doings.

The Baggaras hated Nejumi to such an extent that one of their number
attempted to poison him; but he recovered after a long illness, though
he never entirely got the poison out of his system. It is said that his
eyesight was always bad afterwards. This constant bickering between the
Baggara and Nejumi crippled his energy. Formerly he had been greatly
feared by them, but now his own people were annoyed that he showed so
much deference to the Khalifa and his emirs. As for the Khalifa, he was
thoroughly exasperated by Nejumi's indolence, and summoned him to
Omdurman.

During his absence from the province, a deserter from the Egyptian side
led the Dervishes into the fort at Khor Musa, within five miles of
Halfa, where they killed some of the garrison, but were unable to take
the whole fort. Colonel Wodehouse having been informed of their attack,
at once sent out help, and the Dervishes were surprised and annihilated.

[Illustration: BISHIR BEY, SHEIKH OF THE ABABDEH ARABS.]

Towards the end of 1888 Nejumi was in Dongola again. The Khalifa had
threatened to throw him into chains unless he showed more energy in his
operations against Egypt. He had already exhibited his displeasure by
imprisoning Sheikh Idris and Makin Wad en Nur, who had shown a
reluctance to go forward, for they had made up their minds that a
successful attack on Egypt was an impossibility. They could not even
capture Wadi Halfa. The desert roads were next to impassable owing to
want of water, whilst the river was in the hands of the enemy, who had
numbers of steamers, and could prevent any Dervish advance by water. All
these difficulties were quite apparent to Nejumi and his emirs; but so
self-confident was the Khalifa, that he could not believe there was any
great difficulty in conquering Egypt; added to this, several sheikhs of
Upper Egypt had assured him that when the Dervishes advanced they would
be joined by the entire population.

Thus the Khalifa insisted, and Nejumi could not do otherwise than obey.
He had already transferred to Dongola the entire Batahin tribe, which
had showed a mutinous spirit, and early in 1889 he sent a further
detachment, consisting of thirty flags, composed for the most part of
Gehena Arabs, who are not warlike, and were most averse to fighting in
the Dervish cause. Thus, like lambs to the slaughter, were these
unwilling tribes driven forward to battle.

When the revolt in Darfur had been suppressed, and Abys