CONTENTS Xi

PAGE A Splendid Spectacle—The Dervishes open Fire— The First Shell—A Dervish Battery—Effect of our Shell Fire—Wounded Men—Curious Tricks played by Bullets — Maxims at Work —A Dervish Cavalry Charge—Persistent Sharpshooters—The Army leaves the Zeriba—The Lancers’ Charge—Miutilation of the Dead — Wounded Horses — Killing the Wounded Dervishes—Renewal of the Fight—Steadiness of the Sudanese and Egyptians— Final Repulse of the Enemy—Dreadful Effects of our Fire—Men falling out—We halt beside a Xor—Regimental Music— Escape of the Khalifa— Death of Hon. Hubert Howard—A Champagne Dinner in the Street—The End of Mahdism . . . . - 156

CHAPTER V

GUNBOATS AND GAALIN

The Sirdar’s Fleet—Difficulties of Navigation—The Loss of the Zaphir—Concentration of Friendlies at Wad

Hamed—Their Love for Firearms—Rout of a Dervish Detachment—Gunboats shell the Kerreri Ridge and Riverside Villages—Some Faint-hearted Friendlies— Gallantry of the Gaalin—Tuti Island—The Shelling

of the Mahdi’s Tomb—Gunboats silence the Forts—

Lyddite Shells — Maxim Fire upon the Fugitives — Gunboats proceed up the River—The Fate of Gordon’s old Flotilla . . ; . . - 203

CHAPTER VI

AFTER THE BATTLE

The Mahdi’s Tomb—A Wounded Man lands under False

Pretences—Villiers’ Bicycle in Omdurman—Loath- some Streets—The Arsenal—Dervish Ammunition— The “Man-stopping” Bullet—Awful Effects of Modern Rifle Fire—The Gordon Memorial Service—Varieties of Loot—A Tommy’s Quaint Mistake—Enrolment