midnight
In more than one way he always kept his head . He was at once the curse and the pride of the regiment . For his sins he could not be punished , and his virtues were of value only to save his life . In this fashion , while his regiment thinned out by disease , famine , fighting , and the midnight knife , Seti came on to Dongola , to Berber , to Khartoum ; and he grinned with satisfaction when he heard that they would make even for Kordofan . He had outlived all the officers who left Manfaloot with the regiment save the bimbashi , and the bimbashi was superstitious and believed that while Seti lived he would live . Therefore , no clansman ever watched his standard flying in the van as the bimbashi -- from behind -- watched the long arm of Seti slaying , and heard his voice like a brass horn above all others shouting his war-cry . But at Khartoum came Seti 's fall .