THE WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE 147 by the mass of Gebel Surgham, stretched from Kerreri to the outskirts of Omdurman our cavalry were manceuvring with the Baggara horse “very prettily,” as one of the generals remarked. Our regiment of Lancers, three hundred and twenty all told, would ride pluckily towards the dense masses of the enemy, and then withdraw as lines of riflemen advanced to meet them, or large bodies of -mounted Baggaras attempted to cut off their retreat. The Khalifa’s entire army, incensed by the bombardment and by the galling fire which our dismounted troopers took every opportunity of pouring into them, were now moving forward to attack and annihilate the infidels, : With Wauchope’s Brigade in front, the infantry and artillery crossed the ridge sloping down to the river. On the left was the village of Kerreri, guarded by an ancient redoubt, and here we imagined would be the site for the camp. But orders were given to continue: the march, so we trudged more than a mile farther, to the deserted hamlet of El Genuaia. Without further ado, mimosa branches were cut and a zeriba was formed