The record-union., 1898-02-24
ENGLAND'S ARAB TROOPS.
A Scene Before Battle in the
EGYPTIAN Campaign.

The Colonel's words produced an al
most magical effect. With the Arabs
the fantasia must precede the fight. SO
soon as the men heard these wholly un-
expected but to them exceedingly well
come orders, there was a scene of the
most extraordinary excitement. In a
moment and of their own accord the
whole $50 men fell out of their ranks
and rushed off at full speed, shouting,
brandishing their rifles, and leaping to-
ward their huts; and there, as is the
custom before going to battle, they dom
ned the amulets that highten courage
and bring good fortune in war, the
armlets and necklaces of their wives;
and gave farewell embraces to those
dusky DANES, whose excitement was as
great as their own, for throughout all
the hut ercampment now rose the shriil
luluing of the women and the din of
beating tomtoms. But the men vast
ed but little time in these traditional
observances. Even as they rushed off,
so did they soon hurry back, and We're
again drawn up before Colonel Parsons,
ready for the march and eager for the
fight and the looting of cattle which
would be the reward of victory.
1t was expected that they would he
about five or six days away, but their
commissariat arrangements We're very
simple; they had with them a few cam
els to carry skins of water and little
-four They had no baggage of any
sort; barefooted, and clad in scanty
robe of white cloth, each man carried
with him nothing but his rifle and am
munition, and was quite prepared If
given his handful of flour a day and
Sufficiency of water, to march from one
end of the Soudan to the other. Sons
of the most warlike tribes of the Afri-
can Arabs-Hadendoa, Benz Amer, and
others-these savage warriors presented
a splendid appearance as they stood
there drawn up awaiting the final or
der that should let them loose. NOV
ing reStleSSly, a murmur passing
through their ranks, like hounds with
the prey in sight still held back by the
leash; while their chiefs, clad in their
picturesque flowing robes of various
colors, rode up and down the line on
their prancing horses. A little distance
off stood all the women, still luluing,
clapping their hands, and encouraging
their husbands with brave words All
the warlike instincts of the race We're
uppermost. and one felt that men like
these need no tighter discipline that
that which now controls them, when
fighting under chiefs, to make them q
most formidable foe, even if opposed TO
picked European sroops
At last the short, quick word of COM
mand was given. the bugle sounded,
and they We're off, a sixteen hours
march between them and the foe. 1t
was spectacle such as one seldom has
the fortune to behold. The sun was
just setting, red disk, on the edge of
the broad plain: and to the east the
huge granite buttresses and peaks of
the Jebel Kassala glowed in various
tints of luminous purple and copper
brown. AS the bugle sounded the chiefs
waved their swords and spurred their
horses, the men gave a yell and in
body broke into quick run. brandish-
ing their rifles, leaping and cheering as
before, and rushing in the direction OF
the setting sun, across the plain CT with
cred grass. soon to disappear in the
clouds Of dust they raised. So long as
they were in sight the women lulued
and the tomtoms beat. 1t was indeed
a very fine setting out for battle
think that had even the most peacea
BILE individual of those who regard war
with horror been present the contagion
OF that excitement would have found