It is really amusing to find (when one can scarcely call one's
life one's own) one's servant, _already_ with one wife (which most
men find is enough), coming and asking for three days' leave, in
order to take another wife. Yet such was the case, a few days ago,
with one of my servants."

His comments on the Mahdi are also amusing:--

"The Greek (refugee) who came in told the Greek Consul that the
Mahdi puts pepper under his nails, and when he receives visitors
then he touches his eyes and weeps copiously; that he eats a few
grains of dhoora openly, but in the interior of the house he has
fine feeding and drinks alcoholic drinks.... After this pepper
business! I think I shall drop any more trouble in writing him
letters, trying to convince or persuade him to reasonable measures.
I must confess that the pepper business has sickened me; I had
hitherto hoped I had to do with a regular fanatic, who believed in
his mission, but when one comes to pepper in the finger nails, it
is rather humiliating to have to succumb to him, and somehow I have
the belief that I shall not have to do so....

"One cannot help being amused at this pepper business. Those who
come in for pardon, come in on their knees, with a halter round
their neck. The Mahdi rises, having scratched his eyes and obtained
a copious flow of tears, and takes off the halter. As the
production of tears is generally considered the proof of sincerity,
I would recommend the Mahdi's receipt to Cabinet Ministers,
justifying some job."

It is not necessary to enumerate the number of encounters that took
place between Gordon's men and the Mahdists; he took little personal
part in these engagements. The fiery spirit of the young soldier, who
led his own troops in China, had not expended itself, but was kept in
subjection by a higher spirit. He knew that much was staked on his
life, and that the risk was too great. There was no one to succeed him;
his death meant defeat to his cause, and ruin to the country for which
he had done so much. Speaking generally, therefore, he did not expose
himself more than he could help. But though he avoided rashness in any
form, he was a good deal exposed to danger, and the palace in which he
lived was an object on which the enemy expended much of their
ammunition.

The Mahdi had kept himself as far from Gordon's reach as possible, by
remaining at Ob