“Yes, the army of Rauf Pasha, and of Egypt and of England will crush all who follow the Mahdi.”
The Mahdi saw that the unbelievers in his mission were gaining ground, and he must do something to convince them.
His face wore a scowling expression as he resolved on his course.
“Stand in a circle,” he ordered, and the crowd obeyed, quickly.
“You, and you, and you,” he said, pointing to the unbelieving ones, “stand in the center.”
Tremblingly the doubters obeyed, and the Mahdi drew from the folds of his dress a snake skin.
He showed it to them all, and they admitted it was but the skin of a deadly snake.
“Are you satisfied?”
“Yes.”
He opened out the skin and drew it through his hand until it was stretched to a length of six or seven feet, and was as stiff as a walking cane.