ake
he had made, but only when it was too late.

No notice was taken of Gordon's peaceful proclamations; the revolt was
now widespread, and masses of fanatical Dervishes were gradually
encircling Khartum. Mohammed Wad el Besir, the sheikh El Obeid--a man
held in great respect in the Gezireh--his sons, and the Fiki Medawi
advanced on the town from the south. On the 16th of March, 1884,
Gordon's troops were heavily defeated, and their leaders were executed
by Gordon for treachery.

Another blow fell on Gordon by the surrender, at Fedasi, of Saleh Wad
el Mek, with 1,400 men, to the emir Abu Girgeh. Still Gordon did not
despair of success, and it was his individuality which inspired the
inhabitants of Khartum with hope.

Saleh Wad el Mek's surrender greatly encouraged the Dervishes. Rebels
were also gathering to the north of Khartum. The Jaalin of Metemmeh and
the Ababdeh, as I previously stated, prepared to attack Berber. Hussein
Pasha Khalifa, Sheikh of the Ababdeh, who had been Mudir there since the
18th of December, 1883, remained faithful to the Government, but his
subordinates paid no attention to him; and it was largely due to the
influence of these officials that numbers of local sheikhs joined the
Mahdi.

The Ababdeh, Barabra, and Jaalin, under the supreme command of Mohammed
el Kheir, now besieged Berber. Eight days later the town was taken by
storm, and most of the garrison and a number of inhabitants were
massacred. Joseph Cuzzi had attempted to escape, but he was caught and
sent to Khartum to endeavour to induce Gordon to surrender. He was
subsequently sent on to the Mahdi at Rahad.

Gordon's communications with the north were now cut. After Saleh Pasha's
surrender, the number of besieging Dervishes increased greatly, and Abu
Girgeh growing bolder, seized the village of Buri, where he built a fort
and began to shell the town. Gordon therefore, on the 2nd of May, sent
out a considerable force, which attacked Abu Girgeh, drove him out of
his position, and all but succeeded in capturing him. Thus did Gordon,
although hemmed in on all sides, maintain a bold front, and employed
every art of war to keep the Dervishes from investing the town more
closely.

To return now to the Mahdi at Rahad. He was at this time in full
preparation for departure to the siege of Khartum, and, as usual, he
despatched Abu Anga, Wad Nejumi, Wad En Nur, and Wad Gubara, with all
his best troops in advance. As I have previously relat