s at Akasheh. This had been a very
important station, before the last advance, as all the stores had been
accumulated here when the army advanced. Here had been a strongly
entrenched camp, for the Dervishes were in force, fifteen miles away,
at Ferket.

"It was a busy time we had here," said one of the officers, who had
taken a part in the expedition. "A fortnight before, we had no idea
that an early move was contemplated; and indeed, it was only on the
14th of March that the excitement began. That day, Kitchener received a
telegram ordering an immediate advance on Dongola. We had expected it
would take place soon; but there is no doubt that the sudden order was
the result of an arrangement, on the part of our government with Italy,
that we should relieve her from the pressure of the Dervishes round
Kassala by effecting a diversion, and obliging the enemy to send a
large force down to Dongola to resist our advance.

"It was a busy time. The Sirdar came up to Wady Halfa, and the Egyptian
troops were divided between that place, Sarras, and Akasheh. The 9th
Soudanese were marched up from Suakim, and they did the distance to the
Nile (one hundred and twenty miles) in four days. That was something
like marching.

"Well, you saw Wady Halfa. For a month, this place was quite as busy.
Now, its glories are gone. Two or three huts for the railway men, and
the shelters for a company of Egyptians, represent the whole camp."

As they neared Ferket the officer said:

"There was a sharp fight out there on the desert. A large body of
Dervishes advanced, from Ferket. They were seen to leave by a cavalry
patrol. As soon as the patrol reached camp, all the available horse,
two hundred and forty in number, started under Major Murdoch. Four
miles out, they came in sight of three hundred mounted Dervishes, with
a thousand spearmen on foot.

"The ground was rough, and unfavourable for a cavalry charge; so the
cavalry retired to a valley, between two hills, in order to get better
ground. While they were doing so, however, the Dervishes charged down
upon them. Murdoch rode at them at once, and there was a hand-to-hand
fight that lasted for twenty minutes. Then the enemy turned, and
galloped off to the shelter of the spearmen. The troopers dismounted
and opened fire; and, on a regiment of Soudanese coming up, the enemy
drew off.

"Eighteen of the Dervishes were killed, and eighty wounded. Our loss
was very slight; but the fight was a mo