ge. The ground in MacDonald's front was much broken
by boulders and scrub, and a deep khor delayed the advance. The enemy,
though taken at obvious disadvantage, maintained an irregular fire;
but the Soudanese, greatly excited, pressed on eagerly towards the
breastworks. When the brigade was still 200 yards from the ridge, about
fifty Dervish horsemen dashed out from among the rocks and charged
the left flank. All were immediately shot down by a wild but heavy
independent fire. With joyful yells the blacks broke into a run and
carried the breastworks at the bayonet. The Dervishes did not await
the shock. As soon as they saw their horsemen--among whom was the Emir
Hammuda himself and Yusef Angar, Emir of the Jehadia--swept away, they
abandoned the first ridge and fell back on another which lay behind. The
Soudanese followed closely, and pursued the outnumbered enemy up one
and down the other side of the rocky hills, up again and down again,
continually shouldering and bringing round the left of the brigade;
until at last the hills were cleared of all except the dead, and the
fugitives were running towards the river-bank. Then the scattered
battalions re-formed facing west, and the panting soldiers looked about
them.

While MacDonald's brigade was storming the hills, Lewis's had advanced
on the village and the Dervish camp. The Arabs from their loopholed
houses made a stubborn resistance, and the 4th battalion by the
river-bank were sharply engaged, their commanding officer, Captain
Sparkes, having his horse shot in four places. Encouraged by their
enormous superiority in number and weapons, the Egyptians showed
considerable zeal in the attack, and their conduct on this occasion was
regarded as a very happy augury for the war, of which this was the first
general engagement.

As Lewis's brigade had swung to its right, and MacDonald's had borne
away to the left, a wide gap had opened in the centre of the attack.
This was immediately filled by Maxwell's brigade, so that the whole
force was now formed in one line, which curved and wheeled continually
to the right until, by the time the rocky hills had been taken, all
three brigades practically faced west and were advancing together
towards the Nile. The Dervishes--penned between the river and the
enemy, and unable to prevent the remorseless advance, which every moment
restricted them to narrower limits--now thought only of flight, and they
could be seen galloping hither and