heavens.

The emirs' war-drums now took up the signal, and soon people were
rushing from all directions towards their particular flags, which were
planted to the east of El Obeid. Stambuli again appeared and announced
to us that our sufferings were nearly over. We gave him a small piece
of paper on which we had written our last farewells to our own loved
ones at home, and had signed our names. This we begged him to send on
when an opportunity occurred. Weeping bitterly, he took the paper and
went to his hut, saying he could not bear to look on at our execution.

We were now all ready, and at about nine o'clock a party of thirty men
armed with lances arrived and ordered us to follow them. We were still
suffering from fatigue, but we got up and followed. After about half an
hour's walk we arrived before the Dervish hosts, and thanked God that
victory was now so near. About 40,000 men were standing on parade, and
thousands of others were moving about the camp like ants. We were taken
to a central position and ordered to bend our necks to receive the
death-blow, and without the smallest hesitation we did so. But our hour
had not yet come. We were summoned before the Mahdi, who was riding on a
magnificent white camel; behind him rode a slave carrying an umbrella to
shade him from the sun's rays. As we approached, he turned round to us
and said, "May God lead you into the way of truth," and then rode on.

The troops were now dismissed, and we were immediately surrounded by a
turbulent crowd, who threatened to crush us to death; but the Mahdi,
seeing us in danger, turned back, and ordered us to walk in front of his
camel for protection. We did so, but were too weary to keep up, and then
the Mahdi gave orders, which we could not understand, to a number of
different emirs; the latter ordered us to halt until the great rush of
people had passed, then they formed a square and asked each one of us
separately whether we agreed to become Moslems or would prefer to suffer
death. Each one of us answered resolutely--death! Then, full of anger,
we were forced on--exhausted and covered from head to foot with
dust--till we reached the Mahdi's hut. Having arrived there he said,
"Have you not seen my army?" and then he began to boast of the number
of his followers and their great bravery. We said nothing. He then went
off, and we were taken back to Khalifa Abdullah's hut.

A council was now held to consider our fate; the majority were for