256 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

himself the master of his native fellow-conspirators.

It was by his advice, if I am correctly informed, that the fellaheen officers issued a protest against the reduction of the army, and insisted on the post of Minister of War being entrusted to a native Egyptian. A Cabinet council was held, at which Mahmoud Sami was present, and at which it was decided to summon the colonels to a meeting at the Kasr el Nile barracks, on the plea of discussing their protest, and to arrest them if they persisted in their demands. Mahmoud Sami at once communicated the intentions of the Ministry to his confederates, and it was arranged that the regiments under their command should march on Kasr el Nile at the time appointed for the meeting, and rescue their commanding officers if any attempt was made to effect their arrest.

The arrangement was carried out successfully. The colonels on their arrival were informed they were to be tried by court-martial for conspiracy. But the proceedings had no sooner commenced than the mutinous regiments broke into the building, rescued their officers, and marched upon the palate of Abdin, with Arabi, Ali Fehmi, and Abd el Al at their heads.

The troops stacked their arms in the square in front of the palace, while the colonels interviewed the Khedive. It was then the height of the tourist season, and all the European residents crowded down to witness an emeute, which they regarded rather as a stage spectacle than as a serious insurrection. If they expected to see fighting, they were destined