When a lack of money began to make itself
felt, he printed and circulated a paper coinage of his own. To
combat the growing discontent and disaffection of the
townspeople, he instituted a system of orders and medals; the
women were not forgotten; and his popularity redoubled. There was
terror in the thought that harm might come to the Governor-
General. Awe and reverence followed him; wherever he went he was
surrounded by a vigilant and jealous guard, like some precious
idol, some mascot of victory. How could he go away? How could he
desert his people? It was impossible. It would be, as he himself
exclaimed in one of his latest telegrams to Sir Evelyn Baring,
'the climax of meanness', even to contemplate such an act. Sir
Evelyn Baring thought differently. In his opinion it was General
Gordon's plain duty to have come away from Khartoum. To stay
involved inevitably a relief expedition--a great expense of
treasure and the loss of valuable lives; to come away would
merely mean that the inhabitants of Khartoum would be 'taken
prisoner by the Mahdi'. So Sir Evelyn Baring put it; but the case
was not quite so simple as that. When Berber fell, there had been
a massacre lasting for days-- an appalling orgy of loot and lust
and slaughter; when Khartoum itself was captured, what followed
was still more terrible.
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