WARS OF THE NINETIES. 96 the word to his artillery commander, Colonel Iong, to begin the bombardment of the enemy's camp, which was to prepare the way for the assault. The first shot was fired from the horse battery, and as the gun boomed over the desert the other batteries in turn opened fire. The first shell hadburst well inside the zereba, and as it exploded the Dervishes disappeared into their trenches and shelters. It looked for awhile as if the camp was suddenly deserted. The shells crashed intoit or exploded just in front of the zereba, and sent their deadly shower of shrapnel bullets to search the cover within. Lieutenant Beatty brought his rocket-tube out in front of the British brigade, and the heavy But meanwhile the Dervish cavalry had attempted a charge. Some horsemen had left the zereba and joined them when the artillery opened fire, and then out of the cloud of dust appeared the Mahdist spearmen galloping towards the British left in a confused, irregular mass. Broadwood brought his Maxims into action,and the enemy's cavalry turned and rode back into the palms with many riderless horses following them, while the desert slope on which they had advanced was dotted with fallen men and horses. Once again, a little later, they showed outside the palms, again the deadly machine guns drove them back, and they left thefield,riding awayunder cover of the belt and AFTER THE BATTLE: INSIDE THE ZEREBA.

palms and scrub along the Atbara. With their retirement the danger of a flank attack was over, and except for the gunners there wasnothing to do but to wait and watchthe mercilessbombardment of Mahmoud'sdesertfortress.

rockets went roaringinto the zereba. Here and there a straw hut went up in bright flame. Showers of flying debris showedhow thoroughly the shells were doing their work of destruction, but still the Dervishes did not answer even with a rifle-shot. Now and then the field-glass showed a black face peering over the zereba or a daring Dervish walking from point to point amongthe shower of fire and steel. They were brave men who thus waited quietly in the crowded camp, biding their time to resist the inevitable assault of which all this was the prelude. The loss of life must have been awful, but the only sign they gave was,after the first half hour, when as if impatient of inactivity a few rifle-shots werefired from time to time from the zereba. The bullets mostly whistled harm-When the artillery fire had lasted for neariy an hour and a half and some 1,400 shells and some dozensof rocketshadburstin the D camp,the Sirdar judged that enough had been done to prepare the wayfor the decisive assault. He rode along the line to say a last word to his brigadiers andto make sure that all wei1 for thegreateffort that was to secure the victory.

Officers and men, whites and blacks, were all eagerness andenthusiasm. General Hunte MacDonaldand Maxwellrode out in frontof the two .Soudanese brigades. General Gatacn theother leadershad sent away their hors, stood ready to charge on foot, Gatacre in Ironlessly overhead. Only onegunner was hit, and fell wounded as he served his gun.