GEDAREH 337 Cross. Flushed by their success, the Dervishes pushed on. Fortunately at this time the main force of the Dervishes was beginning to waver, unable to withstand the steady fire of the defenders of the hill, and as they drew back a little the Egyptian and Arab battalions rushed forward.

Shaken as they were, the Dervishes were unable to resist the attack, and broke and fied, pursued by the Arab battalion. The Egyptians, however, obeyed the orders of Captain Mac-Kerrel, and, halting, faced about to encounter the attack from the rear. Their volleys caused the Dervishes to hesitate, and Captain Ruthven and his party reached the summit of the hill in safety. The enemy, however, maintained a heavy fire for a few minutes, buf the volleys of the Egyptians at a distance of only a hundred yards were so deadly that they soon took to fiight. The first shot had been fired at half-past eight. At ten the whole Dervish force was scattered in headlong rout. Had Colonel Parsons possessed a cavalry force the enemy would have been completely cut up ; as it was, pursuit was out of the question. The force therefore advanced in good order to Gedareh. Here a Dervish Emir, wEo had been left in charge when the rest of the garrison moved out, surrendered at once wuth the two hundred black rifiemen under him. He had long been suspected of disloyalty by the Khalifa, and at once declared his hatred of Mahdism, declaring that though he had not dared to declare himself openly, he had always been friendly to Egyptian rule.

The men with him at once fraternized with the Arabs of Colonel Parsons’ force, and were formally received into their ranks. The Emir showed his sincerity by giving them all the information in his power as to Fadil’s position and movements, and by pointing out the most defensible positions. Hone of the British officers had been wounded, but fifty-one of the men had been killed and eighty wounded. Five hundred of the Dervishes were left dead upon the field, including four Emirs. Hot a moment was lost in preparing for defence, for it was certain that Fadil, on hearing the news,