ome
seconds before he let go of the bridle-reins, and tumbled upon the
ground. Half-a-dozen Arabs were now about him. With the blood gushing
in streams from his gashed throat the dauntless Burnaby leaped to his
feet, sword in hand, and slashed at the ferocious group. They were the
wild shrieks of a proud man dying hard, and he was quickly overborne, and
left helpless and dying! The heroic soldier who sprang to his rescue,
was, I fear, also slain in the melee, for though I watched for him, I
never saw him get back to his place in the ranks. But the
square had been broken. The Arabs were driving their spears at our men's
breasts. Happily, however, the enemy's ranks had been badly decimated by
our bullets; yet they fought desperately, until bullet or bayonet stopped
their career. Then from another quarter came a great onrush with spears
poised and swords uplifted straight into our rear corner, the Arab horse
struck like a tempest. The Heavies were thrown into confusion, for the
enemy were right among them, killing and wounding with demoniacal fury.
General Stewart himself rode into their midst to assist, but his horse
was killed under him, and he was saved from the Arab spearmen with great
difficulty: Lord Airlie received two slight spear wounds, and so did Lord
C. Beresford. The Dervishes made terrible havoc for a few minutes. It
was an awful scene, for many of the wounded and dying perished by the
hands of the merciless Arabs, infuriated by their Sheiks, whose wild
hoarse cries rent the air, whilst the black spearmen ran hither and
thither thirsting for blood. Lord St. Vincent had a most providential
escape. So great was the peril that the officers in the Guards and
Mounted Infantry placed their men back to back to make one last effort to
save the situation. "To me," says the writer, who was outside on the
right face: "they appeared to spin round a large mound like a whirlpool
of human beings."

Soon the enemy showed signs of wavering, for the fire of our English lads
was fierce and withering. A young officer rallied a number of men on the
rear; and these delivered a most telling fire into the enemy's ranks; the
strained tension of the situation had been most severe, when at last the
Arabs, two or three at first, then twenties and fifties, trotted off the
field and in a very few minutes there was not an enemy to be seen. With
cheer upon cheer, shouting until we were hoarse, we celebrated thi