master. He, in great terror,
carried the information to the mukuddum of the Europeans. This man,
accompanied by many of my friends, hastened to my house, and, breaking
open the door, was assured of my flight by finding a letter which I had
left.

The poor man had, to save his life, to at once inform the Khalifa, who
ordered the sheikh of the market to find us even should we be buried in
the earth. Wad er Rais therefore closed all the houses and arrested
every one who could possibly have known of my flight, and threw them
into chains, with threats of the gallows and the knife. My neighbours
were also arrested. When he could get no information whatever from these
people, the Khalifa sent to Metemmeh a certain Ibrahim Wad el Ahmer,
who had three camels, and was ordered to bring us back at all hazards.
But the beit el mal had first to buy the camels at very high
prices--120, 110, and 87 dollars respectively--and before they could
start some busybody told the Khalifa that Khalifa Sherif had concealed
me in a boat belonging to a certain Osman Fauzi, and had aided my flight
in order that I should move the Egyptian Government to the support of
his oppressed party. Another declared that he had seen white faces in
the boat.

These statements impressed the Khalifa, who sent men at once to
recapture the boat and examine the passengers. The boat was captured
near Omdurman and examined, of course, with no result, on which the
Khalifa was pacified, and sent off the camels. Ibrahim inquired minutely
along the route to Metemmeh, but could get no information. In the
meantime those well disposed towards us lived in the keenest
apprehension lest we should be recaptured. Only on Ibrahim's return
without any news could our friends breathe freely and feel sure that we
must have got away safely. Then those who had been imprisoned were
released.

Later on I received a letter from Omdurman telling me that our flight
had raised a commotion throughout the whole city, and that the prisoners
had to suffer very much. It may be learned from this what grave
consequences had to be considered before I took the important step of
flight. Should anyone else attempt it, those who remain must suffer. May
God protect our poor companions!

FOOTNOTES:

[U] This contract and all correspondence connected with it was
kept sealed in the Intelligence Office, and was opened by General Sir F.
Grenfell, Sirdar, on the 14th day of December, 1891, when the news o