86 ADVANCING IN SQUARE : A HALT.

CHAPTER XVI GETTING READY FOR BATTLE ON Monday,April 4th, the camp at Ras-el-Hudi was broken up, and in the cool of the early morning the whole army in battle array made a short march of five miles to a new camping ground at Abadar.

A screen of cavalry and camel patrols covered the movement, and prevented the enemy's horsemen fromevenso much as coming in sight of the marching columns. Arrived at Abadar the men set to work to make a great zereba. The cutting down of the thorn bushes for its encircling hedge was so arranged as to leave a clear space all round it, across which the Dervishes would have to charge if they ventured on an attack. By nightfall the whole force was safe in its roughly fortified camp,and in the early morning a large convoy of camels brought up additional supplies from the depot left atRas-el-Hudi.

On this Tuesday morning the Sirdar sent out another strong reconnaissance to have another look at Mahmoud's camp. The force, which was again under the direction of General Hunter, consisted of Broadwood's eight squadrons of the horse artillery and theMaxims, and twoSoudanese infantrybattalions. Themounted troops pushed rapidly forward, the Soudanese moving more slowly, and forming a support on which they could retire. Several staff' officers accompanied the cavalry. But they saw very little of the enemy's camp that day, for as they approached Mahmoud's position large bodiesof Dervish horsemen rode out from right and left and bore down on the little Egyptian column. Broadwood charged and drove in the nearest body of the enemy,but found that behind them a large force ofinfantry was coming up from the Dervishcamp. Meanwhilemassesof the enemy's spearmen had ridden round on the Egyptian rear, and the little force, not 800 strong, was surroundedby some 4,000of Mahmoud's cavalry. Hunter now ordered a retirement under the cover of artillery and Maxim fire, and when he saidit was time to go there could benodoubt on thepoint, for "Archie," as the soldiers callhim, is aman who loves a fight for its own sake, and has the reputationof being one of the bravest among the brave fellows who have made the Egyptian army whatit is. And now theMaxim battery did splendid service. It broke up the Dervish ranks with its deadly fire, and,coming rapidly into action whenever they threatened to charge home, it undoubtedly did much to save theEgyptians from being overwhelmed by a foe that outnumbered them five to one, and as individual cavaliers and men at arms werefully equal to the Egyptian horsemen. But the shells of the artillery and the leaden hail from the Maxims turned the balance against the B cavalry. Still, there were anxious moments