HOW THE SQUARE WAS BROKEN. 23

SO have ceased firing, may have been unavoidable; and the sailors were hurled back with the inrush, their officers fighting and some

of them falling round the now useless gun; but that the men who had to stand the fierce and desperate charge, the cavalry men as

well as the infantry, should have had to throw down their ineffectual

rifles and take to the bayonets, perhaps in many instances to find

that, like the bayonets of the troops at Suakim, they bent like

blades of tin, was a horrible experience, for which, even in that

dread moment, many a curse not loud but deep may have been

forgiven. The Gardner had jammed at the tenth round, and the Arabs ran in at the opening, as they did at Tamai, the corner of

the square being crushed in. The naval officers were knocked

over by the rush, including Sir C. Beresford, who, however, was up again in a moment.

Amidst it all the demeanour of the Guards' officers was noticed. Without noise or fuss they gave orders as though they were on

parade, and spoke to their men quite quietly as though nothing

unusual was going on. It was said that not a single Arab passed

through the ranks of the Life Guards and the Blues.

Burnaby, seeing that the heavies must be opened out and that

the Gardner must have room to play, rode forward, and met his

death fighting: like a knight of old, and with his vast strength and

terrible sword cleaving his way until his horse was brought down

and the Arab's sword was in his neck.

There was for some time a good deal of contention on the

subject of the manner in which the Arabs made their way into the

square, and therefore the subsequent explanation made by Lieut-

col, the Hon. R. Talbot in The Nineteenth Century was regarded

as important, since that officer was in a better position than most

of his comrades to observe and to record the part taken in the

battle by the heavy camel regiments of which he was in command.

The total strength of the regiment was 390. Right wing: ist

company— ist Life Guards, 2nd Life Guards; 2nd company

Royal Horse Guards, Queen's Bays. Left wing: 3d company

4th Dragoon Guards, 5th Dragoon Guards; 4th company—Royal

Dragoons, Scots Greys; 5th company—5th Lancers, i6th Lancers.