CHAPTER XIII.

The wells of Abu Klea A cold night Baggage and food at last Off again A terrible night-march.

IT was now nearly five o'clock ; the men were dead beat, the square was straggling terribly, and the wells were nowhere to be seen. The iQth had been sent ahead on their overworked little horses to look for them, but on this large plain, cut up into wadies and covered with scrub, no one knew whereabouts to look. Sir Herbert, in despair, was just going to give the word to retire all that weary way back to the baggagezeriba, where a small supply of water was left, when the joyful intelligence came that the Hussars had found the wells, some way off to the left.

The wounded were immediately carried straight off thither, whilst the rest of the force, in perfect discipline, was halted a short way off, to wait till the water could be apportioned out to each corps.