WARS OF THE NINETIES. 164 soon as he saw the Dervish charge coming, but, like a good commander, he did not interfere with his trusted subordinate, leaving to Mac-Donald the immediate control of the fight, and contentinghimself with sending off gallopers at the full speed of their horses to ask th< Sirdar for support.

oppose a threatening advance, and to execute a necessarily complex parade movement, during the course of which he feels he is doingnothing to defend himself. Unless drill and discipline have become a second nature,and the men have absolute confidence in their officers and the officers in the men, the attempt begins in confusion and ends in disaster. But MacDonald Yakub's warriors, horse and foot mingled together, came on as bravely as ever men charged to death on a battlefield. Again the knew he could trust his brigade even to the extent of this supreme test. He changed his THE ATTACK ON MACDONALIl's HRIGADE great tide of jibba-clad Dervishes pouredinto the plain,firing, shouting,- brandishing their spears, and beating their war-drums. There was a momentary check as the foremost ranks went down under the Egyptian fire, and then the second Dervish column appeared,charging from the Kerreri Hills on MacDonald's right,led by Osman and WadHelu. There is nothing more difficult even for the best-trained troops than to change front while actually engaged and under a heavy fire. The soldier'sattention hasbecome riveted on the enemy in his original front ;he feels the danger is there ; and yet he finds himself suddenly told to cease fire, no longer to order of battie, swinging back his right so that the 9th and 10th Soudanese and one of the batteries now faced northwards, .md poured their fire into Osman and Wad Helu's attack. The brigade thus formed a flattened wedge or two sides of a square, 3,000 resolute menfacing the headlongrush of 20,000 fanatics. It was a more terrible test than that which the British square faced at Abu Klea; for here, it the Dervishes once got round either flankol the line,it meant death for every man who stood in the ranks.

On theright front Osm.m's chargehad got up lo 400 yards from the Soudanese, and a crowd of