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.