English influence and claim that the religion suffers by it. God knows
how many already have escaped across the desert, avoiding the customary
sea route to Suakin. So the Government, having learned that Fatma also
wanted to run away, ordered her to be put under surveillance. For her
and her children only, as relatives of the Mahdi himself, can an
exchange of the captives be effected."

"Do the lower classes in Egypt really favor the Mahdi?"

"The Mahdi has followers even in the army, which perhaps for that
reason fights so poorly."

"But how can the Sudanese fly across the desert? Why, that is a
thousand miles."

"Nevertheless, by that route slaves were brought into Egypt."

"I should judge that Fatma's children could not endure such a journey."

"That is why she wants to shorten it and ride by way of the sea to
Suakin."

"In any case, she is a poor woman."

With this the conversation concluded.

Twelve hours later "the poor woman," having carefully closeted herself
in her house with the son of the overseer Chadigi, whispered to him
with knitted brows and a grim glance of her beautiful eyes:

"Chamis, son of Chadigi, here is the money. Go even to-day to Medinet
and give to Idris this writing, which the devout dervish Bellali, at my
request, wrote to him. The children of the mehendes are good, but if I
do not obtain a permit, then there is no other alternative. I know you
will not betray me. Remember that you and your father too come from the
Dongolese tribe in which was born the great Mahdi."

III

Both engineers left the following night for Cairo where they were to
visit the British minister plenipotentiary and hold an audience with
the viceroy. Stas calculated that this would require two days, and his
calculation appeared accurate, for on the third day at night he
received from his father, who was already at Medinet, the following
message: "The tents are ready. You are to leave the moment your
vacation begins. Inform Fatma through Chadigi that we could not
accomplish anything for her." A similar message was also received by
Madame Olivier who at once, with the assistance of the negress Dinah,
began to make preparations for the journey.

The sight of these preparations gladdened the hearts of the children.
But suddenly an accident occurred which deranged their plans and seemed
likely to prevent their journey. On the day on which Stas' winter
vacation began and on the eve of their departure a scorp