o were destroyed almost to a man. These two important victories
increased Abu Gemaizeh's prestige enormously, and when Abdullah saw that
the oppressed Sudanese were secretly rejoicing at his discomfiture, he
himself began to tremble for his authority.

A third expedition, despatched by Osman, met with a similar fate to the
other two, and now the Khalifa vented his wrath on his unsuccessful
lieutenant. In October 1888, he wrote to him to retire at once to El
Fasher, to confine himself entirely to defensive operations, and on no
account to attack the enemy. There was great excitement in Omdurman,
where the importance of Abu Gemaizeh's victories had been enormously
exaggerated. It was even said that Osman had been killed, El Fasher
captured, and Kordofan on the point of being invaded. Then came the news
that El Obeid had been captured, and now the rejoicings at the Khalifa's
defeat were an open secret. But these highly-coloured rumours were
merely the outcome of an intense desire and longing on the part of the
wretched inhabitants of the Sudan, groaning under the Dervish yoke, to
see themselves once more free from the tyrannical oppression which their
own short-sighted conduct had brought upon themselves.

Abu Gemaizeh had, it is true, been very successful. He had three times
defeated Osman, who was now besieged in El Fasher, and in great want of
food. All Darfur had sided with Abu Gemaizeh, and the Dervishes were
almost powerless; but in the zenith of his success the great religious
sheikh was suddenly struck down by small-pox, and died at Kebkebieh in
February 1889. His death caused many of his adherents to quit the cause,
and his successor--who, had he not attacked El Fasher, might have
succeeded in compassing the downfall of Osman, who was then entirely cut
off and in great straits--felt that he must do something to keep his
army together. But his force was hampered by a large number of women,
children, and camp followers. He was deficient in firearms, whilst Osman
was well supplied with rifles and ammunition, and his Shaggieh troops
fought magnificently.

The final action took place under the walls of El Fasher, on the 22nd of
February, 1889, and resulted in the death of the leader and the massacre
of thousands of his followers. This was the death-blow to the movement,
and is an example of how easily Moslems are imposed upon by religious
adventurers. Numbers of those who had joined and left Mahdiism,
thoroughly conv