hn) was prepared to make a reasonable treaty of peace with the
Khalifa; basing his argument on the fact that they all--both Sudanese
and Abyssinians--had a common descent through their mutual forefather
Ham, and that, being neighbours, they should rather combine to fight
against their common enemies, who were the Europeans, and whose power
was always extending. To this the Khalifa replied that if he would
become a Moslem, they would become good friends; but if he refused to do
this, he (the Khalifa) felt obliged to brand him as the enemy of God and
His Prophet, and that he had no other course open but to exterminate
him.

On Abu Anga's arrival at Galabat, the most violent jealousy sprang up
between him and Yunis. The latter separated his camp from Abu Anga's,
and lost no opportunity of showing his hatred and envy of the "slave"
(as he called him), who had so successfully combated the Abyssinians.
Even on the usual Friday review, in spite of Abu Anga having been
appointed to the supreme command, Yunis always drilled his men
separately from the rest. This Abu Anga reported to the Khalifa, who at
once instructed Yunis to place himself under him in every respect.

Meanwhile a conspiracy was brewing amongst the emirs in the camp of
Yunis. One of the ugliest types of Takruris that have ever been seen
took to calling himself "Sayidna Isa" ("Our Master Jesus"). Yunis and
his emirs believed in him, although he subsequently betrayed him. It is
impossible to understand how it is that these fanatical people could
believe in the nonsense told them by Isa; yet, if he heard that any one
disbelieved in him, he would at once have him summoned, and there, in
the presence of four witnesses, he would convert him. He asserted that
he was the Messiah foretold by the Mahdi who should wrest the power from
the Khalifa. Indeed the day was actually fixed when it was decided to
kill Abu Anga and proclaim Isa publicly; but Yunis betrayed the
conspiracy to Abu Anga, and after afternoon prayers on the following
Friday he summoned the sixteen mutinous emirs and threw them into
chains; he then wrote to the Khalifa asking his instructions. The latter
despatched some judges to Galabat, who were told to instruct these
deluded people in the right way. They were tried one after the other;
but none of them would deny their belief in Isa; then they threatened to
kill them; but Isa laughed, and said he was immortal. At length the
judges, seeing that further t