KHARTOUM 233 The field presented a terrible appearance, being thicklydotted with dead, from the Surgham Hill across the plain and round by the Kerreri Hills to the spot where Macdonald’s brigade had made their stand. There were comparatively few wounded, for, wiry and hardy as they were, the wounded Dervishes, unless mortally hit, were for the most part able to crawl or walk away, which they had done unmolested, for on each occasion after the bugle sounded cease firing not a shot was fired at them. But of dead there were fully ten thousand scattered more or less thickly over the plain.

From the position in which they were placed, the Egyptian troops as they marched south passed the spot where the Khalifa’s flag was still flying as it had been left after its last defenders had fallen. Slatin, who was with the army, rode over the plain at the Sirdar’s request to ascertain if any of the Dervish leaders were among the fallen. He recognized many, but the Khalifa, his son Ed Din, and Osman Digna were not among them. The last-named had ever been chary of exposing himself, and had probably, as was his custom, viewed the battle from a safe distance. But round the flag were the Khalifa’s brother Yacoub and ten or twelve of the leading emirs.

On our side the loss had been comparatively slight. Our total number of casualties, including the wounded, was five hundred and twenty-four, towards which Macdonald’s brigade contributed one hundred and twenty-eight. Marching steadily on, the force halted in the outlying suburb of Omdurman at mid-day to obtain much-needed food and water. As soon as the cavalry had watered their horses they were sent round to the south of the town to cut off fugitives, and some of the gun-boats moved up to their support. Deputations of the townsfolk, Greeks and natives, came out and offered to surrender. They said that the Khalifa was in his house, and that he had about a thousand of his body-guard with him, but that they could not offer any successful resistance. The town was full of fugitive Dervishes ; many thousands of them were there—among them a great number of wounded.