At this moment the Lincoln Regiment began to come up.  As soon as the leading company cleared the right of MacDonald’s brigade, they formed line, and opened an independent fire obliquely across the front of the Soudanese.  Groups of Dervishes in twos and threes were then within 100 yards.  The great masses were within 300 yards.  The independent firing lasted two minutes, during which the whole regiment deployed.  Its effect was to clear away the leading groups of Arabs.  The deployment having been accomplished with the loss of a dozen men, including Colonel Sloggett, who fell shot through the breast while attending to the wounded, section volleys were ordered.  With excellent discipline the independent firing was instantly stopped, and the battalion began with machine-like regularity to carry out the principles of modern musketry, for which their training had efficiently prepared them and their rifles were admirably suited.  They fired on an average sixty rounds per man, and finally repulsed the attack.

The Dervishes were weak in cavalry, and had scarcely 2,000 horsemen on the field.  About 400 of these, mostly the personal retainers of the various Emirs, were formed into an irregular regiment and attached to the flag of Ali-Wad-Helu.  Now when these horsemen perceived that there was no more hope of victory, they arranged themselves in a solid mass and charged the left of MacDonald’s brigade.  The distance was about 500 yards, and, wild as was the firing of the Soudanese, it was evident that they could not possibly succeed.  Nevertheless, many carrying no weapon in their hands, and all urging their horses to their utmost speed, they rode unflinchingly to certain death.  All were killed and fell as they entered the zone of fire—­ three, twenty, fifty, two hundred, sixty, thirty, five and one out beyond them all—­a brown smear across the sandy plain.  A few riderless horses alone broke through the ranks of the infantry.

After the failure of the attack from Kerreri the whole Anglo-Egyptian army advanced westward, in a line of bayonets and artillery nearly two miles long, and drove the Dervishes before them into the desert, so that they could by no means rally or reform.  The Egyptian cavalry, who had returned along the river, formed line on the right of the infantry in readiness to pursue.  At half-past eleven Sir H. Kitchener shut up his glasses, and, remarking that he thought the enemy had been given ’a good dusting,’ gave the order for the brigades to resume their interrupted march on Omdurman—­a movement which was possible, now that the forces in the plain were beaten.  The brigadiers thereupon stopped the firing, massed their commands in convenient formations, and turned again towards the south and the city.  The Lincolnshire Regiment remained detached as a rearguard.

Meanwhile the great Dervish army, who had advanced at sunrise in hope and courage, fled in utter rout, pursued by the Egyptian cavalry, harried by the 21st Lancers, and leaving more than 9,000 warriors dead and even greater numbers wounded behind them.