2o6 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



ground, and after a pause, said, " He gives me no 

 scent ; " another straw, " He gives me no soap," and 

 so on till fifty straws, about a third of the bundle, 

 were scattered on the ground. " Well, go on," said I. 

 She looked at me for a minute, and then said, " These 

 other straws are complaints which I won't tell a young 

 man like you ! " 



More serious was the dissatisfaction among the 

 sultans, because I had not inspected Sultan Nasr 

 Andal's village. Although I knew that it was swept 

 and garnished, I determined, pro fonna, to inspect it. 

 I rather hoped to find something at J. Telgona, a 

 recognised slave-market. 



In the meantime Sultan Dardug's son had got into 

 trouble, and his village had to be suddenly inspected. 

 In it was found a raya (a religious banner), with the 

 following legend on it : — 



" In the name of God, the merciful and gracious. 

 Help him, Oh God, and we salute thee. 

 When God looks favourably Victory is near." 



The question raised was, Who is this " him ? " — the 

 word that took the place of the name of the Mahdi or 

 Khalifa. It soon became known that a regular Dervish 

 movement had been going on in the north-west of the 

 district. 



While still in Dem Zubeir I got an instance of the 

 telepathy that exists among natives — the intervening 

 space being uninhabited, there was no question of 

 shouting, as is done along the Egyptian Nile. It was 

 rumoured that the Governor of the province was dead. 



