"Abdul Azim was right about the camels," Gregory said, as soon as they
were fairly off. "I have never ridden on one like this, before. What a
difference there is between them and the ordinary camel! It is not only
that they go twice as fast, but the motion is so pleasant, and easy."
"Yes, Master, these are riding camels of good breed. They cost twenty
times as much as the others. They think nothing of keeping up this rate
for twelve hours, without a stop."
"If they do that, we shall be near the Atbara before it is dark. It is
ten o'clock now, and if General Hunter's map is right, we have only
about eighty miles to go, and I should think they are trotting seven
miles an hour."
They carried their rifles slung behind them and across the shoulders,
rather than upright, as was the Arab fashion. The spears were held in
their right hands.
"We must see if we can't fasten the spears in some other way, Zaki. We
should find them a nuisance, if we held them in our hands all the way.
I should say it would be easy to fasten them across the saddle in front
of us. If we see horsemen in the distance, we can take them into our
hands."
"I think, Master, it would be easier to fasten them behind the saddles,
where there is more width, and rings on the saddle on both sides."
A short halt was made, and the spears fixed. Gregory then looked at his
compass.
"We must make for that rise, two or three miles away. I see exactly the
point we must aim for. When we get there, we must look at the compass
again."
They kept steadily on for six hours. They had seen no human figure,
since they started.
"We will stop here for half an hour," Gregory said. "Give the animals a
drink of water, and a handful or two of grain."
"I don't think they will want water, Master. They had as much as they
could drink, before starting, and they are accustomed to drink when
their work is over."
"Very well. At any rate, we will take something."
They opened one of the water skins, and poured some of the contents
into a gourd. Then, sitting down in the shadow of the camels, they ate
some dates and bread. They had only brought native food with them so
that, if captured and examined, there should be nothing to show that
they had been in contact with Europeans. Gregory had even left his
revolver behind him as, being armed with so good a weapon as a
Remington, it was hardly likely that it would be needed; and if found
upon them, it would be accepted as a proof that he was in the
employment of the infidels.
It was dusk when they arrived at the bank of the river. No incident had
marked the journey, nor had they seen any sign that Dervishes were in
the neighbourhood. The Atbara was in full flood, and was rushing down
at six or seven miles an hour.
"Colonel Parsons must have had great difficulty in crossing, Zaki. He
is hardly likely to have brought any boats across, from Kassala. I
don't know whether he has any guns with him, but if he has, I don't
think he can have crossed, even if they made rafts enough to carry
them."
They kept along the bank, until they reached a spot where the river had
overflowed. Here the camels drank their fill. A little grain was given
to them, and then they were turned loose, to browse on the bushes.
"There is no fear of their straying, I suppose, Zaki?"
"No, Master. They are always turned loose at night. As there are plenty
of bushes here, they will not go far."
After another meal, they both lay down to sleep; and, as soon as it was
light, Zaki fetched in the camels and they continued their journey. In
an hour, they arrived at a village. The people were already astir, and
looked with evident apprehension at the seeming Dervishes.
"Has a party of infidels passed along here?" Gregory asked the village
sheik, who came out and salaamed humbly.
"Yes, my lord, a party of soldiers, with some white officers, came
through here three days ago."
"How many were there of them?"
"There must have been more than a thousand of them."
"Many more?"
"Not many; perhaps a hundred more. Your servant did not count them."
"Had they any cannon with them?"
"No, my lord. They were all on foot. They all carried guns, but there
were no mounted men, or cannon."
"Where is Fadil and his army, that they thus allowed so small a force
to march along, unmolested?"
"They say that he is still near the Nile. Two of his scouts were here,
the day before the Turks came along. They stayed here for some hours,
but as they said nothing about the Turks coming from Kassala, I suppose
they did not know they had crossed the river."
"Well, we must go on, and see where they are. They must be mad to come
with so small a force, when they must have known that Fadil has a large
army. They will never go back again."
Without further talk, Gregory rode farther on. At each village through
which they passed, they had some news of the passage of Colonel
Parsons' command. The camels had been resting, from the time when
Omdurman was taken; and, having been well fed that morning, Gregory did
not hesitate to press them. The troops would not march above
twenty-five miles a day, and two days would take them to Mugatta, so
that if they halted there but for a day, he should be able to overtake
them that night.
The character of the country was now greatly changed. The bush was
thick and high, and a passage through it would be very difficult for
mounted men. There was no fear, therefore, that they would turn off
before arriving at Mugatta; from which place there would probably be a
track, of some sort, to Gedareh. It was but a thirty-mile ride and, on
arriving near the village, Gregory saw that a considerable number of
men were assembled there. He checked his camel.
"What do you make them out to be, Zaki? Your eyes are better than mine.
They may be Colonel Parsons' force, and on the other hand they may be
Dervishes, who have closed in behind him to cut off his retreat."
"They are not Dervishes, master," Zaki said, after a long, steady look.
"They have not white turbans. Some of their clothes are light, and some
dark; but all have dark caps, like those the Soudanese troops wear."
"That is good enough, Zaki. We will turn our robes inside out, so as to
hide the patches, as otherwise we might have a hot reception."
When they were a quarter of a mile from the village, several men
started out from the bushes, rifle in hand. They were all in Egyptian
uniform.
"We are friends!" Gregory shouted in Arabic. "I am an officer of the
Khedive, and have come from Omdurman, with a message to your
commander."
A native officer, one of the party, at once saluted.
"You will find the bey in the village, Bimbashi."
"How long have you been here?"
"We came in yesterday, and I hear that we shall start tomorrow, but I
know not whether that is so."
"Are there any Dervishes about?"
"Yes; forty of them yesterday afternoon, coming from Gedareh, and
ignorant that we were here, rode in among our outposts on that hill to
the west. Three of them were killed, and three made prisoners. The rest
rode away."
With a word of thanks, Gregory rode on. He dismounted when he reached
the village, and was directed to a neighbouring hut. Here Colonel
Parsons and the six white officers with him were assembled. A native
soldier was on sentry, at the door.
"I want to speak to Parsons Bey."
The Colonel, hearing the words, came to the door.
"Colonel Parsons," Gregory said in English, "I am Major Hilliard of the
Egyptian Army, and have the honour to be the bearer of a message to
you, from General Rundle, now in command at Omdurman."
"You are well disguised, indeed, sir," the Colonel said with a smile,
as he held out his hand. "I should never have taken you for anything
but a native. Where did you spring from? You can never have ridden,
much less walked, across the desert from Omdurman?"
"No, sir. I was landed from one of the gunboats in which General
Hunter, with fifteen hundred Soudanese troops, is ascending the Blue
Nile, to prevent Fadil from crossing and joining the Khalifa."
"Have you a written despatch?"
"It was thought better that I should carry nothing, so that even the
strictest search would not show that I was a messenger."
"Is your message of a private character?"
"No, sir, I think not."
"Then will you come in?"
Gregory followed Colonel Parsons into the hut, which contained but one
room.
"Gentlemen," the former said with a smile, "allow me to introduce
Bimbashi Hilliard, who is the bearer of a message to me from General
Rundle, now in command at Omdurman.
"Major Hilliard, these are Captain MacKerrel, commanding four hundred
and fifty men of the 16th Egyptians; Captain Wilkinson, an equal number
of the Arab battalion; Major Lawson, who has under his command three
hundred and seventy Arab irregulars; Captain the Honorable H. Ruthven,
who has under him eighty camel men; also Captain Fleming of the Royal
Army Medical Corps, who is at once our medical officer, and in command
of the baggage column; and Captain Dwyer. They are all, like yourself,
officers in the Egyptian Army; and rank, like yourself, as Bimbashis.
"Now, sir, will you deliver your message to me?"
"It is of a somewhat grave character, sir, but General Rundle thought
it very important that you should be acquainted with the last news. The
Sirdar has gone up the White Nile, with some of the gunboats and the
11th Soudanese. He deemed it necessary to go himself, because a body of
foreign troops--believed to be French--have established themselves at
Fashoda."
An exclamation of surprise broke from all the officers.
"In the next place, sir, Fadil, who had arrived with his force within
forty miles of Khartoum, has retired up the banks of the Blue Nile, on
hearing of the defeat of the Khalifa. Major General Hunter has
therefore gone up that river, with three gunboats and another Soudanese
battalion, to prevent him, if possible, from crossing it and joining
the Khalifa, who is reported to be collecting the remains of his
defeated army.
"It is possible--indeed the General thinks it is probable--that Fadil,
if unable to cross, may return with his army to Gedareh. It is to warn
you of this possibility that he sent me here. Gedareh is reported to be
a defensible position, and therefore he thinks that, if you capture it,
it would be advisable to maintain yourself there until reinforcements
can be sent to you, either from the Blue Nile or the Atbara. The place,
it seems, is well supplied with provisions and stores; and in the event
of Fadil opposing you, it would be far safer for you to defend it than
to be attacked in the open, or during a retreat."
"It is certainly important news, Mr. Hilliard. Hitherto we have
supposed that Fadil had joined the Khalifa before the fight at
Omdurman, and there was therefore no fear of his reappearing here. We
know very little of the force at Gedareh. We took some prisoners
yesterday, but their accounts are very conflicting. Still, there is
every reason to believe that the garrison is not strong. Certainly, as
General Rundle says, we should be in a much better position there than
if we were attacked in the open. No doubt the Arabs who got off in the
skirmish, yesterday, carried the news there; and probably some of them
would go direct to Fadil, and if he came down upon us here, with his
eight thousand men, our position would be a desperate one. It cost us
four days to cross the river at El Fasher, and would take us as much to
build boats and recross here; and before that time, he might be upon
us.
"It is evident, gentlemen, that we have only the choice of these
alternatives--either to march, at once, against Gedareh; or to retreat
immediately, crossing the river here, or at El Fasher. As to remaining
here, of course, it is out of the question."
The consultation was a short one. All the officers were in favour of
pushing forward, pointing out that, as only the 16th Egyptians could be
considered as fairly disciplined, the troops would lose heart if they
retired; and could not be relied upon to keep steady, if attacked by a
largely superior force; while, at present, they would probably fight
bravely. The Arab battalion had been raised by the Italians, and were
at present full of confidence, as they had defeated the Mahdists who
had been besieging Kassala. The Arab irregulars had, of course, the
fighting instincts of their race, and would assault an enemy bravely;
but in a defensive battle, against greatly superior numbers, could
scarcely be expected to stand well. As for the eighty camel men, they
were all Soudanese soldiers, discharged from the army for old age and
physical unfitness. They could be relied upon to fight but, small in
number as they were, could but have little effect on the issue of a
battle. All therefore agreed that, having come thus far, the safest, as
well as the most honourable course, would be to endeavour to fight the
enemy in a strong position.
Although it may be said that success justified it, no wilder enterprise
was ever undertaken than that of sending thirteen hundred only partly
disciplined men into the heart of the enemy's country. Omdurman and
Atbara, to say nothing of previous campaigns, had shown how desperately
the Dervishes fought; and the order, for the garrison of Kassala to
undertake it, can only have been given under an entire misconception of
the circumstances, and of the strength of the army under Fadil, that
they would almost certainly be called upon to encounter. This was the
more probable, as all the women and the property of his soldiers had
been left at Gedareh, when he marched away; and his men would,
therefore, naturally wish to go there, before they made any endeavour
to join the Khalifa.
Such, indeed, was the fact. Fadil concealed from them the news of the
disaster at Omdurman, for some days; and, when it became known, he had
difficulty in restraining his troops from marching straight for
Gedareh.
"Do you go on with us, Mr. Hilliard?" Colonel Parsons asked, when they
had decided to start for Gedareh.
"Yes, sir. My instructions are to go on with you and, if the town is
besieged, to endeavour to get through their lines, and carry the news
to General Hunter, if I can ascertain his whereabouts. If not, to make
straight for Omdurman. I have two fast camels, which I shall leave
here, and return for them with my black boy, when we start."
"We shall be glad to have you with us," the Colonel said. "Every white
officer is worth a couple of hundred men."
As they sat and chatted, Gregory asked how the force had crossed the
Atbara.
"It was a big job," Colonel Parsons said. "The river was wider than the
Thames, below London Bridge; and running something like seven miles an
hour. We brought with us some barrels to construct a raft. When this
was built, it supported the ten men who started on it; but they were,
in spite of their efforts, carried ten miles down the stream, and it
was not until five hours after they embarked that they managed to land.
The raft did not get back from its journey till the next afternoon,
being towed along the opposite bank by the men.
"It was evident that this would not do. The Egyptian soldiers then took
the matter in hand. They made frameworks with the wood of the mimosa
scrub, and covered these with tarpaulins, which we had fortunately
brought with us. They turned out one boat a day, capable of carrying
two tons; and, six days after we reached the river, we all got across.
"The delay was a terrible nuisance at the time, but it has enabled you
to come up here and warn us about Fadil. Fortunately no Dervishes came
along while we were crossing, and indeed we learned, from the prisoners
we took yesterday, that the fact that a force from Kassala had crossed
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 quickened their movements, but were too late to prevent
the hill from being seized.
The Arab battalion had been leading, followed by the Egyptians; while
the irregulars, divided into two bodies under Arab chiefs, guarded the
hospital and baggage. The Dervishes at once advanced to the attack of
the hill, and the column wheeled into line, to meet it. Even on the
crest of the hill, the grass was breast high, but it did not impede the
view of the advancing lines of the Dervishes. Into these a heavy and
destructive fire was at once poured. The enemy, however, pushed on,
firing in return; but being somewhat out of breath, from the rapidity
with which they had marched; and seeing nothing of the defenders of the
hill, save their heads, they inflicted far less loss than they were
themselves suffering.
The fight was continuing, when Colonel Parsons saw that a force of
about three hundred Dervishes had worked round the back of the hill,
with the intention of falling upon the baggage. He at once sent one of
the Arab sheiks to warn Captain Fleming; who, from his position, was
unable to see the approaching foe. Colonel Parsons had asked Gregory to
take up his position with the baggage, as he foresaw that, with their
vastly greater numbers, it was likely that the Dervishes might sweep
round and attack it.
Scarcely had the messenger arrived with the news, when the Dervishes
came rushing on through the high grass. In spite of the shouts of
Doctor Fleming and Gregory, the escort of one hundred and twenty
irregular Arabs, stationed at this point, at once broke and fled.
Happily, a portion of the camel corps, with its commander, Captain
Ruthven, a militia officer, was close at hand. Though he had but
thirty-four of these old soldiers with him, he rushed forward to meet
the enemy. Doctor Fleming and Gregory joined him and, all cheering to
encourage the Soudanese, made a determined stand.
Gregory and Zaki kept up a steady fire with their Remingtons, and
picked off several of the most determined of their assailants. The
fight, however, was too unequal; the Dervishes got in behind them, and
cut off the rear portion of the transport; and the little band,
fighting obstinately, fell back, with their faces to the foe, towards
the main body.
One of the native officers of the Soudanese fell. Captain Ruthven, a
very powerful man, ran back and lifted the wounded soldier, and made
his way towards his friends. So closely pressed was he, by the
Dervishes, that three times he had to lay his burden down and defend
himself with his revolver; while Gregory and Zaki aided his retreat, by
turning their fire upon his assailants. For this splendid act of
bravery, Captain Ruthven afterwards received the Victoria Cross.
Flushed by their success, the Dervishes pushed on. Fortunately, at this
time the main force of the Dervishes was beginning to waver, unable to
withstand the steady fire of the defenders of the hill; and as they
drew back a little, the Egyptian and Arab battalions rushed forward.
Shaken as they were, the Dervishes were unable to resist the attack;
and broke and fled, pursued by the Arab battalion. The Egyptians,
however, obeyed the orders of Captain MacKerrel and, halting, faced
about to encounter the attack from the rear. Their volleys caused the
Dervishes to hesitate, and Captain Ruthven and his party reached the
summit of the hill in safety.
The enemy, however, maintained a heavy fire for a few minutes; but the
volleys of the Egyptians, at a distance of only a hundred yards, were
so deadly that they soon took to flight.
The first shot had been fired at half-past eight. At ten, the whole
Dervish force was scattered in headlong rout. Had Colonel Parsons
possessed a cavalry force, the enemy would have been completely cut up.
As it was, pursuit was out of the question.
The force therefore advanced, in good order, to Gedareh. Here a Dervish
Emir, who had been left in charge when the rest of the garrison moved
out, surrendered at once, with the two hundred black riflemen under
him. He had long been suspected of disloyalty by the Khalifa, and at
once declared his hatred of Mahdism; declaring that, though he had not
dared to declare himself openly, he had always been friendly to
Egyptian rule.
The men with him at once fraternized with the Arabs of Colonel Parsons'
force, and were formally received into their ranks. The Emir showed his
sincerity by giving them all the information in his power, as to
Fadil's position and movements, and by pointing out the most defensible
positions.
None of the British officers had been wounded, but fifty-one of the men
had been killed, and eighty wounded. Five hundred of the Dervishes were
left dead upon the field, including four Emirs.
Not a moment was lost in preparing for defence, for it was certain that
Fadil, on hearing the news, would at once march to retake the town. The
position was naturally a strong one. Standing on rising ground was
Fadil's house, surrounded by a brick wall, twelve feet high. Here the
Egyptian battalion and camel corps were placed, with the hospital, and
two brass guns which had been found there.
A hundred yards away was another enclosure, with a five-foot wall, and
two hundred yards away a smaller one. The Arab battalion was stationed
to the rear of this, in a square enclosure with a brick wall, twelve
feet high, in which was situated a well. These four buildings were so
placed, that the fire from each covered the approaches to the other.
Two hundred yards from the well enclosure was a fortified house,
surrounded by a high wall. As the latter would need too many men for
its defence, the wall was pulled down, and a detachment placed in the
house.
No time was lost. The whole force was at once employed in pulling down
huts, clearing the ground of the high grass, and forming a zareba round
the town. The greatest cause for anxiety was ammunition. A large
proportion of that carried in the pouches had been expended during the
battle, and the next morning Colonel Parsons, with a small force,
hurried back to Mugatta to fetch up the reserve ammunition, which had
been left there under a guard. He returned with it, three days later.
An abundant supply of provisions had been found in Gedareh, for here
were the magazines, not only of the four thousand men of the garrison
and the women who had been left there, but sufficient for Fadil's army,
on their return. There were three or four wells, and a good supply of
water.
The ammunition arrived just in time; for, on the following morning,
Captain Ruthven's camel men brought in news that Fadil was close at
hand. At half-past eight the Dervishes began the attack, on three sides
of the defences. Sheltered by the long grass, they were able to make
their way to within three hundred yards of the dwellings occupied by
the troops. But the intervening ground had all been cleared, and though
time after time they made rushes forward, they were unable to withstand
the withering fire to which they were exposed.
After an hour's vain efforts their musketry fire ceased; but, half an
hour later, strong reinforcements came up, and the attack recommenced.
This was accompanied with no greater success than the first attack, and
Fadil retired to a palm grove, two miles away. Of the defenders five
men were killed, and Captain Dwyer and thirteen men wounded.
For two days, Fadil endeavoured to persuade his troops to make another
attack; but although they surrounded the town, and maintained a
scattered fire, they could not be brought to attempt another assault,
having lost over five hundred men in the two attacks the first day. He
then fell back, eight miles.
Three days later, Colonel Parsons said to Gregory:
"I think the time has come, Mr. Hilliard, when I must apply for
reinforcements. I am convinced that we can repel all attacks, but we
are virtually prisoners here. Were we to endeavour to retreat, Fadil
would probably annihilate us. Our men have behaved admirably; but it is
one thing to fight well, when you are advancing; and another to be firm
in retreat.
"But our most serious enemy, at present, is fever. Already, the stink
of the unburied bodies of the Dervishes is overpowering, and every day
it will become worse. Doctor Fleming reports to me that he has a great
many sick on his hands, and that he fears the conditions that surround
us will bring about an epidemic. Therefore I have decided to send to
General Rundle, for a reinforcement that will enable us to move out to
attack Fadil."
"Very well, sir, I will start at once."
"I will write my despatch. It will be ready for you to carry in an
hour's time. You had better pick out a couple of good donkeys, from
those we captured here. As it is only nine o'clock, you will be able to
get to Mugatta this evening. I don't think there is any fear of your
being interfered with, by the Dervishes. We may be sure that Fadil is
not allowing his men to roam over the country, for there can be little
doubt that a good many of them would desert, as soon as they got fairly
beyond his camp."
"I don't think there is any fear of that, sir; and as my camels will
have had ten days' rest, I should have very little fear of being
overtaken, even if they did sight us."
"We are off again, Zaki," Gregory said. "We will go down to the yard
where the animals we captured are kept, and choose a couple of good
donkeys. I am to carry a despatch to Omdurman, and as time is precious,
we will make a straight line across the desert; it will save us fifty
or sixty miles."
"I am glad to be gone, Master. The smells here are as bad as they were
at Omdurman, when we went in there."
"Yes, I am very glad to be off, too."
An hour later they started, and arrived at Mugatta at eight o'clock in
the evening. The native with whom the camels had been left had taken
good care of them; and, after rewarding him and taking a meal, Gregory
determined to start at once. The stars were bright, and there was quite
light enough for the camels to travel.
The water was emptied from the skins, and filled again. They had
brought with them sufficient food for four days' travel, and a sack of
grain for the camels. An hour after arriving at the village they again
started.
"We will follow the river bank, till we get past the country where the
bushes are so thick, and then strike west by north. I saw, by Colonel
Parsons' map, that that is about the line we should take."
They left the river before they reached El Fasher, and continued their
journey all night, and onward till the sun was well up. Then they
watered the camels (they had, this time, brought with them a large half
gourd for the purpose), ate a good meal themselves; and, after placing
two piles of grain before the camels, lay down and slept until five
o'clock in the afternoon.
"We ought to be opposite Omdurman, tomorrow morning. I expect we shall
strike the river, tonight. I have kept our course rather to the west of
the direct line, on purpose. It would be very awkward if we were to
miss it. I believe the compass is right, and I have struck a match
every hour to look at it; but a very slight deviation would make a big
difference, at the end of a hundred and fifty miles."
It was just midnight when they saw the river before them.
"We can't go wrong now, Zaki."
"That is a comfort. How many miles are we above its junction with the
White Nile?"
"I don't know."
They rode steadily on, and day was just breaking when he exclaimed:
"There are some buildings opposite. That must be Khartoum. We shall be
opposite Omdurman in another hour."
Soon after six o'clock, they rode down to the river bank opposite the
town; and, in answer to their signals, a large native boat was rowed
across to them. After some trouble the camels were got on board, and in
a quarter of an hour they landed.
"Take the camels up to my house, Zaki. I must go and report myself, at
headquarters."
General Rundle had not yet gone out, and on Gregory sending in his
name, he was at once admitted.
"So you are back, Mr. Hilliard!" the General said. "I am heartily glad
to see you, for it was a very hazardous mission that you undertook.
What news have you?"
"This is Colonel Parsons' report."
Before reading the long report, the General said, "Tell me, in a few
words, what happened."
"I overtook Colonel Parsons at Mugatta, on the third morning after
leaving. We were attacked by nearly four thousand Dervishes, five miles
from Gedareh. After a sharp fight they were defeated, and we occupied
the town without resistance. Four days later, Fadil came up with his
army and attacked the town; but was driven off, with a loss of five
hundred men. He is now eight miles from the town. The place is
unhealthy and, although it can be defended, Colonel Parsons has asked
for reinforcements, to enable him to attack Fadil."
"That is good news, indeed. We have all been extremely anxious, for
there was no doubt that Colonel Parsons' force was wholly inadequate
for the purpose. How long is it since you left?"
"About forty-six hours, sir."
"Indeed! That seems almost impossible, Mr. Hilliard."
"We started at eleven o'clock in the morning, sir, and rode on donkeys
to Mugatta, where I had left my camels; arrived there at eight, and
started an hour later on the camels. We rode till nine o'clock the next
day, halted till five, and have just arrived here. The camels were
excellent beasts, and travelled a good six miles an hour. I did not
press them, as I knew that, if we arrived opposite the town at night,
we should have difficulty in getting across the river."
"It was a great ride, a great achievement! You must be hungry, as well
as tired. I will tell my man to get you some breakfast, at once. You
can eat it, while I read this despatch. Then I may have a few questions
to ask you. After that, you had better turn in till evening."
Gregory enjoyed his breakfast, with the luxuries of tinned fruit, after
his rough fare for the past fortnight. When he went to the General's
room again, the latter said:
"Colonel Parsons' despatches are very full, and I think I quite
understand the situation. No praise is too high for the conduct of his
officers and troops. All seemed to have behaved equally well, and he
mentions the gallant part you took in the defence of the baggage, with
Captain Ruthven and the doctor, and only some thirty-four soldiers of
the camel corps.
"Now, I will not detain you longer. I hope you will dine with me this
evening. I should like to hear more of the affair."
Returning to his hut, Gregory found that Zaki had already got his bed,
and other things, from the store; and he was just about to boil the
kettle.
"I have breakfasted, Zaki. Here is a dollar. Go to one of those big
shops, and buy anything you like, and have a good meal. Then you had
better take the camels across to Azim's camp. I shall not want you
then, till evening."
No time was lost. Three battalions and a half of Soudanese were sent up
the Blue Nile, in steamers, and the garrisons stationed at several
points on the river were also taken on board. Three companies of camel
corps marched along the bank, and arrived at Abu Haraz, a hundred and
thirty miles up the river, in fifty-six hours after starting. Five
hundred baggage camels were also sent up. As the distance from Gedareh
to this point was a hundred miles, and as water was only to be found at
one point, it was necessary to carry up a supply for the troops.
Colonel Collinson, who was in command, pushed forward at once with the
12th Soudanese and the camel corps. When Fadil heard of their approach,
he made a night attack on Gedareh. This, however, was easily repulsed
by the garrison. He then broke up his camp and marched away, intending
to cross the Blue Nile, and join the Khalifa.
His troops were greatly demoralized by their failures, and in spite of
the precautions he took, the Darfur Sheik, with five hundred of his
men, succeeded in effecting his escape; and at once joined us,
actively, in the further operations against Fadil. As there was no
further danger, the Soudanese marched back again and joined the other
battalions, the garrisons on the river were re-established, and part of
the force returned to Omdurman.
The Sirdar had returned from Fashoda before Gregory came back, and had
left almost immediately for Cairo. On the day after Gregory's return,
he had a sharp attack of fever; the result partly of the evil smells at
Gedareh, heightened by the fact that the present was the fever season,
in the Blue Nile country.