Two hundred yards from the entrenchment and one hundred and fifty from the thorn bushes independent firing broke out, running along the line from end to end.  Shooting continually, but without any hurry or confusion, the British and Soudanese battalions continued their slow, remorseless advance; and it was evident that, in spite of the fierce fire of the defence, which was now causing many casualties, the assault would be successful.

The loss during the passage of the zeriba and in the assault of the entrenchments was severe.  Captain Findlay and Major Urquhart, of the Cameron Highlanders, were both mortally wounded in the fight at the stockades, and expired still cheering on their men.  Major Napier, of the same regiment, and Captain Baillie, of the Seaforth Highlanders, received the wounds, of which they subsequently died, a few yards further on.  At all points the troops broke into the enclosure.  Behind the stockade there ran a treble trench.  The whole interior was honeycombed with pits and holes.  From these there now sprang thousands of Dervishes, desperately endeavouring to show a front to the attack.  Second-Lieutenant Gore, a young officer fresh from Sandburst, was shot dead between the thorn fence and the stockade.  Other officers in the Lincoln and the Warwickshire regiments sustained severe wounds.  Many soldiers were killed and wounded in the narrow space.  These losses were general throughout the assaulting brigades.  In the five minutes which were occupied in the passage of the obstruction about four hundred casualties occurred.  The attack continued.

The British brigade had struck the extremity of the north front of the zeriba, and thus took the whole of the eastern face in enfilade, sweeping it with their terrible musketry from end to end, and strewing the ground with corpses.  Although, owing to the lines of advance having converged, there was not room for more than half the force to deploy, the brigades pushed on.  The conduct of the attack passed to the company commanders.  All these officers kept their heads, and brought their companies up into the general line as the front gradually widened and gaps appeared.  So the whole force—­companies, battalions, even brigades—­ mixed up together and formed in one dense, ragged, but triumphant line, marched on unchecked towards the river bed, driving their enemies in hopeless confusion before them.  Yet, although the Dervishes were unable to make head against the attack, they disdained to run.  Many hundreds held their ground, firing their rifles valiantly till the end.  Others charged with spear and sword.  The greater part retired in skirmishing order, jumping over the numerous pits, walking across the open spaces, and repeatedly turning round to shoot.  The XIth Soudanese encountered the most severe resistance after the defences were penetrated.  As their three deployed companies pressed on through the enclosure, they were confronted by a small inner zeriba stubbornly