til the infantry, advancing, drove back the enemy,
when the rockets were directed upon the summit of Fahla, where Theodore
and his staff were still posted. So good was their practice, that they
caused confusion and dismay, and one, it was afterwards ascertained,
very nearly killed the king as he was superintending the fire of his
guns.

Though defeated at all quarters again and again, the Abyssinians
advanced. Masses of slain and wounded covered the plain. For three
hours the contest continued, when, in spite of their heroic courage, the
dark-skinned warriors were compelled to retire, at first slowly and
steadily up the heights, but a panic at length appeared to seize them as
they cast an eye over the ground on which they had fought, covered by
heaps of their men, when the larger number took to flight. The pursuit
continued for some way, but Sir Robert wisely prevented his troops from
advancing too far, lest by the British having to retire, the Abyssinians
might regain their courage. Wet and weary with the exertions they had
gone through, the troops bivouacked for the night at the mouth of the
ravine.

"I can't say I admire campaigning," observed Billy Blueblazes, as they
were sitting round their camp fire on the wet ground, the lofty hills
rising up above them, while the cries of the wounded Abyssinians could
still be heard from various parts of the plain where they had fallen.

The British camp was kept constantly on the alert for lights were seen
passing over the plain; but at length it was discovered that they were
borne by Abyssinians searching for their wounded or dead countrymen.

The British wounded amounted only to twenty men. They were soon brought
in. Most of them were suffering from spear wounds, received during the
desperate attempt of the Abyssinians to capture the baggage. Such of
the wounded Abyssinians as could be found were also brought into the
British camp to be attended to by the surgeons.

Next morning Tom, with several other officers, went over the
battle-field, which exhibited a scene of horror in every direction. At
the entrance of the ravine, men and horses were heaped together, shot
down or pierced through with sword or bayonet, ten or twelve together.
Further on could be seen tracks of blood, where the wounded had
attempted to crawl back to their friends or to gain the shelter of some
rock or bush. Almost in the middle of the field lay the dead body of
Theodore's chief general,