230 WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN and cannon upon the rear of the Dervishes. The camel corps coming up, each man dismounted and added his fire to the turmoil; and finally three of Wauchope’s battalions arrived, and the Lincolns, doubling to the right, opened a terrible flank fire. The Dervishes broke and fled, not, as usual, sullenly and reluctantly, but at full speed, stooping low to escape the storm of bullets that pursued them.

Zaki had throughout the day kept close to Gregory, ready to hold his horse when he dismounted; but, quick-footed as he was, he was left behind when his master galloped across to Macdonald. He was up, however, in the course of a minute or two, and Gregory was glad to see him, for the horse was kicking and plunging at the roar of the approaching enemy, and was almost maddened when to this was added the crash of the batteries and musketry.

“ Put my blanket round his head, Zaki,” Gregory said when the black ran up; “wrap it round so that he cannot see. Hold the bridle with one hand and stroke him with the other, and keep on talking to him; he knows your voice. I dont want to dismount if I can help it, for with my field-glasses I see everything that is taking place, and I will tell you how matters are going.”

For the moment it seemed as if the surging crowd streaming down must carry all before it, but the steadiness with which the 9th Soudanese moved into their place on the flank of the line, and the other regiments remained as if on parade, soon reassured him. The terrible slaughter that was taking place in the ranks of the Dervishes soon showed that in that quarter at least there was no fear of things going wrong, but he could not but look anxiously towards the great mass of men approaching from the north. It was a matter of minutes. Would the present attack be repulsed in time for the position to be changed to meet the coming storm? Occasionally Gregory looked back to see if reinforcements were coming. Wauchope’s brigade was visible over the tops of the scattered bushes. The movements of the line showed that they