Almost at this moment a well-aimed shell blew Yacoub and his bodyguard “high in the air,” and before the Khaleefa’s eyes; the black flag was planted, but the dervishes had had a lesson. Yunis, breaking through Abdullahi’s bodyguard, ran to him, saying, “Why do you sit here? Escape; every one is |275| being killed;” but Abdullahi sat still, dazed and stupefied with what he had seen. With the help of others, Yunis raised him to his feet, and actually pushed and bundled him along. Then Abdullahi started running on foot. He refused to mount a horse or camel; after stumbling and falling three times, Yunis persuaded him to mount a donkey. His army was now in full retreat, and “Where, oh, Abdullahi—where is the victory you promised?” assailed his ears. Calling his camel syce, Abou Gekka, he told him to hurry on a fast camel to Omdurman, collect his wives, children, and treasures, and conduct them to the Zareeba-el-Arrda (parade-ground) to the west of Omdurman, where he would meet them, and then all were to fly together. On reaching the zareeba, his household were not visible, and hearing that there were still thousands of his troops in Omdurman, he was persuaded to enter the town, and make a last stand at the praying-ground. When nearing the mosque, Abdullahi saw Yacoub’s eunuch waiting there. Telling him to collect Yacoub’s wives, children, etc., and take them to the zareeba, the eunuch asked, “Where is my master?” Abdullahi then probably for the last time exercised his power of life and death. Turning to one of those near him, he said, “Who is this slave, to question my orders?” and the eunuch fell dead at Abdullahi’s feet with a bullet through his head. Reaching the large praying enclosure, Abdullahi ordered the drums and ombeyehs to be sounded, but few or none obeyed the summons; some came, looked |276| at him sitting there mute, and slunk off; some, I have heard, jibed at him by asking if he was “sitting on his farwah.” The farwah, or prayer-skin, is what the leaders formerly stood upon when the day was lost, and awaited their death. Finding himself deserted by all, he called for his secretary, Abou-el-Gassim, and asked what could be done. Gassim, whether in a sarcastic vein or not, recommended that he should continue praying where he was, and, maybe, his prayers would still bring victory; but there being none to join in the prayers, he asked Gassim to collect his household, and bring them to him. Gassim went off, and did not return.