tly superior mobility of the
Dervishes; and it was evident that, if they chose to avoid fighting,
they had it in their power to do so.

Chapter 14: Omdurman.

The night passed quietly, except that shots were occasionally fired by
Dervishes who crept up within range; and that, once, a mounted man, who
had apparently lost his way, rode fearlessly into camp; and then,
finding himself close to the troops, turned his horse and galloped off
again. No shot followed him, as the orders were strict that the camp
was not to be alarmed, unless in the case of a serious attack.

At half past three the bugle sounded, and the troops were soon astir.
The animals were watered and fed, and the men had a breakfast of cocoa
or tea, with biscuits and tinned meat. At half past four Colonel
Broadwood, commanding the Egyptian cavalry, sent out a squadron to the
hills on the west, and another to Surgham Hill.

The latter arrived at their destination at two minutes past five, when
daylight had just broken. The officer in command saw at once that the
Dervish army had been reinforced in the night, and were marching to
attack us. News was at once sent back to the camp, where all was in
readiness for an advance.

No news could have been more welcome. It was one thing to attack the
Dervishes in their chosen position, and to carry the narrow streets of
Omdurman at the point of the bayonet--the Dervishes had shown, at Abu
Hamed, how desperately they could fight under such circumstances--and
another to meet them while attacking our position, in the open. This
was protected, along the line occupied by the white troops, by a hedge;
while the three Egyptian brigades had constructed shelter trenches.
These afforded a vastly better defence against a foe advancing by
daylight, although they would not be so effective in checking a sudden
and determined rush, in the darkness.

Preparations were at once made to oppose the enemy. The Sirdar and his
staff were already mounting, when the news arrived. The horses were now
taken to the rear, the reserve ammunition boxes lifted from the mules'
backs, and the animals led to a sheltered position, behind some huts.

The guns were wheeled up into positions between the infantry brigades.
The troops were disposed in line, two deep; two companies of each
battalion, with the stretchers and bearers, taking post at a short
distance farther back, to reinforce the front line if hardly pressed,
and to supply it from t