with terrible loss. About 6,000 of their bravest
men were either killed in battle or left wounded on the field and the
remainder were routed. Shortly after another great battle followed. This
also went in favour of the usurper, and a loss of 10,000 men inflicted.
One engagement followed another and all went to show that the Madhi had
won the sympathy and support of the masses of the people, and it appeared
likely he would soon have undisputed sway over the entire Soudan. Still
another effort was to be made to hurl back this powerful and persistent
foe. Hicks Pasha, "a brave leader," "a noble general," with an army of
10,000 men, with 6,000 camels, a large number of pack horses and mules,
was sent to arrest the advance of this desperate foe. For some time no
news reached us, as he was shut out from all means of communication with
the outer world. At length the appalling news came, not only of his
defeat, but of his utter destruction. One man only was known to have
escaped to tell the tale. He states, "We were led by a treacherous guide
into a mountain pass or defile, and there shut in by rocks; we were
confronted and surrounded by probably 100,000 of the enemy. For three
days and nights the battle raged; the few British officers fought like
lions against these overwhelming odds, until, so completely cut up by
sword, bullet and spear, that he feared he was the only man who managed
to escape." This large army was literally annihilated--1,200 officers
perished in this one battle. The Madhi took 17,000 Remington rifles, 7
Krupp guns, 6 Nordenfelts, 29 brass mounted cannon, and a very large
amount of ammunition. So that he appeared to be master of the situation.
"What next for the Soudan?" was being everywhere asked in Egypt and in
the Soudan. "Oh that Gordon was here," was the cry of many of the poor
down-trodden Soudanese. They believed him to be the only man who could
bring peace to their desolate and unhappy country.

Gordon was at that time taking a quiet rest near Jaffa, in the Holy Land,
and making investigations into places specially spoken of in the
Scriptures. He thought he could locate the place where Samuel took Agag
and hewed him to pieces. Also the well, called "Jacob's Well," and other
places of interest. It is said at this juncture, things in the Soudan
had become hopeless. A gentleman sent to one of the papers at Cairo the
following message: "Would to God that an angel would stand at the elb