w to
escape the storm of bullets that pursued them.

Zaki had, throughout the day, kept close to Gregory, ready to hold his
horse when he dismounted; but, quick-footed as he was, he was left
behind when his master galloped across to Macdonald. He was up,
however, in the course of a minute or two, and Gregory was glad to see
him, for the horse was kicking and plunging at the roar of the
approaching enemy; and was almost maddened when to this was added the
crash of the batteries and musketry.

"Put my blanket round his head, Zaki," Gregory said, when the black ran
up. "Wrap it round so that he cannot see. Hold the bridle with one
hand, and stroke him with the other, and keep on talking to him; he
knows your voice. I don't want to dismount if I can help it, for with
my field glasses I see everything that is taking place, and I will tell
you how matters are going."

For the moment, it seemed as if the surging crowd streaming down must
carry all before it; but the steadiness with which the 9th Soudanese
moved into their place on the flank of the line, and the other
regiments remained, as if on parade, soon reassured him. The terrible
slaughter that was taking place in the ranks of the Dervishes soon
showed that, in that quarter at least, there was no fear of things
going wrong; but he could not but look anxiously towards the great mass
of men approaching from the north.

It was a matter of minutes. Would the present attack be repulsed in
time for the position to be changed, to meet the coming storm?
Occasionally, Gregory looked back to see if reinforcements were coming.
Wauchope's brigade was visible over the tops of the scattered bushes.
The movements of the line showed that they were coming on at the
double, but they were farther away than Ed Din's host, and the latter
were running like deer.

He felt a deep sense of relief when the 9th Soudanese were thrown back,
performing the movement as quietly and steadily as if on a drill
ground; and two batteries of artillery galloped across to their
support. He had hardly expected such calm courage from the black
battalion. As to the bravery of the Soudanese troops, there was no
question. They were of the same blood and race as their foes, and had
shown how bravely they could fight in many a previous battle; but he
was not prepared for the steady way in which they worked, under such
novel circumstances; and although they, too, must have known that every
moment was of consequ