Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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thedromedary, not belonging to the light-footed variety, jolted her sothat two days elapsed before she recovered; in a word, although Nell,after two or three pleasure-rides which Mr. Rawlinson permitted her totake, declared that there was nothing more delightful in the world, inthe same measure only painful recollections remained for MadameOlivier. She said that this was good enough for Arabs or for a chitlike Nell, who could not be jolted any more than a fly which shouldalight upon a camel's hump, but not for persons dignified, and not toolight, and having at the same time a certain proneness to unbearablesea-sickness.
But as to Medinet el-Fayum she had other fears. Now in Port Said aswell as in Alexandria, Cairo, and in the whole of Egypt nothing was thesubject of more discussion than the Mahdi's insurrection and thecruelties of the dervishes. Madame Olivier, not knowing exactly whereMedinet was situated, became alarmed as to whether it was not too nearthe Mahdists, and finally began to question Mr. Rawlinson about it.
But he only smiled and said:
"The Mahdi at this moment is besieging Khartum in which General Gordonis defending himself. Does Madame know how far it is from Medinet toKhartum?"
"I have no idea."
"About as far as from here to Sicily," explained Pan Tarkowski.
"Just about," corroborated Stas. "Khartum lies where the White and BlueNiles meet and form one river. We are separated from it by the immenseexpanse of Egypt and the whole of Nubia."
Afterwards he wanted to add that even if Medinet should be closer tothe regions overrun by the insurgents, he, of course, would be therewith his short rifle; but recalling that for similar bragging hesometimes received a sharp reproof from his father, he became silent.
The older members of the party, however, began to talk of the Mahdi andthe insurrection, for this was the most important matter affectingEgypt. The news from Khartum was bad. The wild hordes already had beenbesieging the city for a month and a half and the Egyptian and Englishgovernments were acting slowly. The relief expedition had barelystarted and it was generally feared that notwithstanding the fame,bravery, and ability of Gordon this important city would fall into thehands of the barbarians. This was the opinion of Pan Tarkowski, whosuspected that England in her soul desired that the Mahdi should wrestit from Egypt in order to retake it later from him and make this vastregion an English possession. He did not, however, share this suspicionwith Mr. Rawlinson as he did not want to offend his patriotic feelings.
Towards the close of the dinner Stas began to ask why the EgyptianGovernment had annexed all the country lying south of Nubia,particularly Kordofan, Darfur, and the Sudan as far as Lake AlbertNyanza and deprived the natives there of their liberty. Mr. Rawlinsonexplained that whatever was done by the Egyptian Government was done atthe request of England which extended a protectorate over Egypt and inreality ruled her as Egypt herself desired.
"The Egyptian Government did not deprive anybody of his liberty," hesaid, "but restored it to hundreds of thousands and perhaps to millionsof people. In Kordofan, in Darfur and in the Sudan there were notduring the past years any independent States. Only here and there somepetty ruler laid claim to some lands and took possession of them byforce in spite of the will of the residents. They were mainly inhabitedby independent Arab-negro tribes, that is, by people having the bloodof both races. These tribes lived in a state of incessant warfare. Theyattacked each other and seized horses, camels, cattle, and, above all,slaves; besides, they perpetrated numerous atrocities. But the worstwere the ivory and slave hunters. They formed a separate class, towhich belonged nearly all the chiefs of the tribes and the richertraders. They made armed expeditions into the interior of Africa,appropriating everywhere ivory tusks, and carried away thousands ofpeople: men, women, and children. In addition they destroyed villagesand settlements, devastated fields, shed streams of blood, andslaughtered without pity all who resisted. In the southern portion ofthe Sudan, Darfur, and Kordofan, as well as the region beyond the UpperNile as far as the lake they depopulated some localities entirely. Butthe Arabian bands made their incursions farther and farther so thatCentral Africa became a land of tears and blood. Now England which, asyou know, pursues slave-dealers all over the world, consented that theEgyptian Government should annex Kordofan, Darfur, and the Sudan. Thiswas the only method to compel these pillagers to abandon theirabominable trade and the only way to hold them in restraint. Theunfortunate negroes breathed more freely; the depredations ceased andthe people began to live under tolerable laws. But such a state ofaffairs did not please the traders, so when Mohammed Ahmed, knownto-day as 'the Mahdi,' appeared among them and proclaimed a holy war onthe pretext that the true faith of Mahomet was perishing, all rushedlike one man to arms; and so that terrible war has been kindled inwhich thus far the Egyptians have met with such poor success. The Mahdihas defeated the forces of the Government in every battle. He hasoccupied Kordofan, Darfur, and the Sudan; his hordes at present arelaying a siege to Khartum and are advancing to the north as far as thefrontiers of Nubia."
"Can they advance as far as Egypt?" asked Stas.
"No," answered Mr. Rawlinson. "The Mahdi announces, indeed, that hewill conquer the whole world, but he is a wild man who has noconception of anything. He never will take Egypt, as England would notpermit it."
"If, however, the Egyptian troops are completely routed?"
"Then would appear the English armies which no one has ever overcome."
"And why did England permit the Mahdi to occupy so much territory?"
"How do you know that she has permitted it?" replied Mr. Rawlinson."England is never in a hurry because she is eternal."
Further conversation was interrupted by a negro servant, who announcedthat Fatma Smain had arrived and begged for an audience.
Women in the East are occupied exclusively with household affairs andseldom leave the harems. Only the poorer ones go to the market or workin the fields, as the wives of the fellahs, the Egyptian peasants, do;but these at such times veil their faces. Though in the Sudan, fromwhich region Fatma came, this custom was not observed, and though shehad come to Mr. Rawlinson's office previously, nevertheless, herarrival, particularly at such a late hour and at a private house,evoked surprise.
"We shall learn something new about Smain," said Pan Tarkowski.
"Yes," answered Mr. Rawlinson, giving at the same time a signal to theservant to usher Fatma in.
Accordingly, after a while there entered a tall, young Sudanese womanwith countenance entirely unveiled, complexion very dark, and eyesbeautiful but wild, and a trifle ominous. Entering, she at onceprostrated herself, and when Mr. Rawlinson ordered her to rise, sheraised herself but remained on her knees.
"Sidi," she said, "May Allah bless thee, thy posterity, thy home, andthy flocks!"
"What do you want?" asked the engineer.
"Mercy, help, and succor in misfortune, oh, sir! I am imprisoned inPort Said and destruction hangs over me and my children."
"You say that you are imprisoned, and yet you could come here, and inthe night-time at that."
"I have been escorted by the police who day and night watch my house,and I know that they have an order to cut off our heads soon!"
"Speak like a rational woman," answered Mr. Rawlinson, shrugging hisshoulders. "You are not in the Sudan, but in Egypt where no one isexecuted without a trial. So you may be certain that not a hair willfall from your head or the heads of your children."
But she began to implore him to intercede for her yet once more withthe Government, to procure permission for her to go to Smain.
"Englishmen as great as you are, sir," she said, "can do everything.The Government in Cairo thinks that Smain is a traitor, but that isfalse. There visited me yesterday Arabian merchants, who arrived fromSuakin, and before that they bought gums and ivory in the Sudan, andthey informed me that Smain is lying sick at El-Fasher and is callingfor me and the children to bless them--"
"All this is your fabrication, Fatma," interrupted Mr. Rawlinson.
But she began to swear by A
llah that she spoke the truth, andafterwards said that if Smain got well, he undoubtedly would ransom allthe Christian captives; and if he should die, she, as a relative of theleader of the dervishes, could obtain access to him easily and wouldsecure whatever she wished. Let them only allow her to leave, for herheart will leap out of her bosom from longing for her husband. In whathad she, ill-fated woman, offended the Government or the Khedive? Wasit her fault or could she be held accountable because she was therelative of the dervish, Mohammed Ahmed?
Fatma did not dare in the presence of the "English people" to call herrelative "the Mahdi," as that meant the Redeemer of the world. She knewthat the Egyptian Government regarded him as a rebel and an imposter.But continually striking her forehead and invoking heaven to witnessher