half past four
Deputations of the townsfolk , Greeks and natives , came out and offered to surrender . They said that the Khalifa was in his house , and that he had about a thousand of his bodyguard with him , but that they could not offer any successful resistance . The town was full of fugitive Dervishes ; many thousands of them were there -- among them a great number of wounded . At half past four the Sirdar , with his staff , entered the town ; accompanied by Maxwell 's Egyptian brigade . Only a few shots were fired . The Dervish courage was broken . It was to the followers of the Prophet , and not to the infidels , that the plains of Kerreri had proved fatal .