ir
retreat, dashed into the central zareba among the transport animals,
cutting and slashing in every direction, and in a few moments a general
stampede ensued; camels, mules, and horses made one wild rush for Suakin
followed by triumphant Arabs, who in their turn were met and routed by
the Bengal Cavalry and 5th Lancers. At the first rush a number of the
enemy succeeded in getting into the north-east zareba, the east side of
which was at the moment undefended, and for a few minutes the marines
were in a dangerous position, but while the front rank continued to fire
on the enemy on their side, the rear rank faced about, and, fighting
back to back, soon cleared the zareba of the enemy and lined the open
side. After about twenty minutes the bugle sounded "Cease fire," and as
the smoke cleared away, the enemy were seen streaming away. Thus ended
the fight. It was indeed a soldiers' battle, and but for the steadiness
and heroism of the individuals it would have proved another Isandlana.
The enemy's loss was very heavy, and the power of Osman Digna utterly
crushed; but the cost to the British was heavy, for the losses of
British and Indian troops was 600 in killed and wounded, and a large
proportion of the transport train was destroyed.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

THE CHITRAL CAMPAIGN--1885.

In January 1895 the reigning Mehtar of Chitral was murdered by his
brother, whom, in breach of a time-honoured custom of Chitralis, he had
neglected to murder or exile upon his own accession. Umra Khan, the
chief of Jandol, who had long had designs upon Chitral, made this
occasion a pretext for invading the territory off which he had been
repeatedly warned by the British Government as the Suzerain of Chitral,
and laid siege to Kila Drosh. On February 1st, Dr Robertson, the
British resident at Mastuj, arrived in Chitral, and at once ordered Umra
Khan to retire. Umra Khan, however, who had in the meantime taken Kila
Drosh, retorted by calling upon Dr Robertson to retire, and to
recognise Sher Afzul as Mehtar. This, of course, the British resident
refused to do; and called a _durbar_, at which Soojah-ul-Moolk was
declared Mehtar of Chitral, on 1st of March. The position of the
British resident and his small party, which by way of precaution had
occupied the fort some time previous, now became very serious. On 2nd
of March, Sher Afzul had advanced upon them, and Chitral was very soon
invested on all sides, and indeed, as will be s