text:  I had now the greatest difficulty in keeping Mahommed Aga and his men from charging up to enemies who from their present position could have picked them easily off with perfect safety to themselves; and riding rapidly forward with Captain Lane to see if we could by some means turn their flank a few horsemen at this moment suddenly appeared over the swell on the opposite side of the ravine the foremost of whom whilst making many friendly signals galloped across the intervening space hailing us a friend and at the same time waving his hand to prevent his own people from opening their fire