220 WITH HITCHEHER IN THE SOHDAN were in higher spirits than they had been since th6 advance began. Hitherto they had been in constant apprehension lest the Dervishes should shun a battle, and would retire across the desert to El Obeid or elsewhere, and that they would have to perform interminable desert marches, only to find, on arriving at the goal, that the enemy had again moved off. The events of the day, however, seemed to show that this fear was groundless, and that the Khalifa had determined to fight a decisive battle for the defence of his capital. The British soldier is ready to support any fatigue and any hardship with a prospect of a fight at the end, and during the advance he is always haunted by the fear that the enemy will retire or give in on his approach. This fear was stronger than usual on this expedition, for there was no question as to the greatly superior mobility of the Dervishes, and it was evident that if they chose, to avoid fighting they had it in their power to do so.

CHAPTEE XIV OMDURMAN T he night passed quietly, except that shots were occasionally fired by Dervishes who -crept up within range, and that once a mounted man, who had apparently lost his way, rode fearlessly into camp, and then, finding himself close to the troops, turned his horse and galloped off again. Ho shot followed him, as the orders were strict that the camp was not to be alarmed unless in the case of a serious attack.

At half-past three the bugle sounded, and the troops were soon astir. The animals were watered and fed, and the men had a breakfast of cocoa or tea, with biscuits and tinned meat. At half-past four Colonel Broadwood, commanding the Egyptian cavalry, sent out a squadron to the hills on the west, and another to Surgham Hill. The latter arrived at