lthough a hail
of bullets swept over the heads of the advancing troops there were but
few casualties. When the Rifles approached the ditch, the supports were
brought up and a rush was made, when the Egyptians at once forsook their
position and fled through the jungle.

In the meantime, the marines, advancing along the embankment, had been
met by a hot fire from the enemy, whose main position here was a large
house, surrounded by entrenchments on which some guns were mounted. The
forty-pounder on the moving battery kept up a steady fire on this
position; while the marines, pushing forward, were hotly engaged with
the enemy's infantry. The two columns advanced abreast until they
reached a point some 600 yards from the spot where the railway and canal
come together; the embankment was strongly held by the Egyptians, but
the marines charged them with fixed bayonets and drove them before
them--bayoneting and shooting great numbers.

By this time the enemy were coming up in great strength from their
camps. The marines were now unsupported, for Colonel Thackwell, who
commanded the other column, had received orders to advance to the White
House. There were two white houses on the canal, and he stopped at the
first, whereas the second was the one intended; the marines having
pushed on farther, were therefore entirely without support, and the
enemy, massing in great numbers, threatened them on both flanks. The
order was therefore given to fall back, but in order to check the enemy
while the movement was being carried out, Major Donald with 50 marines
advanced boldly close up to the Egyptian position, and kept up so hot a
fire that the enemy's advance was checked, while the main body of the
marines retired steadily across the fields to the embankment, keeping
perfect order in spite of the tremendous fire which was poured into
them, and bringing off every wounded man as he fell.

The enemy had now brought up several batteries of artillery, which
opened from a distance, and under this cover pressed hotly upon the
marines; these, however, retired in alternate companies, turning round
and facing their pursuers, and aided by the musketry fire of the sailors
in the train as well as by their machine guns and forty-pounder.

Darkness was fast coming on, and as the batteries at the waterworks now
opened fire upon the Egyptians, the latter ceased to press the retiring
troops, who withdrew without further molestation to their positi