ld was the fort, around which a small thorn zariba had been
constructed to keep off the crowding Dervishes who were collected in
their thousands, most of them seated in long lines on the sand and
repeating their "subhan allah." The Mahdi's huts and tents were close
by.

It was then the time for noonday prayers, and as the Mahdi approached
there was a short buzz and hum followed by a deep silence.

When the Mahdi came to the place where the sheepskin was stretched out
on the ground, a slave came up and took off his sandals, after which he
conducted prayers. These over, he turned round and greeted me. Then some
of his favourites came forward and presented petitions to him, some of
which he approved at once by writing a few words on the back of the
paper, while the remainder were put aside for consideration.

Since the occasion on which the Mahdi had interviewed Klootz, I had not
seen him. I now saw a considerable change in him; he had grown much
stouter, but he still wore the same clothes of rough damur, consisting
of drawers, jibbeh, girth, and turban. His conversation soon turned on
religion, and he asked me if we Christians used the "Hamdu" (a form used
by the Moslems as they bow in prayer) in our prayers. I replied that not
only had we one but several, and at his request I repeated the Lord's
Prayer in Arabic.

This created much surprise amongst the ignorant listeners, who believe
that Christians do not know how to pray, and I was thought quite
"fasich" (_i.e._ educated). After a long conversation on the Psalms of
David, the Mahdi said, "I know that you Christians are very good people,
and that you feed the hungry." He then told me about "deeds of mercy,"
and added that all such acts were useless, as anyone who did not believe
in the Mahdi was but "wood for the fire." Our conversation was
interrupted by the Aser or afternoon prayers, after which the Mahdi
again held a reception. Amongst others a small dwarf appeared, and the
Mahdi spoke to him about his tribe and asked if he were married. The
dwarf replied that he had come to ask for a wife, and explained that the
possession of one was the desire of his heart, whereupon the Mahdi gave
orders that he should at once be provided with one. He then rose up to
leave, and I was permitted to go home.

On the following day I was again summoned before him, and he explained
that through the noonday prayers he knew he should win over the whole
world. He said that God had giv