WARS OF THE NINETIES 32 Soudanese battalions had four companies and theEgyptian battalion two companies. In the second line the Soudanese battalions had two companies each and the Egyptian one. This gave fourteen companies for the first rush and seven more to support them. TheKrupp guns and the Maxims were pushed close up to the infantry, which advanced to within short rifle range of the place. An Egyptian cavalry officer then rode forward alone towards the trenches. Hunter had sent him to invite the enemy's Emirs to surrender, and everyone admired the calmness with which the horseman, waitfor daylight toreveal the enemy's strength and dispositions. The transport animals were unloaded and picketed in alargesquare, which was surroundedby an improvised breastwork of boxes, bags,and saddles. This laager was to be held during the fight by half an Egyptian battalion under the command of Lieutenant Wolseley, a cousin of the Commander-in-Chief.

So farall had gone well. The men hadborne their trying march without a murmur. Discipline had been perfect,and the hard work of. the past ten dayshadmade everyonethoroughly " fit." All were eager for the comingfight,and who knew that he might be shot down at any moment by a treacherous enemy, walked his horse up close to the trench and for a lew minutes reasoned with the sheikhs, trying to persuade them thatresistance washopeless. They refused, however, to hear of surrender, and he turned and trottedhis horse back to the point where thegenenil was watching the conference. The order was then given to begin the attack, andjust at half-past six the artillery opened lire, shellingthe village, and theinfantrypouredtheir volleys into the outlying trenches.

wemaybe sure that the keenest there was the young general, who, after gallant conduct on many a Soudanese battle field, now for the first time commandedan independent force in front of the enemy he had so often encountered and knew so well.

As daybrokeit was seen that the town or large village of Abu Hamed was strongly entrenched, and that the Dervish garrison was on the alert. The houses, heavy structures of sun-dried clay, with roofs of the same material, had been loopholed along the desert front of the village. Across the openings of the lanes between them, and under the palms, ranlines of shelter-trenches,andit was seen that these were full of riflemen. Hunter drew up his force in two lines. In the first line each of the three Thisfire preparation didnotlastlongbefore the firing line closed on the trench, and the order was given to storm the place with the bayonet. The struggle at the entrance to the village was very short, but in and among the houses the