ABU KRU.
Sergeant Bowen and Edgar were by no means the only men who straggled
away from the main body during that terrible night's march from the
wells of Abu Klea. Many straggled; some managed to rejoin the column in
the morning, others wandered away and were never heard of again. Morning
found the exhausted and worn-out men and animals still at a distance
from the Nile. Some miles away a long line of verdure showed where the
river lay, but the general felt that at present the men could do no
more, and that a halt for some hours was absolutely necessary. Parties
of the enemy's horse and foot men could be seen among the sand-hills,
and distant shots had already been fired.
The object of the terrible march had failed; it was no longer possible
to reach the river without fighting again, and to fight as they were,
encumbered with the baggage train and overpowered with fatigue, was but
to court disaster. Therefore a halt was ordered. To the soldiers the
order was unwelcome; tired as they were, they would rather, now that the
river was but some four miles away, have pushed straight on and have
done with it. But the condition of the animals positively forbade this.
A camping ground was chosen on a bare gravelly place on the scrub where
the ground rose slightly. The work of unloading and arranging the camels
at once began, but before it was concluded a dropping fire was opened by
the natives from the long grass and bush in the distance.
The troops were set to work to erect a zareba with the saddles,
biscuit-boxes, and other stores, while parties of skirmishers
endeavoured to keep down the fire of the enemy. This, however, was a
difficult task, as the natives were entirely concealed, and the men
could only fire at the puffs of smoke arising from the grass and bushes.
To the Arabs, however, the camp presented a clear mark, and the sharp
rap of the musketballs as they struck the wall, or the thud with which
they buried themselves among the crowd of kneeling camels, was very
frequent. Several men were hit, and soon after nine o'clock the report
spread through the camp that Sir Herbert Stewart had received a very
dangerous if not mortal wound.
The news caused deep sorrow throughout the troops. The general was most
popular both with officers and men, and there was not one but felt that
his loss would be a personal one. It was, moreover, most unfortunate for
the expedition itself at such a moment to be deprived of its leader.
Before starting, Colonel Burnaby had been designated to assume the
command in case of any accident happening to the general; but Burnaby
had fallen at Abu Klea, and it therefore devolved upon Sir Charles
Wilson, who was accompanying the force solely in a diplomatic capacity,
and who was to push up the river in one of the steamers and communicate
with General Gordon as soon as the force reached the Nile.
Soon afterwards orders were given that a ridge of ground sixty yards
distant on the right front should be occupied, as from that point the
ground beyond was commanded to a considerable distance, and the enemy
thus prevented from gathering for a sudden rush from that direction.
Skinner and Easton were lying down together under cover of the wall when
the order was given. Skinner was energetically denouncing the night
march and the present halt. Easton was smiling quietly, and occasionally
pointing out the difficulties which would have ensued had his
companion's view of the matter been adopted.
"It is beastly lying here doing nothing," Skinner finally grumbled.
"Well, there is no occasion for you to do so," Easton said as an officer
passed along saying that volunteers were required to carry boxes to
build a small work on the ridge.
Skinner at once jumped to his feet, ran to the pile of biscuit-boxes,
seized two of them, swung them on to his shoulders and started for the
ridge. Easton followed in more leisurely fashion, and a number of other
officers and men at once set about the work. It was not pleasant. As
soon as the concealed enemy saw what was being done they directed their
fire upon the party, and the bullets flew fast across the ground that
had to be passed over. Several men dropped, but the work was continued
vigorously, and in the course of an hour a small work was raised upon
the ridge, and a half-company placed there as its garrison. Hour after
hour went on, the fire of the enemy getting heavier and heavier, the men
dropping fast.
"Well, Easton, what do you think of it now?" Skinner asked.
"I think it is most annoying," Easton said. "I cannot think why we don't
do something. I suppose the general being hit has upset the
arrangements. If we are going to move I don't see what advantage there
is in putting it off; it isn't as if we were getting any rest here. I
hope to goodness we are not going to wait here until dark; every hour we
stop adds to the casualties. I hear two of the special correspondents
have been killed, Cameron of the _Standard_ and St. Leger Herbert of the
_Post_. The camels are being killed in scores. Another four-and-twenty
hours of this work there won't be enough men left to fight our way down
to the river. It has got to be done, and we might just as well do it at
once."
It was not until half-past three that the welcome order was given to
prepare to move forward. A portion of the Heavy Camel Regiment, the
Hussars, and Naval Brigade were left behind with the three guns to hold
the inclosure, while the rest, formed in square as at Abu Klea,
advanced.
The camels with the wounded were in the centre. The Marines and
Grenadiers formed the front of the square, the Coldstream and Scots
Guards were on the right, the Mounted Infantry on the left, the Sussex
and the remainder of the Heavies in the rear. The fire of the enemy
redoubled as the square set out on its way. Halting occasionally to fire
a few volleys at the spots where the enemy's fire was thickest the
square made its way gradually onward, keeping as much as possible on
ridges so as to avoid being surrounded by the enemy placed in commanding
positions. At last the fire of the Arabs suddenly ceased, and a great
crowd, several thousand strong, headed by many horsemen, charged down
upon the face and left flank of the square.
They were some five hundred yards away, and a cheer broke from the
British square when it was evident that the long suspense was over and
the supreme moment at hand. Volley after volley was fired, and then,
seeing that the fire was taking but little effect, and knowing that
nothing discourages men so much as seeing their fire fail to stop the
rush of an enemy, Sir Charles Wilson ordered the bugle to sound "Cease
firing!" The order was obeyed; the men stood steady until the enemy were
within three hundred yards; then the bugle-call "Commence firing!"
sounded, and from the front and left face of the square sweeping volleys
were poured into the crowded mass.
"Aim low and fire steadily, men!" was the shout of the officers; and so
well were they obeyed that the front ranks of the Arabs were mown down
like grass. For a time they still pushed forward, but the fire was too
terrible to be withstood; and although a few of the leaders arrived
within fifty yards of the square, their followers hesitated when still
at a distance of a hundred. Hesitation in the case of a charge is fatal.
The storm of bullets still tore its way through the mass; the Arabs
wavered, turned, and were soon in full flight.
The battle had lasted but a few minutes, but the victory was complete,
and three hearty cheers broke from the victors. There was a halt for a
few minutes for the men to fill up their pouches from the reserve
ammunition and to have a drink of water. They then moved forward again,
confidently expecting that the attack would be renewed; but the Arabs
had had enough of it, and the square moved on without interruption
until, half an hour after sunset, they reached the river. The wounded
were at once carried forward to the water, and then the troops were
marched up by companies, and each in turn were permitted to drink their
fill. Then guards were posted, and the exhausted troops threw themselves
down on the ground.
The object of their long march was attained, the Nile was reached, and
thenceforth there would be no further suffering from want of water. The
next day communication would be opened with Gordon's steamers, their
friends would in the morning be fetched in from the zareba, and then
there would be a long rest until the boat column arrived and the
remainder of the force from Korti marched across to join them.
In the morning Easton went across from his own company to the Marines.
"Where is Mr. Skinner?" he asked a sergeant.
"He is down with the wounded at the river, sir. He had his left arm
broken by a bullet just as we left the zareba. He was just in front of
me at the time, and I made a shift to bandage his arm and tied it up to
his body, and then he took his place in the ranks again and kept on with
them until we got here; then when we halted he fainted right off, and we
carried him down to the hospital camp by the water."
Easton at once went down to visit his friend. He was lying on a
stretcher.
"Well, Skinner, I am awfully sorry to hear that you got hit. How are you
feeling, old man?"
"I cannot say much for myself just at present; it is only about half an
hour since they finished bandaging me up and putting on splints; they
just stopped the bleeding last night, and then I asked them to leave me
alone until this morning. They had lots of serious cases to attend to,
and mine would keep well enough; besides, I was so weak with loss of
blood, and so really done up, that I felt that I could not stand any
more then, and I was asleep in a very few minutes. However, my arm woke
me up before daylight, and I was glad enough to have it put in proper
shape, though it hurt me deucedly, I can tell you. However, it is
comparatively easy now, and I hope I shall be all right by the time the
advance begins. What a blessing it is having shade and water here!"
"It is, indeed," Easton agreed. "Now I must say good-bye, for I don't
know what is to be done, and we are sure to be under arms directly."
The troops moved off in a few minutes after Easton returned to his
company, and after carefully examining the ground a small village named
Abu Kru, a few yards from the river on rising ground, entirely deserted
by the natives, was selected for a camp. The wounded were at once
carried up there and were left in charge of the Heavies, while the
Guards and Mounted Infantry started for the zareba, the Sussex being
sent out on the right to watch Metemmeh and keep the enemy in check
should they advance against the village. The water-skins and camel-tanks
were all filled, for but little water had been left at the zareba; and
the men, although they had scarcely eaten any food for the last
forty-eight hours, started in good spirits, perfectly ready for another
fight should the enemy try to stop them. But although large numbers of
them gathered on a hill near the town they abstained from any attack,
and the column reached the zareba, where they were received with hearty
cheers by its little garrison.
These had not been attacked during their absence, although a scattered
musketry fire had been kept up upon them until dark. To this they
replied vigorously, and the guns had done good service to the square
while on its march by keeping up a shell fire upon any bodies of the
enemy that could be made out on the eminences near it. The garrison had
suffered great suspense after the square had disappeared from their
sight, for they could see large bodies of men hurrying in that
direction, and their anxiety was great when the sudden outburst of
musketry told them that the square was attacked. What the issue of the
fight had been they knew not, but their hopes that the Arabs had been
defeated increased as time went on and no attack was made upon
themselves, for had the enemy been successful they would speedily have
poured down to the attack of the feebly-defended baggage.
As soon as the column arrived the work of pulling down the walls of
boxes and saddles, getting the camels to their feet and loading them,
began. So many of the camels had been killed that the number surviving
was insufficient to carry down the stores, therefore the smaller redoubt
was left untouched and a stronger garrison than before placed in it, and
the rest moved down to the river. The troops all partook of a hearty
meal before the start was made. Sir Herbert Stewart and the rest of the
wounded were taken down in the cacolets with the column.
Rupert Clinton had remained in the zareba when the square had marched
forward. He had been greatly exhausted by the night march and had had a
slight sunstroke before the square moved out; the doctors had therefore
ordered him not to accompany it, but to stay at the zareba and assist
the general and other wounded.
"You are looking very shaky, Clinton," Easton said when he joined him.
"I am all right to-day," he replied; "rather heavy about the head; but a
bath and a long night's rest will set me up again. Skinner is all right,
I hope?"
"No, I am sorry to say he has got his left arm broken. I saw him for a
moment before we started. He got hit just after he left here, but stuck
to his company all through. I asked one of the surgeons, and he said
that unless fever or anything of that sort came on he was likely to go
on all right, and that he did not think that there was much chance of
his losing his arm. He has plenty of pluck, Skinner has."
"I should think so," Rupert said. "A fellow who could play an uphill
game of football as he could can be trusted to keep his courage up under
any circumstances. Do you know what we are going to do, Easton? Are we
going to attack Metemmeh?"
"I have not the least idea. It is a big place, a lot bigger than we
expected, and there are a tremendous lot of fighting men there. It is
fortunate they did not all make a rush at us together yesterday,
although I don't think it would have made any difference. But it would
be a very risky thing to attack such a place as that, swarming with
fanatics, with our present force. It would be too big to hold if we
took it, and we might lose two or three hundred men in the attack and
street fighting; and as it is said that a big force is coming down the
river to attack us, it would certainly be a risk, and a big one, to lose
a lot of men in an attack on this place, which we shall be able to take
without any difficulty as soon as the rest of the force comes up. I
expect we shall try a reconnaissance. If the Arabs bolt, and we find
that we can take the place without hard fighting, we shall take it; but
if they show a determination to stick there and defend it to the last I
think we shall leave it alone."
The column returned to the river without meeting with any opposition;
but it was evident from the number of Arabs who were seen moving about
in the direction of Metemmeh that the check of the previous day had by
no means disheartened them, and that they were still in very
considerable force in and around the town.
Late at night the orders were issued for the troops to parade at
half-past four in the morning; and leaving a small force to guard Abu
Kru, or as it was sometimes called Gubat, the rest of the troops marched
towards Metemmeh. Two villages deserted by the inhabitants were passed,
and then a view was obtained of the town. Crowds of Arabs were seen
outside its walls.
The officer in command of the company of Grenadiers that was marching in
extended order in front of the column picked out twenty of the best
shots and ordered them to elevate their sights to two thousand yards and
fire five volleys. Great as the distance was, the effect was
considerable. With the aid of glasses two or three of the enemy were
seen to fall, and the rest scattered in all directions and speedily took
shelter within the walls. The seven-pounders then opened fire, but the
shot produced little or no result, simply punching holes in the mud
walls. The troops then moved nearer, marching along the southern side to
see if any place suitable for an assault could be discovered; but
everywhere the wall was loopholed, and the incessant fire showed that it
was strongly manned.
A Krupp gun on the walls presently opened fire with so accurate an aim
that the column fell back a short distance. At this moment a cheer rose
as four steamers were seen coming along the river flying the Egyptian
flag. They ran towards the shore and landed two hundred negro soldiers
with some small brass guns. These were speedily placed into position
beside the seven-pounders, and the negro infantry, advancing in
skirmishing order, opened fire at once. They brought news that Gordon
was still holding out, and also that three thousand of the enemy were on
their way down and were but two days' march away.
This news decided Sir Chas. Wilson against running the risk of
materially weakening his force by an assault on the town, and the column
fell back to Abu Kru. On their way a portion of the Guards' Regiment was
told off to search the groves and plantations to see that there were no
Arabs lurking there. Presently they came upon two camels grazing in a
grove. "Search about well, men," the officer in command said; "their
owners may be hidden somewhere close."
In a minute or two one of the men called out, "Here are two saddles,
sir, hidden in the bushes; they are scarlet, and belong to one of our
regiments."
The officers speedily gathered to the spot. "They are certainly our
saddles," the officer in command said, "how in the world did the camels
get here? I suppose they must have wandered away during the night march
and been picked up by some of the Arabs and driven on here."
"But they are riding camels," one of the others put in; "they must have
belonged to some of the men who were missing on the night march; the
poor fellows were killed, no doubt."
"They may have ridden them on here," Easton suggested; "after they got
separated from the column the camels may have smelt the water and come
on here before daylight broke."
"That is true, Easton. You see one of these saddles has blood stains on
it; perhaps its rider was wounded. We will search the grove
thoroughly."
The search was renewed, and in a few minutes a sergeant ran up to the
group of officers. "We have found a man, sir; he belongs to the Heavies;
he is insensible."
The officers hurried to the spot. "Yes, the poor fellow is a sergeant of
the Heavies. No doubt you were right, Easton. You see he has been
wounded in the side. He looks in a bad way."
"There are two water-bottles by him," Easton said; "one is empty and the
other is half full," he added as he took them up and shook them. "He
must have a comrade somewhere."
"No doubt he has, Easton; he could scarcely have been in a condition
when he arrived here to take off the saddles and hide them away. What
can have become of the other?" The grove was searched thoroughly from
end to end, but no sign found of the missing man. Some boughs were cut
down and a rough stretcher made, and upon this the sergeant was laid and
the force then moved on, the camels being saddled and mounted by two of
the men, and on arriving at the camp the sergeant was taken to the
hospital.
As soon as dinner was eaten the men were paraded again. A council had
been held to decide upon the best course to be taken, and it was decided
that a fort should be built down by the river, and that the whole force
should establish itself there with the exception of the Guards' Camel
Regiment, which should remain at Gubat so as to prevent any body of the
enemy posting themselves there and keeping up an annoying fire upon the
fort down by the river.
Gubat had already been roughly fortified, and the whole force was
therefore set at work to erect with camel-saddles and boxes a defence
for the position by the river. When this was done the wounded were all
carried down to the new fort. After the work was over Rupert strolled up
through the village to have a chat with Easton. As he was sitting there
an orderly came up.
"Mr. Clinton, the surgeon has sent me up with two letters that were
found inside the jacket of the wounded sergeant who was brought in this
afternoon. One is directed to you and the other to Captain Percy
Clinton."
"That is very curious," Rupert said, taking the letters and turning them
over in his hand. "How is the man going on, orderly?"
"He is insensible still, sir. I believe the doctors say that it is
fever, and that his wound is not serious. One of the men of his regiment
who is in the hospital says he got it at Abu Klea, and that it was
attended to there."
"Thank you, orderly, that will do. What in the world can the man be
writing to me about, and to my father, which is still more curious?"
"I should say the best way of finding out, Clinton, will be to open the
letter."
"Well, I suppose it will be," Rupert replied. "Still, it is always
interesting to guess at a mystery before you find the key."
"Well, guess away," Easton said, stretching himself out on his back. "I
never was a good hand at riddles."
It was some little time before Rupert, finding himself unable to find
any solution whatever to the mystery, opened the letter. As he did so he
stirred the fire by which they were sitting into a fresh blaze. He read
a few lines and uttered an exclamation of such intense surprise that
Easton sat up with a start.
"What is it, Clinton?"
"It is the most extraordinary thing I ever came across, Easton. You know
the story about Edgar and myself. Well, this wounded sergeant is either
his father or mine."
"Impossible!" Easton exclaimed; "he did not look much above thirty;
besides, no soldier of twenty-one years' service--and he must have had
fully that--would be out here."
Rupert made no reply; he was running his eyes rapidly through the
letter.
"Good heavens!" he exclaimed; "Edgar is out here; he is a trumpeter in
the Heavies."
"That is news, Rupert. I congratulate you heartily, old fellow. You are
sure that there is no mistake?"
"No; there cannot be any mistake about that," Rupert said, thrusting the
letter into his tunic. "Come along, Easton, let us be off. He goes by
the name of Ned Smith."
"Wait a moment, old man," Easton said, laying his hand kindly on
Rupert's shoulder. "Where was the letter written?"
"At Korti."
"Well, Clinton, don't be too sanguine. You know how terribly the Heavies
suffered at Abu Klea. Don't make up your mind too warmly to see your
brother; he may be among the wounded we left behind at Abu Klea; he
may--" and he stopped.
"I won't think it," Rupert said; "it would be too hard, after our
searching for him for all these years, to find out that but four or five
days since he was in camp with us, and to learn it only too late. I
won't think it."
"I hope to God that it is not so, Clinton, only I thought it best to
prepare you for what may be possible. Which troop did he belong to?"
"The Dragoon troop."
Easton was silent, for it was upon this troop that the heaviest loss had
fallen.
"Well," Rupert went on, "let us go down and learn the best or the
worst."
They walked down the slope to the new fort by the river, and finding out
where the Heavies were bivouacked soon discovered the Dragoons.
"You go and ask, Easton," Rupert said nervously; "I dare not."
Easton went on alone and presently accosted a sergeant.
"Sergeant, can you tell me whether the trumpeter of your troop was
wounded at Abu Klea? Is he here now?"
"He was wounded at Abu Klea, sir, though not seriously; but he is not
here now, he was one of those missing on the night march, he and
Sergeant Bowen. I hear the sergeant was found and brought in this
morning very bad, but I have heard nothing of Smith; but I expect that
one of the camels brought in this afternoon was his; in fact I know it
was, for it has got Smith's number on the saddle. It is likely that they
would be together, for the sergeant had taken a great fancy to the lad.
We all liked him. He joined us at Cairo from the Hussars, as our own
trumpeter was taken ill; he was a general favourite, but Sergeant Bowen
took to him specially."
"Thank you, sergeant;" and Easton turned and walked slowly back to where
Rupert was awaiting him.
"You have bad news, Easton," Rupert said huskily. "I could see it as you
stood talking to that man."
"Yes, I have bad news," Easton said, "but hardly the worst, Clinton."
"He is badly wounded then," Rupert groaned.
"I am afraid it is worse than that, Clinton; he is missing. It was he
who was the rider of the second camel that we found in the grove this
morning. He and the sergeant were both missing on the night march, and
evidently found their way down to the river where we discovered the
sergeant. What can have become of your brother since I know not.
Evidently he left his water-bottle by his comrade and went somewhere,
probably to join us. As I was saying to you when we were chatting about
it before you opened that letter, he was probably either making his way
towards the square on the day of the fight or coming towards our camp
after we got in, and was seized by the Arabs. That was the conclusion at
which we all arrived, though I had little thought when we were talking
it over that the missing man was your brother."
"Then you think he has been killed?" Rupert said hoarsely.
"I don't know that, Clinton. He may have been made a prisoner. You see,
we have searched the ground between that grove and our camp thoroughly
to-day, and had he been killed there I think we should certainly have
found him. Of course it may have happened further out on the plain if he
was making his way out to join our square; but I should think he would
never have done that, for the Arabs were swarming all round it. Besides,
the Hussars were scouting about all over the plains this morning, and if
they had seen the body of any of our men would certainly have reported
it. The Arabs in fight never show mercy, but if they came upon him by
himself they might very well have carried him off as a prisoner,
especially if he made no resistance. You see, they are all slave-dealers
at heart; besides, they might think that a white prisoner would be an
acceptable present to the Mahdi. Of course I know no more about it than
you do, but I should say that the chances are quite as great of his
being taken prisoner as of his having been killed."
"One is as bad as the other," Rupert said in a broken voice. "This is
awful, Easton. I will walk up to your camp again. Would you mind seeing
the colonel of his regiment or the officer of his troop, and find out
what you can about him?"
Easton soon found one of the few surviving officers of Edgar's troop.
"Can you tell me anything about Trumpeter Smith?" he asked. "I have
reason to believe that he was a relative of a friend of mine, and that
he ran away and enlisted under a false name."
"He bore an excellent character," the officer said. "He came to us from
the Hussars at Cairo, and no one could behave better than he has done
from the time he joined us. They would not have sent him to us if he
hadn't been a thoroughly well-conducted young fellow. I was chatting
with one of the officers of his regiment on the day we left Cairo; he
spoke in very high terms of him, and said that he was quite a popular
character in the regiment. It seems that he was a first-rate cricketer,
and especially brought himself into notice by some exceedingly plucky
conduct when two ladies belonging to the regiment were attacked by a
couple of tramps at Aldershot; and besides that he had greatly
distinguished himself at El-Teb, where the Hussars got badly mauled. His
name was amongst those sent in for the Victoria Cross, and he was
specially chosen to go with us to give him another chance. I never heard
a young fellow more warmly spoken of. We were awfully sorry when we
heard that he was missing. There is no doubt he was with Sergeant Bowen
whom your men brought in this morning. One of the two camels was the one
he rode. We have been talking that over to-day, and the general opinion
is that he was caught by the Arabs as he was trying to rejoin the
regiment. It is a thousand pities he did not wait a little longer in
that grove, but I have no doubt he was anxious to get assistance as soon
as possible for the sergeant. I intend as soon as we are settled here to
ask the colonel to let me go out with a party to search the plains to
see if we can find his body."
"I am more inclined to think that he has been taken prisoner," Easton
said; "he would hardly have gone out to meet the square, as he must have
seen the plains swarming with Arabs and that he had no chance whatever
of getting through. He would have known that we were making for the
water, and that he would have a far better chance of reaching us by
waiting until we got there. My own idea is that he did wait, and that
the Arabs came upon him somewhere between that grove and our camp; if
so, they did not kill him, for if they had done so we must have found
his body to-day, for we searched every foot of the ground. I think that
he is a prisoner in their hands."
"He had better have been killed at once," the officer said.
"I agree with you, except that it is just possible that a slave may
escape. You see, on our way up to Khartoum if we defeat the Mahdi's
troops--which we certainly shall do--all the country will no doubt
submit, and there would be in the first place the chance of his being
given up to us, and in the second of his escape."
"It is possible," the officer agreed, "but I certainly would not build
on that. The probability is that if he is taken prisoner he will be sent
to the Mahdi, and if he isn't killed at once when he gets there, he will
be when the Mahdi sees that his game is up."
Easton nodded, and then, thanking the officer for his information, took
his way up to the village, where he repeated to Rupert what he had
heard. His own voice faltered as he told the story, while Rupert sobbed
unrestrainedly. When he had finished Rupert rose, pressed his hand
silently, and then returning to his own bivouac threw himself down and
thought sadly for hours over the loss of his brother.
The next day Rupert was busy from morning until night. A portion of the
force was employed in strengthening the fortifications of the two posts,
and a strong body was at work cutting wood for the use of the steamer in
which Sir Charles Wilson was to start next morning for Khartoum. While
at work they were guarded by another strong party, lest the enemy should
make a sudden attack. All, however, passed off quietly, and on the
following morning Sir Charles started with two steamers, taking with him
twenty men of the Sussex regiment and one hundred and fifty of the black
troops. On the same day three hundred troops selected from the various
regiments started on camels, with four hundred baggage camels under
their convoy, for Gakdul, in accordance with the orders given to General
Stewart by Lord Wolseley at starting, that as soon as he had established
himself upon the river he was to send back a convoy for some more
stores.
The convoy was, however, but a small one, for of over two thousand
camels which had left Korti, this number alone survived, and most of
these were in such a state from exhaustion, starvation, and sore backs,
that they were wholly unfit to travel. The force on the river was now
reduced to some fifty officers and eight hundred and seventy men,
including medical staff, commissariat, natives of all kinds, and the
remainder of the black troops and one hundred and twenty wounded. The
defences were greatly strengthened, officers and men both sharing in the
work.
During the day the Hussars scouted round the camp, frequently exchanging
shots with the enemy. At night strong lines of sentries were posted
round the forts. No attack was, however, made, although the natives
sometimes showed in considerable force during the day, and the beating
of tom-toms went on day and night round Metemmeh. The hard work upon
which the troops were engaged kept them for the most part in good
health, and the wounded did extremely well, the doctors themselves being
surprised at the rapidity with which wounds healed and the men recovered
their strength, an effect doubtless due to the clear dry air.
The troops in the village enjoyed better health than those down by the
river, as they obtained the benefit of the air from the desert, while
down near the stream heavy dews fell at night and there were several
slight cases of fever. All looked eagerly for the return of the steamers
from Khartoum with news how things were going on there. As for their own
position, no one had the slightest anxiety. No news had been received of
the approach of the three thousand troops which had been reported as on
their way down against them, and they felt confident in their power to
repulse any attack that the enemy at Metemmeh could make against them.
They were, too, in hourly expectation of the arrival across the desert
of reinforcements from Korti.