d
the river was entirely unknown, so no harm was done."

The sheik of the little village took charge of Gregory's camels. Some
stores were also left there, under a small guard, as it was advisable
to reduce the transport to the smallest possible amount.

The next morning the start was made. The bush was so thick that it was
necessary to march in single file. In the evening, the force halted in
a comparatively open country. The camel men reconnoitred the ground,
for some little distance round, and saw no signs of the enemy. They
camped, however, in the form of a square; and lay with their arms
beside them, in readiness to resist an attack.

The night passed quietly, and at early dawn they moved forward again.
At six o'clock the camel men exchanged a few shots with the Dervish
scouts, who fell back at once. At eight a village was sighted, and the
force advanced upon it, in fighting order.

It was found, however, to have been deserted, except by a few old
people. These, on being questioned, said that the Emir Saadalla, who
commanded, had but two hundred rifles and six hundred spearmen, and had
received orders from Fadil to surrender. Subsequent events showed that
they had been carefully tutored as to the reply to be given.

The force halted here, as Gedareh was still twelve miles away; and it
was thought better that, if there was fighting, they should be fresh.
At midnight, a deserter from the Dervishes came in, with the grave news
that the Emir had three thousand five hundred men, and was awaiting
them two miles outside the town. There was another informal council of
war, but all agreed that a retreat, through this difficult country,
would bring about the total annihilation of the force; and that there
was nothing to do but to fight.

Early in the morning, they started again. For the first two hours, the
road led through grass so high that even the men on camels could not
see above it. They pushed on till eight o'clock, when they reached a
small knoll. At the foot of this they halted, and Colonel Parsons and
the officers ascended it, to reconnoitre.

They saw, at once, that the deserter's news was true. A mile away four
lines of Dervishes, marching in excellent order, were making their way
towards them. Colonel Parsons considered that their numbers could not
be less than four thousand, and at once decided to occupy a saddle-back
hill, half a mile away; and the troops were hurried across. The
Dervishes also quicken