But all this time the enemy had been busy.  At the beginning of the battle the Khalifa had posted a small force of 700 men on his extreme right, to prevent his line of retreat to Omdurman being harassed.  This detachment was composed entirely of the Hadendoa tribesmen of Osman Digna’s flag, and was commanded by one of his subordinate Emirs, who selected a suitable position in the shallow khor.  As soon as the 21st Lancers left the zeriba the Dervish scouts on the top of Surgham carried the news to the Khalifa.  It was said that the English cavalry were coming to cut him off from Omdurman.  Abdullah thereupon determined to strengthen his extreme right; and he immediately ordered four regiments, each 500 strong, drawn from the force around the Black Flag and under the Emir Ibrahim Khalil, to reinforce the Hadendoa in the khor.  While we were waiting for orders on the ridge these men were hurrying southwards along the depression, and concealed by a spur of Surgham Hill.  The Lancer patrol reconnoitred the khor, at the imminent risk of their lives, while it was only occupied by the original 700 Hadendoa.  Galloping back, they reported that it was held by about 1,000 men.  Before they reached the regiment this number was increased to 2,700.  This, however, we had no means of knowing.  The Khalifa, having despatched his reinforcement, rode on his donkey with a scanty escort nearly half a mile from the Black Flag towards the khor, in order to watch the event, and in consequence he was within 500 yards of the scene.

As the 21st Lancers left the ridge, the fire of the Arab riflemen on the hill ceased.  We advanced at a walk in mass for about 300 yards.  The scattered parties of Dervishes fell back and melted away, and only one straggling line of men in dark blue waited motionless a quarter of a mile to the left front.  They were scarcely a hundred strong.  The regiment formed into line of squadron columns, and continued at a walk until within 300 yards of this small body of Dervishes.  The firing behind the ridges had stopped.  There was complete silence, intensified by the recent tumult.  Far beyond the thin blue row of Dervishes the fugitives were visible streaming into Omdurman.  And should these few devoted men impede a regiment?  Yet it were wiser to examine their position from the other flank before slipping a squadron at them.  The heads of the squadrons wheeled slowly to the left, and the Lancers, breaking into a trot, began to cross the Dervish front in column of troops.  Thereupon and with one accord the blue-clad men dropped on their knees, and there burst out a loud, crackling fire of musketry.  It was hardly possible to miss such a target at such a range.  Horses and men fell at once.  The only course was plain and welcome to all.  The Colonel, nearer than his regiment, already saw what lay behind the skirmishers.  He ordered, ‘Right wheel into line’ to be sounded.  The trumpet jerked out a shrill note, heard faintly above the trampling of the horses and the noise of the rifles.  On the instant all the sixteen troops swung round and locked up into a long galloping line, and the 21st Lancers were committed to their first charge in war.