iism to live would have to be enforced.
From this time forth there was no voluntary seeking to obey, and it was
clear that the new Religion was on the wane.

The family and adherents of the Mahdi were at variance with the
followers of Khalifa Abdullah, the latter by his immense energy had made
himself master of the situation. But the glow and fervour of religious
enthusiasm was gone.

The blow of the Mahdi's death almost killed Sherif Mahmud; many of his
chiefs and emirs muttered: "See how the Mahdi has deceived us. Had he
been the real Mahdi he would not have died in Omdurman. Alas! what
thousands of human lives have been sacrificed to this false Mahdi's
caprice." Mahmud was at a loss to know what to say and contented himself
with murmuring: "Even if the Mahdi be dead, his religion did not die
with him; let us therefore fight in the cause of religion."

Nevertheless all obedience and discipline did not disappear, for these
men had still their own interests to look after: but it was unfortunate
there was no one to place himself at the head of the malcontents and
openly declare that the Mahdi was no Mahdi.

Mahmud now returned without delay to El Obeid, and immediately on his
arrival he ordered the criers to announce that he required some account
of Father Bonomi's escape. He was furious at his flight; he sent for me
and asked where he had gone; I simply replied, that he had disappeared
one night and that the next morning I could find no trace of him in the
hut. If Mahmud had not been so upset by the Mahdi's death, I believe I
should have had to pay dearly for his flight. As it was he believed that
Bonomi would be seized by the Dervishes in Dongola, and at the same time
he sent out spies to try and discover who had assisted him to escape.
Suspicion fell on Mohammed Suleiman, who had been our old captain at
Delen and who was now the kadi's clerk; he was threatened with a
flogging, which he would certainly have received had not his master
begged him off.

Mahmud brought with him from Delen the unfortunate Khojur Kakum; this
poor man was thrown into chains soon after his arrival, and his hut and
the chair which he used for his religious ceremonies were burnt. The
Nubas were solemnly abjured to desist from their superstitious beliefs,
and Mahmud made a small straw mosque for them in which they were obliged
to say prayers; but the Nubas set fire to it, and after Mahmud's
departure they named their pigs after the Mahdi's