The chronicle=news., 1914-09-21

IIeEloH WHeTc lHe sun DdkeS tHe bduO
all day long in bewildering heat;
where nothing green grows; where
the people, dirty, fierce, naked, ig-
norant and squalid, dispute the own
ership of the wretched land with all
the loathsome bugs. crawling things.
serpents, tarantulas, scorpions and
hordes of devouring white ants.
More than one has called 1t a God
accursed wilderness, and an empty
limbo of torment.
Campaigns against the Mahdi and
his fanatics had been undertaken
with camel trains to transport sup
plies. In this way victories were
won, but the effect was rapidly
vanishing one. and it all had to be
done over again. In the early sos
came new Mahdi, heralded as the
true Mussulman Messiah. He was
wonderfully successful, and destroy
ed the armies sent against him one
after another and pushed into civil
lied territory. Kitchener inherited
this adverse situation in '9S. He did
not depend on camels and temporary
victories from excursions and raids:
he built railroad. In "a he was
new captain. in '9S he was Sirdar.
And he determined to wipe out the
fanatic pest once and for all time.
He was laughed at. His moves
were slow but machine-like. Every
thing went surely forward. but no
expedition took the field. The derv-
ishes were frightened, then as MOTH
ing came they grew secure, and then
contemptuous. Osman Digna and
Mahmud were in a well intrenched
camp on the Atabara river. Appear
ed one morning after long forced
march all night, the Sirdar! Nor
was he alone. $4,000 men. the pick
of the English and Egyptian armies.
were there in the early dawn light
with their eyes fixed on the intrench-
ed stockaded camp of the enemy.
The battle OF the Atbara is history.
With Egyptian cavalry on the ex-
IRENE left. the English next directly
facing the center of the camp, and
the center and right OF the line
coming on the camp from its LETT
pouring in a destructive enfiladipx
wearied troops responding to the call
OF the Camerons' pipes like magic
A hedge of camel thorn barred them
for an instant, the next 1t was left
behind and they were over and in
the camp. One after another they
got through stockade and three
trenches. thorn and bush, honey
comb OF pits and ambushes.
AS II there were no such thing as
wounds or bullets they swept
through the fire. were Joined with a
crashing volley by a half brigade the
Sirdar had sent to the left. and then
together they crashed down over and
through all opposition. shoveled the
enemy into the dry bed Of the river
and shot them Town. Osman Digna
and the cavalry got away, but NAH
mud was captured, the host shattered
1000 dead were left in the Zariba
and another thousand scattered
about. and nearly all the Emirs
killed or captured.
The summer season followed. with
inactivity as to operation. but with
the most careful preparations for the
fall campaign against the Khalifa
and the main body of the Sudanese
fighting men which had occupied
Omdurman and bounded Gordon to
death while inactivity kert from
him English support that would
have relieved Khartum and saved
him.
Kitchener was told he never would
get boats through the rapids. when
the campaign began in the torried
end of August. He smiled. Three
days later the boats were through
and the ascent of the Nile by ships
trains along the banks went on.
September 2 with the gray steal
ing desert light OF the dawn, the
army of the khalifa decided to walt
no longer and appeared against the
Sirdar's camp near .Omdurman. At
half past six British gun opened
ire and as II in answer swirl of
white linen-clad figures rushed for
ward.
They were met by pitiless storm
oi death that never slackened. For
were not the british hghttng against
the slayers of Gordon in sight of the
accused city Of Khartum where he
met his fate? White troops would
never have stood 1t. but the Arabs
came on. line after line were slaugh-
tered in their turn. New rifles had
been brought from the reserve. for
these In action became too not to
use: it was not battle but an exc
cution. The Arabs would not be de-
MED. but they could not live to reach
the English lines.
An hour and half the slaughter
continued. and then with the cessa-
tion of attack the English advanced
OH the Khalifa's camp. For two hours
they drove him steadily back. At 10
O'Clock they had driven him to the
last stand and spread OIL. so that