THE CROWNING VICTORY 345 The fifty fever-stricken men who formed the garrison would have had no chance of resisting the attack, but fortunately 1 they had that very morning been reinforced by two hundred men of the 10th Soudanese and two Maxims, and the Dervishes were repulsed with considerable loss. Two companies of the same battalion had reinforced Colonel Lewis, who I marched, on the day after receiving the news, to Rosaires.

The gun-boat went up to that point and remained there for some days. Gregory went ashore as soon as the boat arrived, \ and saw Colonel Lewis, to whom he was well known.

! am supposed to be on sick leave, sir, but I feel quite strong now, and shall be glad to join you if you will have me.”

I can have no possible objection, Mr. Hilliard. I know that you did good service with Colonel Parsons, and it is i quite possible that we shall find ourselves in as tight a place as he was. So many of our white officers have been sent I down with fever that I am very short-handed, and shall be glad if you will temporarily serve as my assistant.”

On the 20th the news came that Fadil was crossing the i river at Dakhila, twenty miles farther to the south. He himj self had crossed, and the women and children had been taken over on a raft. On the 22nd the Darfur Sheik was sent off up the west bank to harass the Dervishes who had already crossed. On the 24th two gun-boats arrived with two hundred more men of the 10th Soudanese and a small detachment of the 9th. On the following day the little force I started at five in the afternoon, and at eleven at night halted at a little village. At three in the morning they again advanced, and at eight o’clock came in contact with the Dervish outposts. Colonel Lewis had already learned that instead of half the Dervish force having crossed only one j division had done so, and that he had by far the greater part ' of Fadil’s army opposed to him. It was a serious matter to attack some four or five thousand men with so small a force at his disposal, for he had but half the 10th Soudanese, a