iS EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

for the bullets to reach them. Sir Charles Wilson returned to

report that there was a large force in front, part of which must

belong to the Mahdi's army, and that a serious encounter might

be looked for. About 1500 or 2000 yards to the right of the

position occupied by our main force a swarm of savages began

to wave their spears and execute a wild dance, after which they commenced firing.

Sir Herbert Stewart had halted the column on a stony plateau,

where he gave orders that a seriba should be formed, and one was quickly built of stone and the thorny branches of the mimosa.

Pickets were sent out to occupy two hills on the left, where the mounted infantry built a small fort. The hour of nightfall was

approaching. It would be dark in less than a couple of hours, and

the general determined not to advance till next morning. The

enemy's riflemen were creeping up on the right of the advanced

post and soon got within range, their bullets whistling about the

spot occupied by the picket and becoming so frequent that the men

were withdrawn, and still the enemy crept round the right till the

cavalry vedettes also had to be withdrawn. It was nearly sunset when our men got into the seriba, and then the enemy's sharp-

shooters were firing continuously from the hill already mentioned.

This lasted all night as the men lay in position waiting for an

attack which was not made, though sometimes the beating of

tom-toms sounded quite close, and in the dense darkness, if anyone

(against orders) struck a match to light a pipe, or if, in the hospital

where there were already some wounded, a light was shown for

an instant, the gleam was sure to be followed by a bullet

from the enemy. Our men waited anxiously for the morning.

Sir Charles Wilson says: "I do not know a more curiously

deceptive sound than that of tom-toms: it is almost impossible to

localize it, especially when any wind is blowing. I slept near

Stewart and his staff close behind the guards, who were in the

front line of the seriba and in one of the lines of fire; fortunately

there was a little dip in the ground which sheltered us, the bullets

striking the opposite slope. The enemy must have kept a sharp

look-out, for as one of the surgeons was performing an operation