is
orders Rupert and Ibrahim at once began to undo some of the bales and
held up the goods for inspection. The sheik named the prices he
required. These were at once declared by the natives to be impossible.
The sheik simply ordered his assistants to fasten up the bales again. "I
have brought them all the way from Egypt and I am not going to give them
away. It is not every one in times like this who will risk his beasts
and his goods on such an adventure. The traders have all gone down the
river with the white men. It may be months or years before a caravan
route is open again. Who is going to bring up goods to sell when there
is nothing for his camels to carry down again and when the whole country
is disturbed? There is neither law nor order in the land. I shall
journey on to El-Obeid or Kassala; I shall get what price I like to ask
there."

The traders poured out a torrent of expostulation. They would see the
goods again; doubtless they were of a better quality than they supposed;
and so the bargain was recommenced, and after some hours a considerable
portion of the goods that had been brought up were disposed of. In each
case the traders arranged to come late in the evening with their
servants to fetch away the goods they had bought.

"It would never do," one said, "to let it be known that we had money
sufficient to make such purchases. It is only by assuming the greatest
poverty that we can carry on our business unmolested, and only a few of
the cheapest goods can be displayed to the eyes of the public, the rest
being hidden away to be brought out privately for the benefit of some
special customer."

The sheik was well pleased with the result of his traffic. The prices he
had charged were five or six fold more than those that the goods had
cost, and he sent out one of his followers to purchase a kid, which was
presently converted into a stew. After this was eaten he went out with
one of his followers, leaving the other to deliver the goods to their
purchasers. When it became quite dark the traders arrived one by one,
each with one or two porters to carry away the goods. These were paid
for in cash drawn from buried hoards.

The sheik was late before he returned. He told Rupert that he had met a
kinsman of his who was now an officer of the Mahdi, and had had a long
conversation with him. "He believes in the Mahdi," he said, "and has
faith that he is going to conquer the world. I told him that finding no
traders