Still (says the writer),
they kept harassing us by a continual dropping of shot from their long
rangers. About 7.30 a.m., General Stewart prepared to send out an
attacking column, with the object of driving them from the wells, which
were now only four or five miles distant. The troops marched out--Mounted
Infantry, Royal Artillery with three guns, Guards (this was the Front
Face); Right Face--Guards, Royal Sussex; Left Face--Mounted Infantry,
Heavy Cavalry Regiment. The 19th Hussars, under Colonel Barrow,
numbering 90 sabres, were sent to left flank to advance along the spur of
land on the north of the wady. Their duty was to move forward on a line
paralleled with the Square, and prevent the enemy on our left from
gaining the high ground across the little wady. A squadron of the 19th,
thirty sabres strong, followed the Square, marching by the front right to
assist the skirmishers. The Heavies were in charge of Colonel Talbot;
the Guards by Colonel Boscowen; the Mounted Infantry by Major Barrow; the
Naval Brigade by Lord Charles Beresford; the Royal Sussex by Major
Sunderland; the Royal Artillery by Captain Norton; and the Royal
Engineers by Major Dorwood. So they marched slowly forward. The
progress was like that of some ponderous machine, slow, regular, compact,
despite the hail of bullets that came from front, left and right, and
ultimately from the rear. Some ten or twelve thousand Arabs it was seen
had surrounded the Zareba. There was no retreat; it was "do or die!"
About 9.50 a.m., about 5000 of the enemy were seen on the opposite side
of the square, 400 or 500 yards distant, and seemed as if they would make
a dash for our square. Dervishes on horseback, and some on foot,
marshalled them, standing a few paces in front of the frantic host. With
banners fluttering, tom-toms clamouring, and shouts of Allah, they began
to move towards our square. The skirmisher's fire seemed to have no
effect; though a few of them fell, they ultimately made a run towards us
like the roll of a black surf. Lord Charles Beresford's superintendence
was moved to the left face, rear corner, to be brought into action; for
here they seemed to press the attack. Unhappily, before many rounds had
been fired, the cartridges stuck and the weapon was useless. Still down
came the Arab wave. One terrible rush of swordsmen and spearmen--scarcely
any carrying guns--their rifle fire had practically ceased. In wild
excitement, their whit