Part 7 (1/2)

On the 30th April Gordon was before the city of Taitsan, where three months before the same army which was now under his command had been defeated

Three tiuns had made Twice they were hurled back; but for a third tied them on, and their confidence in his leadershi+p was such that they went readily; and this time, after a swift, sharp conflict, the city on

Europeans were fighting both with him and with the rebels In the breach at Taitsan he came across two of thethe assault; the other cried out, ”Mr Gordon! Mr Gordon! you will not let me be killed” ”Take him down to the river and shoot him,” said Gordon aloud Aside he whispered, ”Put him in hai” He was stern and resolute enough where it was necessary, but underneath all was a heart full of love and pity

During this war the only weapon Gordon carried was a cane; and ic wand, and Gordon as acould harm

On one occasion when he ounded he refused to retire till he was forcibly carried off the field by the doctor's orders

After he had put an end to the rebellion the Ee su was to benefit the people, refused it, and left China as poor as he had entered it He had various distinctions conferred upon hiave hiold medal was presented to hi the inscription, sent it anonymously to the Coventry relief fund Of this incident he wrote at a later period: ”Never shall I forget what I got when I scored out the inscription on the gold medal How I have been repaid aI value in the world Its honours, they are false; its knicknacks, they are perishable and useless; whilst I live I value God's blessing--health; and if you have that, as far as this world goes, you are rich”

He returned to England and settled down at Gravesend, living quite sist the poor To the boys he was a hero indeed That was but natural, seeing he not only taught theet them situations, but treated the-roo the probable positions of the shi+ps in which his ”kings” (as he called his boys) were to be found in various parts of the world

Thus, as they hts, and was able to point out their whereabouts to inquiring friends

It is no wonder then that the urchins scrawled upon the walls of the town, ”CG is a jolly good feller” ”God bless the Kernel”

He visited the hospitals and workhouses, and all the money he received he expended on the poor; for he believed that having given his heart to God he had no right to keep anything for hied and Sunday Schools He lived on the plainest food hiarden, turning it into a kind of allotood His vieere utterly unworldly and opposed to those generally held, but they were in the ypt, and at the request of the Khedive undertook the position of Governor-General of the Soudan, in the hope of being able to put down the slave trade

He was beset with difficulties, and ”worn to a shadow” by incessant work and ceaseless anxiety; but he would not give up

In all his trials he felt the presence of God As he watched histhe boats up the rapids he ”_prayed them up_ as he used to do the troops when they wavered in the breaches in China”

Once histribe; and, believing they had been misled by the Sheik, wanted to punish him; but Gordon saw the other side of the man's character--”He was a brave patriotic o”

Here was his hope ”With terrific exertion,” he writes, ”in two or three years' tiood province--with a good army and a fair revenue and peace, and an increased trade,--also have suppressed slave raids” He felt it was a weary work before hio to bed, and never get up till noon every day, and never walk more than a mile” No wonder he orn and tired, for he moved about the Soudan like a ind He travelled on camelback thousands of erous rebellion that would have taken the Egyptians as many years--if, indeed, they could ever have done it at all

This is the kind of way in which he won his victories On one occasion with a few troops he arrived at a place called Dara That great slave trader Suleiiven Sir Samuel Baker so much trouble, was there at the head of 6000 men Gordon rode into the place nearly alone, and told the commander to come and talk with him Utterly taken aback the man did as he was requested, and afterwards promised obedience

It is true he did not keep his proth taken prisoner by Gordon's lieutenant; and so many were the crimes and cruelties that he had committed that he was condemned to death, and thus the slaves of Africa became rid of one of their worst oppressors

[ILlustRATION: GORDON STATUE IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE]

The work begun by Baker was continued with great success by Gordon He estimated that in ninethese poor creatures had gone through was appalling Some of them when set free had been four or five days without water in the terrible heat of that hot country Every caravan route showed signs of the horrible trade, by the bones of those who had fallen and died fro

So great was the effect which the thought and sight of these sufferings produced on Gordon that he wrote in March, 1879: ”I declare if I could stop this traffic I would willingly be shot this night”

Later on he was to give his life for these people; but the hour was not yet