and was over the table, and had seiz d Kitchener by the throat. There was a ehorfc swift struggle. Wobek-y'a rye glistened, and he half drew his sword. Kitchener, athletic as he was, was being overpowered, and the Arab was throttling him to death. There was a rush of the guard—, and within ten minutes a oordon of sentries surrounded the Mudir of DongoWs tent. Within three days he was a prisoner in h's palace of Dongola, guarded by half a battalion (f British eoldiers. The conspiracy was broken.

How widespread it was, only ha'fa dozen white men knew at that time, but that it embraced the courts of the Khidive, the Murdi, and the Mahli leaked out in after years. To it the treachery of the Egyptian .garrnon at Khartoum and the death of Gordon wa* due, and the preservation of the desert column can be placed to its discovery.