OMDUKMAN 221 their destination at two minutes past five, when daylight had just broken. The officer in command saw at once that the Dervish army had been reinforced in the night, and were marching to attack us.

News was at once sent back to the camp, where all was in readiness for an advance. No news could have been more welcome. It was one thing to attack the Dervishes in their chosen position, and to carry the narrow streets of Omdurman at the point of the bayonet—the Dervishes had shown at Abu Hamed how desperately they could fight under such circumstances—and another to meet them while attacking our position in the open. This was protected along the line occupied by the white troops by a hedge, while the three Egyptian brigades had constructed shelter trenches. These afforded a vastly better defence against a foe advancing by daylight, although they would not be so effective in checking a sudden and determined rush in the darkness.

Preparations were at once made to oppose the enemy. The Sirdar and his staff were already mounting when the news arrived; the horses were now taken to the rear, the reserve ammunition-boxes lifted from the mules backs and the animals led to a sheltered position behind some huts.

The guns were wheeled up into positions between the infantry brigades. The troops were disposed in line two deep, two companies of each battalion, with the stretchers and bearers, taking post at a short distance farther back to reinforce the front line if hardly pressed, and to supply it from the reserve store of ammunition. Already the gun-boats had recommenced the bombardment of Omdurman and the mosque of the Mahdi, but as soon as news came that the Dervishes were advancing to the attack, they were signalled to return to cover the flank of the zareba. On their arrival they took up a position whence they could shell the line by which the Dervishes were advancing, and which would bring them apparently five or six hundred yards west of Surgham Hill. The Lancers at once started forward to cover the left