er Captain Mahon, three companies of the
Camel Corps, and 100 men of the IXth Soudanese on camels, with one Maxim
gun, to reconnoitre up the Nile through the Shukuk Pass and as far as
Salamat.

The outward journey was unbroken by incident; but as the patrol was
returning it was attacked by an equal force of Dervishes, and a sharp
little skirmish ensued in which one British officer--Captain Peyton--was
severely wounded, nine Egyptian troopers were killed, and three others
wounded. This proof that the Dervishes were on the move enforced the
greatest vigilance in all the Dongola garrisons.

At the end of May, Mahmud with his army arrived at Omdurman. The Khalifa
received him with delight, and several imposing reviews were held
outside the city. Mahmud himself was eager to march against the 'Turks.'
He had no experience of modern rifles, and felt confident that he
could easily destroy or at least roll back the invading forces. Partly
persuaded by the zeal of his lieutenant, and partly by the wavering and
doubtful attitude of the Jaalin, the Khalifa determined early in June to
send the Kordofan army to occupy Metemma, and thereby either to awe the
tribe into loyalty, or force them to revolt while the Egyptian troops
were still too distant to assist them. He summoned the chief of the
Jaalin, Abdalla-Wad-Saad, to Omdurman, and informed him that the Jaalin
territories were threatened by the Turks. In the goodness of his heart,
therefore, and because he knew that they loved the Mahdi and practised
the true religion, he was resolved to protect them from their enemies.
The chief bowed his head. The Khalifa continued that the trusty Mahmud
with his army would be sent for that purpose; Abdalla might show his
loyalty in furnishing them with all supplies and accommodation. He
intimated that the interview was over. But the Jaalin chief had the
temerity to protest. He assured the Khalifa of his loyalty, and of the
ability of his tribe to repel the enemy. He implored him not to impose
the burden of an army upon them. He exaggerated the poverty of Metemma;
he lamented the misfortunes of the times. Finally he begged forgiveness
for making his protest.

The Khalifa was infuriated. Forgetting his usual self-control and
the forms of public utterance, he broke out into a long and abusive
harangue. He told the chief that he had long doubted his loyalty, that
he despised his protestations, that he was worthy of a shameful death,
that his trib