en him a period of forty years (as a
matter of fact he only lived four years, but a cypher more or less is of
no consequence) during which he should make all people believe on him
and acknowledge that he was the Mahdi. He added that after the
subjugation of the Sudan he would take Egypt, which would only offer a
weak resistance, and that afterwards he would attack Mecca, where the
most bloody battle which the world had ever seen would take place; from
Mecca he should proceed to Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ should descend
from heaven. "Of course," I said, "Christ will possess all the
characteristics which the Gospel attributes to Him;" but the Mahdi
continued, "Would Christ not fight with anti-Christ? If I do not believe
in Him He will kill me."

The Mahdi then asked me if I ever had dreams, and I replied that even if
I did have dreams I did not believe in them. Then the Mahdi turned round
to those who were near and said, "Assuredly the Turks do not believe in
dreams, or they would have admitted that I am the Mahdi." It is said
that Mahmud Bey Ahmedani, Mudir of Khartum, who had accompanied Hicks
and had fallen near Shekan, had seen the Mahdi's shadow on the wall
surrounded with a halo of light, but in his obstinacy he still refused
to acknowledge him.

Just then a Sherif of Syria came in, and, making obeisance to the Mahdi,
said, "Sire, you are my relation!" (By this he meant that as he belonged
to the Prophet's tribe, and as the Mahdi had sprung from the Prophet,
that therefore they were connected.) The Mahdi was much gratified by
this flattery, and ordered Wad Suleiman to give him fifty dollars and a
concubine. The conversation was then turned on Gordon. The Mahdi
remarked he was full of pity for him, for he said that he was convinced
it was the Ulema's arguments which had made Gordon believe that he was
not the true Mahdi. He then asked me what was the object of the wires
with which Gordon had surrounded Khartum. I replied that I knew nothing
of the art of war, but others said that this was telegraph wire, which
Gordon had put down so that in case of attack the horses would stumble
over it. The Mahdi smiled, and remarked that God was more mighty than
all the tricks and artifices of Gordon.

It was now evening, and the Mahdi got up to go, so I went home, and when
I returned to Sheikh Idris, several came up and congratulated me for
having had the good fortune to talk with the Mahdi. For my own part I
would gladly h