case, and a big leather bag, from which
a human leg could often be seen protruding; and in almost every bag some
human flesh or bones could be found. When I used to go to the market,
crowds of these swarthy warriors would collect to gaze on my white skin,
which, in truth, the sun had long since tanned to a very brown colour.

Zogal's nine days' halt in Bara soon came to an end. News came that
disturbances had occurred in Omdurman between Khalifas Abdullah and
Sherif; the latter had frequently written to Zogal to come to Khartum at
once, as he was most anxious to have him there. News was brought at the
same time that Abu Anga had arrived at El Obeid _via_ Birket; it was
rumoured that Abu Anga had been sent by Abdullah to arrest Zogal, for it
was reported that Zogal and Sherif had agreed to combine and wrest the
authority from Abdullah. Zogal was quite strong enough to overturn
Abdullah; but unfortunately he was no soldier, and Abdullah had secretly
won over a number of his emirs to his side.

Abu Anga pressed on from El Obeid, and, arriving at Bara, summoned Zogal
to surrender. The latter, however, prepared to fight; but most of his
Bazingers and emirs went over to Abu Anga's side, and he was soon left
with but a few followers, and easily fell into Abu Anga's hands; he was
at once put in chains and handed over to Said Bey Guma, who was at that
time commander of the artillery. All his property was confiscated. Abu
Anga did this in revenge, for Zogal had done exactly the same to Said
Bey when he took possession of Darfur. Zogal was now dragged in chains
to El Obeid, where he was left for a year to think over his changed
state. His emin beit el mal, Ibrahim Ramadan, was also seized on his way
to Omdurman, and brought back in chains to El Obeid, where he was
mercilessly flogged to make him disclose the hiding-place of the money;
but nothing would induce him to tell. He was subsequently taken to
Omdurman, where Abdullah received him well and gave him a situation in
the beit el mal.

Zogal's arrest was the signal for ill-treating all the Khalifa Sherif's
adherents; these were deprived of all their positions, and were replaced
by Abdullah's nominees. I had relied considerably on seeing a change for
the better if this attempt of Sherif and Zogal to upset Abdullah had
succeeded; but it had failed, and we again moved on towards Omdurman,
still further depressed by the feeling that Abdullah was growing more
and more powerful. By