An Egyptian Escapade

Of course now bullets were cracking over the two of them as they moved beyond the infantry’s front line.  The last time he had heard that sound was when he was on the rifle range in the pits when he was pointing out where his colleagues' shots had hit the target but now he was being shot.   It was mind-blowing to think that now that he was in the thick of it one of these bullets could have his name on it.  He was leaning over the horse’s trying to keep within range of the Major’s horse as he sought to catch up with the cavalry and General Buller who was with them.

They were just negotiating a sand dune when Adam saw a flicker of movement just over to their left and the glint of sunlight on a rifle barrel and the barrel of the rifle was definitely pointing in their direction.  Adam reacted automatically drawing his rifle out of the leather carrier on the horse’s flank bringing it up to his shoulder while flicking the safety catch off with his thumb and squeezing the trigger all in one movement.  Almost in the same instant the enemy’s rifle cracked but by then it was pointing harmlessly skywards as Adam’s bullet had stuck the enemy sniper in the shoulder throwing him backwards.  Seconds later there was another crack as the Major put a bullet into the man who stopped moving.  Then they were off again without a backward glance.  Adam was trembling inside thinking, “How close was that!”  He also realised that that had been the first time he had actually fired the Martini-Henri.  There had been all the weapon training but never an opportunity to fire it.  But to fire it off the back of a horse and hit the intended target was amazing or was it just pure luck he thought.

Now they were in the open and closing with the cavalry.  They found the General towards the rear of the cavalry formation that was currently engaged with the enemy although they were occasionally dismounting when the artillery fire became too great.  By this time Adam and the Major had caught up with the cavalry and Adam too was trying to make himself as small a target as possible.  He kept as close to the Major as possible working on the principle that if the enemy had a choice in who they were going to shoot at they would choose the Major rather than him.  He wondered if that was a selfish or cowardly act or was it simply self-preservation? 

On and on the cavalry went slowing to ensure that they didn’t get too far ahead of the steadily advancing infantry.  Watching them Adam could see that their intense rifle fire was driving the more numerous enemy backwards.  He could also see that all six of the infantry regiments were engaging the enemy on both flanks.  It seemed incredible to Adam that in the beginning there had been only three regiments against the eighteen Egyptian regiments.  Adam could only wonder as he watched them advance how they could have faced such odds and still be moving forward.  “This is what had made the British Empire what it was!” Adam thought.  “Well that and having the greatest navy in the world!” he thought in retrospect.

The time had flashed by for the Major on consulting his pocket watch said that it was 10.30am when they saw that the Egyptians were beating a hasty retreat. The rout was so complete that they were even leaving three of their guns behind them.  By this time Adam and his party now found themselves within 5,000 yards of the main enemy fortifications at Tel-el-Kebir.  Just over to the right of he could see General Buller and General Drury Lowe in a heated discussion.  “Perhaps they are going on to attack the enemy at Tel-el-Kebir?” Adam thought.  He could see his boss was listening to the discussion with the staff officers and he wondered what the end result would be.