At nine o’clock, the enemy’s position having been again sketched and the approaches reconnoitred, Colonel Broadwood ordered the retirement to begin.  The Maxims and artillery were in the centre, supported by Colonel Broadwood and three squadrons.  Captain Baring with three squadrons watched the left flank, now in retirement become the right.  Captains Le Gallais and Persse guarded the river flank.

The cavalry retired by alternate wings in measured fashion.  But the enemy pressed on impetuously, and their horsemen, soon completely enveloping the desert flank of the Egyptians, began to threaten a charge.  To meet this Colonel Broadwood sent one of his squadrons from the centre to join those under Captain Baring, so that at about a quarter to ten the reconnoitring force was formed with four squadrons towards the desert, two with the guns, and two towards the river.  The weakness of the river flank of the troops encouraged the Dervish horse lurking in the scrub to make a bold attempt to capture the guns.  The movement was shrewd and daring, but the cavalry commander met it with admirable skill.  The springing-up of dust-clouds hardly 300 yards away was his only warning.  He immediately took command of the two squadrons under Persse and Le Gallais, and ordered them to ’right about wheel’ and charge.  Thus headed by Broadwood himself, and with their British officers several horse-lengths in front, the Egyptians broke into a gallop and encountered the Baggara line, which numbered not fewer than 400 men but was in loose order, with firmness.  They struck them obliquely and perhaps a third of the way down their line, and, breaking through, routed them utterly.

While this dashing operation was carried out on the river flank the Dervish cavalry, following up the retirement, also delivered an attack towards the guns.  Thereupon Captain Baring with two squadrons galloped from the desert flank across the front of the artillery, and, riding through the advancing enemy, repulsed them with loss.  The charge was good and effective, but the shock and confusion broke both squadrons, and, although successful, they came through the Dervishes and back on to the river flank in some disorder.  Persse and Le Gallais, who had just rallied, at once dismounted their men and opened carbine fire on the retreating Dervishes.  Their action not only checked the enemy, but prevented, by getting the troopers off their horses, any chance of their being involved in the disorder of the squadrons who had just charged.

Although their horsemen were thus sharply checked, the Dervish infantry continued in spite of losses to advance rapidly, and for a few minutes a hot musketry fire was exchanged by the Arab riflemen and the two dismounted squadrons.  Captain Persse was severely wounded, and several other casualties occurred.  But the whole force was drawing away from the enemy, and by eleven o’clock it had passed through the gap to the north-east and had shaken off all pursuit.  The casualties in the operation were fortunately small.  One British officer was wounded; six Egyptian troopers were killed and ten wounded; and about thirty horses were lost or disabled.