Maxim guns, which were on
wheels, and these had to make a detour of twenty-eight miles into the
desert while the infantry moved ten miles along the river. In order
that the Maxims should not arrive alone at Dakfilli, General Hunter had
marched thither with the IXth Soudanese at 11 P.M. on the previous day.
The rest of the column followed a few hours later. On the 4th, by an
eighteen-mile march through deep sand, El Kab was reached. A single
shot was fired from the opposite bank of the river as the cavalry
patrol entered the village; and there was no longer any doubt that the
Dervishes knew of the advance of the column. Both the troops and the
transport were now moving admirably; nevertheless, their sufferings were
severe.

The nights were consumed in movement. Without shade the soldiers could
not sleep by day. All ranks wearied, and the men would frequently,
during the night marches, sink down upon the ground in profound slumber,
only to be sternly aroused and hurried on. But the pace of the advance
continued to be swift. On the 5th, the force, by a fourteen-mile march,
reached Khula. Here they were joined by Sheikh Abdel-Azim with 150
Ababda camel-men from Murat Wells. Up to this point three Egyptians had
died and fifty-eight men had been left behind exhausted in depots. A
double ration of meat was issued to the whole force. The column moved
on during the night, and arrived at Ginnifab at 8 A.M. on the morning
of the 6th. Here startling news of the enemy was received. It was known
that Mohammed-ez-Zein was determined to fight, and a trustworthy report
was now received that a large force was coming down from Berber to
support the Abu Hamed garrison. In spite of the long marches and the
fatigues of the troops, General Hunter resolved to hurry on. He had
already made up the day spent at Abu Haraz. He now decided to improve on
the prescribed itinerary, accelerate his own arrival and anticipate
that of the Dervish reinforcements. Accordingly the troops marched all
through the night of the 6-7th with only a short halt of an hour and a
half, so as to attack Abu Hamed at dawn. After covering sixteen miles
of bad ground, the 'flying column' reached Ginnifab, 144 miles from
Kassingar and only two from the Dervish post, at 3.30 on the morning
of the 7th of August. A halt of two hours was allowed for the troops to
prepare themselves. Half the 3rd Egyptian Battalion remained as escort
to the transport and reserve ammunition, and t