* Abdel Kader,' said he confidentially, * I look on you as
one of us ; tell me, what do you think of this Frenchman ?'

< I believe he is sincere, and means well,' said I ; ' but he
did not know the Mahdi, nor you ; he did Kot understand
that you trusted only in God, and sought no support from
other powers, and that this is the cause of your continual
victories, because God is with those who put their trust in
Him.'

*You heard the Mahdi*s words,' continued the Khalifa,
'when he said to the Frenchman that he wished to have
nothing to do with unbelievers, and that he could defeat his
enemies without their help ?'

* Most certainly I did,' I replied ; * and therefore the man
is useless here, and may as well return to his nation, and
tell them about the victories of the Mahdi and his com*
mander- in-chief, the Khalifa.*



THE SIEGE AND FALL OF KHARTUM tSi

' Perhaps, later,' said the Khalifa ; ' for the present, I have
ordered him to stay with Zeki Tummal, who will take all
care of him, and attend to his wants.'

'But it will be very diiBcult for him to make himself
understood in Arabic,' I pleaded ; ' he is by no means a
good Arabic scholar yet.'

• He has been able to get here without an interpreter,'
answered the Khalifa ; ' however, you have my permis^on
to visit him.' He then talked alxiut Other things, and
showed me the horses Zogal had sent him from Darfur,
some of which I knew very well. After leaving my master,
I went in search of Pain, whom I found sitting under the
shade of a very battered old tent, his head resting on his
hands, and evidently in deep thought ; when he saw me, he
at once rose, saying, ' I don't know what to think about it
all. I have been ordered to stay here ; my baggage has
been brought, and I am told that a certain Zeki has beea
ordered to look after me. Why don't they let me stay with
you ?■

' It is the Mahdi's nature ; and the Khalifa is even worse
in working his will in contrariety to every human being
under the sun. 