andered away and were never heard of again. Morning
found the exhausted and worn-out men and animals still at a distance
from the Nile. Some miles away a long line of verdure showed where the
river lay, but the general felt that at present the men could do no
more, and that a halt for some hours was absolutely necessary. Parties
of the enemy's horse and foot men could be seen among the sand-hills,
and distant shots had already been fired.

The object of the terrible march had failed; it was no longer possible
to reach the river without fighting again, and to fight as they were,
encumbered with the baggage train and overpowered with fatigue, was but
to court disaster. Therefore a halt was ordered. To the soldiers the
order was unwelcome; tired as they were, they would rather, now that the
river was but some four miles away, have pushed straight on and have
done with it. But the condition of the animals positively forbade this.
A camping ground was chosen on a bare gravelly place on the scrub where
the ground rose slightly. The work of unloading and arranging the camels
at once began, but before it was concluded a dropping fire was opened by
the natives from the long grass and bush in the distance.

The troops were set to work to erect a zareba with the saddles,
biscuit-boxes, and other stores, while parties of skirmishers
endeavoured to keep down the fire of the enemy. This, however, was a
difficult task, as the natives were entirely concealed, and the men
could only fire at the puffs of smoke arising from the grass and bushes.
To the Arabs, however, the camp presented a clear mark, and the sharp
rap of the musketballs as they struck the wall, or the thud with which
they buried themselves among the crowd of kneeling camels, was very
frequent. Several men were hit, and soon after nine o'clock the report
spread through the camp that Sir Herbert Stewart had received a very
dangerous if not mortal wound.

The news caused deep sorrow throughout the troops. The general was most
popular both with officers and men, and there was not one but felt that
his loss would be a personal one. It was, moreover, most unfortunate for
the expedition itself at such a moment to be deprived of its leader.
Before starting, Colonel Burnaby had been designated to assume the
command in case of any accident happening to the general; but Burnaby
had fallen at Abu Klea, and it therefore devolved upon Sir Charles
Wilson, who was accompanying the forc