- 46 -determined to go forth and surrender to Billali that thus I might save my friends from calamity. To God do we belong and to God shall we return in the fullness of time. Upon this I told the soldier to hold his peace, and then I went forth alone to meet the forces of my foe.

Now Billali had divided his army into three parts, as I reached a deep Khor (i), I came and, upon the right division of his troops, who immediately recognised me, and, from a height, opened fire upon me. My men, however, heard the sound of rifles, and came to my rescue, all unknown to me. They engaged the enemy, and the first to fall in the battle-rout was my cousin Idris ; scarce had I heard his cry when I hasted to him, while the bullets screamed and whistled round us, as the wind screams in the time of the rains. Then, indeed, did a kind of madness possess my men, and we, who were so few, hurled ourselves upon the foe, who were so many : and no sooner had we attacked than lo ! we found ourselves in the midst of the foe, fighting with swords, revolvers, sticks, and even the palms of our hands. Then Musa wad el Haj, one of my commanders, fell on the flank of the enemy, and soon all was confusion, while Billali vainly shouted first this command and then that. In the end, finding (i) A watercourse usually dry except during the period of the rains.