Quietly riding forward on his camel to the standard bearer of the Fashodians, he managed to place the cartridge under the saddlebag and lighted the fuse.
The standard bearer turned quickly on his camel to repel, as he thought, the attack made by Max, but was surprised to see the American ride away.
The fight was raging furiously when a loud report was heard, and the standard bearer was flying through space.
Alas! his beauty was defaced and his usefulness ended, for the madcap had charged the cartridge so well that the poor bearer of the crescent of Egypt was rent into a hundred pieces, and his remains had to be left scattered on the ground.
The Fashodians were superstitious, and believed that the prophet must have indeed come.
To add to their terror, a great army of Arabs was seen approaching, and a great cry arose from the throng:
“The Mahdi has come!”
And into the thickest of the fight rode a stately looking man with clear, bright eyes and intelligent, broad forehead.
In a voice of authority he shouted:
“To your homes! Repent ye. I am your Imaum, the Mahdi.”