four in the morning
Slatin Pasha went with them . But as the horses had been at work all day , they had to stop at half past eight . They could not then get down to the water , and bivouacked where they had halted . At four in the morning they started again , and at half past eight found a spot where they could get down to the river ; then they rode fifteen miles farther . `` They were now thirty-five miles from Omdurman . One of the gunboats had gone up with supplies , but owing to the Nile having overflowed , could not get near enough to land them . Next morning they got news that the Khalifa was twenty-five miles ahead , and had just obtained fresh camels , so they were ordered to return to the town .