out some 2,000 good bricks. Our blacks were quite contented; far removed
from the corruption and temptation of the towns, they kept steadily to
their work, and tilled their own little patches of ground; everything
was going well, and we anticipated great results. But suddenly our
tranquillity was disturbed. Early in April 1882, there were perceptible
at Delen the first murmurings of the terrible storm which was to deluge
the entire Sudan with blood, and to bring misfortune and calamity on the
land and on our happy Mission; but these events I will describe in the
following pages.

CHAPTER I.

THE MAHDI AND HIS RISE TO POWER.

The rise of the Mahdi--Early successes--Personal appearance--His
Khalifas described--Military organization--Makes new laws--He
summons El Obeid to surrender.

A few years previous to the time of which I speak, an individual who
called himself a Dervish had attracted people's attention. He wandered
through the Sudan in the garb of a Dervish, and strove to rouse the
Moslems to religious fanaticism. He urged that reality no longer existed
in the religion; faith was becoming of no account, and this religious
decadence was due to a luxurious mode of life and contact with
Christians. A number of influential sheikhs and merchants took up his
cause, and these he made to swear to remain faithful and true to him. At
this time at El Obeid there was a certain Said el Mek, who had the
reputation of being a holy man, and the Dervish did all in his power to
induce him to espouse his cause. Said el Mek urged that religion had not
fallen into such disrepute, and that all would be well if more mosques
were built; but the Dervish, with threats that if he refused to join him
he would compass his destruction, extracted from him a promise to keep
his plans secret. He then prepared the way by continuing his wanderings,
preaching everywhere against the oppression of the Turk and the
decadence of the true Moslem faith. Under the very nose of the
Government he collected a small body of faithful adherents, set off with
them for the island of Abba on the White Nile, and there openly declared
himself. Rumours that he intended to raise the people to revolt reached
Khartum. At this time Rauf Pasha was Governor-General; he sent a noted
Khartum townsman named Abu Saud to Abba, with instructions to invite the
Dervish to come and see the Governor-General. Abu Saud nearly succeeded
in his mission, and had i