After Omdurman

I have to admit that I did not know a great deal about the engineering of those great beasts of steam, but I did know a thing or two about explosives and their use in this sort of demolition work. First I looked at the wheel that had been blown off. It showed little sign of damage, which suggested that the explosion was not a particularly violent one. The ruined parts of the engine itself were more interesting. The explosive device had obviously been placed next to one of the steam cylinders, and it was my guess that it was the release of pressure from the cylinder following the explosion, rather than the explosion itself, that had caused the wheel to free itself from the train. The telltale signs of exploded dynamite could be seen around the cylinder, which had completely split. Whoever planted the bomb, whether he be British or Arab, must indeed, as Kitchener had suggested, have had some expert knowledge, either in engineering or explosives or both. But I was still not convinced that only a British soldier could be responsible.

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