EL-TEB.
The next morning the Gordon Highlanders and Irish Fusiliers, accompanied
by a squadron of Hussars and the Mounted Infantry, with a couple of
small guns, crossed the lagoon and occupied the intrenchment. The
cavalry went a little distance out; but the enemy were seen in
considerable numbers, and as there might be a large force concealed
among the low sand-hills, no attempt was made to attack them, as it was
undesirable to bring on serious fighting until the whole force were in
readiness to advance. In the evening the cavalry recrossed the lagoon,
as there was no water obtainable on the other side, and the animals had
to depend upon the supply landed from the steamers. All day the work of
disembarkation had been going on, and in spite of the heat of the
blazing sun, the men had worked enthusiastically in getting the horses
and stores on shore.
The next day the Naval Brigade, one hundred and fifteen strong, all
picked men from the crews of the gun-boats, with ten officers, landed.
The troops on the beach were most anxious to advance, but as those
beyond the lagoon had to depend entirely upon food and water carried
across to them, it was unadvisable to push a larger body of men forward,
especially as the natives had clearly no intentions of attacking them,
contenting themselves by keeping up a distant fire.
"I expect the beggars are gathering their forces just as we are
gathering ours," one of the Hussars said, as they sat round a fire they
had lighted with some drift-wood picked up on shore. The heat was in no
way required, but the light was cheerful, and the smoke kept away
troublesome insects.
"They reckon," another said, "upon falling upon us on the march as they
did upon Baker's men, but they will find they have got into the wrong
box."
"General Baker came down himself in the steamboat which arrived this
afternoon. I heard one of the officers say so," Edgar put in. "It will
be a satisfaction to him to see these fellows well licked on nearly the
same ground where they cut up his force."
"Ah! I expect Baker would give his right hand to lead the cavalry in the
charge. What a splendid officer he is! There is not a man in the army
can handle cavalry as he can; and wouldn't the 10th fight with their old
colonel at their head!"
There was a general chorus of assent.
"How splendidly he fought in Turkey!" another trooper said. "I am told
the Turks he led would have done anything for him, and had just the same
confidence in him our chaps used to have. If he had been in command of
the whole army, instead of those rotten old pashas, the Russians would
have found it a very different job. I wonder when we are going on. Now
we have got all the stores ashore it will be precious slow work being
stuck on this beach."
"We are waiting for the 65th," a sergeant said. "I hear the _Serapis_
was expected this morning. It is great luck for them getting a fight
without any trouble at all. How pleased they must have been when they
heard at Aden that they were to be stopped on their way up, to have a
share in the affair!"
"Yes, I call that a first-rate piece of luck," another agreed, "to have
a good fight and then go straight home, while we have got nothing to
look forward to afterwards but garrison duty in Cairo. I would rather be
going on to India fifty times."
"Like enough we may see some service there," the sergeant said. "If this
Mahdi fellow comes down, which they say he means to do, to invade Egypt,
you may be sure we shall all have to go up to stop him."
"I don't call it 'fighting' against these savages," one of the troopers
said. "What chance have they got against regular troops?"
"I don't know, Johnson. The Zulus were savages, and they made a pretty
tough fight against us. I suppose you don't want anything much harder
than that? These fellows have been every bit as brave as the Zulus. They
cut Hicks Pasha's army into mincemeat, and they have licked two Egyptian
armies down in this neighbourhood. If you think this is going to be no
harder work than a field-day at Aldershot, I think you are likely to
find you are mistaken."
"You don't suppose, sergeant, that these naked beggars are going to
stand for a moment against a charge of eight hundred cavalry?"
"It did not seem as if naked savages could stand infantry armed with
breech-loaders, but you see the Zulus did. It does not seem possible
these Arabs can stand for a moment against our charge; but, you see, we
do not understand these fellows. One knows what regular infantry can do
against cavalry, and it may be we shall find that these Arabs are not to
be ridden over as easily as we think. When you have got to reckon with
men who don't care the snap of a finger whether they are killed or not,
you never can count upon an easy victory however badly they may be
armed, and however undisciplined they may be.
"There is nine o'clock," he broke off, as the bells on board the
gun-boats rang out twice. A moment later a bugle sounded "lights out,"
and the call was repeated by the buglers and trumpeters of the various
corps, and a few minutes later the men stretched themselves out on the
sand, and silence reigned in the camp. The next morning Admiral Hewett
sent on shore eight seven-pounder guns from the fleet, to take the place
of the same number of little camel-guns, which had been found to be of
no real utility. At noon the smoke of a steamer was made out in the
distance, and a few hours later the _Serapis_, whose engines had gone
wrong, arrived with the 65th, who were landed at once, and
immediately crossed the lagoon to the intrenchment, and it was known
that the advance would at once begin.
[Illustration: PORT OF SUAKIM]
[Illustration: BATTLE OF EL TEB.
20TH. FEB. 1884.]
In addition to the guns sent on shore from the fleet the artillery had
ten brass mountain-guns and four Krupps; the Naval Brigade had with them
two nine-pounders, three Gatlings, and three Gardners. The troops were
divided into two brigades, the first consisting of 610 men of the
Rifles, 751 Gordon Highlanders, and 334 of the Irish regiment; the
second brigade of 761 Royal Highlanders, 500 of the 65th, 361 Royal
Marine Artillery and Infantry, and 100 Royal Engineers. There were 600
camels for the transport, 350 mules and 100 camels for the ambulance
corps, while the camel battery was composed of 80 camels and 100 men.
In the course of the afternoon Major Harvey and Lieutenant-colonel
Burnaby rode out two miles beyond the intrenchment and planted a white
flag with a letter attached to the flagstaff, calling upon the enemy to
retire and allow us to pass on to Tokar without opposition. They were
fired at by the Arabs, and as the flag disappeared a short time after
the officers had returned, there was no doubt that the letter would
arrive at its destination. Before nightfall the whole of the force, with
the exception of one hundred and fifty men left to defend the stores on
the beach, had crossed the lagoon. Three hundred men were to remain in
the intrenchment, when the rest marched, to defend the transport animals
and stores left there against any attacks. Bivouac fires were lighted,
and round these the troops sat smoking and chatting until the bugle-call
ordered all to lie down in their ranks. They were bivouacked in the
order in which they were to advance.
The formation was to be a sort of square, of which the Gordon
Highlanders were to form the front face, the Royal Highlanders the rear
line, the Irish Fusiliers the right face with the Rifles inside them;
the 65th were on the outside of the left face, the Marines being inside
them. The whole square was about 250 yards long by 150 deep. Between
the Marines and Rifles in the centre were stationed the transport
animals with the reserve ammunition and hospital appliances. The camel
battery with the seven-pounders was to remain in reserve in the centre
of the square, while the sailors with the six marine-guns were placed at
the left front of the square, next to the Gordon Highlanders.
The bivouac fires were kept up all night, as it was considered probable
that the enemy, who occasionally fired from a distance, might attempt an
attack upon the sleeping force. The night, however, passed quietly, but
towards morning rain fell heavily, soaking the troops as they lay, and
there was a general feeling of gladness when the reveille called them to
their feet. Fresh fuel was thrown on to the fires, and the men tried as
best they could to dry themselves. The kettles were boiled and breakfast
eaten, and the cavalry recrossed the lagoon to the beach to give their
horses water at the tanks there. They then rejoined the infantry. Their
place was to be in the rear of the square, but two squadrons were to
move in extended order as scouts a mile in front of it and on both
flanks.
Their orders were that if attacked they were not to charge the enemy,
but to open right and left and to retire at once and rejoin the main
body in the rear of the square, so as to allow a clear space for the
sweep of the infantry fire. The infantry were to fire only in volleys on
word of command, and were not to open fire until within three hundred
yards of the enemy.
Moving out from the camp the force was halted on open ground and a brief
inspection made to see that all was in order, and soon after eight
o'clock the advance began in earnest.
As soon as they moved forward the enemy could be seen retiring,
evidently bent upon pursuing the same tactics that they had done upon
the occasion of the advance of Baker Pasha's force from the same
halting-place a month before. The officers with their glasses could make
them out swarming along a slight ridge of ground in the neighbourhood of
the wells; their flags extended along a front a mile in length, and
guns could be made out in position. As the column advanced the enemy
cleared off from the rising ground, but whether they had retired behind
the ridge, and were there waiting in readiness to pour out to the
attack, or whether they were moving round to fall upon the flank of the
column, was uncertain. As the column neared the position it could be
seen that a breastwork had been thrown up, and that the position of the
guns had been well chosen, and the enemy could now be made out crowded
among the bushes on the ridge.
It was now ten o'clock, the column was advancing briskly to the martial
music of the pipes of the Royal Highlanders, the cavalry scouts had
moved away from the front, and the square was within five hundred yards
of the ridge. They were not, however, advancing directly against it, but
were moving in a line almost parallel to its face, as General Graham had
determined to pass it and then attack in flank, as it was evident that
there would be serious loss in a front attack upon a position so
strongly held and fortified. It was a trying moment, for all expected
that the silence, so far preserved by the enemy, would be broken by the
roar of cannon and the discharge of musketry, and that it would be
followed by the tremendous rush that had proved fatal to Baker's force.
But the square kept its way for some distance across the face before the
enemy opened fire. They had doubtless expected that a direct attack
would be made upon their position, and the passage of the troops without
the slightest attention to themselves surprised and disconcerted them.
But at last they perceived that they must take the offensive, and
suddenly a hot fire of musketry broke out from bush and earthwork, while
the Krupp guns, manned by the soldiers who had formed part of the Tokar
garrison, opened fire. The distance was but four hundred yards, and
several of the men fell out from their places in the ranks wounded, but
the greater part of the shot and bullets flew overhead.
No reply to the fire was made by the square, but its direction was
changed a little more to the right so as to take it somewhat farther
from the face of the enemy's position. The artillery now opened fire
upon the guns of the enemy, but the square kept on its course steadily,
while a storm of bullets and fragments of shrapnel-shell flew around
them. The enemy's gunners proved that their training had been good. They
worked their guns quickly and their aim was accurate. General Baker, who
was acting as head of the intelligence department, was struck in the
face by a ball from one of the shrapnel-shells. This imbedded itself so
deeply in his jaw that it could not be got out by the surgeons until
after the conclusion of the fight. But the gallant officer, having had
his face bandaged up, remounted his horse, and continued his duties
throughout the day.
Upon getting to a position at the end of the ridge held by the enemy the
men were ordered to lie down, while the artillery continued their fire
against the enemy's batteries. At a quarter to twelve the Arab guns
ceased to fire, and the men were ordered to their feet again, and with
loud cheers continued the advance. The square moved on until well in
rear of the enemy's position, and then marched straight towards it.
Owing to this change in the direction of its march the left flank of the
square now became its front, and it was the 65th with the Naval Brigade
on one flank and the Royal Highlanders on the other, who were nearest to
the enemy.
Fast and thick the flashes of musketry broke out from the bushes; but as
the square approached the fire ceased, and then groups of black forms
sprang to their feet, and with loud yells rushed towards the square,
waving their spears and swords. It seemed incredible that these little
groups of ten or twelve men each should intend to assail the solid lines
of the British, but as fresh parties every moment sprang up and charged
down, the order was given to fire. A flash of flame ran along the face
of the great square, and then a continuous roar told that the
breech-loading rifles were at work, while the machine-guns of the
sailors added their rattle to the din of the musketry.
[Illustration: "WITH A DESPERATE RUSH THEY REACHED THE SAILORS."]
As if utterly heedless of death the Arabs rushed forward through the
leaden storm, but were mowed down like grass before it. Not one of these
intrepid warriors reached the face of the square, not one turned to fly;
but of those who left their shelter to attack the square, every man fell
with his face to the foe. Without halting for a moment the square kept
on its way until the front line reached the bushes. Then with a wild
yell a swarm of Arabs sprang to their feet, with so sudden and desperate
a rush that they reached the sailors, and for a minute a hand-to-hand
struggle took place--bayonet against spear. But the wild courage of the
natives was of no avail against the steady discipline of the sailors.
The assailants were swept away, and the square moved on.
But the ground was now so broken with bush and rock that the even line
could no longer be preserved. From every bush, and from rifle-pits dug
among them, and from behind rough intrenchments, parties of Arabs leapt
to their feet and hurled themselves in vain upon the British bayonets.
As the front of the square reached the ridge that had formed the Arab
position the fight was most desperate, the enemy throwing themselves
furiously on its flanks; and the Royal Highlanders and the sailors had
to fight hard to win their way through them. But at last the ridge was
won.
Two of the enemy's Krupp guns were captured, and as soon as the square
had been formed up again in order these were turned against the position
the Arabs had now taken up in rear of their first line of defence. In
the centre of the position they now occupied was a brick building, where
an engine for pumping up water for irrigation purposes had formerly
stood. The Arabs had loopholed the walls and surrounded the building
with rifle-pits. Here they made a desperate resistance, until at last
the doors were burst in and the building stormed. Several mud huts were
defended with equal obstinacy, and many of our men were wounded by Arabs
who lay feigning death in the rifle-pits, and then when the first line
of troops had passed leaped out and rushed in among them, cutting and
slashing until bayoneted or shot down.
While the 65th were winning this position the Gordon Highlanders carried
the village, while the Royal Highlanders captured the redoubt at the
extreme right of the position the enemy had first held. The enemy now
had been driven from their last line and fled in all directions, at a
speed that rendered pursuit by the infantry impossible.
During the early portion of the battle the cavalry had been kept in the
rear, out of the range of the enemy's fire, and the men had nothing to
do but to sit quiet on their horses and watch the attack of the infantry
square upon the enemy's position, fretting and fuming not a little that
they were unable to take their part in what was evidently a desperate
struggle. But at last bodies of the Arabs were seen streaming out from
the position, and General Stewart, who was in command of the cavalry
division, gave the order, and, wheeling far round to the right of the
infantry, led them against a large body of Arabs in the plain beyond the
ridge.
The enemy did not await their attack, but fled, hotly pursued by the
first and second lines for some distance. The order to cease pursuing
was sounded, when it was seen that the third line, composed of a hundred
men, were attacked by a body of Arabs who had advanced from the left,
and the main body wheeled round and advanced to assist them. But the
ground between was already occupied by the Arabs; these as the cavalry
advanced threw themselves down among the tufted hillocks and mounds
which covered the whole plain. The horses in their course leaped the
hillocks, swerving at the sight of the dark figures lying among them.
The Arabs sprang instantly to their feet in the intervals between the
horsemen and hurled their spears at them, or as they lay thrust them
into the horses, and as these fell sprang upon the riders and cut them
down. At the same moment a small body of mounted Arabs dashed into the
fray. Most of them were cut down, but some made their way through the
line, and turning the instant they did so fell upon the rear of the
charging squadron. Colonel Barrow who commanded it fell, but it still
pressed forward, the opposition becoming every moment more severe.
General Stewart led the second line to the assistance of the first, but
these too were desperately opposed, and had to fight hard before they
could reach them. One of the general's orderlies was killed and two
others wounded. Major Slade of the 10th Hussars, Lieutenant Freeman of
the 19th, and Lieutenant Probyn fell, and twenty men were killed and as
many wounded before the enemy retired.
Colonel Webster's squadron, which made several brilliant charges at the
enemy, now joined the rest of the cavalry. But the Arabs were
momentarily reinforced, and after what had been seen of the desperation
with which they fought it was deemed imprudent to pursue them further.
With the exception of the losses sustained by the cavalry the total loss
at the battle of El-Teb was small, amounting to only thirty killed and
one hundred and forty-two wounded. One infantry officer was killed, one
mortally wounded, and one severely so, while many received slight
wounds. The loss of the Arabs exceeded two thousand.
Edgar's squadron was among the first line when the charge was made to
the assistance of Colonel Webster's squadron. He was in the rear rank
and could not well see what was passing in front, and he was astounded
upon seeing men spring up apparently from the earth and furiously attack
the horsemen with spear and sword. He himself had a very narrow escape.
His horse swerved as it leapt a low bush, and almost simultaneously a
native sprang to his feet and lunged at him with his spear.
Instinctively he threw himself forward on the neck of his horse, and as
he did so felt the spear graze his back below the shoulders. The next
moment his horse had taken him beyond the Arab's reach; but at that
instant he heard a cry and saw Corporal North's horse fall with him,
pierced by a spear thrust given by a native lying on the ground.
Before the corporal could rise the Arab was upon him with his sword, and
struck him down with a sweeping cut upon the shoulder. Edgar had wheeled
his horse round instantly, and before the blow was repeated was within
striking distance of the man and his sword fell upon the uplifted wrist.
Dropping his sword the Arab sprang upon the horse and strove to tear
Edgar from the saddle, while at the same instant the Arab who had first
thrust at him ran up. Fortunately he came up at the side on which his
comrade was clinging to Edgar, and was therefore unable to use his spear
against him; but after a moment's hesitation he plunged it into the
horse, which reared high in the air and then fell. Edgar had at the
moment rid himself of the man who was grasping him, by shortening his
sword and plunging it into his body, and as the horse reared he drew his
feet from the stirrups and dropped off over his tail, coming down upon
his feet just as the animal rolled over dead.
The other Arab rushed at him with his spear. Edgar cut at it with his
sword and severed the iron head from the staff, and then springing
forward ran the Arab through before he could take to his sword. But
several others were running up, and Edgar felt that his case was
desperate. By this time the corporal, though badly wounded, had freed
himself from his fallen horse, and drawing his carbine from the bucket
shot the Arab nearest to him. The others, however, came on without a
pause. Edgar and his wounded companion made a desperate defence; but
both received several sword-cuts, and Edgar felt the end was at hand,
when with a roar like thunder the second line burst down upon them, and
the Arabs were instantly cut down.
"Take those two men up behind you!" an officer shouted.
Two of the troopers reined in their horses and assisted Edgar and his
companion to climb up behind them, and then riding at full speed soon
regained the line. In another minute the trumpet sounded for a halt.
Edgar and his companion now slipped from the horses and joined their own
squadron. The corporal was scarce able to stand, and Edgar was not in a
better plight. Major Horsley rode up to them.
"Not badly wounded, I hope?" he asked. "It is a miracle your getting in
when once dismounted."
"I think I am pretty nearly done for, sir," the corporal said. "But I
wish to report that Trumpeter Smith has saved my life by coming back to
my assistance when my horse was stabbed and fell with me. He killed the
two men who attacked me, and so gave me time to free myself and to aid
him in making a fight of it until the second line came up." As Corporal
North concluded he fell insensible from loss of blood.
At that moment the surgeon came up. "Are we going to charge again,
major? because if so, these men, with the others badly wounded, had
better be sent across at once to the infantry. There are too many of
these Arab scoundrels about for them to be left behind here. But if we
are not going to charge I will give their wounds a first dressing at
once."
"I don't know," the major said. "I will ride to the general and ask him,
and speak to him about the wounded. Sergeant Meekings, if the order
comes to charge before I return, tell off a trooper to take up each man
too badly wounded to ride, and let them carry them straight across to
the infantry."
After giving this order he rode rapidly away, but returned in two or
three minutes. "We are not going to charge again, doctor," he said;
"they are mustering too strongly for us to attempt it. The general says
he will halt where we are until the worst cases of the wounded are
attended to. Here, two of you men, dismount and assist the surgeon."
"Get their jackets off, lads," the doctor said. "Take this corporal
first; he is the worst case."
The other wounded men were now brought up, and their wounds were all
bandaged. Those who could sit a horse then mounted behind other
troopers, while a number of soldiers were ordered to dismount and to lay
the others upon blankets and carry them in.
Edgar was one of these. He had received one cut on the top of his head,
and his helmet had alone saved his skull from being cleft. He had
another gash on the right cheek. His side was laid open with a
spear-thrust, the weapon having fortunately glanced from his ribs, and
he had another sword-cut on the hip. He was unable to walk from loss of
blood, but he felt that none of his wounds were very serious; and the
surgeon said to him cheerfully, "You will do, lad. Your wounds are ugly
to look at, but they are not serious. You will be on horseback again in
another ten days."
Major Horsley had not spoken to him, but he had given him a little nod
of satisfaction when the corporal gave his report. The cavalry moved
across at a walk towards the wells of El-Teb, the wounded being carried
between the lines, as there was no saying how many Arabs might be
lurking among the bushes. On reaching the wells they were taken to the
field hospital, which had already been organized. There their wounds
were more carefully examined and re-dressed; and after a drink of
lime-juice and water, with a little brandy in it, Edgar soon dropped off
to sleep. In the morning Major Horsley and Captain Atkinson came round
to see how the men of their regiment were getting on. The surgeon's
report was favourable except in the case of Corporal North.
"I think he will pull round, major; but I am sure he will never be fit
for service again. That wound on the shoulder, which he tells me is the
first he got, has cut clean through the collar-bone and penetrated
almost to the upper rib. I doubt whether he will ever have the use of
his arm again; but that I cannot say. Anyhow, it will be long before it
is fit for hard work. Trumpeter Smith? There is nothing serious the
matter with him, but he has had a marvellous escape. If his helmet had
not saved his head, the blow would have cleft right through his skull;
if the wound in his cheek had been a couple of inches higher, it would
have opened the temporal artery; and if the spear had penetrated instead
of gliding off his ribs, that alone would have been sufficient to have
done his business. As it is, he is not much the worse except for loss of
blood, and with luck will be fit to take his place again in the ranks in
a fortnight."
"I am glad to hear so good an account of you, Smith," the major said as
he went up to his bedside. "I have reported your conduct to General
Stewart, and your name will be sent in among those recommended for the
Victoria Cross. Mind, I don't say that you will get it, lad, I don't
think you will; for so many men distinguished themselves yesterday in
that hand-to-hand fight that the names sent in will be very much larger
than the number of crosses given. Still, your having been recommended
will count in your favour when the time comes." So saying, with a kindly
nod he moved on to the next bed.
At nine o'clock the force moved out towards Tokar, half the Gordon
Highlanders being left at El-Teb for the protection of the hospital and
stores, and with orders to find and bury the Europeans that had fallen.
During the day many of the Egyptian garrison of Tokar came into the camp
from the surrounding villages. In the afternoon a mounted orderly
brought in the news that the force had met with no resistance whatever
on their way. Several parties of the enemy had been seen, but these fled
as soon as they saw the troops advancing. In Tokar seventy of the
Egyptian garrison were found in a half-starved condition. While their
comrades had consented to join the Arabs they had steadily refused to do
so, and had been very badly treated in consequence by them and by the
inhabitants of the town. The arrival of the troops was hailed with great
joy. The inhabitants had had a terrible time during the occupation of
the place by the Arabs, and the whole population were preparing to
accompany the troops on their march back to the coast. The cavalry had
ridden out to Debbah, where the camp of the force besieging Tokar had
been established.
In the afternoon Edgar was so far recovered that he was able to sit up.
His wounds were sore and painful, and the strapping of plaster in which
they were enveloped rendered him very stiff and uncomfortable. But, as
he said to another soldier, he had been just as stiff and sore after a
football match, and felt confident that in a few days he should be as
well as ever.
The next evening the force returned from Tokar, and Edgar and the other
troopers who were well enough to go outside the hospital tent to see
them come in were amused at their appearance, for they had before
starting armed themselves with spears taken from the fallen Arabs; for
the fight on the previous day had shown them that their swords were of
little avail against the tactics of the Arabs in throwing themselves
flat upon the ground, and that spears were much better suited for
warfare against savages. They were accompanied by the greater portion of
the population of Tokar, who were to be conveyed in the ships up to
Suakim. The cavalry had found that the Arabs had left the camp at Debbah
before they arrived.
The expedition there was, however, by no means useless, for they found
an immense quantity of rifles and ammunition, together with a Gatling
and mountain gun, all of which had been captured by the Arabs at the
rout of Baker Pasha's army, or at the destruction of the force under
Colonel Moncrieff some months before. The guns captured in the
intrenchments made up the complete number of those that had fallen into
the hands of the natives on those two occasions, and so left them
without artillery. The work of burying the dead had been carried on by
the force left in camp, and by the aid of those who now returned was
completed in a short time.
No less than a thousand Arabs were found to have fallen in and around
their intrenchments, and numbers must have got away only to die
subsequently from their wounds. It was learned from prisoners that
Osman Digma had not himself been present at the battle, but had sent a
thousand men to reinforce those engaged in the siege of Tokar.
The force now moved down to Trinkitat with three hundred men of the
garrison of Tokar who had rejoined them, and four or five hundred men,
women, and children from that town. The re-embarkation was speedily
effected, and a few hours later the ships entered Suakim harbour.
It was found that the natives of that town had received the news of the
victory of El-Teb with absolute incredulity, but the arrival of the
Tokar fugitives convinced them that the Arabs had really been defeated.
One of the prisoners taken at Sinkat came in a day or two later, having
made his escape from Osman Digma's camp. He reported that the news of
the battle of El-Teb had arrived there before he left, and that it had
been given out that seven thousand of the English had been killed, and
that it was only nightfall that saved them all from destruction.
The first step of Admiral Hewett and General Graham on their arrival at
Suakim was to issue a proclamation calling upon all the tribesmen to
leave Osman Digma and to come in and make their submission, promising
protection and pardon to all who surrendered. This proclamation was
backed by a letter by the Sheik Morghani, who was held in the highest
estimation for his holiness. He told them that God had sent the English
to destroy them because they had forsaken the old religion for a new
one, and entreated them to come in and make their peace.
A fortnight had now passed since the fight at El-Teb. Edgar, who had
remained on board the hospital-ship, had made rapid progress towards
convalescence, and was now reported by the surgeons as fit to return to
duty, which he was most anxious to do, as it was daily expected that the
force would move out against Osman Digma, who was at Tamai, a place
sixteen miles to the south-west of Suakim. The troops had been
disembarked, and he was delighted when he was again able to join his
squadron. Spies came and went daily, and they were unanimous in saying
that Osman would fight another battle. The news that El-Teb was a
disastrous defeat was by this time known, but his explanation that the
misfortunes were solely due to his orders having been disobeyed,
perfectly satisfied his followers, and their belief that he was
invincible was wholly unshaken.
The most fanatical of the coast tribes still held to him, and on the 9th
of March twenty-one of their sheiks sent in a defiant reply to the
proclamation, saying that the ten thousand men they commanded would meet
us in the field. It was therefore evident that the struggle to come
would be much more serious and determined than that of El-Teb.
Edgar received quite an ovation upon rejoining his troop. The manner in
which he had defended his wounded comrade had awakened their lively
admiration, the more so since the man for whom he had so imperilled his
life had but lately been his personal antagonist.
"Well, young un, you are getting on," a sergeant said to him. "I won't
say you are getting all the luck, for luck has nothing to do with it
this time, anyhow. You are doing well, Smith, and it won't be many
months before you are in our mess, and it needs no prophet to see that
you have every chance of going higher if you keep on as you began. Here
you are only about seventeen years old, and you have made a big mark in
the regiment already. You have got the major and the rest of the
officers on your side from that affair at Aldershot, then the fact that
you are the best cricketer in the regiment counts for a lot, and now you
have got wounded and have been recommended for the Victoria Cross.
"If you don't mount up after all that it will be your own fault. You
have every advantage. The fact that you have been a gentleman is in your
favour, for naturally men are picked out for promotion who are best
fitted for the position of officers; and your having been able to take
a first-class certificate in the school in itself brings you into
notice. Be careful with your self, lad. I know you don't drink, so I
need not warn you about that. Don't get cocky. I don't think you will,
for you haven't done so at present, and the notice you have had from
your cricket and that Aldershot affair would have turned a good many
lads' heads. But it is a thing to be careful about. You know there are a
good many old soldiers who are inclined to feel a little jealous when
they see a young fellow pushing forward, but if they see he is quiet,
and gives himself no airs and is pleasant with every one, they get over
it in time; and in your case every one will acknowledge that you deserve
all the luck that may fall to you. So be careful on that head, Smith.
"You will find very little jealousy among us sergeants when you once get
into our mess, for there are very few of us who have any idea whatever
of ever getting a commission, or would take one if it were offered. A
sensible man knows when he is well off, and except for a man who has had
the education you have had one is much more comfortable as a sergeant,
and better off too, than one would be as an officer. When one is with
other men one wants to do as they do, and an officer who has got to live
on his pay finds it hard work and painful work. Of course most men
promoted from the ranks--I mean my class of men--get quarter-masterships,
but there is no great pull in that. Quarter-masters are neither one
thing nor the other. The officers may try to put him at his ease, but
his ways are not their ways; and I have known many a quarter-master who,
if he had his choice, would gladly come back to the sergeant's mess
again."
"Thank you for your advice, sergeant," Edgar said quietly. "I will
follow it to the best of my power. I don't think there is anything to be
cocky about; for the thing at Aldershot was pure luck, and so it was the
other day. I happened to be next to North when his horse fell, and of
course I turned round to help him without thinking who he was or
anything about him. It was just instinct, and it hasn't done him any
good after all, for I hear he is not likely to live many days."