They were all struck with amazement, and with a kind of terror. They had never before seen a gun fired on horseback, much less a gun fired twice without charging. I did not want to explain the matter to them; and, as far as I could perceive, the Moullah especially was very glad when I sent it home. "This is the way, said I, that my countrymen ride, and the way they fight; no people on earth understand fire-arms or horsemanship like them. For my part, I am a man of peace, a Dervish, and no soldier; it is not my profession, and I do the thing aukwardly. If you saw some of our soldiers ride, it would be a sight indeed." Fidele laughed, or counterfeited a laugh, but being a soldier, it was his part to say something. "If many of your countrymen like you were here, man of peace as you are, unless they were friends to us they would get all Atbara to themselves. If they were friends, says he, I think I could do something with them; that horse seems to have the sense of a man."--"Such as he is, said I, dismounting, a prince gave him to me, and such as he is I now give him to you, as a proof that I am your friend, and that I should not grudge you a few paltry piasters, if I had not been under a vow of poverty; money is of no kind of value to me, and consequently not carried about with me." The horse was gladly received, though, as I was going to Sennaar, where no horses are kept, the compliment was a cheap one on my part. "How could you, Fidele, says the Moullah in great surprise, have it in your heart to torment such a man as this? I told you what he was, our books speak of them: they are not Kafrs, but spend all their lives in wandering over the face of the earth in search of wisdom, and are always to do so till Hagiuge Magiuge come, and then there will be an end of the world." I made a bow of assent to the Moullah, and all the rest turned up their eyes to heaven in wonder of so much learning, repeating their usual ejaculation, "Ullah Akbar!" God is great. I now took my leave of them, and was going home, when the younger sherriffe called after me, and said, "I suppose, now you are all at peace, we shall not see the sign that you foretold us was to appear in the heavens to-day." "I should be thought a liar if it did not appear, said I; do you wish to see it?"--"I wish to see it, says he, if it will do no harm."--"Then, replied I, you shall see it, and it shall do no harm now. I hope it will bring health and happiness, and a good crop to Teawa, and all the kingdom of Sennaar. Go home, while I order my affairs. Something more than two hours after this I will come to you, and it will then appear." They all went away, and, as I thought by their looks, they would have been better satisfied that affair had been forgot, the Shekh saying peevishly to the sherriffe, "Let him mind his affairs and his journey; what is the use of these things now?"