of Hunter, Maxwell, and
MacDonald--dismounted and placed themselves at the head of their
commands. The whole mass of the infantry, numbering nearly eleven
thousand men, immediately began to move forward upon the zeriba. The
scene as this great force crested the ridge and advanced down the slope
was magnificent and tremendous. Large solid columns of men, preceded
by a long double line, with the sunlight flashing on their bayonets and
displaying their ensigns, marched to the assault in regular and precise
array. The pipes of the Highlanders, the bands of the Soudanese, and
the drums and fifes of the English regiments added a wild and thrilling
accompaniment. As soon as the advance masked the batteries, the guns
were run forward with the firing line, in order effectually to support
the attack. The deployed battalions opened a ceaseless and crushing fire
on the entrenchment, and as the necessity of firing delayed the advance
of the attacking columns, the pace did not exceed a slow march.

The Dervishes remained silent until the troops were within 300 yards.
Then the smoke-puffs spurted out all along the stockades, and a sharp
fusillade began, gradually and continually growing in intensity until
the assaulting troops were exposed to a furious and effective fire.
From 250 yards up to the position losses began to occur. The whole
entrenchment was rimmed with flame and smoke, amid which the active
figures of the Dervish riflemen were momentarily visible, and behind
the filmy curtain solid masses of swordsmen and spearmen appeared. The
fortunate interposition of a small knoll in some degree protected
the advance of the Lincoln Regiment, but in both Highland battalions
soldiers began to drop. The whole air was full of a strange chirping
whistle. The hard pebbly sand was everywhere dashed up into dust-spurts.
Numerous explosive bullets, fired by the Arabs, made queer startling
reports. The roar of the rifles drowned even the noise of the artillery.
All the deployed battalions began to suffer. But they and the assaulting
columns, regardless of the fire, bore down on the zeriba in all the
majesty of war--an avalanche of men, stern, unflinching, utterly
irresistible.

Two hundred yards from the entrenchment and one hundred and fifty from
the thorn bushes independent firing broke out, running along the
line from end to end. Shooting continually, but without any hurry or
confusion, the British and Soudanese battalions continued their