ut there were two other alarms in the
night, and the troops in the zereba did not get a very sound rest,
having thus to stand to their arms three times.

The morning at length dawned, and a sharp fire was maintained for some
time from the hills, the pickets being withdrawn into the zereba. Then
the enemy advanced in two long lines, with banners flying, five thousand
of them, an imposing spectacle, and the English soldiers grasped their
weapons, thinking that the struggle had come at last. But not yet was
it to be. The enemy declined to push the attack home, but halted at a
distance, keeping up a galling fire. So, as men began to drop, and the
day was slipping on, General Stewart determined at ten o'clock to take
the initiative.

The camels and other encumbrances were left in the zereba with a guard,
and the square advanced, working round the left of the enemy's position.
The Arabs retreated, and some of our young soldiers began to anticipate
an easy victory. But the enemy showed that they too could manoeuvre;
suddenly wheeling to the left, they came down like an avalanche on the
rear of the square, bearing back the men composing it, and breaking in
at one of the corners.

Why detail the scene? It was very much the same as that which occurred
the year before at Tamai, on the Red Sea side, to the Second Brigade,
and which was described while we were following the fortunes of Tom
Strachan. The hand-to-hand fighting was desperate, the slaughter
terrible, and the enemy was finally beaten back. No matter; a step was
taken, though deep in blood, towards the great object--the relief of
Khartoum, and the rescue of Gordon, and hope beat high in every breast.

Next day, January the nineteenth, General Stewart left his wounded at
the wells of Abu Klea, which had been won, and pushed forward for
Matammeh at three in the afternoon. No resistance was met with, no sign
of the enemy perceived all night, and when the day dawned a thread of
silver shone in the south-east, and a hundred voices broke out
simultaneously in a chorus of--

"The Nile!"

Yes, there was the river, and as the light grew stronger the town of
Matammeh could be distinguished. At the same time the tam-tams were
heard beating, and the enemy appeared swarming over the hills which
intervened between the British army and the river.

Another zereba was constructed, for the men were exhausted with fatigue
and want of food, and it was not thought wise to gi