All round the field the movement was forward, till the circle had widened to the enemy's lines; while at the old defences were only handfuls of men.

With scarce a cry David's men fell on the unprepared foe; and he himself, on a grey Arab, a mark for any lance or spear and rifle, rode upon that point where Ali Wad Hei's tent was set.
But after the first onset, in which hundreds were killed, there began the real noise of battle--fierce shouting, the shrill cries of wounded and maddened horses as they struck with their feet, and bit as fiercely at the fighting foe as did their masters.

The mist cleared slowly, and, when it had wholly lifted, the fight was spread over every part of the field of siege.

Ali Wad Hei's men had gathered themselves together after the first deadly onslaught, and were fighting fiercely, shouting the Muslim battle-cry, "Allah hu achbar!" Able to bring up reinforcements, the great losses at first sustained were soon made up, and the sheer weight of numbers gave them courage and advantage.

By rushes with lance and sword and rifle they were able, at last, to drive David's men back upon their old defences with loss.