THE RECONQUEST OF THE SOUDAN. 159 So the trumpets sounded the welcome notes that sent the Lancers forward to their first charge. As they neared the hollow a sputter of rifle fire began from its edge. A few troopers dropped, one or two horses fell. Three hundred yards from the enemy the men could see that the scouts had made a mistake, and that there was no mere handful of beaten Dervishes in their front,but a densecrowd of rifle and spearmen, full of fight, packed togetherin the shelter of the rocky khor. But even if there was any thought of a counter-order it wasnow toolate to stop the charge, and Colonel Martin,riding the foremost, withhis swordinits sheath,ready touse the impetus and weight of his charger as his best weapon,rode straight for the centre of the enemy, where the broad Soudan spears bristledmost thickly.

Surgeon-Major Pinches, whose horse had been shot under him, was saved by Sergeant-Major Brennan, who, after cutting down several of his assailants, got the Major behind him on his horse androde out of the press. Lieutenant Robert Grenfell, who was leading one of the troopsin the centre,was thrown by his wounded horse,but made a desperate fight on foot. He fired every shot in his revolver, and when last seen alive was facing several spearmen, sword in hand.

Several lances broke in the charge,and some of the swords failed at a critical moment. Lieutenant Wormald's sword bent as he struck at an emir with whom he was engaged in single fight; but he stunned him with a blow of the crooked blade. Captain Fair's sword snapped on the linked coat of mail of another of the enemy's leaders, and he dashed the hilt into the face of the Dervish. Altogether,in less than two minutes, twenty-two of the Lancers werekilledandmorethan fifty severely wounded. Of the horses,119 werekilled,many of them just struggling out of the hollow and falling dead as the regiment ralliedclose to the enemy. It was during this rally that some of the bravest deeds were done, individual officers riding back to bring off wounded or dismounted comrades. Major Wyndham had lost his horse, and was trying to mount behind Lieutenant Smith, who had turned back to help him. He had failedin two attempts, whenhe was lifted up by Captain Kenna, who came riding back, accompanied by Lieutenant de Montmorency and Corpora! Swarbrick, all bent on savingyoung Grenfell if he still lived,and, if not,carrying off his body. Grenfell was lying on the nearer slope of the hollow,and a number ofDervishes were hacking at him with their swords. Kenna and his comradesdrove them off with their pistols, and while the corporal held two of the horses, the two officers tried to lift Grenfell's body on to the third. The lieutenant was quite dead, bleeding from more than a dozen wounds. As theyplaced the body across the saddle the horse shied and bolted, throwing it to the ground. The three would-be rescuers had then to retire, keeping off the pursuing Dervishes with their revolvers.

A minutemore and the Lancers wereinto the mass of the Dervish infantry, dashing through a storm of bullets and leaping down a three-foot drop intothe hollow. And though the enemy stoodin places twenty deep,in oneminute more these gallant horsemen W--re through them. Threehundred and twenty troopers had ridden over and through at least 1,500 foemen. But into those brief moments there were crowded hundreds of deedsofreckless daringand devoted heroism.

The two centre squadrons,striking theDervish line wherethecrowdwasthickest,sufferedthemost severely. Several of the horses struck by the bulletshad heldon til! the check came as they struck the Dervish line. Then they fell,andit faredbadlywith their riders. Other horses were brought down byspearthrusts andhamstringing cuts with swordandknife;for the enemyshowed no fear of the cavalry, and stoodup pluckily to thecharge Lieutenant Molyneux,ofthe Blues, one of the officers attached to the Lancers,lost his mount just before reaching the hollow, the horse dropping dead,pierced by a bullet. The lieutenant ran on into the melee on foot, revolver in hand. Two Dervishes attacked him. He shot one, but as he did so the other brought down his long sword on the officer's right arm,gashing it badly and making him drop his pistol. He thus found himself unarmed in the midst of the enemy. He turned and ran, pursued by the swordsman, and luckily got up the further slope just as the Lancers rallied and faced the Dervishes again, after riding through them. A corporal came out from the ranks, gave Molyneux his stirrup leather, and brought him safely in.

Hardly a man or horse in the four squadrons had escaped without some injury, uniforms and saddlery werecut and torn, and in every troop horses and men were bleeding from wounds, mostly slight, but in many cases serious, for the brave fellows were trying to keep their