the report
of a field-gun. The Horse Artillery battery had come into action. The
operation of the two columns was simultaneous: the surpise of the enemy
was complete.

The great object was now to push on and deploy as fast as possible.
The popping of musketry broke out from many points, and the repeated
explosions of the Horse battery added to the eager excitement of the
troops. For what is more thrilling than the sudden and swift development
of an attack at dawn? The Xth Soudanese had now reached the top of the
rise which had hidden Firket, and the whole scene came into view. To the
right front the village of Firket stretched by the side of the river--a
confusion of mud houses nearly a mile in length and perhaps 300 yards
broad. On the landward side the tents and straw shelters of the Dervish
force showed white and yellow. A system of mud walls and loop-holed
houses strengthened the northern end of the village. Behind it as a
background stood lines and clusters of palm-trees, through which the
broad river and the masts of the Arab boats might be seen. In front
of the troops, but a little to their left, rose a low rocky ridge
surmounted with flags and defended by a stone breastwork running
along its base. Across the open space between the village and the hill
hundreds of Dervishes on horse and on foot were hurrying to man their
defences, and others scrambled up the rocks to see for themselves the
numbers of the enemy. Scores of little puffs of smoke already speckled
the black rocks of the ridge and the brown houses of the village.

The attack developed very rapidly. The narrow passage between the
mountain and the river poured forth its brigades and battalions, and
the firing-line stretched away to the right and left with extraordinary
speed. The Xth Soudanese opened fire on the village as soon as they
topped the rise. The 3rd and 4th Egyptians deployed on the right and
left of the leading regiment, two companies of the 4th extending down on
to the foreshore below the steep river-bank. Peake's battery (No. 1) and
the Maxim guns, coming into action from a spur of Firket mountain, began
to fire over the heads of the advancing infantry.

The whole of Lewis's brigade now swung to the right and attacked the
village; MacDonald's, coming up at the double in line of battalion
columns, deployed to the left, inland, round the shoulder of the
mountain, and, bearing away still more to the left, advanced swiftly
upon the rocky rid