ear what they intended to do. The
Dervish emir, being certain that the mutineers were quite demoralized,
sent their imam (priest) to tell them that if they wished to surrender,
they would receive pardon; this exasperated the blacks beyond measure;
the imam was told not to talk nonsense; and was then deliberately
dragged out about fifty paces from the fort, pierced through and through
with his own spears, and his body thrown out in the direction of the
Mudirieh, whilst the soldiers shouted out--"This is the head in return
for the head of our Emir Abdullah." They continued to make desultory
sorties during the day, and captured a quantity of animals.

In the afternoon they left the powder magazine; the band playing, women
and children marching in front; then came the ammunition, surrounded by
armed men, and lastly, the soldiers, marching in good order, and
disposed in such a manner as to resist any sudden assault.

The Dervishes, however, determined to attack, and, marshalling their
banners, they made for the powder magazine, which they found quite
deserted; the soldiers had thrown into the wells all the powder they
could not carry. There were only five fresh graves in the magazine,
which showed that the soldiers had lost only five men, whilst the
Dervishes had lost about five hundred.

Meanwhile, the blacks were marching gaily towards Melbeis; but the
Dervishes, more furious than ever after their discoveries in the
magazine, set off in hot pursuit; and when they had got within a short
distance of their enemy, they were received by a well-directed volley,
which killed some fifty of them; the remainder fled in disorder to El
Obeid. The total number of the blacks, including the slaves who had
joined them, did not exceed one thousand men, whilst the Dervishes more
than trebled that number. Had they only had a competent commander, there
is no doubt they could easily have captured El Obeid. They continued
their march, unopposed, to Nuba, and arrived first of all at Delen,
where they established themselves, and selected Beshir, an old soldier
of Slatin Bey's, to be their Mudir. Mahdiism was entirely renounced, and
the Khedive's Government proclaimed. Anyone who swore by the Mahdi's
name received eighty lashes; the regular form of swearing was--"Hakk ras
Effendina" ("By the Khedive's head!") Strict discipline was enforced.
Any one found selling arms or ammunition to the Nubas was punished with
death, and the sentence was carrie