greatness save after sore tribulation and fatigues, and such labours and hardships as would whiten a young man's hair. For, when first I joined myself

to All Amuri I was in such poor circumstances that

he treated me as a man of spirit would treat

a dog. He gave me neither cakes of fine bread,

nor coffee nor sweetmeats ; naught save such mean

fare as sufficed to keep my body and soul united.

In very truth I was in an abject state and reckoned

of little worth among the sons of Adam. Moreover,

he and my cousin would ever cajole me with glozing

words : so that, whereas he told me at first that we

were to proceed no further than Mahhu Bey tree,

ere we should furl our sails and recite the evening

prayers, we ceased not to prosecute our journey

until we had arrived at Wad Shallai. In this unworth}'

state I continued on my way, until the trees and woods that fringe the waters of the White Nile

gave way before the limitless morasses of the Bahr

el Ghazal. Here Amuri distributed arms amongst

his followers, save that to me only he gave no gun

nor munitions of war. But so importunate was I

that I ceased not to clamour for a gun, until at

length he repented him of his churlishness and gave

m.e an old and worn out rifle. This however I

m.ended, whereat he marvelled exceedingly.

Then came a day when the people of the

country conspired against us, and we were compelled

to have recourse to arms. Our troops were divided

into two parts of a hundred men each. The