there were also quantities of
caps, and all the necessary implements. The soldiers had broken into
this place, killed the guards, made loopholes, and prepared for defence;
they had burnt down most of the houses in the town, and forced all they
met to join them. Two Egyptians who refused to do so were at once
killed. The Dervishes had rushed, in a body, to attempt to recover the
magazine, but had been shot down in numbers; several emirs also fell in
this assault, and no one dared to return to recover their bodies. At
length, having rallied from their first failure, they again collected
and advanced--this time with more order--to the attack; but the
soldiers, who had learnt of their Emir Abdullah's death, fought with
desperate courage, and again drove them back, with heavy loss.

The Dervishes now assembled beside the great gate of the Mudirieh, and
consulted what was best to be done; they were thoroughly alarmed, and no
wonder; for everyone who came within range of the fort was almost
certainly shot down. Amongst these was Fiki Isa, of the Shanabla, who
was struck in the neck by a bullet, and fell dead at once. Naturally, I
fled as soon as possible from this dangerous proximity, and went to the
house of a clerk, whose walls I knew would give me protection.

The firing now became faster, and the soldiers sounded the trumpet for
the attack on the Mudirieh, intending to capture the guns which stood
outside the gate; but the Dervishes had withdrawn them and closed it, so
the troops were forced to retire; their ranks had been largely increased
by a number of male and female slaves, who, on hearing of the mutiny,
had at once left their masters.

Fighting lasted till nightfall; and at length, under cover of darkness,
I made my way back to the zariba, to see what had become of my
companions in adversity. I found it empty and deserted; even the cattle
had escaped somehow; and only two miserable slaves, suffering from
ferentit (guinea-worm), and who were unable to move, remained behind. I
was feverish and restless; so returned again to the Mudirieh, to see
what was going forward there. I found a crowd of Dervishes, exasperated
at the idea of having been defeated by the "slave-soldiers," as they
called them; more of their emirs had been killed; and the chief, Wad
Hashmi, had been mortally wounded, and died the following day. When the
Dervishes caught sight of me (hitherto I had passed unnoticed), they
ordered me back to the zarib