spected; his mother was a pious Moslem and cared for her children well; one of his brothers was said to be "black in color, but most beautiful in mind and conditions." As a boy and throughout his life Mohammed was an orthodox Moslem, observing all the practices of his creed. When he grew up he joined the army of Sonni Ali, king of Songhay. In time he rose to be a general, and finally, because of his great abilities, was made prime minister.
Sonni Ali, the sixteenth king of his dynasty, was one of the most renowned soldiers in African history. A ruthless conqueror and a stern ruler, he was subject to gusts of passion of which in his sober moments he repented. Between him and Mohammed Abu Bekr there developed one of those close and lasting friendships familiar to students of African biography. The prime minister saved his master from himself. Having no fear of Sonni Ali, he exercised a strong and healthy influence over the wild and despotic king.
When Sonni Ali became king, Timbuktu, having belonged to the rival kingdom of Melle, had passed into the hands of the Tuaregs, the strange veiled people of the desert. Sonni Ali resolved to take the town, with its seat on the
