Wauchope the first brigade, and Lyttleton
the second. As before, Macdonald, Maxwell, and Lewis commanded the
first three Egyptian brigades, and Collinson that newly raised, General
Hunter being in command of the division.

The force numbered, in all, about twenty thousand; and although
destitute of the glitter and colour of a British army, under ordinary
circumstances, were as fine a body of men as a British general could
wish to command; and all, alike, eager to meet the foe. The British
division had with them two batteries and ten Maxims, and the Egyptian
division five batteries and ten Maxims.

As Gregory was strolling through the camp, he passed where the officers
of one of the British regiments were seated on boxes, round a rough
table, over which a sort of awning had been erected.

"Come and join us, Hilliard. We are having our last feast on our last
stores, which we got smuggled up in one of the gunboats," the Major
called out.

"With pleasure, sir."

The officer who was sitting at the head of the table made room beside
him.

"You men of the Egyptian Army fare a good deal better than we do, I
think," the Major went on. "That institution of private camels is an
excellent one. We did not know that they would be allowed. But, after
all, it is not a bad thing that we did not have them, for there is no
doubt it is as well that the soldiers should not see us faring better
than they. There is bother enough with the baggage, as it is. Of
course, it is different in your case. There are only two or three white
officers with each battalion, and it would not strike your black troops
as a hardship that you should have different food from themselves. They
are living as well as, or better than, they ever did in their lives.
Three camels make no material addition to your baggage train, while, as
there are thirty or forty of us, it would make a serious item in ours,
and the General's keen eyes would spot them at once."

"Our camels are no burden to the army," Gregory said. "They only have a
few pounds of grain a day, and get their living principally on what
they can pick up. When they go on now, they will each carry fifty
pounds of private grain. They get five pounds when there are no bushes
or grass, so that the grain will last them for a fortnight."

"I suppose you think that the Dervishes mean fighting?"

"I think there is no doubt about it. All the fugitives that come in say
that the Khalifa will fight, but whethe