iumph as an English officer.

On the approach of the Government troops the Mahdi had marched out of
El Obeid and established himself in the open country, where he made his
followers live under military conditions and continually practised them
in warlike evolutions. More than forty thousand men collected round his
standard, and the Arabs were now armed with several thousand rifles and
a few cannon, as well as a great number of swords and spears. To these
proportions had the little band of followers who fought at Abba grown!
The disparity of the forces was apparent before the battle. The Mahdi
thereupon wrote to Hicks, calling on him to surrender and offering
terms. His proposals were treated with disdain, although the probable
result of an engagement was clear.

Until the expedition reached Rahad only a few cavalry patrols had
watched its slow advance. But on the 1st of November the Mahdi left
El Obeid and marched with his whole power to meet his adversary. The
collision took place on the 3rd of November. All through that day the
Egyptians struggled slowly forward, in great want of water, losing
continually from the fire of the Soudanese riflemen, and leaving several
guns behind them. On the next morning they were confronted by the
main body of the Arab army, and their attempts to advance further were
defeated with heavy loss. The force began to break up. Yet another day
was consumed before it was completely destroyed. Scarcely five hundred
Egyptians escaped death; hardly as many of the Arabs fell. The European
officers perished fighting to the end; and the general met his fate
sword in hand, at the head of the last formed body of his troops, his
personal valour and physical strength exciting the admiration even of
the fearless enemy, so that in chivalrous respect they buried his body
with barbaric honours. Mohammed Ahmed celebrated his victory with a
salute of one hundred guns; and well he might, for the Soudan was now
his, and his boast that, by God's grace and the favour of the Prophet,
he was the master of all the land had been made good by force of arms.

No further attempt was made to subdue the country. The people of the
Soudan had won their freedom by their valour and by the skill and
courage of their saintly leader. It only remained to evacuate the towns
and withdraw the garrisons safely. But what looked like the winding-up
of one story was really the beginning of another, much longer, just as
bloody, commenc