he sound of firing, and
bullets were suddenly flying over my head. In my alarm I had rushed out
of the hut, and saw that the firing was from the direction of the
powder-magazine. To my intense surprise, I did not see a solitary
soldier in the zariba; even their wives had gone, and had taken their
household goods away with them. I shouted and cried out, but no one
answered; a few women passed by, but they were too occupied to answer
me; they, too, soon disappeared, and the whole place, which but a few
moments before had been a Babel of din and noise, became silent as the
grave. In the distance I could hear continuous firing, and occasionally
I caught sight of women and children running away in a northerly
direction.

I now thought it time to quit the zariba myself. I seized a bayonet, and
tried to push aside the thorns, but they were so firmly fixed in the
ground, that I could not move them. I then made for the gate, and here
there was not a soul to be seen; even the slaves in chains had
disappeared. Bullets were now flying in all directions. I went towards
the Emir Abdullah's house, and found him standing by his door in a state
of great agitation, with only two soldiers. In reply to my question as
to what was the matter, he answered in a surly tone: "These beit el mal
slaves have destroyed everything." These words were scarcely out of his
mouth, when fifty Dervishes with drawn swords suddenly rushed up, and
with frightful yells dragged him and his men off to the courtyard of the
Mudirieh. I followed them. Here an enormous crowd of Dervishes was
collected, and, wild with rage, they would have torn Abdullah to pieces
had not Wad el Hashmi stopped them.

The Dervishes now accused Abdullah of having incited the soldiers; but
he protested that he knew nothing of the affair, and in proof of his
statement urged that he had not quitted his house; but it was useless.
The air resounded with cries of "Cut off his head!" and he was obliged
to kneel down. With one blow his head rolled on the sand; both the
soldiers were also beheaded, and their bodies thrown down near the
mosque, so that everyone might see them.

I now learnt that the soldiers had taken possession of the powder
magazine, which consisted of a square yard, with small towers at the
corners; it had been utilized as a magazine in Government days. All arms
and ammunition were stored here, and a number of Egyptians were employed
moulding bullets and filling cartridges;