And Sherif el Habib prostrated himself on the sacred carpet, and in that humble position, appealed to Allah and his prophet to bless the couple. After a rest and a discussion as to the best route to take to reach the promised Mahdi, the caravan started. Mohammed believed that in the neighborhood of Khartoum, or in the district known as the Soudan, the Mahdi would be found. So pleased was Sherif el Habib with his newfound friend that he agreed to follow him. Both were religious enthusiasts. Each believed that he should die happily only after seeing the promised one. For several days no event of importance occurred. CHAPTER XXI. THE MAHDI. In the wild district of Bakara, for ten years prior to the commencement of our story, there had lived, in the strictest seclusion, a man whose name was suddenly to burst upon the world like the unexpected flash of a meteor across the sky, and to leave behind a trail of blood. This man devoted his whole life to the exercises of religion. He lived on the wild fruit and roots which grew about his place, he drank nothing but water, and he spent twelve hours out of the twenty-four in prayer. He slept only four hours each night, and the remaining eight were devoted to study and the obtaining of the necessaries of life. The Arabs who lived near looked upon him as a sacred teacher who would ere long receive a mission from the prophet. Mohammed Ahmed was born at Dongola in 1843. He removed to Bakara and commenced his hermit life about 1870. Every morning he would go to the door of his hut and intone the _Adan_ of the Mueddins, which translated would read: “Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah. Come to prayer. I testify that Mahomet is the apostle of Allah. Come to prayer, come to security! Prayer is better than sleep.” As regularly as the Mueddins of the mosque would he intone this _Adan_, and at midnight, after sleeping two hours, he would rise from his bed, open the door, and in a strong, musical voice would chant the _ula_. “There is no deity but Allah. He hath no companion--to him belongeth the dominion--to him belongeth praise. He giveth life and causeth death. He is living and shall never die. In his hand is blessing, he is almighty. Great is Allah! His perfection I extol!” The Arab neighbors wondered who this mysterious hermit could be, but years passed, and never could they get an opportunity to speak with him. At last he wandered forth, his face shining with an ethereal radiance, his bright eyes piercing and beautiful. “Who are you?” asked an exiled Arab chief. The hermit spoke--the first time to a human being for many years. “Have you not heard that there should arise a twelfth Imaum?” “Thou art the Mahdi!” answered the chief. Within a few days the Arab chief was sent with a message to each governor and chief of a tribe, the burden of which was: