72 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

intended only for the sick and wounded. There are mostly some black sheep in every regiment, and these wretched brutes, had, perhaps, had their love of plunder fired by observing that the native drivers had contrived to seize upon some of the provisions which were most tempting to hungry and thirsty men. The officers were little, if any, better off than the men, for Sir Charles found that all his own small supply of stores had been taken, his box broken open, and even his ulster stolen. However, there was breakfast to be had, and the men were at work getting together the stores and pulling down the walls of the seriba, composed of the boxes and saddles that were now wanted for the camels and horses. Two journeys had to be made, for there were not enough camels left alive or strong enough to carry all the stores at once, so an extra guard remained at the small redoubt. One duty was the burial of the dead, among them Cameron and Herbert, lately so full of life and promise. The service was read by Lord C. Beresford, and Sir Charles Wilson himself attended as chief mourner. The dead lying on the field of the previous day's battle were also buried by a party under command of Poe of the marines, and there also the colonel in command was present to see whether the corpses had been disfigured, and if any men had probably been left there alive; but the nature of the bullet wounds showed that death must have been immediate, and though the bodies had been stripped only three of them had been much slashed with swords or stabbed with spears. There were still above 200 dead bodies of the Arabs lying there, some of them fine men from Kordofan, others black soldiers, and others of the Jalin tribe, but all with the Madhi's uniform and a string of ninety-nine beads round the neck. Two or three who were only v/ounded, and were therefore taken on with the column, said that Omdurman had fallen, that Feki Mustapha was on his way from Khartum in command of a large force to give batde to our men, and that another force was coming up the river from Berber.

Before nightfall the slowly-marching column had reached Abu-Kru and were all settled down and under shelter; the men who had occupied the village had converted it into a strong post.