Page:H. D. Traill - From Cairo to the Soudan Frontier.djvu/211

one sees the futility of any temporary slipping of the collar. The watch-dog sees it himself. There would not be the slightest difficulty in chastising the perpetrators of this raid by a descent upon the district from which they came. But what would be the use? "We should probably kill 5 per cent. of the men who were concerned in it," observed a high official of the Intelligence Department, "and 95 per cent. of people who have no more to do with it than you or I." There is nothing to be done but to keep "pegging away" at patrol work, and trust to catching the Dervishes in the very act on their next attempt. It may not be long before the opportunity occurs, for the Dervishes, one hears, are full of elation at their recent success. They could hardly be "more cock-a-whoop," one of our friends puts in, "if they had sacked Cairo." They are boasting, it is believed, that it takes the camel corps of the fnfidels six hours to mobilise. It is the eager hope of every man in the garrison of Wady{{right|n