The first to relate the story of Gordon’s death was a man whose tongue Gordon had threatened to cut out as the only cure for his inveterate lying, and when he escaped and reached Cairo, in telling his tale he sustained his reputation. All accounts of Gordon’s death have apparently been based upon this first one received. Gordon, the world has been |301| made to believe, died as a coward, for what other construction may be placed on the assertion that he turned his back upon his assailants, and in his back received his mortal wound? It is an infamous lie; but, then, what was to be expected from a man whom Gordon knew so well, and who, maybe, had good reason to invent the tale he did? I quote, side by side, what may be called the three official accounts of Gordon’s death:― MAHDISM. “He (Gordon) made a gesture of scorn with his right hand, and turned his back, where he received another spear wound which caused him to fall forward and was most likely his mortal wound. . . . He made no resistance, and did not fire a shot from his revolver.” “. . . One of them rushing up, stabbed him with his spear, and others then followed, and soon he was killed. . . . He (Nejoumi) ordered the body to be dragged downstairs into the garden, where his head was cut off.” OHRWALDER. “_The first_ Arab _plunged his huge spear into his body_. _He fell forward on his face_, was _dragged down_ the stairs, many stabbed him with their spears, and _his head was cut off and sent to the Mahdi_.” SLATIN. “_The first_ man up the steps _plunged his huge spear into his body; he fell forward on his face_ without uttering a word. His murderers _dragged_ him _down_ the steps to the palace entrance, and here _his head was cut off and_ at once _sent_ over _to the Mahdi_.” |302| It will be noticed that Father Ohrwalder’s account appears to be a condensation of the first given, while it is hard to believe that a coincidence only accounts for Slatin giving the history in almost the identical words used by Ohrwalder. It is still more extraordinary that the first account should ever have been believed and published, and still _more_ extraordinary that it was not corrected by Ohrwalder and Slatin, for when I arrived in Omdurman, in 1887, the real details of the death of Gordon were the theme of conversation whenever his name was mentioned, and there are many eye-witnesses to his death—or were until the battle of Omdurman, who could tell a very different tale. [Illustration: KHALEEL AGHA ORPHALI.]