The times., 1898-09-11
STORIES OF THE SOUDAN
Interesting Incidents of the
Famous Fight in Egypt.
TOMMY ATKINS LETTERS
Marvellous Escape of a British Sol
dier Whose Clothes Were Made a
Sieve by Sbot-Nature of the Der
Nfshes-The Baggara Tribe Grand
Fighters.

London, Aug. 30.-Without a doubt
the war news of the hour, and the
hour may have struck before this
letter gets across the Atlantic, is
the coming capture of Khartoum
in the Soudan and the avenging of Cor
don by the English Tommy Atkins in con-
junction with his Egyptian brothers in
arms.
The cable will tell of the fight, but it
viii not tell of the little incidents that
people love 10 read about in connection
with such news.
The fight at Khartoum is more than
likely TO be a reproduction on a larger
scale OF the recent fight at Atbara. wren
the AnRl-Egyptian forces rushed the
I-TSish intrenchments OF the cnaraeter.
of that fight the best description to be
had was private letter from a young
officer TO his father, and this extract from
IT is well worth reading:
''I know what you like on these occas-
ions are personal details; the rest you
get from the papers. i don't know that
I've much TO add; / was exceedingly
frightened and very cold in the early
A4D4 -A&42Ss cAAA NN-S A4CcAis SANh NA4cll II
was over.
During the show the noise was deaf
ening, and ones ideas afterwards are
very confused. Ones whole time is taken
up watching the men and catching hold
of them and pulling them back; one has
no time to see much what goes on in
front, and there is no question of having
TO lead the men on, they have to be beat
en- back.
"The charge into the zereeba, as their
fortified camps are callec. was rather rip
ping, with the drums and bugles playing
the regimental march and everyone leg
ging il like anything. but the business
afterwards is too anxious to be enjoya-
BILE, one is so afraid of shooting into 9TH
er battalions. Our bugies played US the
whole way through, and il certainly is
very exhilarating.
Some of the Baggara tribe we had to
thrash were splendid. They got out of
the trenches, shook their rifles in our
faces and then turned and walked slowly
away. not trying to hurry; but you see
so many defenseless people killed that it
rather takes the fun off the show; but
that's impossible to help.
.All the blacks on our side are raging
savages when they fight, and j dare say
most people are the same. They were all
deligted after the show: such handshak-
ings and congratulations. They all come
up TO you and shake your hand and say:
Glad you are safe, thanks be TO God. !
hope you'll be Bey soon, and You reply:
Thanks be 10 God This, when you
have done it about 500 times, becomes
rather trying.
I'm glad to say they allowed them TO
loot after the fight, and that is the most
popular thing of the whole show. They
love to pick up spears and odds and ends
and then sell them. ! never saw them so
delighted as they were. or in such tre-
mendous spirits. Poor Mahmoud, the
Dervish leader whom we captured. had
a bad time, all the men coming and curs-
ing him and trying TO hit him.
Il heard one amusing conversation. a
man Of the Ninth had hold of a wounded
Dervish and was pulling him along. ]
said TO him: oh, let him be- The fellow
said: All right. Effendin; this is my
brother and then TO the man: Why are
you fighting your brothers,? The poor
wounded fellow hobbling along, said:
What could I do? I've been tied up for
three weeks Silence. you dogr was
the only answer. with a shove And
vet he really thought he was being kind