that a reconciliation had been effected. Khalifa Helu,
Ahmed Sharfi, and Sayid el Mek had been the mediators. Sharfi had
attempted to explain to the Mahdi's widows that all resistance was
useless, but they tore his jibbeh, and drove him off.

On Thursday the Khalifas all met under the Mahdi's dome, and there
Abdullah, with tears in his eyes, solemnly swore to accede to all his
opponent's wishes, which were that he should receive one-third of the
army, one-third of the arms, and of the beit el mal revenue, and that,
moreover, he should take part in all meetings and deliberations. It was
quite apparent that Abdullah never seriously intended to fulfil these
conditions. He could have instantly suppressed the outbreak had he
wished to do so, but he wanted to show that he still greatly honoured
and respected the Mahdi's family.

At noon the mulazimin marched through the town, heralds announced that
tranquillity had been restored, and that people should return to their
daily avocations. On Friday the usual review took place, but none of the
notables were present, and most of the troops continued in occupation of
the mosque and palace. On Saturday there was another alarm, for Sherif
had declined to hand over his arms, but that evening his submission was
publicly announced. I did not hear the details, for on Sunday, the 29th
of November, 1891, I quitted Omdurman in the dead of night.

FOOTNOTES:

[S] Abdullah does not like being addressed as Khalifa only, but
if he be approached as Khalifat el Mahdi, and if the words "aleh es
salam" ("on whom be peace") be added--a term which is only used when
speaking of the Prophet--he is even more gratified.

CHAPTER XXIV.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE FLIGHT.

Ohrwalder forms plans for escape--The fate of other Europeans
attempting to fly--Stricter surveillance--Ohrwalder's means of
livelihood--Letters from Cairo--The faithful Ahmed Hassan discloses
his plan--Archbishop Sogaro--Miseries of captivity in
Omdurman--Death of Sister Concetta Corsi--Preparations for flight.

The reader will readily understand that all this time I had not lost
sight of the object which had been next my heart, which was to regain my
liberty and escape from my miserable surroundings.

When I quitted El Obeid, I then thought that, once in Omdurman, escape
would not be so difficult, and during my long journey to the Mahdi's
capital this thought had buoyed me up. At any rate I was o