a, threatening to kill me if I again left
it; I suppose they did this because they thought I might join the
mutineers. It was believed that the soldiers would attack and capture
the town the next day. How I wish they had had a good leader!

My companions and I now found ourselves in the beit el mal again, under
the guard of four soldiers. Worn out with excitement, I threw myself
down on my angarib; the success of the mutineers again revived in my
breast hopes of release; and with this pleasing thought, I dropped off
into a sound slumber.

I was suddenly roused up by one of the guard prodding me with the butt
end of his rifle, and saying--"When everyone is in terror of his life,
how can you sleep?" So I reluctantly had to get up, and began chatting
to the guard, as I feared any display of satisfaction on my part would
probably call down vengeance from them. We talked over the events of the
day; and I soon realised that the Dervishes were, in truth, greatly
alarmed.

The powder magazine was not far from the beit el mal, so we could
overhear a great deal of what was going on there; and one would have
imagined that they were engaged in marriage festivities rather than in
bloody warfare. The whole night through they kept up singing; the women
were dancing, and the men drinking marissa: every now and then the
trumpets were sounded, which seemed to add to the women's delight; they
were all laughing over the Mahdi's doings, heaping insults on him and
his religion; and still further exasperating the Dervishes by shouting
out to them to come and join them in a drinking bout.

But whilst these good blacks were enjoying themselves in the magazine,
the Dervishes had fortified the beit el mal, and placed bodies of
troops, with their flags, in different parts. Occasionally, the blacks
fired a volley into them, which made them disperse, leaving their flag
behind them. Everyone was in a state of most anxious expectancy for the
next day; it was looked upon as certain that a fight would take place
between the Dervishes and the soldiers, which would finally decide
matters; and that night there was little sleep for anyone.

Early the next morning the soldiers played the Khedivial salute, which
stirred us to the quick; and by the time the sun had risen, firing had
recommenced, and was continued up till nine o'clock. The soldiers made a
few raids on camels and donkeys, but did not attempt to attack the
Dervishes; and it was not at all cl