the rest of the army of Osman Sheikh-ed-Din, might move
unnoticed to the northern flank and curve round on to the front of the
zeriba held by the Egyptian brigade. Ali-Wad-Helu was meanwhile to march
to the Kerreri Hills, and remain out of range and, if possible, out
of sight among them. Should the frontal and flank attacks be unhappily
repulsed, the 'enemies of God,' exulting in their easy victory over the
faithful, would leave their strong place and march to the capture and
sack of the city. Then, while they were yet dispersed on the plain,
with no zeriba to protect them, the chosen warriors of the True Religion
would abandon all concealment, and hasten in their thousands to the
utter destruction of the accursed--the Khalifa with 15,000 falling upon
them from behind Surgham; Ali-Wad-Helu and all that remained of Osman's
army assailing them from Kerreri. Attacked at once from the north and
south, and encompassed on every side, the infidels would abandon hope
and order, and Kitchener might share the fate of Hicks and Gordon. Two
circumstances, which will appear as the account proceeds, prevented
the accomplishment of this plan. The second attack was not executed
simultaneously by the two divisions of the Dervish army; and even had
it been, the power of the musketry would have triumphed, and though the
Expeditionary Force might have sustained heavier losses the main result
could not have been affected. The last hopes of barbarism had passed
with the shades of night.

Colonel Broadwood, with nine squadrons of cavalry, the Camel Corps, and
the Horse Artillery, had been ordered to check the Dervish left, and
prevent it enveloping the downstream flank of the zeriba, as this was
held by the Egyptian brigade, which it was not thought desirable
to expose to the full weight of an attack. With this object, as the
Dervishes approached, he had occupied the Kerreri ridge with the Horse
battery and the Camel Corps, holding his cavalry in reserve in rear of
the centre.

The Kerreri ridge, to which reference has so frequently been made,
consists of two main features, which rise to the height of about 300
feet above the plain, are each above a mile long, and run nearly east
and west, with a dip or trough about 1,000 yards wide between them.
The eastern ends of these main ridges are perhaps 1,000 yards from
the river, and in this intervening space there are several rocky
under-features and knolls. The Kerreri Hills, the spaces between t