Hence the khedive hit upon the happy plan of sending Ponsonby to the Soudan.
Rauf Pasha saw that the young Englishman would soon run the country to suit himself, and he determined to get rid of him.
He dared not kill him; he did try to get him into a low part of Khartoum, hoping he might be robbed and murdered, but Ponsonby escaped.
The only thing he could think of was to send him with good recommendations to the Governor of Fashoda.
“If ever the fellow gets away from there, I’ll resign in his favor,” said Rauf Pasha, when Ponsonby started from Khartoum.
This was the Englishman who advised the Fashoda governor, and, in fact, really ruled the province.
Two weeks after the defeat by the Mahdi, Ponsonby was closeted with the governor.
“You see, Rauf is jealous of you,” said the Englishman, insinuatingly.
“Why should he be?”
“If you defeated this Mohammed Ahmed, you would be the greatest man in the Soudan, and I would go right off to the khedive and so work upon his feelings that you would be appointed governor-general of the Soudan. Once there you might aspire higher——”