es from the
city, he received the news of 'the stricken field.' He immediately
halted, and sought to hide the disaster from his soldiers by announcing
that the Khalifa had been victorious and no longer needed their
assistance. He even explained the appearance of gunboats upon the river
by saying that these had run past the batteries at Omdurman and that the
others were destroyed. The truth was not, however, long concealed; for
a few days later two emissaries despatched by Slatin arrived at the
Dervish camp and announced the destruction of the Omdurman army, the
flight of the Khalifa, and the fall of the city. The messengers were
authorised to offer Ahmed terms; but that implacable Dervish flew into
a rage, and, having shot one, sent the other, covered with insults and
stripes, to tell the 'Turks' that he would fight to the bitter end. He
then struck his camp, and marched back along the east bank of the Blue
Nile, with the intention of crossing the river near its confluence
with the Rahad, and so joining the Khalifa in Kordofan. His Dervishes,
however, did not view this project with satisfaction. Their families
and women had been left with large stores of grain and ammunition
in Gedaref, under a strong garrison of 3,000 men. They urged their
commander to return and collect these possessions. Ahmed at first
refused, but when on arriving at the place of passage he found himself
confronted with a gunboat, he resolved to make a virtue of necessity and
set out leisurely for Gedaref.

On the 5th of September Colonel Parsons, in command of the forces at
Kassala, heard through the Italian Governor of Eritrea of the victory
at Omdurman. The next day official news arrived from England, and in
conformity with previous instructions he set out on the 7th for Gedaref.
It was known that Ahmed Fedil had marched towards Omdurman. It was
believed that Gedaref was only weakly held, and the opportunity of
cutting the most powerful remaining Dervish army from its base was
too precious to be neglected. But the venture was desperate. The whole
available strength of the Kassala garrison was mustered. With these
1,350 motley soldiers, untried, little disciplined, worn with waiting
and wasted by disease, without cavalry, artillery, or machine guns,
and with only seven British officers, including the doctor, Gedaref was
taken, and, having been taken, was held.

After two long marches Colonel Parsons and his force arrived at El
Fasher, on the rig