44 THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES ‘“‘fuzzy-wuzzies” amongst them. One of their sheikhs came up and informed us that when we got to Omdurman the Khalifa would fight like Shettan (the devil). These natives appeared to vastly enjoy the blessings of peace. How vividly impressed they must have been by the constant succession of trains passing across the desert, laden with fighting men and countless tons of stores, visible evidences of the power and wealth of the conquering /xg/zzz!

As we approached Abu Hamed, the scene of the sharp, brief fight last year, we noticed some object roll along the side of the line ; and when the train pulled up we learnt that a noncommissioned officer had fallen off one of the carriages. In a few minutes the missing Fusilier picked us up, walking along quite coolly without having sustained a scratch. On a subsequent journey another poor fellow was not so lucky, for he fell off in the same way, and was instantly cut to pieces by the wheels.

The sun was setting as we neared Berber, and in the distance across the river the outlines of “Slatin’s Hill” stood sharply out against the sky. This was the spot where the fugitive took shelter at a critical moment when pursuit