264 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



mense fortune, as everyone would pay a dollar to see 

 him. At first he liked the idea very much of earning 

 dollars so easily, but when he heard that the climate 

 might kill him, he came to the conclusion that it would 

 be better to live on dhurra in his native home than run 

 the risk of inflicting so great a loss on Hamran society. 

 Ibrahim had also a great treat to-day in being 

 allowed to take a gun to shoot some guinea-fowl. 

 After a long round in the woods and a rather large 

 expenditure of ammunition he brought home two, and 

 was greatly pleased with his success. Hadji Basheer, 

 however, threw cold water on his great achievement by 

 declaring his conviction that he must have found one 

 guinea-fowl dead and the other stone-blind. Joy reigns 

 supreme in the camp, for no less important news was 

 brought this evening than the dethronement of Sheik 

 Aghill by the Khartoum authorities, and the appoint- 

 ment of an uncle, at present Sheik of a small village, 

 in his place. The report goes on to say that the new 

 Sheik has already been to Khartoum to be adorned 

 with a special robe, tarboosh, and turban, and is now on 

 his way to Gwayha to turn Aghill not only out of 

 office, but also out of his home. Aghill, on the other 

 hand, is reported to have sent a deputation to 

 Khartoum to ask if they intend to deprive him of his 

 money and possessions, for if so he will at once go to 

 Abyssinia ; but if left alone he will remain quietly in 



