2nd Brigade under Major Pengilly marched on after his battle at Sinkat, capturing the towns of Sinkat, El Teb and Tokar, bypassing the town Maj. Pengilly camped the night on the open plain in square formation, on the Dawn of 27th January, 7 days after his last action, a washer woman came from the town to inform him that there were several thousand Tribesmen massing to attack him being led by their local leader Osman Dinga...
The square forms up with the stand to...
Square is formed up with the Cavalry ready to sweep in where required...
Stand to!!!!
After the first charges are sent in by the Fuzzy Wuzzy's the square has reformed to give more firepower to bear, casualties mount rapidly on the native units...
More Fuzzy's rapidly advance off their blinds ready to attack the Egyptian infantry who have just turned up with the water supplies (in the background) to assist their British friends...
Fierce fighting had caused the natives to fall back on the left and the cavalry took the opportunity to charge in and smash a couple of units... with the Royal Marine Light Infantry and Gardiner in support... Those damn guns reeked havoc amongst the massed ranks of natives... The artillery piece was lost retaken and lost several times, fighting was fierce around this point...
Things start to look a bit dodgy for poor old Major Pengilly and his 2nd Brigade, the preacher starts praying the lords prayer, yeah I walk through the valley of death... Osman Dinga has called forward all his troops to smash this invader... Camels... and more Rubs arrive to surround the British... The sweat pours down the back... especially when the Gardiner jams...
Seeing a gap in the lines, where native rubs have been wiped out after the See You Jimmy card forces the highlanders to charge... Major Pengilly playing his Bravery Card, storms forward with his escort and manages to capture Osman Digna after fighting his body guard in single combat and defeating him...
The next card is a Native rub card allowing the Mahdist to charge into the fray and rescue their brother and leader and capture the Imperialist leader as well... Allah and victory must surely be with them...
At that point the British Cavalry card is next out and they charge the Fuzzy's surrounding Major Pengilly and the enemy leader, they manage to wipe out the enemy to a man saving Maj. P and recapturing Osman Dinga...
At this point the native troops seeing their leader captured and the many Rubs Flags lying in the sand covered in blood the remaining force starts to drift away into the deserts beyond leaving the battered British force to thank the lord for the brave actions of their leader and saving them from certain death...
Casualties have been relatively low considering the Brigade was almost over run... over 900 dead, wounded, and missing, but inflicting over 4,000 dead on the natives...
The day of 27th January is over for the 2nd Brigade, collecting dead, tending to the wounded, distributing ammo, the Maj. has now to choose his next actions...
Meanwhile Major Ralls and his 1st Brigade on board his Steamer convoy is just about to reach the 4th Cataracts just outside Kirbeka...
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