Captain Baring With Three Squadrons Watched
The Left Flank, Now In Retirement Become The Right.
Captains Le Gallais
and Persse guarded the river flank.
The cavalry retired by alternate wings in measured fashion. But the enemy
pressed on impetuously, and their horsemen, soon completely enveloping the
desert flank of the Egyptians, began to threaten a charge. To meet this
Colonel Broadwood sent one of his squadrons from the centre to join those
under Captain Baring, so that at about a quarter to ten the reconnoitring
force was formed with four squadrons towards the desert, two with the guns,
and two towards the river. The weakness of the river flank of the troops
encouraged the Dervish horse lurking in the scrub to make a bold attempt to
capture the guns. The movement was shrewd and daring, but the cavalry
commander met it with admirable skill. The springing-up of dust-clouds
hardly 300 yards away was his only warning. He immediately took command of
the two squadrons under Persse and Le Gallais, and ordered them to 'right
about wheel' and charge. Thus headed by Broadwood himself, and with their
British officers several horse-lengths in front, the Egyptians broke into
a gallop and encountered the Baggara line, which numbered not fewer than
400 men but was in loose order, with firmness. They struck them obliquely
and perhaps a third of the way down their line, and, breaking through,
routed them utterly.
While this dashing operation was carried out on the river flank
the Dervish cavalry, following up the retirement, also delivered an attack
towards the guns.
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