The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-06

the Chinese, and his not less remarkable hold ON
the adventures from all countries arrayed under
his flag.
I'm almost all these engagements Gordon
iound IL necessary to be constantly in the front,
and often to lead in person. The officers of his
force were brave men enough, but were not
always ready to face their desperate antagonists
Gordon in his mild way, would take one or other
OF these by the arm. and lead him into the thick
of the fire. He always went unarmed himself,
even when foremost in the breach. He never
recognized danger to him shower of bullets
was no more than hailstorm He carried one
weapon to direct his troops-he had but little
cane. and this soon won for itself the name of
'Gordons magic wand of victory His Chinese
followers. seeing him always victorious always
foremost in the fight concluded that it was his
wand that insured him protection. The idea en-
couraged the ever-victorious army greatly, and
was of more service to the young commander
than all the arms be could have borne"
Gordon left China in 1864, and returned to
England. He was still only captain of en-
gineers. Yet he had led several thousand men
with consummate skill, and it was not denied
that he had won great victories Having thus
outstripped all laws of seniority, having COM
manded armies and saved an empire when he
Should, according to rule, have been still en-
gagged IN mastering the intricacies of fortifca-
ton, 1T necessarily followed that it was not an
easy matter to provide him with suitable work
on his return. With the best possible inten-
tons the young hero was given a consular APP
polntment on the Danube, whence he was sum-
moned. in 1874 to Egypt by the late Khediye
The new task assigned to him was in some
respects more difficult than that intrusted to
him in China, for, whereas in the far East, he
had only TO vanqush an enemy whose forces
were revealed he had to deal in the Soudan
with difficulties which were only partially
known, while he had to reconcile, as
we'll as he could, instructionsAh that were incompat
IDLE with the facts of the position. 1t was to his
credit that working on reduced pay, and with
&C fnr fnH Nod AAA1 L
ers to the performance of his work, and cons IL
tuting himself the champion of distressed hui
manity spared no effort to put an end to the suf-
terlng and Infamous lot of the dark skinned races
over whom he was called to exercise authority
During five years he toiled in this cause with I'M
tagging zeal, and when he resigned the powers
with which the Khedive had intrusted him twas
admitted that he had not merely put stop to
the worst evils of the traffic in slaves. but that
ne had prepared the way for the emancipation Of
the Soudanese in 1889. should the Egyptian gov
eminent OF that day possess the forces and the
will to make good its bond.
In January of the present year General Cor
don. at the request of the English government.
abandoned projected mission to the Congo, and
undertook the pacifcation Of the Soudan, then
rapidly passing under the sway of the False
Prophet. He started from Cairo on his danger
mission with one companion and q native
guide, and reached Khartoum in safety His
arrival was hailed with wild delight by the peo-
pie, among whom he had formerly ruled and the
homage paid him was of the most extravaganza
nature Well supplied with money. his policy
seems to have been to substitute bribery for
force, and to compass by peaceful means an end
which could not be accomplished with arms At
first there seemed some chance of success but
day by day the forces of the victorious Mahdi
closed more relentlessly about the devoted city,
until communication with the outside world
was ended save when some fortunate messenger
CHANGED to escape the fury of the Arabs, and
make his way down the Nile or to the coast Of
the scores OF couriers dispatched to Gordon. mono
have ever returned to give an account of his des-
perate journey. 1t would now seem that after
nearly years gallant fighting AGAINST the
hordes of the desert the noted adventurer has
fallen into the hands of fanatcal enemy. whose
caprice 1t may be to treat him we'll to-day, and
tomorrow send his head, CHASTITY gage of hate
and defiance to the penurious English and the
pusillanimous Egyptians.