The age-herald., 1898-09-20

began firing-for few minutes only-at the main body. The shells burst well, causing a visible tremor in the Dervish ranks but the enemy never halted. They only closed ID and came faster. Then our guns, both Maxim -Nordenfelts and 15-pounders began a tremendous fusilade, dealing a .apid fire of shrapnel and common shell. Whole punches of the enemy shrunk back and dropped under the frghtful hail of missiles. Yet their standards still were bravely Haunted, other men taking the place of the kill sd.
 At 6:45 in the morning the Dervishes were seen upon Surgham Hill, and then the whole body of them swarmed over the hill like ants They shouted upon seeing us be- meath them all ugh at distance of 1600 yards. Tbeir 150 mounted leaders called upon them to rush the batteries which piled them with an awful and continuous discharge, the Maxms rattlng like a fu- fious hailstorm The First Grenadier Guards treated tf' Dervishes to long-range volleys, and then all the British infantry opened fire as the enemy boldly ran in. But the shell fire had already told it's deadly tale, and the whole of the enemy within range began moving to the west, across our front, leaving, however, their rjflemen who from a fairly good shelter, opened a sharp fusilade. The bullets came whistling about our ares, bringing with them wounds and death.
 Our gupboats paid good attention to the enemys sharpshooters. Still, the central body of the Dervisbes, despite all the firing, forged onward although, perhaps, they were moving more cautiously and taking advantage of the little cover there was in the vicinity. Yacoub the Khalifa's brother, joined them, and Osman or Sheikh el din the Khalifa's son, came up and threa tened the east face of our square.
 All the batteries and most Of our 1n- fantry were now shooting rapldly, potn section volleys and independent firing be- ing used There was a tornado of shells from the artillery, and the Dervish horse men and footmen were dropping, wounded or dead, in companies and battallons They never got nearer than 800 yards rom the direct British force, but, wedged and massed together, they drew closer to Max wells brigade, where the fanatics and fierce warriors fell, only 250 yards away from the trench ere the enemy halted and took coveE
 But the battle was not yet ended. The sDervishes still directed their course west ward. many going towards the distant low hills, three miles away, with the shells pelting them all the way. It was a crucial stsge of the main attack. The central masses of the enemy, probably hoping to rush the Khedival troops on their front, pressed forward. Daring hands carrier the Khalifa's standard and other banners with in 1.0O6 yards of our lines, and the Der wishes essayed repeatedly to close with us, and. only desisted because of the awful dead around the standard, or else feigning death, in the position on our right. At S:3O a. m., the Twenty-first Lanoers having cleared the British front up to the hill, our whole force marched out to pro- oeed straight for Omdurman, which was then distant about four miles.
 our left, otherwise Lyttleton's brigade. was thown considerably forward. The na- ture of the ground created difficulties in