THE NIGHT MARCH. 47 lads of sixteen or seventeen. Among the letters found on the field were some relating to dissensions among the Mahdi's followers; but judging from the bearing and declarations of the two prisoners who had been brought in, the belief in his authority and in his eventual victory over us was unbroken.

If anything were to be done there was not an hour to lose. The chief question was whether it would be better to make a night march, fatigued as the men were, and to push on at once for the Nile, which might be reached by daylight next morning; or to camp at night at the wells at Shebacat or elsewhere on the route, and start fresh after breakfast. On this point opinions were divided, Sir Charles Wilson advocating the latter plan, while Sir Herbert Stewart, who was in chief command, preferred the former, as notwithstanding their want of rest the men were in good spirits and could march the twenty-five miles to the Nile and still have time for a good rest before they would be called upon to fight.

The march was to be along the Metammeh road, past the Shebacat wells, and to within a few miles of Metammeh, when a turn was to be made to the rioht that the column might reach the river about three miles above the town. If this could be effected before daybreak the town might be attacked after the men had rested and had breakfast. But the difficulties of the night march had not been fully estimated. The ordinary guides could not lead the way, and the only man able to act as guide was Ali Loda, the robber who had been taken in the desert, and who declared, not untruly, that he knew the country well, that there was one part of the journey where there were many trees which would make the way difficult to traverse on a moonless night. However, the promise of a reward and the intimation that he must go, sufficed to induce him, and at half-past three in the afternoon of the i8th of January the march commenced, the hussars going in front, the guards next, and then the convoy heavies and mounted- infantry. While the route lay down the valley and over a mountain spur with a view over the plain reaching to the Nile all went fairly well, and only an occasional halt was made; but when the sun had set and the level road,