's brother). There were frequent
disputes in the market-place; and every day it was thought a fight must
take place. At length matters reached such a stage that Abdullah
challenged the two other Khalifas to fight on the open plain, on which
the great reviews usually take place, just outside the town.

The two parties collected their entire forces; but it was evident the
Baggaras were by far the stronger; and as they marched out they shouted
"Mot el Gellaba" ("Death to the Gellabas!" _i.e._ the Danagla, in
contradistinction to the Baggara). Khalifa Wad Helu now acted the part
of mediator, and went across to confer with Abdullah; the troops of the
latter were drawn up in battle-array, and quite prepared for the fray.
Khalifa Sherif feared to enter the lists alone, and therefore he
submitted; he was obliged to hand over his soldiers, arms, ammunition,
flags, and war-drums, which Abdullah took possession of, and was allowed
to retain only fifty men, with firearms, as a bodyguard.

Thus Abdullah constituted himself the one and only ruler, and showed
that he was quite resolved to allow no one else to share his authority
with him. Gradually he reduced the power of the two other Khalifas and
of the Ashraf, and in a short time they became men of little influence.
The Mahdi's two uncles, Abdel Karim and Abdel Kader, who showed the most
open and violent animosity, were at once thrown into chains, their
houses destroyed, and themselves declared enemies of the Mahdi; and, as
we shall presently relate, he ordered Abu Anga to secure Zogal and put
him in prison.

Whilst all these disturbances were going on in Omdurman, the two places,
Sennar and Kassala, in which Government troops were still holding out,
were now in the greatest straits; and I will here give a brief account
of the events which occurred.

Sennar had suffered from the Mahdiists for a very long time. Ahmed Wad
el Makashef had besieged it in 1883; Abdel Kader Pasha, Governor-General
of the Sudan, had advanced to its relief with a large force, had
defeated the Makashef, and then raised the siege. Abdel Kader himself
was wounded in this fight, and his watch was broken to pieces by a
bullet. Sennar and Khartum were once more in communication. It is
unfortunate that Abdel Kader, who was greatly feared by the Sudanese,
was recalled to Egypt.

In 1884 the rebels again attacked Sennar, but were repulsed. It was then
besieged by El Mehrdi Abu Rof, who succeeded in defeating t