tting over the plain towards the long lines of fugitives who streamed
across it. With the experience of the past hour in our minds, and with
the great numbers of the enemy in our front, it seemed to many that
a bloody day lay before us. But we had not gone far when individual
Dervishes began to walk towards the advancing squadrons, throwing down
their weapons, holding up their hands, and imploring mercy.

As soon as it was apparent that the surrender of individuals was
accepted, the Dervishes began to come in and lay down their arms--at
first by twos and threes, then by dozens, and finally by scores.
Meanwhile those who were still intent on flight made a wide detour to
avoid the cavalry, and streamed past our front at a mile's distance in
uninterrupted succession. The disarming and escorting of the prisoners
delayed our advance, and many thousands of Dervishes escaped from the
field. But the position of the cavalry and the pressure they exerted
shouldered the routed army out into the desert, so that retiring they
missed the city of Omdurman altogether, and, disregarding the Khalifa's
summons to defend it and the orders of their Emirs; continued their
flight to the south. To harry and annoy the fugitives a few troops were
dismounted with carbines, and a constant fire was made on such as did
not attempt to come in and surrender. Yet the crowds continued to run
the gauntlet, and at least 20,000 men made good their escape. Many
of these were still vicious, and replied to our fire with bullets,
fortunately at very long range. It would have been madness for 300
Lancers to gallop in among such masses, and we had to be content with
the results of the carbine fire.

While all this had been going on, the advance of the army on Omdurman
was continuing. Nor was it long before we saw the imposing array of
infantry topping the sandhills near Surgham and flooding out into the
plain which lay between them and the city. High over the centre brigade
flew the Black Flag of the Khalifa, and underneath a smaller flash of
red marked the position of the Headquarters Staff. The black masses of
men continued to move slowly across the open ground while we fired at
the flying Arabs, and at twelve o'clock we saw them halt near the river
about three miles from the city. Orders now reached us to join them, and
as the sun was hot, the day dragged, all were tired and hungry, and the
horses needed water, we were not long in complying, and the remnants