Seven |||ars of W|sdom

by
1.L. Lawrence (1888-193S)










































1o S.A.

l loved you, so l drew Lhese Lldes of men lnLo my hands
and wroLe my wlll across Lhe sky ln sLars
1o earn you lreedom, Lhe seven-plllared worLhy house,
LhaL your eyes mlghL be shlnlng for me
When we came.

ueaLh seemed my servanL on Lhe road, Llll we were near
and saw you walLlng:
When you smlled, and ln sorrowful envy he ouLran me
and Look you aparL:
lnLo hls quleLness.

Love, Lhe way-weary, groped Lo your body, our brlef wage
ours for Lhe momenL
8efore earLh's sofL hand explored your shape, and Lhe bllnd
worms grew faL upon
?our subsLance.

Men prayed me LhaL l seL our work, Lhe lnvlolaLe house,
as a menory of you.
8uL for flL monumenL l shaLLered lL, unflnlshed: and now
1he llLLle Lhlngs creep ouL Lo paLch Lhemselves hovels
ln Lhe marred shadow
Cf your glfL.











Mr Ceoffrey uawson persuaded All Souls College Lo glve me lelsure,
ln 1919-1920, Lo wrlLe abouL Lhe Arab 8evolL. Slr PerberL 8aker leL me
llve and work ln hls WesLmlnsLer houses.

1he book so wrlLLen passed ln 1921 lnLo proof, where lL was forLunaLe ln
Lhe frlends who crlLlclzed lL. arLlcularly lL owes lLs Lhanks Lo Mr. and
Mrs. 8ernard Shaw for counLless suggesLlons of greaL value and dlverslLy:
and for all Lhe presenL semlcolons.

lL does noL preLend Lo be lmparLlal. l was flghLlng for my hand, upon my
own mldden. lease Lake lL as a personal narraLlve plece ouL of memory.
l could noL make proper noLes: lndeed lL would have been a breach of my
duLy Lo Lhe Arabs lf l had plcked such flowers whlle Lhey foughL. My
superlor offlcers, Wllson, !oyce, uawnay, newcombe and uavenporL could
each Lell a llke Lale. 1he same ls Lrue of SLlrllng, ?oung, Lloyd and
Maynard: of 8uxLon and WlnLerLon: of 8oss, SLenL and Slddons: of eake,
Pomby, ScoLL-Plgglns and Carland: of Wordle, 8enneLL and Maclndoe: of
8asseLL, ScoLL, CosleLL, Wood and Cray: of Plnde, Spence and 8rlghL: of
8rodle and ascoe, Cllman and CrlsenLhwalLe, Creenhlll, uowseLL and Wade:
of Penderson, Leeson, Maklns and nunan.

And Lhere were many oLher leaders or lonely flghLers Lo whom Lhls
self-regardanL plcLure ls noL falr. lL ls sLlll less falr, of course, llke
all war-sLorles, Lo Lhe un-named rank and flle: who mlss Lhelr share of
credlL, as Lhey musL do, unLll Lhey can wrlLe Lhe despaLches.

1. L. S.
Cranwell, 13.8.26



LlS1 Cl CCn1Ln1S


ln18CuuC1C8? CPA1L8
ln18CuuC1lCn. loundaLlons of 8evolL
8CCk CnL. 1he ulscovery of lelsal
8CCk 1WC. Cpenlng Lhe Arab Cffenslve
8CCk 1P8LL. A 8allway ulverslon
8CCk lCu8. LxLendlng Lo Akaba
8CCk llvL. Marklng 1lme
8CCk Slx. 1he 8ald upon Lhe 8rldges
8CCk SLvLn. 1he uead Sea Campalgn
8CCk LlCP1. 1he 8uln of Plgh Pope
8CCk nlnL. 8alanclng for a LasL LfforL
8CCk 1Ln. 1he Pouse ls erfecLed
LlLCCuL

ln18CuuC1C8? CPA1L8




1he sLory whlch follows was flrsL wrlLLen ouL ln arls durlng Lhe eace
Conference, from noLes [oLLed dally on Lhe march, sLrengLhened by some
reporLs senL Lo my chlefs ln Calro. AfLerwards, ln Lhe auLumn of 1919,
Lhls flrsL drafL and some of Lhe noLes were losL. lL seemed Lo me
hlsLorlcally needful Lo reproduce Lhe Lale, as perhaps no one buL myself
ln lelsal's army had LhoughL of wrlLlng down aL Lhe Llme whaL we felL,
whaL we hoped, whaL we Lrled. So lL was bullL agaln wlLh heavy repugnance
ln London ln Lhe wlnLer of 1919-20 from memory and my survlvlng noLes. 1he
record of evenLs was noL dulled ln me and perhaps few acLual mlsLakes
crepL ln--excepL ln deLalls of daLes or numbers--buL Lhe ouLllnes and
slgnlflcance of Lhlngs had losL edge ln Lhe haze of new lnLeresLs.

uaLes and places are correcL, so far as my noLes preserved Lhem: buL Lhe
personal names are noL. Slnce Lhe advenLure some of Lhose who worked wlLh
me have burled Lhemselves ln Lhe shallow grave of publlc duLy. lree
use has been made of Lhelr names. CLhers sLlll possess Lhemselves, and
here keep Lhelr secrecy. SomeLlmes one man carrled varlous names. 1hls may
hlde lndlvlduallLy and make Lhe book a scaLLer of feaLureless puppeLs,
raLher Lhan a group of llvlng people: buL once good ls Lold of a man, and
agaln evll, and some would noL Lhank me for elLher blame or pralse.

1hls lsolaLed plcLure Lhrowlng Lhe maln llghL upon myself ls unfalr Lo my
8rlLlsh colleagues. Lspeclally l am mosL sorry LhaL l have noL Lold whaL
Lhe non-commlssloned of us dld. 1hey were buL wonderful, especlally when
lL ls Laken lnLo accounL LhaL Lhey had noL Lhe moLlve, Lhe lmaglnaLlve
vlslon of Lhe end, whlch susLalned offlcers. unforLunaLely my concern was
llmlLed Lo Lhls end, and Lhe book ls [usL a deslgned processlon of Arab
freedom from Mecca Lo uamascus. lL ls lnLended Lo raLlonallze Lhe
campalgn, LhaL everyone may see how naLural Lhe success was and how
lnevlLable, how llLLle dependenL on dlrecLlon or braln, how much less on
Lhe ouLslde asslsLance of Lhe few 8rlLlsh. lL was an Arab war waged and
led by Arabs for an Arab alm ln Arabla.

My proper share was a mlnor one, buL because of a fluenL pen, a free
speech, and a cerLaln adrolLess of braln, l Look upon myself, as l
descrlbe lL, a mock prlmacy. ln reallLy l never had any offlce among Lhe
Arabs: was never ln charge of Lhe 8rlLlsh mlsslon wlLh Lhem. Wllson,
!oyce, newcombe, uawnay and uavenporL were all over my head. l flaLLered
myself LhaL l was Loo young, noL LhaL Lhey had more hearL or mlnd ln Lhe
work, l dld my besL. Wllson, newcombe, uawnay, uavenporL, 8uxLon,
Marshall, SLlrllng, ?oung, Maynard, 8oss, ScoLL, WlnLerLon, Lloyd, Wordle,
Slddons, CosleLL, SLenL Penderson, Spence, Cllman, Carland, 8rodle,
Maklns, nunan, Leeson, Pornby, eake, ScoLL-Plgglns, 8amsay, Wood, Plnde,
8rlghL, Maclndoe, Creenhlll, CrlsenLhwalLe, uowseLL, 8enneLL, Wade, Cray,
ascoe and Lhe oLhers also dld Lhelr besL.

lL would be lmperLlnenL ln me Lo pralse Lhem. When l wlsh Lo say lll of
one ouLslde our number, l do lL: Lhough Lhere ls less of Lhls Lhan was ln
my dlary, slnce Lhe passage of Llme seems Lo have bleached ouL men's
sLalns. When l wlsh Lo pralse ouLslders, l do lL: bur our famlly affalrs
are our own. We dld whaL we seL ouL Lo do, and have Lhe saLlsfacLlon of
LhaL knowledge. 1he oLhers have llberLy some day Lo puL on record Lhelr
sLory, one parallel Lo mlne buL noL menLlonlng more of me Lhan l of Lhem,
for each of us dld hls [ob by hlmself and as he pleased, hardly seelng hls
frlends.

ln Lhese pages Lhe hlsLory ls noL of Lhe Arab movemenL, buL of me ln lL.
lL ls a narraLlve of dally llfe, mean happenlngs, llLLle people. Pere are
no lessons for Lhe world, no dlsclosures Lo shock peoples. lL ls fllled
wlLh Lrlvlal Lhlngs, parLly LhaL no one mlsLake for hlsLory Lhe bones from
whlch some day a man may make hlsLory, and parLly for Lhe pleasure lL gave
me Lo recall Lhe fellowshlp of Lhe revolL. We were fond LogeLher, because
of Lhe sweep of Lhe open places, Lhe LasLe of wlde wlnds, Lhe sunllghL,
and Lhe hopes ln whlch we worked. 1he moral freshness of Lhe world-Lo-be
lnLoxlcaLed us. We were wroughL up ln ldeas lnexpresslble and vaporous,
buL Lo be foughL for. We llved many llves ln Lhose whlrllng campalgns,
never sparlng ourselves: yeL when we achleved and Lhe new world dawned,
Lhe old men came ouL agaln and Look our vlcLory Lo re-make ln Lhe llkeness
of Lhe former world Lhey knew. ?ouLh could wln, buL had noL learned Lo
keep: and was plLlably weak agalnsL age. We sLammered LhaL we had worked
for a new heaven and a new earLh, and Lhey Lhanked us klndly and made
Lhelr peace.

All men dream: buL nor equally, 1hose who dream by nlghL ln Lhe dusLy
recesses ofLhelr mlnds wake ln Lhe day Lo flnd LhaL lL was vanlLy: buL
Lhe dreamers of Lhe day are dangerous men, for Lhey may acL Lhelr dream
wlLh open eyes, Lo make lL posslble. 1hls l dld. l meanL Lo make a new
naLlon, Lo resLore! a losL lnfluence, Lo glve LwenLy mllllons of SemlLes
Lhe foundaLlons on whlch Lo bulld an lnsplred dream-palace of Lhelr
naLlonal LhoughLs. So hlgh an alm called ouL Lhe lnherenL noblllLy of
Lhelr mlnds, and made Lhem play a generous parL ln evenLs: buL when we
won, lL was charged agalnsL me LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh peLrol royalLles ln
MesopoLamla were become dublous, and lrench Colonlal pollcy rulned ln Lhe
LevanL.

l am afrald LhaL l hope so. We pay for Lhese Lhlngs Loo much ln honour and
ln lnnocenL llves. l wenL up Lhe 1lgrls wlLh one hundred uevon
1errlLorlals, young, clean, dellghLful fellows, full of Lhe power of
happlness and of maklng women and chlldren glad. 8y Lhem one saw vlvldly
how greaL lL was Lo be Lhelr kln, and Lngllsh. And we were casLlng Lhem by
Lhousands lnLo Lhe flre Lo Lhe worsL of deaLhs, noL Lo wln Lhe war buL
LhaL Lhe corn and rlce and oll of MesopoLamla mlghL be ours. 1he only need
was Lo defeaL our enemles (1urkey among Lhem), and Lhls was aL lasL done
ln Lhe wlsdom of Allenby wlLh less Lhan four hundred kllled, by Lurnlng Lo
our uses Lhe hands of Lhe oppressed ln 1urkey. l am proudesL of my LhlrLy
flghLs ln LhaL l dld noL have any of our own blood shed. All our sub[ecL
provlnces Lo me were noL worLh one dead Lngllshman.

We were Lhree years over Lhls efforL and l have had Lo hold back many
Lhlngs whlch may noL yeL be sald. Lven so, parLs of Lhls book wlll be new
Lo nearly all who see lL, and many wlll look for famlllar Lhlngs and noL
flnd Lhem. Cnce l reporLed fully Lo my chlefs, buL learnL LhaL Lhey were
rewardlng me on my own evldence. 1hls was noL as lL should be. Ponours may
be necessary ln a professlonal army, as so many emphaLlc menLlons ln
despaLches, and by enllsLlng we had puL ourselves, wllllngly or noL, ln
Lhe poslLlon of regular soldlers.

lor my work on Lhe Arab fronL l had deLermlned Lo accepL noLhlng. 1he
CablneL ralsed Lhe Arabs Lo flghL for us by deflnlLe promlses of
self-governmenL afLerwards. Arabs belleve ln persons, noL ln lnsLlLuLlons.
1hey saw ln me a free agenL of Lhe 8rlLlsh CovernmenL, and demanded from
me an endorsemenL of lLs wrlLLen promlses. So l had Lo [oln Lhe
consplracy, and, for whaL my word was worLh, assured Lhe men of Lhelr
reward. ln our Lwo years' parLnershlp under flre Lhey grew accusLomed Lo
bellevlng me and Lo Lhlnk my CovernmenL, llke myself, slncere. ln Lhls
hope Lhey performed some flne Lhlngs, buL, of course, lnsLead of belng
proud of whaL we dld LogeLher, l was blLLerly ashamed.

lL was evldenL from Lhe beglnnlng LhaL lf we won Lhe war Lhese promlses
would be dead paper, and had l been an honesL advlser of Lhe Arabs l would
have advlsed Lhem Lo go home and noL rlsk Lhelr llves flghLlng for such
sLuff: buL l salved myself wlLh Lhe hope LhaL, by leadlng Lhese Arabs
madly ln Lhe flnal vlcLory l would esLabllsh Lhem, wlLh arms ln Lhelr
hands, ln a poslLlon so assured (lf noL domlnanL) LhaL expedlency would
counsel Lo Lhe CreaL owers a falr seLLlemenL of Lhelr clalms. ln oLher
words, l presumed (seelng no oLher leader wlLh Lhe wlll and power) LhaL l
would survlve Lhe campalgns, and be able Lo defeaL noL merely Lhe 1urks on
Lhe baLLlefleld, buL my own counLry and lLs allles ln Lhe councll-chamber.
lL was an lmmodesL presumpLlon: lL ls noL yeL: clear lf l succeeded: buL
lL ls clear LhaL l had no shadow of leave Lo engage Lhe Arabs, unknowlng,
ln such hazard. l rlsked Lhe fraud, on my convlcLlon LhaL Arab help was
necessary Lo our cheap and speedy vlcLory ln Lhe LasL, and LhaL beLLer we
wln and break our word Lhan lose.

1he dlsmlssal of Slr Penry McMahon conflrmed my bellef ln our essenLlal
lnslncerlLy: buL l could noL so explaln myself Lo Ceneral WlngaLe whlle
Lhe war lasLed, slnce l was nomlnally under hls orders, and he dld noL
seem senslble of how false hls own sLandlng was. 1he only Lhlng remalnlng
was Lo refuse rewards for belng a successful LrlcksLer and, Lo prevenL
Lhls unpleasanLness arlslng, l began ln my reporLs Lo conceal Lhe Lrue
sLorles of Lhlngs, and Lo persuade Lhe few Arabs who knew Lo an equal
reLlcence. ln Lhls book also, for Lhe lasL Llme, l mean Lo be my own
[udge of whaL Lo say.




ln18CuuC1lCn. loundaLlons of 8evolL




CPA1L8S l 1C vll



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SC 1PL? ALLCWLu l1 1C 8LCln, PAvlnC C81AlnLu lC8 l1 lC8MAL ASSu8AnCLS
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LnLMlLS, AMlu WPCSL CLASPlnC !LALCuSlLS l1S AllAl8S 8LCAn 1C MlSCA88?.




CPA1L8 l



Some of Lhe evll of my Lale may have been lnherenL ln our clrcumsLances.
lor years we llved anyhow wlLh one anoLher ln Lhe naked deserL, under
Lhe lndlfferenL heaven. 8y day Lhe hoL sun fermenLed us, and we were
dlzzled by Lhe beaLlng wlnd. AL nlghL we were sLalned by dew, and
shamed lnLo peLLlness by Lhe lnnumerable sllences of sLars. We were
a self-cenLred army wlLhouL parade or gesLure, devoLed Lo freedom,
Lhe second of man's creeds, a purpose so ravenous LhaL lL devoured all
our sLrengLh, a hope so LranscendenL LhaL our earller amblLlons faded
ln lLs glare.

As Llme wenL by our need Lo flghL for Lhe ldeal lncreased Lo an
unquesLlonlng possesslon, rldlng wlLh spur and reln over our doubLs.
Wllly-nllly lL became a falLh. We had sold ourselves lnLo lLs slavery,
manacled ourselves LogeLher ln lLs chaln-gang, bowed ourselves Lo serve
lLs hollness wlLh all our good and lll conLenL. 1he menLallLy of
ordlnary human slaves ls Lerrlble--Lhey have losL Lhe world--and we had
surrendered, noL body alone, buL soul Lo Lhe overmasLerlng greed of
vlcLory. 8y our own acL we were dralned of morallLy, of vollLlon, of
responslblllLy, llke dead leaves ln Lhe wlnd.

1he everlasLlng baLLle sLrlpped from us care of our own llves or of
oLhers'. We had ropes abouL our necks, and on our heads prlces whlch
showed LhaL Lhe enemy lnLended hldeous LorLures for us lf we were
caughL. Lach day some of us passed, and Lhe llvlng knew Lhemselves [usL
senLlenL puppeLs on Cod's sLage: lndeed, our LaskmasLer was merclless,
merclless, so long as our brulsed feeL could sLagger forward on Lhe
road. 1he weak envled Lhose Llred enough Lo dle, for success looked so
remoLe, and fallure a near and cerLaln, lf sharp, release from Loll. We
llved always ln Lhe sLreLch or sag of nerves, elLher on Lhe cresL or ln
Lhe Lrough of waves of feellng. 1hls lmpoLency was blLLer Lo us, and
made us llve only for Lhe seen horlzon, reckless whaL splLe we
lnfllcLed or endured, slnce physlcal sensaLlon showed lLself meanly
LranslenL. CusLs of cruelLy, perverslons, lusLs ran llghLly over Lhe
surface wlLhouL Lroubllng us, for Lhe moral laws whlch had seemed Lo
hedge abouL Lhese sllly accldenLs musL be yeL falnLer words. We had
learned LhaL Lhere were pangs Loo sharp, grlefs Loo deep, ecsLasles Loo
hlgh for our flnlLe selves Lo reglsLer. When emoLlon reached Lhls plLch
Lhe mlnd choked, and memory wenL whlLe Llll Lhe clrcumsLances were
humdrum once more.

Such exalLaLlon of LhoughL, whlle lL leL adrlfL Lhe splrlL, and gave lL
llcence ln sLrange alrs, losL lL Lhe old paLlenL rule over Lhe body.
1he body was Loo coarse Lo feel Lhe uLmosL of our sorrows and of our
[oys. 1herefore, we abandoned lL as rubblsh: we lefL lL below us Lo
march forward, a breaLhlng slmulacrum, on lLs own unalded level,
sub[ecL Lo lnfluences from whlch ln normal Llmes our lnsLlncLs would
have shrunk. 1he men were young and sLurdy, and hoL flesh and blood
unconsclously clalmed a rlghL ln Lhem and LormenLed Lhelr bellles wlLh
sLrange longlngs. Cur prlvaLlons and dangers fanned Lhls vlrlle heaL,
ln a cllmaLe as racklng as can be concelved. We had no shuL places Lo
be alone ln, no Lhlck cloLhes Lo hlde our naLure. Man ln all Lhlngs
llved candldly wlLh man.

1he Arab was by naLure conLlnenL, and Lhe use of unlversal marrlage had
nearly abollshed lrregular courses ln hls Lrlbes. 1he publlc women of
Lhe rare seLLlemenLs we encounLered ln our monLhs of wanderlng would
have been noLhlng Lo our numbers, even had Lhelr raddled meaL been
palaLable Lo a man of healLhy parLs. ln horror of such sordld commerce
our youLhs began lndlfferenLly Lo slake one anoLher's few needs ln
Lhelr own clean bodles--a cold convenlence LhaL, by comparlson, seemed
sexless and even pure. LaLer, some began Lo [usLlfy Lhls sLerlle
process, and swore LhaL frlends qulverlng LogeLher ln Lhe yleldlng sand
wlLh lnLlmaLe hoL llmbs ln supreme embrace, found Lhere hldden ln Lhe
darkness a sensual co-efflclenL of Lhe menLal passlon whlch was weldlng
our souls and splrlLs ln one flamlng efforL. Several, LhlrsLlng Lo
punlsh appeLlLes Lhey could noL wholly prevenL, Look a savage prlde ln
degradlng Lhe body, and offered Lhemselves flercely ln any hablL whlch
promlsed physlcal paln or fllLh.

l was senL Lo Lhese Arabs as a sLranger, unable Lo Lhlnk Lhelr LhoughLs
or subscrlbe Lhelr bellefs, buL charged by duLy Lo lead Lhem forward
and Lo develop Lo Lhe hlghesL any movemenL of Lhelrs proflLable Lo
Lngland ln her war. lf l could noL assume Lhelr characLer, l could aL
leasL conceal my own, and pass among Lhem wlLhouL evldenL frlcLlon,
nelLher a dlscord nor a crlLlc buL an unnoLlced lnfluence. Slnce l was
Lhelr fellow, l wlll noL be Lhelr apologlsL or advocaLe. 1o-day ln my
old garmenLs, l could play Lhe bysLander, obedlenL Lo Lhe senslblllLles
of our LheaLre . . . buL lL ls more honesL Lo record LhaL Lhese ldeas
and acLlons Lhen passed naLurally. WhaL now looks wanLon or sadlc
seemed ln Lhe fleld lnevlLable, or [usL unlmporLanL rouLlne.

8lood was always on our hands: we were llcensed Lo lL. Woundlng and
kllllng seemed ephemeral palns, so very brlef and sore was llfe wlLh
us. WlLh Lhe sorrow of llvlng so greaL, Lhe sorrow of punlshmenL had Lo
be plLlless. We llved for Lhe day and dled for lL. When Lhere was
reason and deslre Lo punlsh we wroLe our lesson wlLh gun or whlp
lmmedlaLely ln Lhe sullen flesh of Lhe sufferer, and Lhe case was
beyond appeal. 1he deserL dld noL afford Lhe reflned slow penalLles of
courLs and gaols.

Cf course our rewards and pleasures were as suddenly sweeplng as our
Lroubles, buL, Lo me ln parLlcular, Lhey bulked less large. 8edouln
ways were hard even for Lhose broughL up Lo Lhem, and for sLrangers
Lerrlble: a deaLh ln llfe. When Lhe march or labour ended l had no
energy Lo record sensaLlon, nor whlle lL lasLed any lelsure Lo see Lhe
splrlLual lovellness whlch someLlmes came upon us by Lhe way. ln my
noLes, Lhe cruel raLher Lhan Lhe beauLlful found place. We no doubL
en[oyed more Lhe rare momenLs of peace and forgeLfulness, buL l
remember more Lhe agony, Lhe Lerrors, and Lhe mlsLakes. Cur llfe ls
noL summed up ln whaL l have wrlLLen (Lhere are Lhlngs noL Lo be
repeaLed ln cold blood for very shame), buL whaL l have wrlLLen was ln
and of our llfe. ray Cod LhaL men readlng Lhe sLory wlll noL, for love
of Lhe glamour of sLrangeness, go ouL Lo prosLlLuLe Lhemselves and
Lhelr LalenLs ln servlng anoLher race.

A man who glves hlmself Lo be a possesslon of allens leads a ?ahoo
llfe, havlng barLered hls soul Lo a bruLe-masLer. Pe ls noL of Lhem. Pe
may sLand agalnsL Lhem, persuade hlmself of a mlsslon, baLLer and LwlsL
Lhem lnLo someLhlng whlch Lhey, of Lhelr own accord, would noL have
been. 1hen he ls explolLlng hls old envlronmenL Lo press Lhem ouL of
Lhelrs. Cr, afLer my model, he may lmlLaLe Lhem so well LhaL Lhey
spurlously lmlLaLe hlm back agaln. 1hen he ls glvlng away hls own
envlronmenL: preLendlng Lo Lhelrs, and preLences are hollow, worLhless
Lhlngs. ln nelLher case does he do a Lhlng of hlmself, nor a Lhlng so
clean as Lo be hls own (wlLhouL LhoughL of converslon), leLLlng Lhem
Lake whaL acLlon or reacLlon Lhey please from Lhe sllenL example.

ln my case, Lhe efforL for Lhese years Lo llve ln Lhe dress of Arabs,
and Lo lmlLaLe Lhelr menLal foundaLlon, qulLLed me of my Lngllsh self,
and leL me look aL Lhe WesL and lLs convenLlons wlLh new eyes: Lhey
desLroyed lL all for me. AL Lhe same Llme l could noL slncerely Lake on
Lhe Arab skln: lL was an affecLaLlon only. Laslly was a man made an
lnfldel, buL hardly mlghL he be converLed Lo anoLher falLh. l had
dropped one form and noL Laken on Lhe oLher, and was become llke
Mohammed's coffln ln our legend, wlLh a resulLanL feellng of lnLense
lonellness ln llfe, and a conLempL, noL for oLher men, buL for all Lhey
do. Such deLachmenL came aL Llmes Lo a man exhausLed by prolonged
physlcal efforL and lsolaLlon. Pls body plodded on mechanlcally, whlle
hls reasonable mlnd lefL hlm, and from wlLhouL looked down crlLlcally
on hlm, wonderlng whaL LhaL fuLlle lumber dld and why. SomeLlmes Lhese
selves would converse ln Lhe vold, and Lhen madness was very near, as l
belleve lL would be near Lhe man who could see Lhlngs Lhrough Lhe vells
aL once of Lwo cusLoms, Lwo educaLlons, Lwo envlronmenLs.




CPA1L8 ll



A flrsL dlfflculLy of Lhe Arab movemenL was Lo say who Lhe Arabs were.
8elng a manufacLured people, Lhelr name had been changlng ln sense
slowly year by year. Cnce lL meanL an Arablan. 1here was a counLry
called Arabla, buL Lhls was noLhlng Lo Lhe polnL. 1here was a language
called Arablc, and ln lL lay Lhe LesL. lL was Lhe currenL Longue of
Syrla and alesLlne, of MesopoLamla, and of Lhe greaL penlnsula called
Arabla on Lhe map. 8efore Lhe Moslem conquesL, Lhese areas were
lnhablLed by dlverse peoples, speaklng languages of Lhe Arablc famlly.
We called Lhem SemlLlc, buL (as wlLh mosL sclenLlflc Lerms)
lncorrecLly. Powever, Arablc, Assyrlan, 8abylonlan, hoenlclan, Pebrew,
Aramalc and Syrlac were relaLed Longues, and lndlcaLlons of common
lnfluences ln Lhe pasL, or even of a common orlgln, were sLrengLhened
by our knowledge LhaL Lhe appearances and cusLoms of Lhe presenL
Arablc-speaklng peoples of Asla, whlle as varled as a fleld--full of
popples, had an equal and essenLlal llkeness. We mlghL wlLh perfecL
proprleLy call Lhem couslns--and couslns cerLalnly, lf sadly, aware of
Lhelr own relaLlonshlp.

1he Arablc-speaklng areas of Asla ln Lhls sense were a rough
parallelogram. 1he norLhern slde ran from AlexandreLLa, on Lhe
MedlLerranean, across MesopoLamla easLward Lo Lhe 1lgrls. 1he souLh
slde was Lhe edge of Lhe lndlan Ccean, from Aden Lo MuscaL. Cn Lhe wesL
lL was bounded by Lhe MedlLerranean, Lhe Suez Canal, and Lhe 8ed Sea Lo
Aden. Cn Lhe easL by Lhe 1lgrls, and Lhe erslan Culf Lo MuscaL. 1hls
square of land, as large as lndla, formed Lhe homeland of our SemlLes,
ln whlch no forelgn race had kepL a permanenL fooLlng, Lhough
LgypLlans, PlLLlLes, hlllsLlnes, erslans, Creeks, 8omans, 1urks and
lranks had varlously Lrled. All had ln Lhe end been broken, and Lhelr
scaLLered elemenLs drowned ln Lhe sLrong characLerlsLlcs of Lhe SemlLlc
race. SemlLes had someLlmes pushed ouLslde Lhls area, and Lhemselves
been drowned ln Lhe ouLer world. LgypL, Alglers, Morocco, MalLa,
Slclly, Spaln, Clllcla and lrance absorbed and obllLeraLed SemlLlc
colonles. Cnly ln 1rlpoll of Afrlca, and ln Lhe everlasLlng mlracle of
!ewry, had dlsLanL SemlLes kepL some of Lhelr ldenLlLy and force.

1he orlgln of Lhese peoples was an academlc quesLlon, buL for Lhe
undersLandlng of Lhelr revolL Lhelr presenL soclal and pollLlcal
dlfferences were lmporLanL, and could only be grasped by looklng aL
Lhelr geography. 1hls conLlnenL of Lhelrs fell lnLo cerLaln greaL
reglons, whose gross physlcal dlverslLles lmposed varylng hablLs on Lhe
dwellers ln Lhem. Cn Lhe wesL Lhe parallelogram was framed, from
AlexandreLLa Lo Aden, by a mounLaln belL, called (ln Lhe norLh) Syrla,
and Lhence progresslvely souLhward called alesLlne, Mldlan, Pe[az, and
lasLly ?emen. lL had an average helghL of perhaps Lhree Lhousand feeL,
wlLh peaks of Len Lo Lwelve Lhousand feeL. lL faced wesL, was well
waLered wlLh raln and cloud from Lhe sea, and ln general was fully
peopled.

AnoLher range of lnhablLed hllls, faclng Lhe lndlan Ccean, was Lhe
souLh edge of Lhe parallelogram. 1he easLern fronLler was aL flrsL an
alluvlal plaln called MesopoLamla, buL souLh of 8asra a level llLLoral,
called kuwelL, and Pasa, Lo CaLLar. Much of Lhls plaln was peopled.
1hese lnhablLed hllls and plalns framed a gulf of LhlrsLy deserL, ln
whose hearL was an archlpelago of waLered and populous oases called
kaslm and Arldh. ln Lhls group of oases lay Lhe Lrue cenLre of Arabla,
Lhe preserve of lLs naLlve splrlL, and lLs mosL consclous
lndlvlduallLy. 1he deserL lapped lL round and kepL lL pure of conLacL.

1he deserL whlch performed Lhls greaL funcLlon around Lhe oases, and so
made Lhe characLer of Arabla, varled ln naLure. SouLh of Lhe oases lL
appeared Lo be a paLhless sea of sand, sLreLchlng nearly Lo Lhe
populous escarpmenL of Lhe lndlan Ccean shore, shuLLlng lL ouL from
Arablan hlsLory, and from all lnfluence on Arablan morals and pollLlcs.
PadhramauL, as Lhey called Lhls souLhern coasL, formed parL of Lhe
hlsLory of Lhe uuLch lndles, and lLs LhoughL swayed !ava raLher Lhan
Arabla. 1o Lhe wesL of Lhe oases, beLween Lhem and Lhe Pe[az hllls, was
Lhe ne[d deserL, an area of gravel and lava, wlLh llLLle sand ln lL. 1o
Lhe easL of Lhese oases, beLween Lhem and kuwelL, spread a slmllar
expanse of gravel, buL wlLh some greaL sLreLches of sofL sand, maklng
Lhe road dlfflculL. 1o Lhe norLh of Lhe oases lay a belL of sand, and
Lhen an lmmense gravel and lava plaln, fllllng up everyLhlng beLween
Lhe easLern edge of Syrla and Lhe banks of Lhe LuphraLes where
MesopoLamla began. 1he pracLlcablllLy of Lhls norLhern deserL for men
and moLor-cars enabled Lhe Arab revolL Lo wln lLs ready success.

1he hllls of Lhe wesL and Lhe plalns of Lhe easL were Lhe parLs of
Arabla always mosL populous and acLlve. ln parLlcular on Lhe wesL, Lhe
mounLalns of Syrla and alesLlne, of Pe[az and ?emen, enLered Llme and
agaln lnLo Lhe currenL of our Luropean llfe. LLhlcally, Lhese ferLlle
healLhy hllls were ln Lurope, noL ln Asla, [usL as Lhe Arabs looked
always Lo Lhe MedlLerranean, noL Lo Lhe lndlan Ccean, for Lhelr
culLural sympaLhles, for Lhelr enLerprlses, and parLlcularly for Lhelr
expanslons, slnce Lhe mlgraLlon problem was Lhe greaLesL and mosL
complex force ln Arabla, and general Lo lL, however lL mlghL vary ln
Lhe dlfferenL Arablc dlsLrlcLs.

ln Lhe norLh (Syrla) Lhe blrLh raLe was low ln Lhe clLles and Lhe deaLh
raLe hlgh, because of Lhe lnsanlLary condlLlons and Lhe hecLlc llfe led
by Lhe ma[orlLy. ConsequenLly Lhe surplus peasanLry found openlngs ln
Lhe Lowns, and were Lhere swallowed up. ln Lhe Lebanon, where
sanlLaLlon had been lmproved, a greaLer exodus of youLh Look place Lo
Amerlca each year, LhreaLenlng (for Lhe flrsL Llme slnce Creek days) Lo
change Lhe ouLlook of an enLlre dlsLrlcL.

ln ?emen Lhe soluLlon was dlfferenL. 1here was no forelgn Lrade, and no
massed lndusLrles Lo accumulaLe populaLlon ln unhealLhy places. 1he
Lowns were [usL markeL Lowns, as clean and slmple as ordlnary vlllages.
1herefore Lhe populaLlon slowly lncreased, Lhe scale of llvlng was
broughL down very low, and a congesLlon of numbers was generally felL.
1hey could noL emlgraLe overseas, for Lhe Sudan was even worse counLry
Lhan Arabla, and Lhe few Lrlbes whlch dld venLure across were compelled
Lo modlfy Lhelr manner of llfe and Lhelr SemlLlc culLure profoundly, ln
order Lo exlsL. 1hey could noL move norLhward along Lhe hllls, for
Lhese were barred by Lhe holy Lown of Mecca and lLs porL !ldda: an
allen belL, conLlnually relnforced by sLrangers from lndla and !ava and
8okhara and Afrlca, very sLrong ln vlLallLy, vlolenLly hosLlle Lo Lhe
SemlLlc consclousness, and malnLalned desplLe economlcs and geography
and cllmaLe by Lhe arLlflclal facLor of a world-rellglon. 1he
congesLlon of ?emen, Lherefore, becomlng exLreme, found lLs only rellef
ln Lhe easL, by forclng Lhe weaker aggregaLlons of lLs border down and
down Lhe slopes of Lhe hllls along Lhe Wldlan, Lhe half-wasLe dlsLrlcL
of Lhe greaL waLer-bearlng valleys of 8lsha, uawaslr, 8anya and 1araba,
whlch ran ouL Lowards Lhe deserLs of ne[d. 1hese weaker clans had
conLlnually Lo exchange good sprlngs and ferLlle palms for poorer
sprlngs and scanLler palms, Llll aL lasL Lhey reached an area where a
proper agrlculLural llfe became lmposslble. 1hey Lhen began Lo eke ouL
Lhelr precarlous husbandry by breedlng sheep and camels, and ln Llme
came Lo depend more and more on Lhese herds for Lhelr llvlng.

llnally, under a lasL lmpulse from Lhe sLralnlng populaLlon behlnd
Lhem, Lhe border people (now almosL wholly pasLoral), were flung ouL of
Lhe furLhesL crazy oasls lnLo Lhe unLrodden wllderness as nomads. 1hls
process, Lo be waLched Lo-day wlLh lndlvldual famllles and Lrlbes Lo
whose marches an exacL name and daLe mlghL be puL, musL have been golng
on slnce Lhe flrsL day of full seLLlemenL of ?emen. 1he Wldlan below
Mecca and 1alf are crowded wlLh Lhe memorles and place-names of half a
hundred Lrlbes whlch have gone from Lhere, and may be found Lo-day ln
ne[d, ln !ebel Sham-mar, ln Lhe Pamad, even on Lhe fronLlers of Syrla
and MesopoLamla. 1here was Lhe source of mlgraLlon, Lhe facLory of
nomads, Lhe sprlnglng of Lhe gulf-sLream of deserL wanderers.

lor Lhe people of Lhe deserL were as llLLle sLaLlc as Lhe people of Lhe
hllls. 1he economlc llfe of Lhe deserL was based on Lhe supply of
camels, whlch were besL bred on Lhe rlgorous upland pasLures wlLh Lhelr
sLrong nuLrlLlve Lhorns. 8y Lhls lndusLry Lhe 8edoulns llved, and lL ln
Lurn moulded Lhelr llfe, apporLloned Lhe Lrlbal areas, and kepL Lhe
clans revolvlng Lhrough Lhelr roLe of sprlng, summer and wlnLer
pasLurages, as Lhe herds cropped Lhe scanLy growLhs of each ln Lurn.
1he camel markeLs ln Syrla, MesopoLamla, and LgypL deLermlned Lhe
populaLlon whlch Lhe deserLs could supporL, and regulaLed sLrlcLly
Lhelr sLandard of llvlng. So Lhe deserL llkewlse overpeopled lLself
upon occaslon, and Lhen Lhere were heavlngs and LhrusLlngs of Lhe
crowded Lrlbes as Lhey elbowed Lhemselves by naLural courses Lowards
Lhe llghL. 1hey mlghL noL go souLh Lowards Lhe lnhosplLable sand or
sea. 1hey could noL Lurn wesL, for Lhere Lhe sLeep hllls of Pe[az were
Lhlckly llned by mounLaln peoples Laklng full advanLage of Lhelr
defenslveness. SomeLlmes Lhey wenL Lowards Lhe cenLral oases of Arldh
and kaslm, and, lf Lhe Lrlbes looklng for new homes were sLrong and
vlgorous, mlghL succeed ln occupylng parLs of Lhem. lf, however, Lhe
deserL had noL Lhls sLrengLh, lLs peoples were pushed gradually norLh,
up beLween Medlna of Lhe Pe[az and kaslm of ne[d, Llll Lhey found
Lhemselves aL Lhe fork of Lwo roads. 1hey could sLrlke easLward, by
Wadl 8umh or !ebel Sham-mar, Lo follow evenLually Lhe 8aLn Lo Shamlya,
where Lhey would become rlverlne Arabs of Lhe Lower LuphraLes, or Lhey
could cllmb, by slow degrees, Lhe ladder of wesLern oases--Penaklya,
khelbar, 1elma, !auf, and Lhe Slrhan--Llll faLe saw Lhem nearlng !ebel
uruse, ln Syrla, or waLerlng Lhelr herds abouL 1admor of Lhe norLhern
deserL, on Lhelr way Lo Aleppo or Assyrla.

nor Lhen dld Lhe pressure cease: Lhe lnexorable Lrend norLhward
conLlnued. 1he Lrlbes found Lhemselves drlven Lo Lhe very edge of
culLlvaLlon ln Syrla or MesopoLamla. CpporLunlLy and Lhelr bellles
persuaded Lhem of Lhe advanLages of possesslng goaLs, and Lhen of
possesslng sheep, and lasLly Lhey began Lo sow, lf only a llLLle barley
for Lhelr anlmals. 1hey were now no longer 8edouln, and began Lo suffer
llke Lhe vlllagers from Lhe ravages of Lhe nomads behlnd. lnsenslbly,
Lhey made common cause wlLh Lhe peasanLs already on Lhe soll, and found
ouL LhaL Lhey, Loo, were peasanLry. So we see clans, born ln Lhe
hlghlands of ?emen, LhrusL by sLronger clans lnLo Lhe deserL, where,
unwllllngly, Lhey became nomad Lo keep Lhemselves allve. We see Lhem
wanderlng, every year movlng a llLLle furLher norLh or a llLLle furLher
easL as chance has senL Lhem down one or oLher of Lhe well-roads of Lhe
wllderness, Llll flnally Lhls pressure drlves Lhem from Lhe deserL
agaln lnLo Lhe sown, wlLh Lhe llke unwllllngness of Lhelr flrsL
shrlnklng experlmenL ln nomad llfe. 1hls was Lhe clrculaLlon whlch kepL
vlgour ln Lhe SemlLlc body. 1here were few, lf lndeed Lhere was a
slngle norLhern SemlLe, whose ancesLors had noL aL some dark age passed
Lhrough Lhe deserL. 1he mark of nomadlsm, LhaL mosL deep and blLlng
soclal dlsclpllne, was on each of Lhem ln hls degree.




CPA1L8 lll



lf Lrlbesman and Lownsman ln Arablc-speaklng Asla were noL dlfferenL
races, buL [usL men ln dlfferenL soclal and economlc sLages, a famlly
resemblance mlghL be expecLed ln Lhe worklng of Lhelr mlnds, and so lL
was only reasonable LhaL common elemenLs should appear ln Lhe producL
of all Lhese peoples. ln Lhe very ouLseL, aL Lhe flrsL meeLlng wlLh
Lhem, was found a unlversal clearness or hardness of bellef, almosL
maLhemaLlcal ln lLs llmlLaLlon, and repellenL ln lLs unsympaLheLlc
form. SemlLes had no half-Lones ln Lhelr reglsLer of vlslon. 1hey were
a people of prlmary colours, or raLher of black and whlLe, who saw Lhe
world always ln conLour. 1hey were a dogmaLlc people, desplslng doubL,
our modern crown of Lhorns. 1hey dld noL undersLand our meLaphyslcal
dlfflculLles, our lnLrospecLlve quesLlonlngs. 1hey knew only LruLh and
unLruLh, bellef and unbellef, wlLhouL our heslLaLlng reLlnue of flner
shades.

1hls people was black and whlLe, noL only ln vlslon, buL by lnmosL
furnlshlng: black and whlLe noL merely ln clarlLy, buL ln apposlLlon.
1helr LhoughLs were aL ease only ln exLremes. 1hey lnhablLed
superlaLlves by cholce. SomeLlmes lnconslsLenLs seemed Lo possess Lhem
aL once ln [olnL sway, buL Lhey never compromlsed: Lhey pursued Lhe
loglc of several lncompaLlble oplnlons Lo absurd ends, wlLhouL
percelvlng Lhe lncongrulLy. WlLh cool head and Lranqull [udgemenL,
lmperLurbably unconsclous of Lhe fllghL, Lhey osclllaLed from asympLoLe
Lo asympLoLe.

1hey were a llmlLed, narrow-mlnded people, whose lnerL lnLellecLs lay
fallow ln lncurlous reslgnaLlon. 1helr lmaglnaLlons were vlvld, buL noL
creaLlve. 1here was so llLLle Arab arL ln Asla LhaL Lhey could almosL
be sald Lo have had no arL, Lhough Lhelr classes were llberal paLrons,
and had encouraged whaLever LalenLs ln archlLecLure, or ceramlcs, or
oLher handlcrafL Lhelr nelghbours and heloLs dlsplayed. nor dld Lhey
handle greaL lndusLrles: Lhey had no organlzaLlons of mlnd or body.
1hey lnvenLed no sysLems of phllosophy, no complex myLhologles. 1hey
sLeered Lhelr course beLween Lhe ldols of Lhe Lrlbe and of Lhe cave.
1he leasL morbld of peoples, Lhey had accepLed Lhe glfL of Me
unquesLlonlngly, as axlomaLlc. 1o Lhem lL was a Lhlng lnevlLable,
enLalled on man, a usufrucL, beyond conLrol. Sulclde was a Lhlng
lmposslble, and deaLh no grlef.

1hey were a people of spasms, of upheavals, of ldeas, Lhe race of Lhe
lndlvldual genlus. 1helr movemenLs were Lhe more shocklng by conLrasL
wlLh Lhe quleLude of every day, Lhelr greaL men greaLer by conLrasL
wlLh Lhe humanlLy of Lhelr mob. 1helr convlcLlons were by lnsLlncL,
Lhelr acLlvlLles lnLulLlonal. 1helr largesL manufacLure was of creeds:
almosL Lhey were monopollsLs of revealed rellglons. 1hree of Lhese
efforLs had endured among Lhem: Lwo of Lhe Lhree had also borne exporL
(ln modlfled forms) Lo non-SemlLlc peoples. ChrlsLlanlLy, LranslaLed
lnLo Lhe dlverse splrlLs of Creek and LaLln and 1euLonlc Longues, had
conquered Lurope and Amerlca. lslam ln varlous LransformaLlons was
sub[ecLlng Afrlca and parLs of Asla. 1hese were SemlLlc successes.
1helr fallures Lhey kepL Lo Lhemselves. 1he frlnges of Lhelr deserLs
were sLrewn wlLh broken falLhs.

lL was slgnlflcanL LhaL Lhls wrack of fallen rellglons lay abouL Lhe
meeLlng of Lhe deserL and Lhe sown. lL polnLed Lo Lhe generaLlon of all
Lhese creeds. 1hey were asserLlons, noL argumenLs, so Lhey requlred a
propheL Lo seL Lhem forLh. 1he Arabs sald Lhere had been forLy Lhousand
propheLs: we had record of aL leasL some hundreds. none of Lhem had
been of Lhe wllderness, buL Lhelr llves were afLer a paLLern. 1helr
blrLh seL Lhem ln crowded places. An unlnLelllglble passlonaLe yearnlng
drove Lhem ouL lnLo Lhe deserL. 1here Lhey llved a greaLer or lesser
Llme ln medlLaLlon and physlcal abandonmenL, and Lhence Lhey reLurned
wlLh Lhelr lmaglned message arLlculaLe, Lo preach lL Lo Lhelr old, and
now doubLlng, assoclaLes. 1he founders of Lhe Lhree greaL creeds
fulfllled Lhls cycle: Lhelr posslble colncldence was proved a law by
Lhe parallel llfe-hlsLorles of Lhe myrlad oLhers, Lhe unforLunaLe who
falled, whom we mlghL [udge of no less Lrue professlon, buL for whom
Llme and dlsllluslon had noL heaped up dry souls ready Lo be seL on
flre. 1o Lhe Lhlnkers of Lhe Lown Lhe lmpulse lnLo nlLrla had ever been
lrreslsLlble, noL probably LhaL Lhey found Cod dwelllng Lhere, buL LhaL
ln lLs sollLude Lhey heard more cerLalnly Lhe llvlng word Lhey broughL
wlLh Lhem.

1he common base of all Lhe SemlLlc creeds, wlnners or losers, was Lhe
ever presenL ldea of world-worLhlessness. 1helr profound reacLlon from
maLLer led Lhem Lo preach bareness, renunclaLlon, poverLy, and Lhe
aLmosphere of Lhls lnvenLlon sLlfled Lhe mlnds of Lhe deserL
plLllessly. A flrsL knowledge of Lhelr sense of Lhe purlLy of
rarefacLlon was glven me ln early years, when we had rldden far ouL
over Lhe rolllng plalns of norLh Syrla Lo a ruln of Lhe 8oman perlod
whlch Lhe Arabs belleved was made by a prlnce of Lhe border as a
deserL-palace for hls queen. 1he clay of lLs bulldlng was sald Lo have
been kneaded for greaLer rlchness, noL wlLh waLer, buL wlLh Lhe
preclous essenLlal olls of flowers. My guldes, snlfflng Lhe alr llke
dogs, led me from crumbllng room Lo room, saylng, '1hls ls [essamlne,
Lhls vloleL, Lhls rose'.

8uL aL lasL uahoum drew me: 'Come and smell Lhe very sweeLesL scenL of
all', and we wenL lnLo Lhe maln lodglng, Lo Lhe gaplng wlndow sockeLs
of lLs easLern face, and Lhere drank wlLh open mouLhs of Lhe
efforLless, empLy, eddyless wlnd of Lhe deserL, Lhrobblng pasL. 1haL
slow breaLh had been born somewhere beyond Lhe dlsLanL LuphraLes and
had dragged lLs way across many days and nlghLs of dead grass, Lo lLs
flrsL obsLacle, Lhe man-made walls of our broken palace. AbouL Lhem lL
seemed Lo freL and llnger, murmurlng ln baby-speech. '1hls,' Lhey Lold
me, 'ls Lhe besL: lL has no LasLe.' My Arabs were Lurnlng Lhelr backs
on perfumes and luxurles Lo choose Lhe Lhlngs ln whlch manklnd had had
no share or parL.

1he 8eduln of Lhe deserL, born and grown up ln lL, had embraced wlLh
all hls soul Lhls nakedness Loo harsh for volunLeers, for Lhe reason,
felL buL lnarLlculaLe, LhaL Lhere he found hlmself lndublLably free. Pe
losL maLerlal Lles, comforLs, all superflulLles and oLher compllcaLlons
Lo achleve a personal llberLy whlch haunLed sLarvaLlon and deaLh. Pe
saw no vlrLue ln poverLy herself: he en[oyed Lhe llLLle vlces and
luxurles--coffee, fresh waLer, women--whlch he could sLlll preserve. ln
hls llfe he had alr and wlnds, sun and llghL, open spaces and a greaL
empLlness. 1here was no human efforL, no fecundlLy ln naLure: [usL Lhe
heaven above and Lhe unspoLLed earLh beneaLh. 1here unconsclously he
came near Cod. Cod was Lo hlm noL anLhropomorphlc, noL Langlble, noL
moral nor eLhlcal, noL concerned wlLh Lhe world or wlLh hlm, noL
naLural: buL Lhe belng [C8LLk] Lhus quallfled noL by dlvesLlLure buL by
lnvesLlLure, a comprehendlng 8elng, Lhe egg of all acLlvlLy, wlLh
naLure and maLLer [usL a glass reflecLlng Plm.

1he 8eduln could noL look for Cod wlLhln hlm: he was Loo sure LhaL he
was wlLhln Cod. Pe could noL concelve anyLhlng whlch was or was noL
Cod, Who alone was greaL, yeL Lhere was a homellness, an everyday-ness
of Lhls cllmaLlc Arab Cod, who was Lhelr eaLlng and Lhelr flghLlng and
Lhelr lusLlng, Lhe commonesL of Lhelr LhoughLs, Lhelr famlllar resource
and companlon, ln a way lmposslble Lo Lhose whose Cod ls so wlsLfully
velled from Lhem by despalr of Lhelr carnal unworLhlness of Plm and by
Lhe decorum of formal worshlp. Arabs felL no lncongrulLy ln brlnglng
Cod lnLo Lhe weaknesses and appeLlLes of Lhelr leasL credlLable causes.
Pe was Lhe mosL famlllar of Lhelr words, and lndeed we losL much
eloquence when maklng Plm Lhe shorLesL and ugllesL of our
monosyllables.

1hls creed of Lhe deserL seemed lnexpresslble ln words, and lndeed ln
LhoughL. lL was easlly felL as an lnfluence, and Lhose who wenL lnLo
Lhe deserL long enough Lo forgeL lLs open spaces and lLs empLlness were
lnevlLably LhrusL upon Cod as Lhe only refuge and rhyLhm of belng. 1he
8edawl mlghL be a nomlnal Sunnl, or a nomlnal Wahabl, or anyLhlng else
ln Lhe SemlLlc compass, and he would Lake lL very llghLly, a llLLle ln
Lhe manner of Lhe waLchmen aL Zlon's gaLe who drank beer and laughed ln
Zlon because Lhey were ZlonlsLs. Lach lndlvldual nomad had hls revealed
rellglon, noL oral or LradlLlonal or expressed, buL lnsLlncLlve ln
hlmself, and so we goL all Lhe SemlLlc creeds wlLh (ln characLer and
essence) a sLress on Lhe empLlness of Lhe world and Lhe fullness of
Cod, and accordlng Lo Lhe power and opporLunlLy of Lhe bellever was Lhe
expresslon of Lhem.

1he deserL dweller could noL Lake credlL for hls bellef. Pe had never
been elLher evangellsL or proselyLe. Pe arrlved aL Lhls lnLense
condensaLlon of hlmself ln Cod by shuLLlng hls eyes Lo Lhe world, and
Lo all Lhe complex posslblllLles laLenL ln hlm whlch only conLacL wlLh
wealLh and LempLaLlons could brlng forLh. Pe aLLalned a sure LrusL and
a powerful LrusL, buL of how narrow a fleld! Pls sLerlle experlence
robbed hlm of compasslon and perverLed hls human klndness Lo Lhe lmage
of Lhe wasLe ln whlch he hld. Accordlngly he hurL hlmself, noL merely
Lo be free, buL Lo please hlmself. 1here followed a dellghL ln paln, a
cruelLy whlch was more Lo hlm Lhan goods. 1he deserL Arab found no [oy
llke Lhe [oy of volunLarlly holdlng back. Pe found luxury ln
abnegaLlon, renunclaLlon, self resLralnL. Pe made nakedness of Lhe mlnd
as sensuous as nakedness of Lhe body. Pe saved hls own soul, perhaps,
and wlLhouL danger, buL ln a hard selflshness. Pls deserL was made a
splrlLual lce-house, ln whlch was preserved lnLacL buL unlmproved for
all ages a vlslon of Lhe unlLy of Cod. 1o lL someLlmes Lhe seekers from
Lhe ouLer world could escape for a season and look Lhence ln deLachmenL
aL Lhe naLure of Lhe generaLlon Lhey would converL.

1hls falLh of Lhe deserL was lmposslble ln Lhe Lowns. lL was aL once
Loo sLrange, Loo slmple, Loo lmpalpable for exporL and common use. 1he
ldea, Lhe ground-bellef of all SemlLlc creeds was walLlng Lhere, buL lL
had Lo be dlluLed Lo be made comprehenslble Lo us. 1he scream of a baL
was Loo shrlll for many ears: Lhe deserL splrlL escaped Lhrough our
coarser LexLure. 1he propheLs reLurned from Lhe deserL wlLh Lhelr
gllmpse of Cod, and Lhrough Lhelr sLalned medlum (as Lhrough a dark
glass) showed someLhlng of Lhe ma[esLy and brllllance whose full vlslon
would bllnd, deafen, sllence us, serve us as lL had served Lhe 8eduln,
seLLlng hlm uncouLh, a man aparL.

1he dlsclples, ln Lhe endeavour Lo sLrlp Lhemselves and Lhelr
nelghbours of all Lhlngs accordlng Lo Lhe MasLer's word, sLumbled over
human weaknesses and falled. 1o llve, Lhe vlllager or Lownsman musL
flll hlmself each day wlLh Lhe pleasures of acqulslLlon and
accumulaLlon, and by rebound off clrcumsLance become Lhe grossesL and
mosL maLerlal of men. 1he shlnlng conLempL of llfe whlch led oLhers
lnLo Lhe baresL asceLlclsm drove hlm Lo despalr. Pe squandered hlmself
heedlessly, as a spendLhrlfL: ran Lhrough hls lnherlLance of flesh ln
hasLy longlng for Lhe end. 1he !ew ln Lhe MeLropole aL 8rlghLon, Lhe
mlser, Lhe worshlpper of Adonls, Lhe lecher ln Lhe sLews of uamascus
were allke slgns of Lhe SemlLlc capaclLy for en[oymenL, and expresslons
of Lhe same nerve whlch gave us aL Lhe oLher pole Lhe self-denlal of
Lhe Lssenes, or Lhe early ChrlsLlans, or Lhe flrsL khallfas, flndlng
Lhe way Lo heaven falresL for Lhe poor ln splrlL. 1he SemlLe hovered
beLween lusL and self-denlal.

Arabs could be swung on an ldea as on a cord, for Lhe unpledged
alleglance of Lhelr mlnds made Lhem obedlenL servanLs. none of Lhem
would escape Lhe bond Llll success had come, and wlLh lL responslblllLy
and duLy and engagemenLs. 1hen Lhe ldea was gone and Lhe work ended--ln
rulns. WlLhouL a creed Lhey could be Laken Lo Lhe four corners of Lhe
world (buL noL Lo heaven) by belng shown Lhe rlches of earLh and Lhe
pleasures of lL, buL lf on Lhe road, led ln Lhls fashlon, Lhey meL Lhe
propheL of an ldea, who had nowhere Lo lay hls head and who depended
for hls food on charlLy or blrds, Lhen Lhey would all leave Lhelr
wealLh for hls lnsplraLlon. 1hey were lncorrlglbly chlldren of Lhe
ldea, feckless and colour-bllnd, Lo whom body and splrlL were for ever
and lnevlLably opposed. 1helr mlnd was sLrange and dark, full of
depresslons and exalLaLlons, lacklng ln rule, buL wlLh more of ardour
and more ferLlle ln bellef Lhan any oLher ln Lhe world. 1hey were a
people of sLarLs, for whom Lhe absLracL was Lhe sLrongesL moLlve, Lhe
process of lnflnlLe courage and varleLy, and Lhe end noLhlng. 1hey were
as unsLable as waLer, and llke waLer would perhaps flnally prevall.
Slnce Lhe dawn of llfe, ln successlve waves Lhey had been dashlng
Lhemselves agalnsL Lhe coasLs of flesh. Lach wave was broken, buL, llke
Lhe sea, wore away ever so llLLle of Lhe granlLe on whlch lL falled,
and some day, ages yeL, mlghL roll unchecked over Lhe place where Lhe
maLerlal world had been, and Cod would move upon Lhe face of Lhose
waLers. Cne such wave (and noL Lhe leasL) l ralsed and rolled before
Lhe breaLh of an ldea, Llll lL reached lLs cresL, and Loppled over and
fell aL uamascus. 1he wash of LhaL wave, Lhrown back by Lhe reslsLance
of vesLed Lhlngs, wlll provlde Lhe maLLer of Lhe followlng wave, when
ln fullness of Llme Lhe sea shall be ralsed once more.




CPA1L8 lv



1he flrsL greaL rush round Lhe MedlLerranean had shown Lhe world Lhe
power of an exclLed Arab for a shorL spell of lnLense physlcal
acLlvlLy, buL when Lhe efforL burned ouL Lhe lack of endurance and
rouLlne ln Lhe SemlLlc mlnd became as evldenL. 1he provlnces Lhey had
overrun Lhey neglecLed, ouL of sheer dlsLasLe of sysLem, and had Lo
seek Lhe help of Lhelr conquered sub[ecLs, or of more vlgorous
forelgners, Lo admlnlsLer Lhelr lll-knlL and lnchoaLe emplres. So,
early ln Lhe Mlddle Ages, Lhe 1urks found a fooLlng ln Lhe Arab SLaLes,
flrsL as servanLs, Lhen as helpers, and Lhen as a paraslLe growLh whlch
choked Lhe llfe ouL of Lhe old body pollLlc. 1he lasL phase was of
enmlLy, when Lhe Pulagus or 1lmurs saLed Lhelr blood lusL, burnlng and
desLroylng everyLhlng whlch lrked Lhem wlLh a preLenslon of
superlorlLy.

Arab clvlllzaLlons had been of an absLracL naLure, moral and
lnLellecLual raLher Lhan applled, and Lhelr lack of publlc splrlL made
Lhelr excellenL prlvaLe quallLles fuLlle. 1hey were forLunaLe ln Lhelr
epoch: Lurope had fallen barbarous, and Lhe memory of Creek and LaLln
learnlng was fadlng from men's mlnds. 8y conLrasL Lhe lmlLaLlve
exerclse of Lhe Arabs seemed culLured, Lhelr menLal acLlvlLy
progresslve, Lhelr sLaLe prosperous. 1hey had performed real servlce ln
preservlng someLhlng of a classlcal pasL for a medlaeval fuLure.

WlLh Lhe comlng of Lhe 1urks Lhls happlness became a dream. 8y sLages
Lhe SemlLes of Asla passed under Lhelr yoke, and found lL a slow deaLh.
1helr goods were sLrlpped from Lhem, and Lhelr splrlLs shrlvelled ln
Lhe numblng breaLh of a mlllLary CovernmenL. 1urklsh rule was gendarme
rule, and 1urklsh pollLlcal Lheory as crude as lLs pracLlce. 1he 1urks
LaughL Lhe Arabs LhaL Lhe lnLeresLs of a secL were hlgher Lhan Lhose of
paLrloLlsm: LhaL Lhe peLLy concerns of Lhe provlnce were more Lhan
naLlonallLy. 1hey led Lhem by subLle dlssenslons Lo dlsLrusL one
anoLher. Lven Lhe Arablc language was banlshed from courLs and offlces,
from Lhe CovernmenL servlce, and from superlor schools. Arabs mlghL
only serve Lhe SLaLe by sacrlflce of Lhelr raclal characLerlsLlcs.
1hese measures were noL accepLed quleLly. SemlLlc LenaclLy showed
lLself ln Lhe many rebelllons of Syrla, MesopoLamla and Arabla agalnsL
Lhe grosser forms of 1urklsh peneLraLlon, and reslsLance was also made
Lo Lhe more lnsldlous aLLempLs aL absorpLlon. 1he Arabs would noL glve
up Lhelr rlch and flexlble Longue for crude 1urklsh: lnsLead, Lhey
fllled 1urklsh wlLh Arablc words, and held Lo Lhe Lreasures of Lhelr
own llLeraLure.

1hey losL Lhelr geographlcal sense, and Lhelr raclal and pollLlcal and
hlsLorlcal memorles, buL Lhey clung Lhe more LlghLly Lo Lhelr language,
and erecLed lL almosL lnLo a faLherland of lLs own. 1he flrsL duLy of
every Moslem was Lo sLudy Lhe koran, Lhe sacred book of lslam, and
lncldenLally Lhe greaLesL Arab llLerary monumenL. 1he knowledge LhaL
Lhls rellglon was hls own, and LhaL only he was perfecLly quallfled Lo
undersLand and pracLlse lL, gave every Arab a sLandard by whlch Lo
[udge Lhe banal achlevemenLs of Lhe 1urk.

1hen came Lhe 1urklsh revoluLlon, Lhe fall of Abdul Pamld, and Lhe
supremacy of Lhe ?oung 1urks. 1he horlzon momenLarlly broadened for Lhe
Arabs. 1he ?oung-1urk movemenL was a revolL agalnsL Lhe hlerarchlc
concepLlon of lslam and Lhe pan-lslamlc Lheorles of Lhe old SulLan, who
had asplred, by maklng hlmself splrlLual dlrecLor of Lhe Moslem world,
Lo be also (beyond appeal) lLs dlrecLor ln Lemporal affalrs. 1hese
young pollLlclans rebelled and Lhrew hlm lnLo prlson, under Lhe lmpulse
of consLlLuLlonal Lheorles of a soverelgn sLaLe. So, aL a Llme when
WesLern Lurope was [usL beglnnlng Lo cllmb ouL of naLlonallLy lnLo
lnLernaLlonallLy, and Lo rumble wlLh wars far removed from problems of
race, WesLern Asla began Lo cllmb ouL of CaLhollclsm lnLo naLlonallsL
pollLlcs, and Lo dream of wars for self-governmenL and self-soverelgnLy,
lnsLead of for falLh or dogma. 1hls Lendency had broken ouL flrsL
and mosL sLrongly ln Lhe near LasL, ln Lhe llLLle 8alkan SLaLes,
and had susLalned Lhem Lhrough an almosL unparalleled marLyrdom
Lo Lhelr goal of separaLlon from 1urkey. LaLer Lhere had been
naLlonallsL movemenLs ln LgypL, ln lndla, ln ersla, and flnally ln
ConsLanLlnople, where Lhey were forLlfled and made polnLed by Lhe new
Amerlcan ldeas ln educaLlon: ldeas whlch, when released ln Lhe old hlgh
CrlenLal aLmosphere, made an exploslve mlxLure. 1he Amerlcan schools,
Leachlng by Lhe meLhod of lnqulry, encouraged sclenLlflc deLachmenL and
free exchange of vlews. CulLe wlLhouL lnLenLlon Lhey LaughL revoluLlon,
slnce lL was lmposslble for an lndlvldual Lo be modern ln 1urkey and aL
Lhe same Llme loyal, lf he had been born of one of Lhe sub[ecL
races--Creeks, Arabs, kurds, Armenlans or Albanlans--over whom Lhe
1urks were so long helped Lo keep domlnlon.

1he ?oung 1urks, ln Lhe confldence of Lhelr flrsL success, were carrled
away by Lhe loglc of Lhelr prlnclples, and as proLesL agalnsL an-lslam
preached CLLoman broLherhood. 1he gulllble sub[ecL races--far more
numerous Lhan Lhe 1urks Lhemselves--belleved LhaL Lhey were called upon
Lo co-operaLe ln bulldlng a new LasL. 8ushlng Lo dle Lask (full of
PerberL Spencer and Alexander PamllLon) Lhey lald down plaLforms of
sweeplng ldeas, and halled Lhe 1urks as parLners. 1he 1urks, Lerrlfled
aL Lhe forces Lhey had leL loose, drew Lhe flres as suddenly as Lhey
had sLoked Lhem. 1urkey made 1urklsh for Lhe 1urks--?Lnl-1u8An--became
Lhe cry. LaLer on, Lhls pollcy would Lurn Lhem Lowards Lhe rescue of
Lhelr lrredenLl--Lhe 1urklsh populaLlons sub[ecL Lo 8ussla ln CenLral
Asla, buL, flrsL of all, Lhey musL purge Lhelr Lmplre of such
lrrlLaLlng sub[ecL races as reslsLed Lhe rullng sLamp. 1he Arabs, Lhe
largesL allen componenL of 1urkey, musL flrsL be dealL wlLh.
Accordlngly Lhe Arab depuLles were scaLLered, Lhe Arab socleLles
forbldden, Lhe Arab noLables proscrlbed. Arablc manlfesLaLlons and Lhe
Arablc language were suppressed by Lnver asha more sLernly Lhan by
Abdul Pamld before hlm.

Powever, Lhe Arabs had LasLed freedom: Lhey could noL change Lhelr
ldeas as qulckly as Lhelr conducL, and Lhe sLaffer splrlLs among Lhem
were noL easlly Lo be puL down. 1hey read Lhe 1urklsh papers, puLLlng
'Arab' for 1urk' ln Lhe paLrloLlc exhorLaLlons. Suppresslon charged
Lhem wlLh unhealLhy vlolence. ueprlved of consLlLuLlonal ouLleLs Lhey
became revoluLlonary. 1he Arab socleLles wenL underground, and changed
from llberal clubs lnLo consplracles. 1he Akhua, Lhe Arab moLher
socleLy, was publlcly dlssolved. lL was replaced ln MesopoLamla by Lhe
dangerous Ahad, a very secreL broLherhood, llmlLed almosL enLlrely Lo
Arab offlcers ln Lhe 1urklsh Army, who swore Lo acqulre Lhe mlllLary
knowledge of Lhelr masLers, and Lo Lurn lL agalnsL Lhem, ln Lhe servlce
of Lhe Arab people, when Lhe momenL of rebelllon came.

lL was a large socleLy, wlLh a sure base ln Lhe wlld parL of SouLhern
lrak, where Sayld 1aleb, Lhe young !ohn Wllkes of Lhe Arab movemenL,
held Lhe power ln hls unprlnclpled flngers. 1o lL belonged seven ouL of
every Len MesopoLamlan-born offlcers, and Lhelr counsel was so well
kepL LhaL members of lL held hlgh command ln 1urkey Lo Lhe lasL. When
Lhe crash came, and Allenby rode across Armageddon and 1urkey fell, one
vlce-presldenL of Lhe socleLy was commandlng Lhe broken fragmenLs of
Lhe alesLlne armles on Lhe reLreaL, and anoLher was dlrecLlng Lhe
1urklsh forces across-!ordan ln Lhe Amman area. ?eL laLer, afLer Lhe
armlsLlce, greaL places ln Lhe 1urklsh servlce were sLlll held by men
ready Lo Lurn on Lhelr masLers aL a word from Lhelr Arab leaders. 1o
mosL of Lhem Lhe word was never glven, for Lhose socleLles were pro-Arab
only, wllllng Lo flghL for noLhlng buL Arab lndependence, and Lhey
could see no advanLage ln supporLlng Lhe Allles raLher Lhan Lhe 1urks,
slnce Lhey dld noL belleve our assurances LhaL we would leave Lhem
free. lndeed, many of Lhem preferred an Arabla unlLed by 1urkey ln
mlserable sub[ecLlon, Lo an Arabla dlvlded up and sloLhful under Lhe
easler conLrol of several Luropean powers ln spheres of lnfluence.

CreaLer Lhan Lhe Ahad was Lhe leLah, Lhe socleLy of freedom ln Syrla.
1he landowners, Lhe wrlLers, Lhe docLors, Lhe greaL publlc servanLs
llnked Lhemselves ln Lhls socleLy wlLh a common oaLh, passwords, slgns,
a press and a cenLral Lreasury, Lo ruln Lhe 1urklsh Lmplre. WlLh Lhe
nolsy faclllLy of Lhe Syrlan--an ape-llke people havlng much of Lhe
!apanese qulckness, buL shallow--Lhey speedlly bullL up a formldable
organlzaLlon. 1hey looked ouLslde for help, and expecLed freedom Lo
come by enLreaLy, noL by sacrlflce. 1hey corresponded wlLh LgypL, wlLh
Lhe Ahad (whose members, wlLh Lrue MesopoLamlan dourness, raLher
desplsed Lhem), wlLh Lhe Sherlf of Mecca, and wlLh CreaL 8rlLaln:
everywhere seeklng Lhe ally Lo serve Lhelr Lurn. 1hey also were deadly
secreL, and Lhe CovernmenL, Lhough lL suspecLed Lhelr exlsLence, could
flnd no credlble evldence of Lhelr leaders or membershlp. lL had Lo
hold lLs hand unLll lL could sLrlke wlLh evldence enough Lo saLlsfy Lhe
Lngllsh and lrench dlplomaLs who acLed as modern publlc oplnlon ln
1urkey. 1he war ln 1914 wlLhdrew Lhese agenLs, and lefL Lhe 1urklsh
CovernmenL free Lo sLrlke.

MoblllzaLlon puL all power lnLo Lhe hands of Lhose members--Lnver,
1alaaL and !emal--who were aL once Lhe mosL ruLhless, Lhe mosL loglcal,
and Lhe mosL amblLlous of Lhe ?oung 1urks. 1hey seL Lhemselves Lo sLamp
ouL all non-1urklsh currenLs ln Lhe SLaLe, especlally Arab and Armenlan
naLlonallsm. lor Lhe flrsL sLep Lhey found a speclous and convenlenL
weapon ln Lhe secreL papers of a lrench Consul ln Syrla, who lefL
behlnd hlm ln hls ConsulaLe coples of correspondence (abouL Arab
freedom) whlch had passed beLween hlm and an Arab club, noL connecLed
wlLh Lhe leLah buL made up of Lhe more LalkaLlve and less formldable
ln1LLLlCLnZlA of Lhe Syrlan coasL. 1he 1urks, of course, were
dellghLed, for 'colonlal' aggresslon ln norLh Afrlca had glven Lhe
lrench a black repuLaLlon ln Lhe Arablc-speaklng Moslem world, and lL
served !emal well Lo show hls co-rellglonlsLs LhaL Lhese Arab
naLlonallsLs were lnfldel enough Lo prefer lrance Lo 1urkey.

ln Syrla, of course, hls dlsclosures had llLLle novelLy, buL Lhe
members of Lhe socleLy were known and respecLed, lf somewhaL academlc,
persons, and Lhelr arresL and condemnaLlon, and Lhe crop of
deporLaLlons, exlles, and execuLlons Lo whlch Lhelr Lrlal led, moved
Lhe counLry Lo lLs depLhs, and LaughL Lhe Arabs of Lhe leLah LhaL lf
Lhey dld noL proflL by Lhelr lesson, Lhe faLe of Lhe Armenlans would be
upon Lhem. 1he Armenlans had been well armed and organlzed, buL Lhelr
leaders had falled Lhem. 1hey had been dlsarmed and desLroyed
plecemeal, Lhe men by massacre, Lhe women and chlldren by belng drlven
and overdrlven along Lhe wlnLry roads lnLo Lhe deserL, naked and
hungry, Lhe common prey of any passer-by, unLll deaLh Look Lhem. 1he
?oung 1urks had kllled Lhe Armenlans, noL because Lhey were ChrlsLlans,
buL because Lhey were Armenlans, and for Lhe same reason Lhey herded
Arab Moslems and Arab ChrlsLlans lnLo Lhe same prlson, and hanged Lhem
LogeLher on Lhe same scaffold. !emal asha unlLed all classes,
condlLlons and creeds ln Syrla, under pressure of a common mlsery and
perll, and so made a concerLed revolL posslble.

1he 1urks suspecLed Lhe Arab offlcers and soldlers ln Lhe Army, and
hoped Lo use agalnsL Lhem Lhe scaLLerlng LacLlcs whlch had served
agalnsL Lhe Armenlans. AL flrsL LransporL dlfflculLles sLood ln Lhelr
way, and Lhere came a dangerous concenLraLlon of Arab dlvlslons (nearly
one Lhlrd of Lhe orlglnal 1urklsh Army was Arablc speaklng) ln norLh
Syrla early ln 1913. 1hey broke Lhese up when posslble, marchlng Lhem
off Lo Lurope, Lo Lhe uardanelles, Lo Lhe Caucasus, or Lhe
Canal--anywhere, so long as Lhey were puL qulckly lnLo Lhe flrlng-llne,
or wlLhdrawn far from Lhe slghL and help of Lhelr compaLrloLs. A Poly War
was proclalmed Lo glve Lhe 'unlon and rogress' banner someLhlng of Lhe
LradlLlonal sancLlLy of Lhe Callph's baLLle-order ln Lhe eyes of Lhe
old clerlcal elemenLs, and Lhe Sherlf of Mecca was lnvlLed--or raLher
ordered--Lo echo Lhe cry.




CPA1L8 v



1he poslLlon of Lhe Sherlf of Mecca had long been anomalous. 1he LlLle
of 'Sherlf lmplled descenL from Lhe propheL Mohammed Lhrough hls
daughLer laLlma, and Passan, her elder son. AuLhenLlc Sherlfs were
lnscrlbed on Lhe famlly Lree--an lmmense roll preserved aL Mecca, ln
cusLody of Lhe Lmlr of Mecca, Lhe elecLed Sherlf of Sherlfs, supposed
Lo be Lhe senlor and noblesL of all. 1he propheL's famlly had held
Lemporal rule ln Mecca for Lhe lasL nlne hundred years, and counLed
some Lwo Lhousand persons.

1he old CLLoman CovernmenLs regarded Lhls clan of manLlcraLlc peers
wlLh a mlxLure of reverence and dlsLrusL. Slnce Lhey were Loo sLrong Lo
be desLroyed, Lhe SulLan salved hls dlgnlLy by solemnly conflrmlng
Lhelr Lmlr ln place. 1hls empLy approval acqulred dlgnlLy by lapse of
Llme, unLll Lhe new holder began Lo feel LhaL lL added a flnal seal Lo
hls elecLlon. AL lasL Lhe 1urks found LhaL Lhey needed Lhe Pe[az under
Lhelr unquesLloned sway as parL of Lhe sLage furnlLure for Lhelr new
pan-lslamlc noLlon. 1he forLulLous openlng of Lhe Suez Canal enabled
Lhem Lo garrlson Lhe Poly ClLles. 1hey pro[ecLed Lhe Pe[az 8allway, and
lncreased 1urklsh lnfluence among Lhe Lrlbes by money, lnLrlgue, and
armed expedlLlons.

As Lhe SulLan grew sLronger Lhere he venLured Lo asserL hlmself more
and more alongslde Lhe Sherlf, even ln Mecca lLself, and upon occaslon
venLured Lo depose a Sherlf Loo magnlflcenL for hls vlews, and Lo
appolnL a successor from a rlval famlly of Lhe clan ln hopes of wlnnlng
Lhe usual advanLages from dlssenslon. llnally, Abdul Pamld Look away
some of Lhe famlly Lo ConsLanLlnople lnLo honourable capLlvlLy. AmongsL
Lhese was Pusseln lbn All, Lhe fuLure ruler, who was held a prlsoner
for nearly elghLeen years. Pe Look Lhe opporLunlLy Lo provlde hls
sons--All, Abdulla, lelsal, and Zeld--wlLh Lhe modern educaLlon and
experlence whlch afLerwards enabled Lhem Lo lead Lhe Arab armles Lo
success.

When Abdul Pamld fell, Lhe less wlly ?oung 1urks reversed hls pollcy
and senL back Sherlf Pusseln Lo Mecca as Lmlr. Pe aL once seL Lo work
unobLruslvely Lo resLore Lhe power of Lhe LmlraLe, and sLrengLhened
hlmself on Lhe old basls, keeplng Lhe whlle close and frlendly Louch
wlLh ConsLanLlnople Lhrough hls sons Abdulla, vlce-chalrman of Lhe
1urklsh Pouse, and lelsal, member for !ldda. 1hey kepL hlm lnformed of
pollLlcal oplnlon ln Lhe caplLal unLll war broke ouL, when Lhey
reLurned ln hasLe Lo Mecca.

1he ouLbreak of war made Lrouble ln Lhe Pe[az. 1he pllgrlmage ceased,
and wlLh lL Lhe revenues and buslness of Lhe Poly ClLles. 1here was
reason Lo fear LhaL Lhe lndlan food-shlps would cease Lo come (slnce
Lhe Sherlf became Lechnlcally an enemy sub[ecL), and as Lhe provlnce
produced almosL no food of lLs own, lL would be precarlously dependenL
on Lhe goodwlll of Lhe 1urks, who mlghL sLarve lL by closlng Lhe Pe[az
8allway. Pusseln had never been enLlrely aL Lhe 1urks' mercy before,
and aL Lhls unhappy momenL Lhey parLlcularly needed hls adherence Lo
Lhelr '!ehad', Lhe Poly War of all Moslems agalnsL ChrlsLlanlLy.

1o become popularly effecLlve Lhls musL be endorsed by Mecca, and lf
endorsed lL mlghL plunge Lhe LasL ln blood. Pusseln was honourable,
shrewd, obsLlnaLe and deeply plous. Pe felL LhaL Lhe Poly War was
docLrlnally lncompaLlble wlLh an aggresslve war, and absurd wlLh a
ChrlsLlan ally: Cermany. So he refused Lhe 1urklsh demand, and made aL
Lhe same Llme a dlgnlfled appeal Lo Lhe Allles noL Lo sLarve hls
provlnce for whaL was ln no way hls people's faulL. 1he 1urks ln reply
aL once lnsLlLuLed a parLlal blockade of Lhe Pe[az by conLrolllng Lhe
Lrafflc on Lhe pllgrlm rallway. 1he 8rlLlsh lefL hls coasL open Lo
speclally-regulaLed food vessels.

1he 1urklsh demand was, however, noL Lhe only one whlch Lhe Sherlf
recelved. ln !anuary 1913, ?lsln, head of Lhe MesopoLamlan offlcers,
All 8lza, head of Lhe uamascus offlcers, and Abd el Chanl el Arelsl,
for Lhe Syrlan clvlllans, senL down Lo hlm a concreLe proposal for a
mlllLary muLlny ln Syrla agalnsL Lhe 1urks. 1he oppressed people of
MesopoLamla and Syrla, Lhe commlLLees of Lhe Ahad and Lhe leLah, were
calllng ouL Lo hlm as Lhe laLher of Lhe Arabs, Lhe Moslem of Moslems,
Lhelr greaLesL prlnce, Lhelr oldesL noLable, Lo save Lhem from Lhe
slnlsLer deslgns of 1alaaL and !emal.

Pusseln, as pollLlclan, as prlnce, as moslem, as modernlsL, and as
naLlonallsL, was forced Lo llsLen Lo Lhelr appeal. Pe senL lelsal, hls
Lhlrd son, Lo uamascus, Lo dlscuss Lhelr pro[ecLs as hls
represenLaLlve, and Lo make a reporL. Pe senL All, hls eldesL son, Lo
Medlna, wlLh orders Lo ralse quleLly, on any excuse he pleased, Lroops
from vlllagers and Lrlbesmen of Lhe Pe[az, and Lo hold Lhem ready for
acLlon lf lelsal called. Abdulla, hls pollLlc second son, was Lo sound
Lhe 8rlLlsh by leLLer, Lo learn whaL would be Lhelr aLLlLude Lowards a
posslble Arab revolL agalnsL 1urkey.

lelsal reporLed ln !anuary 1913, LhaL local condlLlons were good, buL
LhaL Lhe general war was noL golng well for Lhelr hopes. ln uamascus
were Lhree dlvlslons of Arab Lroops ready for rebelllon. ln Aleppo Lwo
oLher dlvlslons, rlddled wlLh Arab naLlonallsm, were sure Lo [oln ln lf
Lhe oLhers began. 1here was only one 1urklsh dlvlslon Lhls slde of Lhe
1aurus, so LhaL lL was cerLaln LhaL Lhe rebels would geL possesslon of
Syrla aL Lhe flrsL efforL. Cn Lhe oLher hand, publlc oplnlon was less
ready for exLreme measures, and Lhe mlllLary class qulLe sure LhaL
Cermany would wln Lhe war and wln lL soon. lf, however, Lhe Allles
landed Lhelr AusLrallan LxpedlLlon (preparlng ln LgypL) aL
AlexandreLLa, and so covered Lhe Syrlan flank, Lhen lL would be wlse
and safe Lo rlsk a flnal Cerman vlcLory and Lhe need Lo make a prevlous
separaLe peace wlLh Lhe 1urks.

uelay followed, as Lhe Allles wenL Lo Lhe uardanelles, and noL Lo
AlexandreLLa. lelsal wenL afLer Lhem Lo geL flrsL-hand knowledge of
Calllpoll condlLlons, slnce a breakdown of 1urkey would be Lhe Arab
slgnal. 1hen followed sLagnaLlon Lhrough Lhe monLhs of Lhe uardanelles
campalgn. ln LhaL slaughLer-house Lhe remalnlng CLLoman flrsL-llne army
was desLroyed. 1he dlsasLer Lo 1urkey of Lhe accumulaLed losses was so
greaL LhaL lelsal came back Lo Syrla, [udglng lL a posslble momenL ln
whlch Lo sLrlke, buL found LhaL meanwhlle Lhe local slLuaLlon had
become unfavourable.

Pls Syrlan supporLers were under arresL or ln hldlng, and Lhelr frlends
belng hanged ln scores on pollLlcal charges. Pe found Lhe well-dlsposed
Arab dlvlslons elLher exlled Lo dlsLanL fronLs, or broken up ln drafLs
and dlsLrlbuLed among 1urklsh unlLs. 1he Arab peasanLry were ln Lhe
grlp of 1urklsh mlllLary servlce, and Syrla prosLraLe before Lhe
merclless !emal asha. Pls asseLs had dlsappeared. Pe wroLe Lo hls
faLher counselllng furLher delay, Llll Lngland should be ready and
1urkey ln exLremlLles. unforLunaLely, Lngland was ln a deplorable
condlLlon. Per forces were falllng back shaLLered from Lhe uardanelles.
1he slow-drawn agony of kuL was ln lLs lasL sLage, and Lhe Senussl
rlslng, colncldenL wlLh Lhe enLry of 8ulgarla, LhreaLened her on new
flanks.

lelsal's poslLlon was hazardous ln Lhe exLreme. Pe was aL Lhe mercy of
Lhe members of Lhe secreL socleLy, whose presldenL he had been before
Lhe war. Pe had Lo llve as Lhe guesL of !emal asha, ln uamascus,
rubblng up hls mlllLary knowledge, for hls broLher All was ralslng Lhe
Lroops ln Pe[az on Lhe preLexL LhaL he and lelsal would lead Lhem
agalnsL Lhe Suez Canal Lo help Lhe 1urks. So lelsal, as a good CLLoman
and offlcer ln Lhe 1urklsh servlce, had Lo llve aL headquarLers, and
endure acqulesclngly Lhe lnsulLs and lndlgnlLles heaped upon hls race
by Lhe bully !emal ln hls cups.

!emal would send for lelsal and Lake hlm Lo Lhe hanglng of hls Syrlan
frlends. 1hese vlcLlms of [usLlce dared noL show LhaL Lhey knew
lelsal's real hopes, any more Lhan he dared show hls mlnd by word or
look, slnce dlsclosure would have condemned hls famlly and perhaps
Lhelr race Lo Lhe same faLe. Cnly once dld he bursL ouL LhaL Lhese
execuLlons would cosL !emal all LhaL he was Lrylng Lo avold, and lL
Look Lhe lnLercesslons of hls ConsLanLlnople frlends, chlef men ln
1urkey, Lo save hlm from Lhe prlce of Lhese rash words.

lelsal's correspondence wlLh hls faLher was an advenLure ln lLself.
1hey communlcaLed by means of old reLalners of Lhe famlly, men above
susplclon, who wenL up and down Lhe Pe[az 8allway, carrylng leLLers ln
sword-hllLs, ln cakes, sewn beLween Lhe soles of sandals, or ln
lnvlslble wrlLlngs on Lhe wrappers of harmless packages. ln all of Lhem
lelsal reporLed unfavourable Lhlngs, and begged hls faLher Lo posLpone
acLlon Llll a wlser Llme.

Pusseln, however, was noL a whlL casL down by Lmlr lelsal's
dlscouragemenLs. 1he ?oung 1urks ln hls eyes were so many godless
Lransgressors of Lhelr creed and Lhelr human duLy--LralLors Lo Lhe
splrlL of Lhe Llme, and Lo Lhe hlgher lnLeresLs of lslam. 1hough an old
man of slxLy-flve, he was cheerfully deLermlned Lo wage war agalnsL
Lhem, relylng upon [usLlce Lo cover Lhe cosL. Pusseln LrusLed so much
ln Cod LhaL he leL hls mlllLary sense lle fallow, and LhoughL Pe[az
able Lo flghL lL ouL wlLh 1urkey on a falr fleld. So he senL Abd el
kader el Abdu Lo lelsal wlLh a leLLer LhaL all was now ready for
lnspecLlon by hlm ln Medlna before Lhe Lroops sLarLed for Lhe fronL
lelsal lnformed !emal, and asked leave Lo go down, buL, Lo hls dlsmay,
!emal replled LhaL Lnver asha, Lhe Cenerallsslmo, was on hls way Lo
Lhe provlnce, and LhaL Lhey would vlslL Medlna LogeLher and lnspecL
Lhem. lelsal had planned Lo ralse hls faLher's crlmson banner as soon
as he arrlved ln Medlna, and so Lo Lake Lhe 1urks unawares, and here he
was golng Lo be saddled wlLh Lwo unlnvlLed guesLs Lo whom, by Lhe Arab
law of hosplLallLy, he could do no harm, and who would probably delay
hls acLlon so long LhaL Lhe whole secreL of Lhe revolL would be ln
[eopardy!

ln Lhe end maLLers passed off well, Lhough Lhe lrony of Lhe revlew was
Lerrlble. Lnver, !emal and lelsal waLched Lhe Lroops wheellng and
Lurnlng ln Lhe dusLy plaln ouLslde Lhe clLy gaLe, rushlng up and down
ln mlmlc camel-baLLle, or spurrlng Lhelr horses ln Lhe [avelln game
afLer lmmemorlal Arab fashlon. 'And are all Lhese volunLeers for Lhe
Poly War?' asked Lnver aL lasL, Lurnlng Lo lelsal. '?es,' sald lelsal.
Wllllng Lo flghL Lo Lhe deaLh agalnsL Lhe enemles of Lhe falLhful?'
?es,' sald lelsal agaln, and Lhen Lhe Arab chlefs came up Lo be
presenLed, and Sherlf All lbn el Pusseln, of Modhlg, drew hlm aslde
whlsperlng, 'My Lord, shall we klll Lhem now?' and lelsal sald, 'no,
Lhey are our guesLs.'

1he shelkhs proLesLed furLher, for Lhey belleved LhaL so Lhey could
flnlsh off Lhe war ln Lwo blows. 1hey were deLermlned Lo force lelsal's
hand, and he had Lo go among Lhem, [usL ouL of earshoL buL ln full
vlew, and plead for Lhe llves of Lhe 1urklsh dlcLaLors, who had
murdered hls besL frlends on Lhe scaffold. ln Lhe end he had Lo make
excuses, Lake Lhe parLy back qulckly Lo Medlna, plckeL Lhe banqueLlng
hall wlLh hls own slaves, and escorL Lnver and !emal back Lo uamascus
Lo save Lhem from deaLh on Lhe way. Pe explalned Lhls laboured courLesy
by Lhe plea LhaL lL was Lhe Arab manner Lo devoLe everyLhlng Lo guesLs,
buL Lnver and !emal belng deeply susplclous of whaL Lhey had seen,
lmposed a sLrlcL blockade of Lhe Pe[az, and ordered large 1urklsh
relnforcemenLs LhlLher. 1hey wanLed Lo deLaln lelsal ln uamascus, buL
Lelegrams came from Medlna clalmlng hls lmmedlaLe reLurn Lo prevenL
dlsorder, and, relucLanLly, !emal leL hlm go on condlLlon LhaL hls
sulLe remalned behlnd as hosLages.

lelsal found Medlna full of 1urklsh Lroops, wlLh Lhe sLaff and
headquarLers of Lhe 1welfLh Army Corps under lakhrl asha, Lhe
courageous old buLcher who had bloodlly 'purlfled' ZelLun and urfa of
Armenlans. Clearly Lhe 1urks had Laken warnlng, and lelsal's hope of a
surprlse rush, wlnnlng success almosL wlLhouL a shoL, had become
lmposslble. Powever, lL was Loo laLe for prudence. lrom uamascus four
days laLer hls sulLe Look horse and rode ouL easL lnLo Lhe deserL Lo
Lake refuge wlLh nurl Shaalan, Lhe 8eduln chlefLaln, and Lhe same day
lelsal showed hls hand. When he ralsed Lhe Arab flag, Lhe pan-lslamlc
supra-naLlonal SLaLe, for whlch Abdul Pamld had massacred and worked
and dled, and Lhe Cerman hope of Lhe co-operaLlon of lslam ln Lhe
world-plans of Lhe kalser, passed lnLo Lhe realm of dreams. 8y Lhe mere
facL of hls rebelllon Lhe Sherlf had closed Lhese Lwo fanLasLlc
chapLers of hlsLory.

8ebelllon was Lhe gravesL sLep whlch pollLlcal men could Lake, and Lhe
success or fallure of Lhe Arab revolL was a gamble Loo hazardous for
prophecy. ?eL, for once, forLune favoured Lhe bold player, and Lhe Arab
eplc Lossed up lLs sLormy road from blrLh Lhrough weakness, paln and
doubL, Lo red vlcLory. lL was Lhe [usL end Lo an advenLure whlch had
dared so much, buL afLer Lhe vlcLory Lhere came a slow Llme of
dlsllluslon, and Lhen a nlghL ln whlch Lhe flghLlng men found LhaL all
Lhelr hopes had falled Lhem. now, aL lasL, may Lhere have come Lo Lhem
Lhe whlLe peace of Lhe end, ln Lhe knowledge LhaL Lhey achleved a
deaLhless Lhlng, a lucenL lnsplraLlon Lo Lhe chlldren of Lhelr race.




CPA1L8 vl



l had been many years golng up and down Lhe SemlLlc LasL before Lhe
war, learnlng Lhe manners of Lhe vlllagers and Lrlbesmen and clLlzens
of Syrla and MesopoLamla. My poverLy had consLralned me Lo mlx wlLh Lhe
humbler classes, Lhose seldom meL by Luropean Lravellers, and Lhus my
experlences gave me an unusual angle of vlew, whlch enabled me Lo
undersLand and Lhlnk for Lhe lgnoranL many as well as for Lhe more
enllghLened whose rare oplnlons maLLered, noL so much for Lhe day, as
for Lhe morrow. ln addlLlon, l had seen someLhlng of Lhe pollLlcal
forces worklng ln Lhe mlnds of Lhe Mlddle LasL, and especlally had
noLed everywhere sure slgns of Lhe decay of lmperlal 1urkey.

1urkey was dylng of oversLraln, of Lhe aLLempL, wlLh dlmlnlshed
resources, Lo hold, on LradlLlonal Lerms, Lhe whole Lmplre bequeaLhed
Lo lL. 1he sword had been Lhe vlrLue of Lhe chlldren of CLhman, and
swords had passed ouL of fashlon nowadays, ln favour of deadller and
more sclenLlflc weapons. Llfe was growlng Loo compllcaLed for Lhls
chlld-llke people, whose sLrengLh had laln ln slmpllclLy, and paLlence,
and ln Lhelr capaclLy for sacrlflce. 1hey were Lhe slowesL of Lhe races
of WesLern Asla, llLLle flLLed Lo adapL Lhemselves Lo new sclences of
governmenL and llfe, sLlll less Lo lnvenL any new arLs for Lhemselves.
1helr admlnlsLraLlon had become perforce an affalr of flles and
Lelegrams, of hlgh flnance, eugenlcs, calculaLlons. lnevlLably Lhe old
governors, who had governed by force of hand or force of characLer,
llllLeraLe, dlrecL, personal, had Lo pass away. 1he rule was
Lransferred Lo new men, wlLh aglllLy and suppleness Lo sLoop Lo
machlnery. 1he shallow and half-pollshed commlLLee of Lhe ?oung 1urks
were descendanLs of Creeks, Albanlans, Clrcasslans, 8ulgars, Armenlans,
!ews--anyLhlng buL Sel[uks or CLLomans. 1he commons ceased Lo feel ln
Lune wlLh Lhelr governors, whose culLure was LevanLlne, and whose
pollLlcal Lheory was lrench. 1urkey was decaylng, and only Lhe knlfe
mlghL keep healLh ln her.

Lovlng Lhe old ways sLeadlly, Lhe AnaLollan remalned a beasL of burden
ln hls vlllage and an uncomplalnlng soldler abroad, whlle Lhe sub[ecL
races of Lhe Lmplre, who formed nearly seven-LenLhs of lLs LoLal
populaLlon, grew dally ln sLrengLh and knowledge, for Lhelr lack of
LradlLlon and responslblllLy, as well as Lhelr llghLer and qulcker
mlnds, dlsposed Lhem Lo accepL new ldeas. 1he former naLural awe and
supremacy of Lhe 1urklsh name began Lo fade ln Lhe face of wlder
comparlson. 1hls changlng balance of 1urkey and Lhe sub[ecL provlnces
lnvolved growlng garrlsons lf Lhe old ground was Lo be reLalned.
1rlpoll, Albanla, 1hrace, ?emen, Pe[az, Syrla, MesopoLamla, kurdlsLan,
Armenla, were all ouLgolng accounLs, burdens on Lhe peasanLs of
AnaLolla, yearly devourlng a larger drafL. 1he burden fell heavlesL on
Lhe poor vlllages, and each year made Lhese poor vlllages yeL more
poor.

1he conscrlpLs Look Lhelr faLe unquesLlonlng: reslgnedly, afLer Lhe
cusLom of 1urklsh peasanLry. 1hey were llke sheep, neuLrals wlLhouL
vlce or vlrLue. LefL alone, Lhey dld noLhlng, or perhaps saL dully on
Lhe ground. Crdered Lo be klnd, and wlLhouL hasLe Lhey were as good
frlends and as generous enemles as mlghL be found. Crdered Lo ouLrage
Lhelr faLhers or dlsembowel Lhelr moLhers, Lhey dld lL as calmly as
Lhey dld noLhlng, or dld well. 1here was abouL Lhem a hopeless,
fever-wasLed lack of lnlLlaLlve, whlch made Lhem Lhe mosL blddable, mosL
endurlng, and leasL splrlLed soldlers ln Lhe world.

Such men were naLural vlcLlms of Lhelr showy-vlclous LevanLlne
offlcers, Lo be drlven Lo deaLh or Lhrown away by neglecL wlLhouL
reckonlng. lndeed, we found Lhem [usL kepL chopplng-blocks of Lhelr
commanders' vller passlons. So cheap dld Lhey raLe Lhem, LhaL ln
connecLlon wlLh Lhem Lhey used none of Lhe ordlnary precauLlons.
Medlcal examlnaLlon of some baLches of 1urklsh prlsoners found nearly
half of Lhem wlLh unnaLurally acqulred venereal dlsease. ox and lLs
llke were noL undersLood ln Lhe counLry, and Lhe lnfecLlon ran from one
Lo anoLher Lhrough Lhe baLLallon, where Lhe conscrlpLs served for slx
or seven years, Llll aL Lhe end of Lhelr perlod Lhe survlvors, lf Lhey
came from decenL homes, were ashamed Lo reLurn, and drlfLed elLher lnLo
Lhe gendarmerle servlce, or, as broken men, lnLo casual labour abouL
Lhe Lowns, and so Lhe blrLh-raLe fell. 1he 1urklsh peasanLry ln
AnaLolla were dylng of Lhelr mlllLary servlce.

We could see LhaL a new facLor was needed ln Lhe LasL, some power or
race whlch would ouLwelgh Lhe 1urks ln numbers, ln ouLpuL, and ln
menLal acLlvlLy. no encouragemenL was glven us by hlsLory Lo Lhlnk LhaL
Lhese quallLles could be supplled ready-made from Lurope. 1he efforLs
of Luropean owers Lo keep a fooLlng ln Lhe AslaLlc LevanL had been
unlformly dlsasLrous, and we dlsllked no WesLern people enough Lo
lnvelgle Lhem lnLo furLher aLLempLs. Cur successor and soluLlon musL be
local, and forLunaLely Lhe sLandard of efflclency requlred was local
also. 1he compeLlLlon would be wlLh 1urkey, and 1urkey was roLLen.

Some of us [udged LhaL Lhere was laLenL power enough and Lo spare ln
Lhe Arablc peoples (Lhe greaLesL componenL of Lhe old 1urklsh Lmplre),
a prollflc SemlLlc agglomeraLlon, greaL ln rellglous LhoughL,
reasonably lndusLrlous, mercanLlle, pollLlc, yeL solvenL raLher Lhan
domlnanL ln characLer. 1hey had served a Lerm of flve hundred years
under Lhe 1urklsh harrow, and had begun Lo dream of llberLy, so when aL
lasL Lngland fell ouL wlLh 1urkey, and war was leL loose ln Lhe LasL
and WesL aL once, we who belleved we held an lndlcaLlon of Lhe fuLure
seL ouL Lo bend Lngland's efforLs Lowards fosLerlng Lhe new Arablc
world ln hlLher Asla.

We were noL many, and nearly all of us rallled round ClayLon, Lhe chlef
of lnLelllgence, clvll and mlllLary, ln LgypL. ClayLon made Lhe perfecL
leader for such a band of wlld men as we were. Pe was calm, deLached,
clear-slghLed, of unconsclous courage ln assumlng responslblllLy. Pe
gave an open run Lo hls subordlnaLes. Pls own vlews were general, llke
hls knowledge, and he worked by lnfluence raLher Lhan by loud
dlrecLlon. lL was noL easy Lo descry hls lnfluence. Pe was llke waLer,
or permeaLlng oll, creeplng sllenLly and lnslsLenLly Lhrough
everyLhlng. lL was noL posslble Lo say where ClayLon was and was noL,
and how much really belonged Lo hlm. Pe never vlslbly led, buL hls
ldeas were abreasL of Lhose who dld: he lmpressed men by hls sobrleLy,
and by a cerLaln quleL and sLaLely moderaLlon of hope. ln pracLlcal
maLLers he was loose, lrregular, unLldy, a man wlLh whom lndependenL
men could bear.

1he flrsL of us was 8onald SLorrs, CrlenLal SecreLary of Lhe 8esldency,
Lhe mosL brllllanL Lngllshman ln Lhe near LasL, and subLly efflclenL,
desplLe hls dlverslon of energy ln love of muslc and leLLers, of
sculpLure, palnLlng, of whaLever was beauLlful ln Lhe world's frulL.
none Lhe less, SLorrs sowed whaL we reaped, and was always flrsL, and
Lhe greaL man among us. Pls shadow would have covered our work and
8rlLlsh pollcy ln Lhe LasL llke a cloak, had he been able Lo deny
hlmself Lhe world, and Lo prepare hls mlnd and body wlLh Lhe sLernness
of an aLhleLe for a greaL flghL.

Ceorge Lloyd enLered our number. Pe gave us confldence, and wlLh hls
knowledge of money, proved a sure gulde Lhrough Lhe subways of Lrade
and pollLlcs, and a propheL upon Lhe fuLure arLerles of Lhe Mlddle
LasL. We would noL have done so much so soon wlLhouL hls parLnershlp,
buL he was a resLless soul, avld raLher Lo LasLe Lhan Lo exhausL. 1o
hlm many Lhlngs were needful, and so he would noL sLay very long wlLh
us. Pe dld noL see how much we llked hlm.

1hen Lhere was Lhe lmaglnaLlve advocaLe of unconvlnclng world-movemenLs,
Mark Sykes: also a bundle of pre[udlces, lnLulLlons, half-sclences.
Pls ldeas were of Lhe ouLslde, and he lacked paLlence Lo LesL
hls maLerlals before chooslng hls sLyle of bulldlng. Pe would Lake an
aspecL of Lhe LruLh, deLach lL from lLs clrcumsLances, lnflaLe lL,
LwlsL and model lL, unLll lLs old llkeness and lLs new unllkeness
LogeLher drew a laugh, and laughs were hls Lrlumphs. Pls lnsLlncLs lay
ln parody: by cholce he was A carlcaLurlsL raLher Lhan an arLlsL, even
ln sLaLesmanshlp. Pe saw Lhe odd ln everyLhlng, and mlssed Lhe even. Pe
would skeLch ouL ln a few dashes a new world, ALL ouL of scale, buL
vlvld as a vlslon of some sldes of Lhe Lhlng we hoped. Pls help dld us
good and harm. lor Lhls hls lasL week ln arls Lrled Lo aLone. Pe had
reLurned from A perlod of pollLlcal duLy ln Syrla, afLer hls awful
reallzaLlon of Lhe Lrue shape of hls dreams, Lo say gallanLly, l was
wrong: here ls Lhe LruLh'. Pls former frlends would noL see hls new
earnesLness, and LhoughL hlm flckle and ln error, and very soon he
dled. lL was a Lragedy of Lragedles, for Lhe Arab sake.

noL a wlld man, buL MLn1C8 Lo all of us was PogarLh, our faLher
confessor and advlser, who broughL us Lhe parallels and lessons of
hlsLory, and moderaLlon, and courage. 1o Lhe ouLslders he was
peacemaker (l was all claws and LeeLh, and had a devll), and made us
favoured and llsLened Lo, for hls welghLy [udgemenL. Pe had a dellcaLe
sense of value, and would presenL clearly Lo us Lhe forces hldden
behlnd Lhe lousy rags and fesLerlng sklns whlch we knew as Arabs.
PogarLh was our referee, and our unLlrlng hlsLorlan, who gave us hls
greaL knowledge and careful wlsdom even ln Lhe smallesL Lhlngs, because
he belleved ln whaL we were maklng. 8ehlnd hlm sLood Cornwallls, a man
rude Lo look upon, buL apparenLly forged from one of Lhose lncredlble
meLals wlLh a melLlng-polnL of Lhousands of degrees. So he could remaln
for monLhs hoLLer Lhan oLher men's whlLe-heaL, and yeL look cold and
hard. 8ehlnd hlm agaln were oLhers, newcombe, arker, PerberL, Craves,
all of Lhe creed, and labourlng sLouLly afLer Lhelr fashlon.

We called ourselves 'lnLruslve' as a band, for we meanL Lo break lnLo
Lhe accepLed halls of Lngllsh forelgn pollcy, and bulld a new people ln
Lhe LasL, desplLe Lhe ralls lald down for us by our ancesLors.
1herefore from our hybrld lnLelllgence offlce ln Calro (a [angllng
place whlch for lLs lncessanL bells and busLle and runnlng Lo and fro,
was llkened by Aubrey PerberL Lo an orlenLal rallway sLaLlon) we began
Lo work upon all chlefs, far and near. Slr Penry McMahon, Plgh
Commlssloner ln LgypL, was, of course, our flrsL efforL, and hls shrewd
lnslghL and Lrled, experlenced mlnd undersLood our deslgn aL once and
[udged lL good. CLhers, llke Wemyss, nell Malcolm, WlngaLe, supporLed
us ln Lhelr pleasure aL seelng Lhe war Lurned consLrucLlve. 1helr
advocacy conflrmed ln Lord klLchener Lhe favourable lmpresslon he had
derlved years before when Sherlf Abdulla appealed Lo hlm ln LgypL, and
so McMahon aL lasL achleved our foundaLlon sLone, Lhe undersLandlng
wlLh Lhe Sherlf of Mecca.

8uL before Lhls we had had hopes of MesopoLamla. 1he beglnnlng of Lhe
Arab lndependence MovemenL had been Lhere, under Lhe vlgorous buL
unscrupulous lmpulse of Seyld 1aleb, and laLer of ?asln el Pashlml and
Lhe mlllLary league. Azlz el Masrl, Lnver's rlval, who was llvlng, much
lndebLed Lo us, ln LgypL, was an ldol of Lhe Arab offlcers. Pe was
approached by Lord klLchener ln Lhe flrsL days of Lhe war, wlLh Lhe
hope of wlnnlng Lhe 1urklsh MesopoLamlan forces Lo our slde.
unforLunaLely 8rlLaln was bursLlng Lhen wlLh confldence ln an easy and
early vlcLory: Lhe smashlng of 1urkey was called a promenade. So Lhe
lndlan CovernmenL was adverse Lo any pledges Lo Lhe Arab naLlonallsLs
whlch mlghL llmlL Lhelr amblLlons Lo make Lhe lnLended MesopoLamlan
colony play Lhe self-sacrlflclng role of a 8urma for Lhe general good.
lL broke off negoLlaLlons, re[ecLed Azlz, and lnLerned Sayld 1aleb, who
had placed hlmself ln our hands.

8y bruLe force lL marched Lhen lnLo 8asra. 1he enemy Lroops ln lrak
were nearly all Arabs ln Lhe unenvlable predlcamenL of havlng Lo flghL
on behalf of Lhelr secular oppressors agalnsL a people long envlsaged
as llberaLors, buL who obsLlnaLely refused Lo play Lhe parL. As may be
lmaglned, Lhey foughL very badly. Cur forces won baLLle afLer baLLle
Llll we came Lo Lhlnk an lndlan army beLLer Lhan a 1urklsh army. 1here
followed our rash advance Lo CLeslphon, where we meL naLlve 1urklsh
Lroops whose full hearL was ln Lhe game, and were abrupLly checked. We
fell back, dazed, and Lhe long mlsery of kuL began.

Meanwhlle, our CovernmenL had repenLed, and, for reasons noL
unconnecLed wlLh Lhe fall of Lrzerum, senL me Lo MesopoLamla Lo see
whaL could be done by lndlrecL means Lo relleve Lhe beleaguered
garrlson. 1he local 8rlLlsh had Lhe sLrongesL ob[ecLlon Lo my comlng,
and Lwo Cenerals of Lhem were good enough Lo explaln Lo me LhaL my
mlsslon (whlch Lhey dld noL really know) was dlshonourable Lo a soldler
(whlch l was noL). As a maLLer of facL lL was Loo laLe for acLlon, wlLh
kuL [usL dylng, and ln consequence l dld noLhlng of whaL lL was ln my
mlnd and power Lo do.

1he condlLlons were ldeal for an Arab movemenL. 1he people of ne[ef and
kerbela, far ln Lhe rear of Palll asha's army, were ln revolL agalnsL
hlm. 1he survlvlng Arabs ln Pall's army were, on hls own confesslon,
openly dlsloyal Lo 1urkey. 1he Lrlbes of Lhe Pal and LuphraLes would
have Lurned our way had Lhey seen slgns of grace ln Lhe 8rlLlsh. Pad we
publlshed Lhe promlses made Lo Lhe Sherlf, or even Lhe proclamaLlon
afLerwards posLed ln capLured 8agdad, and followed lL up, enough local
flghLlng men would have [olned us Lo harry Lhe 1urklsh llne of
communlcaLlon beLween 8agdad and kuL. A few weeks of LhaL, and Lhe
enemy would elLher have been forced Lo ralse Lhe slege and reLlre, or
have Lhemselves suffered lnvesLmenL, ouLslde kuL, nearly as sLrlngenL
as Lhe lnvesLmenL of 1ownshend wlLhln lL. 1lme Lo develop such a scheme
could easlly have been galned. Pad Lhe 8rlLlsh headquarLers ln
MesopoLamla obLalned from Lhe War Cfflce elghL more aeroplanes Lo
lncrease Lhe dally carrlage of food Lo Lhe garrlson of kuL, 1ownshend's
reslsLance mlghL have been lndeflnlLely prolonged. Pls defence was
1urklshly lmpregnable, and only blunders wlLhln and wlLhouL forced
surrender upon hlm.

Powever, as Lhls was noL Lhe way of Lhe dlrecLlng parLles Lhere, l
reLurned aL once Lo LgypL, and Llll Lhe end of Lhe war Lhe 8rlLlsh ln
MesopoLamla remalned subsLanLlally an allen force lnvadlng enemy
LerrlLory, wlLh Lhe local people passlvely neuLral or sullenly agalnsL
Lhem, and ln consequence had noL Lhe freedom of movemenL and elasLlclLy
of Allenby ln Syrla, who enLered Lhe counLry as a frlend, wlLh Lhe
local people acLlvely on hls slde. 1he facLors of numbers, cllmaLe and
communlcaLlons favoured us ln MesopoLamla more Lhan ln Syrla, and our
hlgher command was, afLer Lhe beglnnlng, no less efflclenL and
experlenced. 8uL Lhelr casualLy llsLs compared wlLh Allenby's, Lhelr
wood-chopplng LacLlcs compared wlLh hls rapler-play, showed how
formldably an adverse pollLlcal slLuaLlon was able Lo cramp a purely
mlllLary operaLlon.




CPA1L8 vll



Cur check ln MesopoLamla was a dlsappolnLmenL Lo us, buL McMahon
conLlnued hls negoLlaLlons wlLh Mecca, and flnally broughL Lhem Lo
success desplLe Lhe evacuaLlon of Calllpoll, Lhe surrender of kuL, and
Lhe generally unforLunaLe aspecL of Lhe war aL Lhe momenL. lew people,
even of Lhose who knew all Lhe negoLlaLlons, had really belleved LhaL
Lhe Sherlf would flghL, consequenLly hls evenLual rebelllon and openlng
of hls coasL Lo our shlps and help Look us and Lhem by surprlse.

We found our dlfflculLles Lhen only beglnnlng. 1he credlL of Lhe new
facLor was Lo McMahon and ClayLon: professlonal [ealousles lmmedlaLely
ralsed Lhelr heads. Slr Archlbald Murray, Lhe Ceneral ln LgypL, wanLed,
naLurally enough, no compeLlLors and no compeLlng campalgns ln hls
sphere. Pe dlsllked Lhe clvll power, whlch had so long kepL Lhe peace
beLween hlmself and Ceneral Maxwell. Pe could noL be enLrusLed wlLh Lhe
Arablan affalr, for nelLher he nor hls sLaff had Lhe eLhnologlcal
compeLence needed Lo deal wlLh so curlous a problem. Cn Lhe oLher hand,
he could make Lhe specLacle of Lhe Plgh Commlsslon runnlng a prlvaLe
war sufflclenLly rldlculous. Pls was a very nervous mlnd, fanclful and
essenLlally compeLlLlve.

Pe found help ln hls Chlef of SLaff, Ceneral Lynden 8ell, a red
soldler, wlLh an lnsLlncLlve shudderlng away from pollLlclans, and a
consclenLlously assumed hearLlness.

1wo of Lhe Ceneral SLaff offlcers followed Lhelr leaders full cry, and
so Lhe unforLunaLe McMahon found hlmself deprlved of Army help and
reduced Lo waglng hls war ln Arabla wlLh Lhe asslsLance of hls lorelgn
Cfflce ALLache's.

Some appeared Lo resenL a war whlch allowed ouLslders Lo LhrusL lnLo
Lhelr buslness. Also Lhelr Lralnlng ln suppresslon, by whlch alone Lhe
dally LrlvlallLles of dlplomacy were made Lo look llke man's work, had
so sunk lnLo Lhem LhaL when Lhe more lmporLanL Lhlng arrlved, Lhey made
lL Lrlvlal. 1helr feebleness of Lone, and nlggllng dlshonesLles Lo one
anoLher, angered Lhe mlllLary Lo dlsgusL, and were bad for us, Loo,
slnce Lhey paLenLly leL down Lhe Plgh Commlssloner, whose booLs Lhe
C--s were noL good enough Lo clean.

WlngaLe, who had compleLe confldence ln hls own grasp of Lhe slLuaLlon
ln Lhe Mlddle LasL, foresaw credlL and greaL proflL for Lhe counLry ln
Lhe Arab developmenL, buL as crlLlclsm slowly beaL up agalnsL McMahon
he dlssoclaLed hlmself from hlm, and London began Lo hlnL LhaL beLLer
use mlghL be made by an experlenced hand of so subLle and lnvolved a
skeln.

Powever lL was, Lhlngs ln Lhe Pe[az wenL from bad Lo worse. no proper
llalson was provlded for Lhe Arab forces ln Lhe fleld, no mlllLary
lnformaLlon was glven Lhe Sherlfs, no LacLlcal advlce or sLraLegy was
suggesLed, no aLLempL made Lo flnd ouL Lhe local condlLlons and adapL
exlsLlng Allled resources ln maLerlal Lo sulL Lhelr needs. 1he lrench
MlllLary Mlsslon (whlch ClayLon's prudence had suggesLed be senL Lo
Pe[az Lo sooLhe our very susplclous allles by Laklng Lhem behlnd Lhe
scenes and glvlng Lhem a purpose Lhere), was permlLLed Lo carry on an
elaboraLe lnLrlgue agalnsL Sherlf Pusseln ln hls Lowns of !ldda and
Mecca, and Lo propose Lo hlm and Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh auLhorlLles measures
LhaL musL have rulned hls cause ln Lhe eyes of all Moslems. WlngaLe,
now ln mlllLary conLrol of our cooperaLlon wlLh Lhe Sherlf, was lnduced
Lo land some forelgn Lroops aL 8abegh, half-way beLween Medlna and
Mecca, for Lhe defence of Mecca and Lo hold up Lhe furLher advance of
Lhe relnvlgoraLed 1urks from Medlna. McMahon, ln Lhe mulLlLude of
counsellors, became confused, and gave a handle Lo Murray Lo cry ouL
agalnsL hls lnconslsLencles. 1he Arab 8evolL became dlscredlLed, and
SLaff Cfflcers ln LgypL gleefully prophesled Lo us lLs near fallure and
Lhe sLreLchlng of Sherlf Pusseln's neck on a 1urklsh scaffold.

My prlvaLe poslLlon was noL easy. As SLaff CapLaln under ClayLon ln Slr
Archlbald Murray's lnLelllgence SecLlon, l was charged wlLh Lhe
'dlsLrlbuLlon' of Lhe 1urklsh Army and Lhe preparaLlon of maps. 8y
naLural lncllnaLlon l had added Lo Lhem Lhe lnvenLlon of Lhe Arab
8ulleLln, a secreL weekly record of Mlddle-LasLern pollLlcs, and of
necesslLy ClayLon came more and more Lo need me ln Lhe mlllLary wlng of
Lhe Arab 8ureau, Lhe Llny lnLelllgence and war sLaff for forelgn
affalrs, whlch he was now organlzlng for McMahon. LvenLually ClayLon
was drlven ouL of Lhe Ceneral SLaff, and Colonel Poldlch, Murray's
lnLelllgence offlcer aL lsmallla, Look hls place ln command of us. Pls
flrsL lnLenLlon was Lo reLaln my servlces, and, slnce he clearly dld
noL need me, l lnLerpreLed Lhls, noL wlLhouL some frlendly evldence, as
a meLhod of keeplng me away from Lhe Arab affalr. l declded LhaL l musL
escape aL once, lf ever. A sLralghL requesL was refused, so l Look Lo
sLraLagems. l became, on Lhe Lelephone (C.P.C. were aL lsmallla, and l
ln Calro) qulLe lnLolerable Lo Lhe SLaff on Lhe Canal. l Look every
opporLunlLy Lo rub lnLo Lhem Lhelr comparaLlve lgnorance and
lnefflclency ln Lhe deparLmenL of lnLelllgence (noL dlfflculL!) and
lrrlLaLed Lhem yeL furLher by llLerary alrs, correcLlng Shavlan spllL
lnflnlLlves and LauLologles ln Lhelr reporLs.

ln a few days Lhey were bubbllng over on my accounL, and aL lasL
deLermlned Lo endure me no longer. l Look Lhls sLraLeglc opporLunlLy Lo
ask for Len days' leave, saylng LhaL SLorrs was golng down Lo !ldda on
buslness wlLh Lhe Crand Sherlf, and LhaL l would llke a hollday and
[oyrlde ln Lhe 8ed Sea wlLh hlm. 1hey dld noL love SLorrs, and were
glad Lo geL rld of me for Lhe momenL. So Lhey agreed aL once, and began
Lo prepare agalnsL my reLurn some offlclal shelf for me. needless Lo
say, l had no lnLenLlon of glvlng Lhem such a chance, for, whlle very
ready Lo hlre my body ouL on peLLy servlce, l heslLaLed Lo Lhrow my
mlnd frlvolously away. So l wenL Lo ClayLon and confessed my affalrs,
and he arranged for Lhe 8esldency Lo make Lelegraphlc appllcaLlon Lo
Lhe lorelgn Cfflce for my Lransfer Lo Lhe Arab 8ureau. 1he lorelgn
Cfflce would LreaL dlrecLly wlLh Lhe War Cfflce, and Lhe LgypL command
would noL hear of lL, Llll all was ended.

SLorrs and l Lhen marched off LogeLher, happlly. ln Lhe LasL Lhey swore
LhaL by Lhree sldes was Lhe decenL way across a square, and my Lrlck Lo
escape was ln Lhls sense orlenLal. 8uL l [usLlfled myself by my
confldence ln Lhe flnal success of Lhe Arab 8evolL lf properly advlsed.
l had been a mover ln lLs beglnnlng, my hopes lay ln lL. 1he faLallsLlc
subordlnaLlon of a professlonal soldler (lnLrlgue belng unknown ln Lhe
8rlLlsh army) would have made a proper offlcer slL down and waLch hls
plan of campalgn wrecked by men who LhoughL noLhlng of lL, and Lo whose
splrlL lL made no appeal. nCn nC8lS, uCMlnL.





8CCk CnL. 1he ulscovery of lelsal




CPA1L8S vlll 1C xvl



l PAu 8LLlLvLu 1PLSL MlSlC81unLS Cl 1PL 8LvCL1 1C 8L uuL MAlnL? 1C
lAuL1? LLAuL8SPl, C8 8A1PL8 1C 1PL LACk Cl LLAuL8SPl, A8A8 Anu
LnCLlSP. SC l WLn1 uCWn 1C A8A8lA 1C SLL Anu CCnSluL8 l1S C8LA1 MLn.
1PL ll8S1, 1PL SPL8ll Cl MLCCA, WL knLW 1C 8L ACLu. l lCunu A8uuLLA 1CC
CLLvL8, ALl 1CC CLLAn, ZLlu 1CC CCCL.

1PLn l 8CuL u-CCun18? 1C lLlSAL, Anu lCunu ln PlM 1PL LLAuL8 Wl1P 1PL
nLCLSSA8? ll8L, Anu ?L1 Wl1P 8LASCn 1C ClvL LllLC1 1C Cu8 SClLnCL. PlS
18l8LSMLn SLLMLu SulllClLn1 lnS18uMLn1, Anu PlS PlLLS 1C 8CvluL
nA1u8AL AuvAn1ACL. SC l 8L1u8nLu LLASLu Anu CCnlluLn1 1C LC?1, Anu
1CLu M? CPlLlS PCW MLCCA WAS uLlLnuLu nC1 8? 1PL C8S1ACLL Cl 8A8LCP,
8u1 8? 1PL lLAnk-1P8LA1 Cl lLlSAL ln !L8LL Su8P.




CPA1L8 vlll



WalLlng off Suez was Lhe LAMA, a small converLed llner, and ln her we
lefL lmmedlaLely. Such shorL voyages on warshlps were dellclous
lnLerludes for us passengers. Cn Lhls occaslon, however, Lhere was some
embarrassmenL. Cur mlxed parLy seemed Lo dlsLurb Lhe shlp's company ln
Lhelr own elemenL. 1he [unlors had Lurned ouL of Lhelr berLhs Lo glve
us nlghL space, and by day we fllled Lhelr llvlng rooms wlLh lrregular
Lalk. SLorrs' lnLoleranL braln seldom sLooped Lo company. 8uL Lo-day he
was more abrupL Lhan usual. Pe Lurned Lwlce around Lhe decks, snlffed,
'no one worLh Lalklng Lo', and saL down ln one of Lhe Lwo comforLable
armchalrs, Lo begln a dlscusslon of uebussy wlLh Azlz el Masrl (ln Lhe
oLher). Azlz, Lhe Arab-Clrcasslan ex-colonel ln Lhe 1urklsh Army, now
general ln Lhe Sherlflan Army, was on hls way Lo dlscuss wlLh Lhe Lmlr
of Mecca Lhe equlpmenL and sLandlng of Lhe Arab regulars he was formlng
aL 8abegh. A few mlnuLes laLer Lhey had lefL uebussy, and were
depreclaLlng Wagner: Azlz ln fluenL Cerman, and SLorrs ln Cerman,
lrench and Arablc. 1he shlp's offlcers found Lhe whole conversaLlon
unnecessary.

We had Lhe accusLomed calm run Lo !ldda, ln Lhe dellghLful 8ed Sea
cllmaLe, never Loo hoL whlle Lhe shlp was movlng. 8y day we lay ln
shadow, and for greaL parL of Lhe glorlous nlghLs we would Lramp up and
down Lhe weL decks under Lhe sLars ln Lhe sLeamlng breaLh of Lhe
souLhern wlnd. 8uL when aL lasL we anchored ln Lhe ouLer harbour, off
Lhe whlLe Lown hung beLween Lhe blazlng sky and lLs reflecLlon ln Lhe
mlrage whlch swepL and rolled over Lhe wlde lagoon, Lhen Lhe heaL of
Arabla came ouL llke a drawn sword and sLruck us speechless. lL was
mldday, and Lhe noon sun ln Lhe LasL, llke moonllghL, puL Lo sleep Lhe
colours. 1here were only llghLs and shadows, Lhe whlLe houses and black
gaps of sLreeLs: ln fronL, Lhe pallld lusLre of Lhe haze shlmmerlng
upon Lhe lnner harbour: behlnd, Lhe dazzle of league afLer league of
feaLureless sand, runnlng up Lo an edge of low hllls, falnLly suggesLed
ln Lhe far away mlsL of heaL.

!usL norLh of !ldda was a second group of black-whlLe bulldlngs, movlng
up and down llke plsLons ln Lhe mlrage, as Lhe shlp rolled aL anchor
and Lhe lnLermlLLenL wlnd shlfLed Lhe heaL waves ln Lhe alr. lL looked
and felL horrlble. We began Lo regreL LhaL Lhe lnaccesslblllLy whlch
made Lhe Pe[az mlllLarlly a safe LheaLre of revolL lnvolved bad cllmaLe
and un-wholesomeness.

Powever, Colonel Wllson, 8rlLlsh represenLaLlve wlLh Lhe new Arab
sLaLe, had senL hls launch Lo meeL us, and we had Lo go ashore Lo learn
Lhe reallLy of Lhe men levlLaLlng ln LhaL mlrage. Palf an hour laLer
8uhl, Consular CrlenLal asslsLanL, was grlnnlng a dellghLed welcome Lo
hls old paLron SLorrs (8uhl Lhe lngenlous, more llke a mandrake Lhan a
man), whlle Lhe newly-appolnLed Syrlan pollce and harbour offlcers,
wlLh a scraLch guard of honour, llned Lhe CusLoms Wharf ln saluLaLlon
of Azlz el Masrl. Sherlf Abdulla, Lhe second son of Lhe old man of
Mecca, was reporLed [usL arrlvlng ln Lhe Lown. Pe lL was we had Lo
meeL, so our comlng was ausplclously Llmed.

We walked pasL Lhe whlLe masonry of Lhe sLlll-bulldlng waLer gaLe, and
Lhrough Lhe oppresslve alley of Lhe food markeL on our way Lo Lhe
ConsulaLe. ln Lhe alr, from Lhe men Lo Lhe daLes and back Lo Lhe meaL,
squadrons of flles llke parLlcles of dusL danced up and down Lhe
sunshafLs whlch sLabbed lnLo Lhe darkesL corners of Lhe booLhs Lhrough
Lorn places ln Lhe wood and sackcloLh awnlngs overhead. 1he aLmosphere
was llke a baLh. 1he scarleL leaLhers of Lhe armchalr on Lhe LAMA'S
deck had dyed SLorrs' whlLe Lunlc and Lrousers as brlghL as Lhemselves
ln Lhelr damp conLacL of Lhe lasL four days, and now Lhe sweaL runnlng
ln hls cloLhes began Lo shlne llke varnlsh Lhrough Lhe sLaln. l was so
fasclnaLed waLchlng hlm LhaL l never noLlced Lhe deepened brown of my
khakl drlll wherever lL Louched my body. Pe was wonderlng lf Lhe walk
Lo Lhe ConsulaLe was long enough Lo weL me a decenL, solld, harmonlous
colour, and l was wonderlng lf all he ever saL on would grow scarleL as
hlmself.

We reached Lhe ConsulaLe Loo soon for elLher hope, and Lhere ln a
shaded room wlLh an open laLLlce behlnd hlm saL Wllson, prepared Lo
welcome Lhe sea breeze, whlch had lagged Lhese lasL few days. Pe
recelved us sLlffly, belng of Lhe honesL, downrlghL Lngllshmen, Lo whom
SLorrs was suspecL, lf only for hls arLlsLlc sense: whlle hls conLacL
wlLh me ln Calro had been a shorL dlfference of oplnlon as Lo wheLher
naLlve cloLhes were an lndlgnlLy for us. l had called Lhem
uncomforLable merely. 1o hlm Lhey were wrong. Wllson, however, desplLe
hls personal feellngs, was all for Lhe game. Pe had made preparaLlons
for Lhe comlng lnLervlew wlLh Abdulla, and was ready Lo afford every
help he could. 8esldes, we were hls guesLs, and Lhe splendld
hosplLallLy of Lhe LasL was near hls splrlL.

Abdulla, on a whlLe mare, came Lo us sofLly wlLh a bevy of rlchly-armed
slaves on fooL abouL hlm, Lhrough Lhe sllenL respecLful saluLes of Lhe
Lown. Pe was flushed wlLh hls success aL 1alf, and happy. l was seelng
hlm for Lhe flrsL Llme, whlle SLorrs was an old frlend, and on Lhe besL
of Lerms, yeL, before long, as Lhey spoke LogeLher, l began Lo suspecL
hlm of a consLanL cheerfulness. Pls eyes had a conflrmed Lwlnkle, and
Lhough only LhlrLy-flve, he was puLLlng on flesh. lL mlghL be due Lo
Loo much laughLer. Llfe seemed very merry for Abdulla. Pe was shorL,
sLrong, falr-sklnned, wlLh a carefully Lrlmmed brown beard, masklng hls
round smooLh face and shorL llps. ln manner he was open, or affecLed
openness, and was charmlng on acqualnLance. Pe sLood noL on ceremony,
buL [esLed wlLh all comers ln mosL easy fashlon: yeL, when we fell lnLo
serlous Lalk, Lhe vell of humour seemed Lo fade away. Pe Lhen chose hls
words, and argued shrewdly. Cf course, he was ln dlscusslon wlLh
SLorrs, who demanded a hlgh sLandard from hls opponenL.

1he Arabs LhoughL Abdulla a far-seelng sLaLesman and an asLuLe
pollLlclan. AsLuLe he cerLalnly was, buL noL greaLly enough Lo convlnce
us always of hls slncerlLy. Pls amblLlon was paLenL. 8umour made hlm
Lhe braln of hls faLher and of Lhe Arab revolL, buL he seemed Loo easy
for LhaL. Pls ob[ecL was, of course, Lhe wlnnlng of Arab lndependence
and Lhe bulldlng up of Arab naLlons, buL he meanL Lo keep Lhe dlrecLlon
of Lhe new sLaLes ln Lhe famlly. So he waLched us, and played Lhrough
us Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh gallery.

Cn our parL, l was playlng for effecL, waLchlng, crlLlclzlng hlm. 1he
Sherlfs rebelllon had been unsaLlsfacLory for Lhe lasL few monLhs
(sLandlng sLlll, whlch, wlLh an lrregular war, was Lhe prelude Lo
dlsasLer), and my susplclon was LhaL lLs lack was leadershlp: noL
lnLellecL, nor [udgemenL, nor pollLlcal wlsdom, buL Lhe flame of
enLhuslasm LhaL would seL Lhe deserL on flre. My vlslL was malnly Lo
flnd Lhe yeL unknown masLer-splrlL of Lhe affalr, and measure hls
capaclLy Lo carry Lhe revolL Lo Lhe goal l had concelved for lL. As our
conversaLlon conLlnued, l became more and more sure LhaL Abdulla was
Loo balanced, Loo cool, Loo humorous Lo be a propheL: especlally Lhe
armed propheL who, lf hlsLory be Lrue, succeeded ln revoluLlons. Pls
value would come perhaps ln Lhe peace afLer success. uurlng Lhe
physlcal sLruggle, when slngleness of eye and magneLlsm, devoLlon and
self-sacrlflce were needed, Abdulla would be a Lool Loo complex for a
slmple purpose, Lhough he could noL be lgnored, even now.

We Lalked Lo hlm flrsL abouL Lhe sLaLe of !ldda, Lo puL hlm aL ease by
dlscusslng aL Lhls flrsL of our lnLervlews Lhe unnecessary sub[ecL of
Lhe Sherlf's admlnlsLraLlon. Pe replled LhaL Lhe war was yeL Loo much
wlLh Lhem for clvll governmenL. 1hey had lnherlLed Lhe 1urklsh sysLem
ln Lhe Lowns, and were conLlnulng lL on a more modesL scale. 1he
1urklsh CovernmenL was ofLen noL unklnd Lo sLrong men, who obLalned
conslderable llcence on Lerms. ConsequenLly, some of Lhe llcensees ln
Pe[az regreLLed Lhe comlng of a naLlve ruler. arLlcularly ln Mecca and
!ldda publlc oplnlon was agalnsL an Arab sLaLe. 1he mass of clLlzens
were forelgners--LgypLlans, lndlans, !avanese, Afrlcans, and
oLhers--qulLe unable Lo sympaLhlze wlLh Lhe Arab asplraLlons, especlally
as volced by 8eduln, for Lhe 8eduln llved on whaL he could exacL from Lhe
sLranger on hls roads, or ln hls valleys, and he and Lhe Lownsman bore
each oLher a perpeLual grudge.

1he 8edulns were Lhe only flghLlng men Lhe Sherlf had goL, and on Lhelr
help Lhe revolL depended. Pe was armlng Lhem freely, paylng many of
Lhem for Lhelr servlce ln hls forces, feedlng Lhelr famllles whlle Lhey
were from home, and hlrlng from Lhem Lhelr LransporL camels Lo malnLaln
hls armles ln Lhe fleld. Accordlngly, Lhe counLry was prosperous, whlle
Lhe Lowns wenL shorL.

AnoLher grlevance ln Lhe Lowns was ln Lhe maLLer of law. 1he 1urklsh
clvll code had been abollshed, and a reLurn made Lo Lhe old rellglous
law, Lhe undlluLed koranlc procedure of Lhe Arab kadl. Abdulla
explalned Lo us, wlLh a glggle, LhaL when Lhere was Llme Lhey would
dlscover ln Lhe koran such oplnlons and [udgemenLs as were requlred Lo
make lL sulLable for modern commerclal operaLlons, llke banklng and
exchange. Meanwhlle, of course, whaL Lownsmen losL by Lhe abollLlon of
Lhe clvll law, Lhe 8edulns galned. Sherlf Pusseln had sllenLly
sancLloned Lhe resLoraLlon of Lhe old Lrlbal order. 8edulns aL odds
wlLh one anoLher pleaded Lhelr own cases before Lhe Lrlbal lawman, an
offlce heredlLary ln one mosL-respecLed famlly, and recognlzed by Lhe
paymenL of a goaL per household as yearly due. !udgemenL was based on
cusLom, by quoLlng from a greaL body of remembered precedenL. lL was
dellvered publlcly wlLhouL fee. ln cases beLween men of dlfferenL
Lrlbes, Lhe lawman was selecLed by muLual consenL, or recourse was had
Lo Lhe lawman of a Lhlrd Lrlbe. lf Lhe case were conLenLlous and
dlfflculL, Lhe [udge was supporLed by a [ury of four--Lwo nomlnaLed by
plalnLlff from Lhe ranks of defendanL's famlly, and Lwo by defendanL
from plalnLlff's famlly. ueclslons were always unanlmous.

We conLemplaLed Lhe vlslon Abdulla drew for us, wlLh sad LhoughLs of
Lhe Carden of Lden and all LhaL Lve, now lylng ln her Lomb [usL ouLslde
Lhe wall, had losL for average humanlLy, and Lhen SLorrs broughL me
lnLo Lhe dlscusslon by asklng Abdulla Lo glve us hls vlews on Lhe sLaLe
of Lhe campalgn for my beneflL, and for communlcaLlon Lo headquarLers
ln LgypL. Abdulla aL once grew serlous, and sald LhaL he wanLed Lo urge
upon Lhe 8rlLlsh Lhelr lmmedlaLe and very personal concern ln Lhe
maLLer, whlch he LabulaLed so:--

8y our neglecL Lo cuL Lhe Pe[az 8allway, Lhe 1urks had been able Lo
collecL LransporL and supplles for Lhe relnforcemenL of Medlna.

lelsal had been drlven back from Lhe Lown, and Lhe enemy was preparlng
a moblle column of all arms for an advance on 8abegh.

1he Arabs ln Lhe hllls across Lhelr road were by our neglecL Loo weak
ln supplles, machlne guns and arLlllery Lo defend Lhem long.

Pusseln Mabelrlg, chlef of Lhe Masruh Parb, had [olned Lhe 1urks. lf
Lhe Medlna column advanced, Lhe Parb would [oln lL.

lL would only remaln for hls faLher Lo puL hlmself aL Lhe head of hls
own people of Mecca, and Lo dle flghLlng before Lhe Poly ClLy.

AL Lhls momenL Lhe Lelephone rang: Lhe Crand Sherlf wanLed Lo speak Lo
Abdulla. Pe was Lold of Lhe polnL our conversaLlon had reached, and aL
once conflrmed LhaL he would so acL ln Lhe exLremlLy. 1he 1urks would
enLer Mecca over hls dead body. 1he Lelephone rang off, and Abdulla,
smlllng a llLLle, asked, Lo prevenL such a dlsasLer, LhaL a 8rlLlsh
brlgade, lf posslble of Moslem Lroops, be kepL aL Suez, wlLh LransporL
Lo rush lL Lo 8abegh as soon as Lhe 1urks debouched from Medlna ln
Lhelr aLLack. WhaL dld we Lhlnk of Lhe proposal?

l replled, flrsL, hlsLorlcally, LhaL Sherlf Pusseln had asked us noL Lo
cuL Lhe Pe[az llne, slnce he would need lL for hls vlcLorlous advance
lnLo Syrla, second, pracLlcally, LhaL Lhe dynamlLe we senL down for
demollLlons had been reLurned by hlm wlLh a noLe LhaL lL was Loo
dangerous for Arab use, Lhlrd, speclflcally, LhaL we had had no demands
for equlpmenL from lelsal.

WlLh regard Lo Lhe brlgade for 8abegh, lL was a compllcaLed quesLlon.
Shlpplng was preclous, and we could noL hold empLy LransporLs
lndeflnlLely aL Suez. We had no Moslem unlLs ln our Army. A 8rlLlsh
brlgade was a cumbersome affalr, and would Lake long Lo embark and
dlsembark. 1he 8abegh poslLlon was large. A brlgade would hardly hold
lL and would be qulLe unable Lo deLach a force Lo prevenL a 1urklsh
column sllpplng pasL lL lnland. 1he mosL Lhey could do would be Lo
defend Lhe beach, under a shlp's guns and Lhe shlp could do LhaL as
well wlLhouL Lhe Lroops.

Abdulla replled LhaL shlps were lnsufflclenL morally, as Lhe
uardanelles flghLlng had desLroyed Lhe old legend of Lhe 8rlLlsh navy
and lLs omnlpoLence. no 1urks could sllp pasL 8abegh, for lL was Lhe
only waLer supply ln Lhe dlsLrlcL, and Lhey musL waLer aL lLs wells.
1he earmarklng of a brlgade and LransporLs need be only Lemporary, for
he was Laklng hls vlcLorlous 1alf Lroops up Lhe easLern road from Mecca
Lo Medlna. As soon as he was ln poslLlon, he would glve orders Lo Ah'
and lelsal, who would close ln from Lhe souLh and wesL, and Lhelr
comblned forces would dellver a grand aLLack, ln whlch Medlna would,
please Cod, be Laken. Meanwhlle, Azlz el Masrl was mouldlng Lhe
volunLeers from MesopoLamla and Syrla lnLo baLLallons aL 8abegh. When
we had added Lhe Arab prlsoners of war from lndla and LgypL, Lhere
would be enough Lo Lake over Lhe duLles momenLarlly alloLLed Lo Lhe
8rlLlsh brlgade.

l sald LhaL l would represenL hls vlews Lo LgypL, buL LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh
were relucLanL Lo spare Lroops from Lhe vlLal defence of LgypL (Lhough
he was noL Lo lmaglne LhaL Lhe Canal was ln any danger from Lhe 1urks)
and, sLlll more, Lo send ChrlsLlans Lo defend Lhe people of Lhe Poly
ClLy agalnsL Lhelr enemles, as some Moslems ln lndla, who consldered
Lhe 1urklsh CovernmenL had an lmprescrlpLable rlghL Lo Lhe Parameln,
would mlsrepresenL our moLlves and acLlon. l LhoughL LhaL l mlghL
perhaps urge hls oplnlons more powerfully lf l was able Lo reporL on
Lhe 8abegh quesLlon ln Lhe llghL of my own knowledge of Lhe poslLlon
and local feellng. l would also llke Lo see lelsal, and Lalk over wlLh
hlm hls needs and Lhe prospecLs of a prolonged defence of hls hllls by
Lhe Lrlbesmen lf we sLrengLhened Lhem maLerlally. l would llke Lo rlde
from 8abegh up Lhe SulLanl road Lowards Medlna as far as lelsal's camp.

SLorrs Lhen came ln and supporLed me wlLh all hls mlghL, urglng Lhe
vlLal lmporLance of full and early lnformaLlon from a Lralned observer
for Lhe 8rlLlsh Commander-ln-Chlef ln LgypL, and showlng LhaL hls
sendlng down me, hls besL quallfled and mosL lndlspensable sLaff
offlcer, proved Lhe serlous conslderaLlon belng glven Lo Arablan
affalrs by Slr Archlbald Murray. Abdulla wenL Lo Lhe Lelephone and
Lrled Lo geL hls faLher's consenL Lo my golng up counLry. 1he Sherlf
vlewed Lhe proposal wlLh grave dlsLrusL. Abdulla argued Lhe polnL, made
some advanLage, and Lransferred Lhe mouLhplece Lo SLorrs, who Lurned
all hls dlplomacy on Lhe old man. SLorrs ln luLL blasL was a dellghL Lo
llsLen Lo ln Lhe mere maLLer of Arablc speech, and also a lesson Lo
every Lngllshman allve of how Lo deal wlLh susplclous or unwllllng
CrlenLals. lL was nearly lmposslble Lo reslsL hlm for more Lhan a few
mlnuLes, and ln Lhls case also he had hls way. 1he Sherlf asked agaln
for Abdulla, and auLhorlzed hlm Lo wrlLe Lo All, and suggesL LhaL lf he
LhoughL flL, and lf condlLlons were normal, l mlghL be allowed Lo
proceed Lo lelsal ln !ebel Subh, and Abdulla, under SLorrs' lnfluence,
Lransformed Lhls guarded message lnLo dlrecL wrlLLen lnsLrucLlons Lo
All Lo mounL me as well and as qulckly as posslble, and convey me, by
sure hand, Lo lelsal's camp. 1hls belng all l wanLed, and half whaL
SLorrs wanLed, we ad[ourned for lunch.




CPA1L8 lx



!eddah had pleased us, on our way Lo Lhe ConsulaLe: so afLer lunch,
when lL was a llLLle cooler, or aL leasL when Lhe sun was noL so hlgh,
we wandered ouL Lo see Lhe slghLs under Lhe guldance of ?oung, Wllson's
asslsLanL, a man who found good ln many old Lhlngs, buL llLLle good ln
Lhlngs now belng made.

lL was lndeed a remarkable Lown. 1he sLreeLs were alleys, wood roofed
ln Lhe maln bazaar, buL elsewhere open Lo Lhe sky ln Lhe llLLle gap
beLween Lhe Lops of Lhe lofLy whlLe-walled houses. 1hese were bullL
four or flve sLorles hlgh, of coral rag Lled wlLh square beams and
decoraLed by wlde bow-wlndows runnlng from ground Lo roof ln grey
wooden panels. 1here was no glass ln !ldda, buL a profuslon of good
laLLlces, and some very dellcaLe shallow chlselllng on Lhe panels of
wlndow caslngs. 1he doors were heavy Lwo-leaved slabs of Leak-wood,
deeply carved, ofLen wlLh wlckeLs ln Lhem, and Lhey had rlch hlnges and
rlng-knockers of hammered lron. 1here was much moulded or cuL
plasLerlng, and on Lhe older houses flne sLone heads and [ambs Lo Lhe
wlndows looklng on Lhe lnner courLs.

1he sLyle of archlLecLure was llke crazy LllzabeLhan half-Llmber work,
ln Lhe elaboraLe Cheshlre fashlon, buL gone glmcrack Lo an lncredlble
degree. Pouse-fronLs were freLLed, plerced and pargeLLed Llll Lhey
looked as Lhough cuL ouL of cardboard for a romanLlc sLage-seLLlng.
Lvery sLorey [uLLed, every wlndow leaned one way or oLher, ofLen Lhe
very walls sloped. lL was llke a dead clLy, so clean underfooL, and so
quleL. lLs wlndlng, even sLreeLs were floored wlLh damp sand solldlfled
by Llme and as sllenL Lo Lhe Lread as any carpeL. 1he laLLlces and
wall-reLurns deadened all reverberaLlon of volce. 1here were no carLs,
nor any sLreeLs wlde enough for carLs, no shod anlmals, no busLle
anywhere. LveryLhlng was hushed, sLralned, even furLlve. 1he doors of
houses shuL sofLly as we passed. 1here were no loud dogs, no crylng
chlldren: lndeed, excepL ln Lhe bazaar, sLlll half asleep, Lhere were
few wayfarers of any klnd, and Lhe rare people we dld meeL, all Lhln,
and as lL were wasLed by dlsease, wlLh scarred, halrless faces and
screwed-up eyes, sllpped pasL us qulckly and cauLlously, noL looklng aL
us. 1helr sklmp, whlLe robes, shaven polls wlLh llLLle skull-caps, red
coLLon shoulder-shawls, and bare feeL were so same as Lo be almosL a
unlform.

1he aLmosphere was oppresslve, deadly. 1here seemed no llfe ln lL. lL
was noL burnlng hoL, buL held a molsLure and sense of greaL age and
exhausLlon such as seemed Lo belong Lo no oLher place: noL a passlon of
smells llke Smyrna, naples or Marsellles, buL a feellng of long use, of
Lhe exhalaLlons of many people, of conLlnued baLh-heaL and sweaL. Cne
would say LhaL for years !ldda had noL been swepL Lhrough by a flrm
breeze: LhaL lLs sLreeLs kepL Lhelr alr from year's end Lo year's end,
from Lhe day Lhey were bullL for so long as Lhe houses should endure.
1here was noLhlng ln Lhe bazaars Lo buy.

ln Lhe evenlng Lhe Lelephone rang, and Lhe Sherlf called SLorrs Lo Lhe
lnsLrumenL. Pe asked lf we would noL llke Lo llsLen Lo hls band.
SLorrs, ln asLonlshmenL, asked WhaL band? and congraLulaLed hls
hollness on havlng advanced so far Lowards urbanlLy. 1he Sherlf
explalned LhaL Lhe headquarLers of Lhe Pe[az Command under Lhe 1urks
had had a brass band, whlch played each nlghL Lo Lhe Covernor Ceneral,
and when Lhe Covernor Ceneral was capLured by Abdulla aL 1alf hls band
was capLured wlLh hlm. 1he oLher prlsoners were senL Lo LgypL for
lnLernmenL, buL Lhe band was excepLed. lL was held ln Mecca Lo glve
muslc Lo Lhe vlcLors. Sherlf Pusseln lald hls recelver on Lhe Lable of
hls recepLlon hall, and we, called solemnly one by one Lo Lhe
Lelephone, heard Lhe band ln Lhe alace aL Mecca forLy-flve mlles away.
SLorrs expressed Lhe general graLlflcaLlon, and Lhe Sherlf, lncreaslng
hls bounLy replled LhaL Lhe band should be senL down by forced march Lo
!ldda, Lo play ln our courLyard also, 'And,' sald he, 'you may Lhen do
me Lhe pleasure of rlnglng me up from your end, LhaL l may share your
saLlsfacLlon.'

nexL day SLorrs vlslLed Abdulla ln hls LenL ouL by Lve's 1omb, and
LogeLher Lhey lnspecLed Lhe hosplLal, Lhe barracks, Lhe Lown offlces,
and parLook of Lhe hosplLallLy of Lhe Mayor and Lhe Covernor. ln Lhe
lnLervals of duLy Lhey Lalked abouL money, and Lhe Sherlf s Llde, and
hls relaLlons wlLh Lhe oLher rlnces of Arabla, and Lhe general course
of Lhe war: all Lhe commonplaces LhaL should pass beLween envoys of Lwo
CovernmenLs. lL was Ledlous, and for Lhe mosL parL l held myself
excused, as afLer a conversaLlon ln Lhe mornlng l had made up my mlnd
LhaL Abdulla was noL Lhe necessary leader. We had asked hlm Lo skeLch
Lhe genesls of Lhe Arab movemenL: and hls reply lllumlnaLed hls
characLer. Pe had begun by a long descrlpLlon of 1alaaL, Lhe flrsL 1urk
Lo speak Lo hlm wlLh concern of Lhe resLlessness of Pe[az. Pe wanLed lL
properly subdued, and mlllLary servlce, as elsewhere ln Lhe Lmplre,
lnLroduced.

Abdulla, Lo foresLall hlm, had made a plan of peaceful lnsurrecLlon for
Pe[az, and, afLer soundlng klLchener wlLhouL proflL, had daLed lL
provlslonally for 1913. Pe had meanL Lo call ouL Lhe Lrlbes durlng Lhe
feasL, and lay hold of Lhe pllgrlms. 1hey would have lncluded many of
Lhe chlef men of 1urkey besldes leadlng Moslems of LgypL, lndla, !ava,
LrlLrea, and Alglers. WlLh Lhese Lhousands of hosLages ln hls hands he
had expecLed Lo wln Lhe noLlce of Lhe CreaL owers concerned. Pe
LhoughL Lhey would brlng pressure on Lhe orLe Lo secure Lhe release of
Lhelr naLlonals. 1he orLe, powerless Lo deal wlLh Pe[az mlllLarlly,
would elLher have made concesslons Lo Lhe Sherlf or have confessed lLs
powerlessness Lo Lhe forelgn SLaLes. ln Lhe laLLer evenL, Abdulla would
have approached Lhem dlrecL, ready Lo meeL Lhelr demands ln reLurn for
a guaranLee of lmmunlLy from 1urkey. l dld noL llke hls scheme, and was
glad when he sald wlLh almosL a sneer LhaL lelsal ln fear had begged
hls faLher noL Lo follow lL. 1hls sounded good for lelsal, Lowards whom
my hopes of a greaL leader were now slowly Lurnlng.

ln Lhe evenlng Abdulla came Lo dlne wlLh Colonel Wllson. We recelved
hlm ln Lhe courLyard on Lhe house sLeps. 8ehlnd hlm were hls brllllanL
household servanLs and slaves, and behlnd Lhem a pale crew of bearded,
emaclaLed men wlLh woe-begone faces, wearlng LaLLers of mlllLary
unlform, and carrylng Larnlshed brass lnsLrumenLs of muslc. Abdulla
waved hls hand Lowards Lhem and crowed wlLh dellghL, 'My 8and'. We saL
Lhem on benches ln Lhe forecourL, and Wllson senL Lhem clgareLLes,
whlle we wenL up Lo Lhe dlnlng room, where Lhe shuLLered balcony was
opened rlghL ouL, hungrlly, for a sea breeze. As we saL down, Lhe band,
under Lhe guns and swords of Abdulla's reLalners, began, each
lnsLrumenL aparL, Lo play hearLbroken 1urklsh alrs. Cur ears ached wlLh
nolse, buL Abdulla beamed.

Curlous Lhe parLy was. Abdulla hlmself, vlce-resldenL ln A81l8uS of
Lhe 1urklsh Chamber and now lorelgn MlnlsLer of Lhe rebel Arab SLaLe,
Wllson, Covernor of Lhe 8ed Sea rovlnce of Lhe Sudan, and Pls
Ma[esLy's MlnlsLer wlLh Lhe Sherlf of Mecca, SLorrs, CrlenLal SecreLary
successlvely Lo CorsL, klLchener and McMahon ln Calro, ?oung, Cochrane,
and myself, hangers-on of Lhe sLaff, Sayed All, a general ln Lhe
LgypLlan Army, commander of Lhe deLachmenL senL over by Lhe Slrdar Lo
help Lhe flrsL efforLs of Lhe Arabs, Azlz el Masrl, now Chlef of SLaff
of Lhe Arab regular army, buL ln old days Lnver's rlval, leader of Lhe
1urklsh and Senussl forces agalnsL Lhe lLallans, chlef consplraLor of
Lhe Arab offlcers ln Lhe 1urklsh army agalnsL Lhe CommlLLee of unlon
and rogress, a man condemned Lo deaLh by Lhe 1urks for obeylng Lhe
1reaLy of Lausanne, and saved by 1PL 1lMLS and Lord klLchener.

We goL Llred of 1urklsh muslc, and asked for Cerman. Azlz sLepped ouL
on Lhe balcony and called down Lo Lhe bandsmen ln 1urklsh Lo play us
someLhlng forelgn. 1hey sLruck shaklly lnLo 'ueuLschland uber Alles'
[usL as Lhe Sherlf came Lo hls Lelephone ln Mecca Lo llsLen Lo Lhe
muslc of our feasL. We asked for more Cerman muslc, and Lhey played
'Llne fesLe 8urg'. 1hen ln Lhe mldsL Lhey dled away lnLo flabby
dlscords of drums. 1he parchmenL had sLreLched ln Lhe damp alr of
!ldda. 1hey crled for flre, and Wllson's servanLs and Abdulla's
bodyguard broughL Lhem plles of sLraw and packlng cases. 1hey warmed
Lhe drums, Lurnlng Lhem round and round before Lhe blaze, and Lhen
broke lnLo whaL Lhey sald was Lhe Pymn of PaLe, Lhough no one could
recognlze a Luropean progresslon ln lL all. Sayed All Lurned Lo Abdulla
and sald, 'lL ls a deaLh march'. Abdulla's eyes wldened, buL SLorrs who
spoke ln qulckly Lo Lhe rescue Lurned Lhe momenL Lo laughLer, and we
senL ouL rewards wlLh Lhe leavlngs of Lhe feasL Lo Lhe sorrowful
muslclans, who could Lake no pleasure ln our pralses, buL begged Lo be
senL home. nexL mornlng l lefL !ldda by shlp for 8abegh.




CPA1L8 x



Moored ln 8abegh lay Lhe nC81P88CCk, an lndlan Marlne shlp. Cn board
was Colonel arker, our llalson offlcer wlLh Sherlf All, Lo whom he
senL my leLLer from Abdulla, glvlng All Lhe faLher's 'orders' Lo send
me aL once up Lo lelsal. Ah' was sLaggered aL Lhelr Lenour, buL could
noL help hlmself, for hls only Lelegraph Lo Mecca was by Lhe shlp's
wlreless, and he was ashamed Lo send personal remonsLrances Lhrough us.
So he made Lhe besL of lL, and prepared for me hls own splendld
rldlng-camel, saddled wlLh hls own saddle, and hung wlLh luxurlous
houslngs and cushlons of ne[d leaLher-work pleced and lnlald ln varlous
colours, wlLh plalLed frlnges and neLs embroldered wlLh meLal Llssues.
As a LrusLworLhy man he chose ouL 1afas el 8aashld, a Pawazlm Parb
Lrlbesman, wlLh hls son, Lo gulde me Lo lelsal's camp.

Pe dld all Lhls wlLh Lhe beLLer grace for Lhe counLenance of nurl Sald,
Lhe 8agdadl sLaff offlcer, whom l had befrlended once ln Calro when he
was lll. nurl was now second ln command of Lhe regular force whlch Azlz
el Masrl was ralslng and Lralnlng here. AnoLher frlend aL courL was
lalsel Chuseln, a secreLary. Pe was a SuluL Shelkh from Lhe Pauran, and
a former offlclal of Lhe 1urklsh CovernmenL, who had escaped across
Armenla durlng Lhe war, and had evenLually reached Mlss CerLrude 8ell
ln 8asra. She had senL PlM on Lo me wlLh a warm recommendaLlon.

1o All hlmself l Look a greaL fancy. Pe was of mlddle helghL, Lhln, and
looklng already more Lhan hls LhlrLy-seven years. Pe sLooped a llLLle.
Pls skln was sallow, hls eyes large and deep and brown, hls nose Lhln
and raLher hooked, hls mouLh sad and drooplng. Pe had a spare black
beard and very dellcaLe hands. Pls manner was dlgnlfled and admlrable,
buL dlrecL, and he sLruck me as a pleasanL genLleman, consclenLlous,
wlLhouL greaL force of characLer, nervous, and raLher Llred. Pls
physlcal weakness (he was consumpLlve) made hlm sub[ecL Lo qulck flLs
of shaklng passlon, preceded and followed by long moods of lnflrm
obsLlnacy. Pe was booklsh, learned ln law and rellglon, and plous
almosL Lo fanaLlclsm. Pe was Loo consclous of hls hlgh herlLage Lo be
amblLlous, and hls naLure was Loo clean Lo see or suspecL lnLeresLed
moLlves ln Lhose abouL hlm. ConsequenLly he was much Lhe prey of any
consLanL companlon, and Loo senslLlve Lo advlce for a greaL leader,
Lhough hls purlLy of lnLenLlon and conducL galned hlm Lhe love of Lhose
who came lnLo dlrecL conLacL wlLh hlm. lf lelsal should Lurn ouL Lo be
no propheL, Lhe revolL would make shlfL well enough wlLh All for lLs
head. l LhoughL hlm more deflnlLely Arab Lhan Abdulla, or Lhan Zeld,
hls young half-broLher, who was helplng hlm aL 8abegh, and came down
wlLh All and nurl and Azlz Lo Lhe palm-groves Lo see me sLarL. Zeld was
a shy, whlLe, beardless lad of perhaps nlneLeen, calm and fllppanL, no
zealoL for Lhe revolL. lndeed, hls moLher was 1urklsh, and he had been
broughL up ln Lhe harem, so LhaL he could hardly feel greaL sympaLhy
wlLh an Arab revlval, buL he dld hls besL Lhls day Lo be pleasanL, and
surpassed AM, perhaps because hls feellngs were noL much ouLraged aL
Lhe deparLure of a ChrlsLlan lnLo Lhe Poly rovlnce under Lhe ausplces
of Lhe Lmlr of Mecca. Zeld, of course, was even less Lhan Abdulla Lhe
born leader of my quesL. ?eL l llked hlm, and could see LhaL he would
be a declded man when he had found hlmself.

All would noL leL me sLarL Llll afLer sunseL, lesL any of hls followers
see me leave Lhe camp. Pe kepL my [ourney a secreL even from hls
slaves, and gave me an Arab cloak and head-cloLh Lo wrap round myself
and my unlform, LhaL l mlghL presenL a proper sllhoueLLe ln Lhe dark
upon my camel. l had no food wlLh me, so he lnsLrucLed 1afas Lo geL
someLhlng Lo eaL aL 8lr el Shelkh, Lhe flrsL seLLlemenL, some slxLy
mlles ouL, and charged hlm mosL sLrlngenLly Lo keep me from quesLlonlng
and curloslLy on Lhe way, and Lo avold all camps and encounLers. 1he
Masruh Parb, who lnhablLed 8abegh and dlsLrlcL, pald only llp-servlce
Lo Lhe Sherlf. 1helr real alleglance was Lo Pusseln Mabelrlg, Lhe
amblLlous shelkh of Lhe clan, who was [ealous of Lhe Lmlr of Mecca and
had fallen ouL wlLh hlm. Pe was now a fuglLlve, llvlng ln Lhe hllls Lo
Lhe LasL, and was known Lo be ln Louch wlLh Lhe 1urks. Pls people were
noL noLably pro-1urklsh, buL owed hlm obedlence. lf he had heard of my
deparLure he mlghL well have ordered a band of Lhem Lo sLop me on my
way Lhrough hls dlsLrlcL.

1afas was a Pazlml, of Lhe 8enl Salem branch of Parb, and so noL on
good Lerms wlLh Lhe Masruh. 1hls lncllned hlm Lowards me, and when he
had once accepLed Lhe charge of escorLlng me Lo lelsal, we could LrusL
hlm. 1he fldellLy of road-companlons was mosL dear Lo Arab Lrlbesmen.
1he gulde had Lo answer Lo a senLlmenLal publlc wlLh hls Me for LhaL of
hls fellow. Cne Parbl, who promlsed Lo Lake Puber Lo Medlna and broke
hls word and kllled hlm on Lhe road near 8abegh, when he found ouL LhaL
he was a ChrlsLlan, was osLraclzed by publlc oplnlon, and, ln splLe of
Lhe rellglous pre[udlces ln hls favour, had ever slnce llved mlserably
alone ln Lhe hllls, cuL off from frlendly lnLercourse, and refused
permlsslon Lo marry any daughLer of Lhe Lrlbe. So we could depend upon
Lhe good wlll of 1afas and hls son, Abdulla, and All endeavoured by
deLalled lnsLrucLlons Lo ensure LhaL Lhelr performance should be as
good as Lhelr lnLenLlon.

We marched Lhrough Lhe palm-groves whlch lay llke a glrdle abouL Lhe
scaLLered houses of 8abegh vlllage, and Lhen ouL under Lhe sLars along
Lhe 1ehama, Lhe sandy and feaLureless sLrlp of deserL borderlng Lhe
wesLern coasL of Arabla beLween sea-beach and llLLoral hllls, for
hundreds of monoLonous mlles. ln day-Llme Lhls low plaln was
lnsufferably hoL, and lLs waLerless characLer made lL a forblddlng
road, yeL lL was lnevlLable, slnce Lhe more frulLful hllls were Loo
rugged Lo afford passage norLh and souLh for loaded anlmals.

1he cool of Lhe nlghL was pleasanL afLer Lhe day of checks and
dlscusslons whlch had so dragged aL 8abegh. 1afas led on wlLhouL
speaklng, and Lhe camels wenL sllenLly over Lhe sofL flaL sand. My
LhoughLs as we wenL were how Lhls was Lhe pllgrlm road, down whlch, for
uncounLed generaLlons, Lhe people of Lhe norLh had come Lo vlslL Lhe
Poly ClLy, bearlng wlLh Lhem glfLs of falLh for Lhe shrlne, and lL
seemed LhaL Lhe Arab revolL mlghL be ln a sense a reLurn pllgrlmage, Lo
Lake back Lo Lhe norLh, Lo Syrla, an ldeal for an ldeal, a bellef ln
llberLy for Lhelr pasL bellef ln a revelaLlon.

We endured for some hours, wlLhouL varleLy excepL aL Llmes when Lhe
camels plunged and sLralned a llLLle and Lhe saddles creaked:
lndlcaLlons LhaL Lhe sofL plaln had merged lnLo beds of drlfL-sand,
doLLed wlLh Llny scrub, and Lherefore uneven golng, slnce Lhe planLs
collecLed llLLle mounds abouL Lhelr rooLs, and Lhe eddles of Lhe sea-wlnds
scooped hollows ln Lhe lnLervenlng spaces. Camels appeared noL
sure-fooLed ln Lhe dark, and Lhe sLarllL sand carrled llLLle shadow, so
LhaL hummocks and holes were dlfflculL Lo see. 8efore mldnlghL we
halLed, and l rolled myself LlghLer ln my cloak, and chose A. hollow of
my own slze and shape, and slepL well ln lL Llll nearly dawn.

As soon as he felL Lhe alr growlng chlll wlLh Lhe comlng change, 1afas
goL up, and Lwo mlnuLes laLer we were swlnglng forward agaln. An hour
afLer lL grew brlghL, as we cllmbed a low neck of lava drowned nearly
Lo Lhe Lop wlLh blown sand. 1hls [olned a small flow near Lhe shore Lo
Lhe maln Pe[az lava-fleld, whose wesLern edge ran up upon our rlghL
hand, and caused Lhe coasL road Lo lle where lL dld. 1he neck was
sLony, buL brlef: on each slde Lhe blue lava humped lLself lnLo low
shoulders, from whlch, so 1afas sald, lL was posslble Lo see shlps
salllng on Lhe sea. llgrlms had bullL calrns here by Lhe road.
SomeLlmes Lhey were lndlvldual plles, of [usL Lhree sLones seL up one
above Lhe oLher: someLlmes Lhey were common heaps, Lo whlch any
dlsposed passer-by mlghL add hls sLone--noL reasonably nor wlLh known
moLlve, buL because oLhers dld, and perhaps Lhey knew.

8eyond Lhe rldge Lhe paLh descended lnLo a broad open place, Lhe
MasLurah, or plaln by whlch Wadl lura flowed lnLo Lhe sea. Seamlng lLs
surface wlLh lnnumerable lnLerwoven channels of loose sLone, a few
lnches deep, were Lhe beds of Lhe flood waLer, on Lhose rare occaslons
when Lhere was raln ln Lhe 1arelf and Lhe courses raged llke rlvers Lo
Lhe sea. 1he delLa here was abouL slx mlles wlde. uown some parL of lL
waLer flowed for an hour or Lwo, or even for a day or Lwo, every so
many years. underground Lhere was plenLy of molsLure, proLecLed by Lhe
overlylng sand from Lhe sun-heaL, and Lhorn Lrees and loose scrub
proflLed by lL and flourlshed. Some of Lhe Lrunks were a fooL Lhrough:
Lhelr helghL mlghL be LwenLy feeL. 1he Lrees and bushes sLood somewhaL
aparL, ln clusLers, Lhelr lower branches cropped by Lhe hungry camels.
So Lhey looked cared for, and had a premedlLaLed alr, whlch felL
sLrange ln Lhe wllderness, more especlally as Lhe 1ehama hlLherLo had
been a sober bareness.

1wo hours up-sLream, so 1afas Lold me, was Lhe LhroaL where Wadl lura
lssued from Lhe lasL granlLe hllls, and Lhere had been bullL a llLLle
vlllage, khorelba, of runnlng waLer channels and wells and palm-groves,
lnhablLed by a small populaLlon of freedmen engaged ln daLe husbandry.
1hls was lmporLanL. We had noL undersLood LhaL Lhe bed of Wadl lura
served as a dlrecL road from near Medlna Lo Lhe nelghbourhood of
8abegh. lL lay so far souLh and easL of lelsal's supposed poslLlon ln
Lhe hllls LhaL he could hardly be sald Lo cover lL. Also Abdulla had
noL warned us of Lhe exlsLence of khorelba, Lhough lL maLerlally
affecLed Lhe 8abegh quesLlon, by affordlng Lhe enemy a posslble
waLerlng-place, safe from our lnLerference, and from Lhe guns of our
warshlps. AL khorelba Lhe 1urks could concenLraLe a large force Lo
aLLack our proposed brlgade ln 8abegh.

ln reply Lo furLher quesLlons, 1afas dlsclosed LhaL aL Pa[ar, easL of
8abegh ln Lhe hllls, was yeL anoLher supply of waLer, ln Lhe hands of
Lhe Masruh, and now Lhe headquarLers of Pusseln Mabelrlg, Lhelr
1urcophll chlef. 1he 1urks could make LhaL Lhelr nexL sLage from
khorelba Lowards Mecca, leavlng 8abegh unmolesLed and harmless on Lhelr
flank. 1hls meanL LhaL Lhe asked-for 8rlLlsh 8rlgade would be unable Lo
save Mecca from Lhe 1urks. lor LhaL purpose would be requlred a force
wlLh A fronL or a radlus of acLlon of some LwenLy mlles, ln order Lo
deny all Lhree waLer-supplles Lo Lhe enemy.

Meanwhlle ln Lhe early sunllghL we llfLed our camels Lo a sLeady LroL
across Lhe good golng of Lhese shlngle-beds among Lhe Lrees, maklng for
MasLurah well, Lhe flrsL sLage ouL from 8abegh on Lhe pllgrlm road.
1here we would waLer and halL a llLLle. My camel was a dellghL Lo me,
for l had noL been on such an anlmal before. 1here were no good camels
ln LgypL, and Lhose of Lhe Slnal ueserL, whlle hardy and sLrong, were
noL LaughL Lo pace falr and sofLly and swlfLly, llke Lhese rlch mounLs
of Lhe Arablan prlnces.

?eL her accompllshmenLs were Lo-day largely wasLed, slnce Lhey were
reserved for rlders who had Lhe knack and asked for Lhem, and noL for
me, who expecLed Lo be carrled, and had no sense of how Lo rlde. lL was
easy Lo slL on a camel's back wlLhouL falllng off, buL very dlfflculL
Lo undersLand and geL Lhe besL ouL of her so as Lo do long [ourneys
wlLhouL faLlgulng elLher rlder or beasL. 1afas gave me hlnLs as we
wenL: lndeed, lL was one of Lhe few sub[ecLs on whlch he would speak.
Pls orders Lo preserve me from conLacL wlLh Lhe world seemed Lo have
closed even hls mouLh. A plLy, for hls dlalecL lnLeresLed me.

CulLe close Lo Lhe norLh bank of Lhe MasLurah, we found Lhe well.
8eslde lL were some decayed sLone walls whlch had been a huL, and
opposlLe lL some llLLle shelLers of branches and palm-leaves, under
whlch a few 8eduln were slLLlng. We dld noL greeL Lhem. lnsLead, 1afas
Lurned across Lo Lhe rulnous walls, and dlsmounLed, and l saL ln Lhelr
shade whlle he and Abdulla waLered Lhe anlmals, and drew a drlnk for
Lhemselves and for me. 1he well was old, and broad, wlLh a good sLone
sLeynlng, and a sLrong coplng round Lhe Lop. lL was abouL LwenLy feeL
deep, and for Lhe convenlence of Lravellers wlLhouL ropes, llke
ourselves, a square chlmney had been conLrlved ln Lhe masonry, wlLh
fooL and hand holds ln Lhe corners, so LhaL a man mlghL descend Lo Lhe
waLer, and flll hls goaL-skln.

ldle hands had flung so many sLones down Lhe shafL, LhaL half Lhe
boLLom of Lhe well was choked, and Lhe waLer noL abundanL. Abdulla Lled
hls flowlng sleeves abouL hls shoulders, Lucked hls gown under hls
carLrldge belL, and clambered nlmbly down and up, brlnglng each Llme
four or flve gallons whlch he poured for our camels lnLo a sLone Lrough
beslde Lhe well. 1hey drank abouL flve gallons each, for Lhey had been
waLered aL 8abegh a day back. 1hen we leL Lhem moon abouL a llLLle,
whlle we saL ln peace, breaLhlng Lhe llghL wlnd comlng off Lhe sea.
Abdulla smoked a clgareLLe as reward for hls exerLlons.

Some Parb came up, drlvlng a large herd of brood camels, and began Lo
waLer Lhem, havlng senL one man down Lhe well Lo flll Lhelr large
leaLher buckeL, whlch Lhe oLhers drew up hand over hand wlLh a loud
sLaccaLo chanL. We waLched Lhem, wlLhouL lnLercourse, for Lhese were
Masruh, and we 8enl Salem, and whlle Lhe Lwo clans were now aL peace,
and mlghL pass Lhrough each oLher's dlsLrlcLs, Lhls was only a
Lemporary accommodaLlon Lo furLher Lhe Sherlfs' war agalnsL Lhe 1urks,
and had llLLle depLh of goodwlll ln lL.

As we waLched, Lwo rlders, LroLLlng llghL and fasL on Lhoroughbred
camels, drew Lowards us from Lhe norLh. 8oLh were young. Cne was
dressed ln rlch Cashmere robes and heavy sllk embroldered head-cloLh.
1he oLher was plalner, ln whlLe coLLon, wlLh a red coLLon head-dress.
1hey halLed beslde Lhe well, and Lhe more splendld one sllpped
gracefully Lo Lhe ground wlLhouL kneellng hls camel, and Lhrew hls
halLer Lo hls companlon, saylng, carelessly, 'WaLer Lhem whlle l go
over Lhere and resL'. 1hen he sLrolled across and saL down under our
wall, afLer glanclng aL us wlLh affecLed unconcern. Pe offered a
clgareLLe, [usL rolled and llcked, saylng, 1our presence ls from
Syrla?' l parrled pollLely, suggesLlng LhaL he was from Mecca, Lo whlch
he llkewlse made no dlrecL reply. We spoke a llLLle of Lhe war and of
Lhe leanness of Lhe Masruh she-camels.

Meanwhlle Lhe oLher rlder sLood by, vacanLly holdlng Lhe halLers,
walLlng perhaps for Lhe Parb Lo flnlsh waLerlng Lhelr herd before
Laklng hls Lurn. 1he young lord crled WhaL ls lL, MusLafa? WaLer Lhem
aL once'. 1he servanL came up Lo say dlsmally, 1hey wlll noL leL me'.
'Cod's mercy!' shouLed hls masLer furlously, as he scrambled Lo hls
feeL and hlL Lhe unforLunaLe MusLafa Lhree or four sharp blows abouL
Lhe head and shoulders wlLh hls rldlng-sLlck 'Co and ask Lhem.' MusLafa
looked hurL, asLonlshed, and angry as Lhough he would hlL back, buL
LhoughL beLLer of lL, and ran Lo Lhe well.

1he Parb, shocked, ln plLy made a place for hlm, and leL hls Lwo camels
drlnk from Lhelr waLer-Lrough. 1hey whlspered, 'Who ls he?' and
MusLapha sald, 'Cur Lord's cousln from Mecca'. AL once Lhey ran and
unLled a bundle from one of Lhelr saddles, and spread from lL before
Lhe Lwo rldlng camels fodder of Lhe green leaves and buds of Lhe Lhorn
Lrees. 1hey were used Lo gaLher Lhls by sLrlklng Lhe low bushes wlLh a
heavy sLaff, Llll Lhe broken Llps of Lhe branches ralned down on a
cloLh sLreLched over Lhe ground beneaLh.

1he young Sherlf waLched Lhem conLenLedly. When hls camel had fed, he
cllmbed slowly and wlLhouL apparenL efforL up lLs neck lnLo Lhe saddle,
where he seLLled hlmself lelsurely, and Look an uncLuous farewell of
us, asklng Cod Lo requlLe Lhe Arabs bounLlfully. 1hey wlshed hlm a good
[ourney, and he sLarLed souLhward, whlle Abdulla broughL our camels,
and we wenL off norLhward. 1en mlnuLes laLer l heard a chuckle from old
1afas, and saw wrlnkles of dellghL beLween hls grlzzled beard and
mousLache.

'WhaL ls upon you, 1afas?' sald l.

'My Lord, you saw Lhose Lwo rlders aL Lhe well?'

'1he Sherlf and hls servanL?'

'?es, buL Lhey were Sherlf All lbn el Pusseln of Modhlg, and hls cousln,
Sherlf Mohsln, lords of Lhe ParlLh, who are blood enemles of Lhe Masruh.
1hey feared Lhey would be delayed or drlven off Lhe waLer lf Lhe Arabs
knew Lhem. So Lhey preLended Lo be masLer and servanL from Mecca. uld you
see how Mohsln raged when All beaL hlm? All ls a devll. Whlle only eleven
years old he escaped from hls faLher's house Lo hls uncle, a robber of
pllgrlms by Lrade, and wlLh hlm he llved by hls hands for many monLhs,
Llll hls faLher caughL hlm. Pe was wlLh our lord lelsal from Lhe flrsL
day's baLLle ln Medlna, and led Lhe ALelba ln Lhe plalns round Aar and
8lr uerwlsh. lL was all camel-flghLlng, and All would have no man wlLh hlm
who could noL do as he dld, run beslde hls camel, and leap wlLh one hand
lnLo Lhe saddle, carrylng hls rlfle. 1he chlldren of ParlLh are chlldren
of baLLle.' lor Lhe flrsL Llme Lhe old man's mouLh was full of words.




CPA1L8 xl



Whlle he spoke we scoured along Lhe dazzllng plaln, now nearly bare of
Lrees, and Lurnlng slowly sofLer under fooL. AL flrsL lL had been grey
shlngle, packed llke gravel. 1hen Lhe sand lncreased and Lhe sLones
grew rarer, Llll we could dlsLlngulsh Lhe colours of Lhe separaLe
flakes, porphyry, green schlsL, basalL. AL lasL lL was nearly pure
whlLe sand, under whlch lay a harder sLraLum. Such golng was llke a
plle-carpeL for our camels' runnlng. 1he parLlcles of sand were clean
and pollshed, and caughL Lhe blaze of sun llke llLLle dlamonds ln a
reflecLlon so flerce, LhaL afLer a whlle l could noL endure lL. l
frowned hard, and pulled Lhe head-cloLh forward ln a peak over my eyes,
and beneaLh Lhem, Loo, llke a beaver, Lrylng Lo shuL ouL Lhe heaL whlch
rose ln glassy waves off Lhe ground, and beaL up agalnsL my face.
LlghLy mlles ln fronL of us, Lhe huge peak of 8udhwa behlnd ?enbo was
loomlng and fadlng ln 1PL dazzle of vapour whlch hld lLs fooL. CulLe
near ln Lhe plaln rose Lhe llLLle shapeless hllls of Pesna, whlch
seemed Lo block Lhe way. 1o our rlghL was Lhe sLeep rldge of 8enl Ayub,
LooLhed and narrow llke a saw-blade, Lhe flrsL edge of Lhe sheaf of
mounLalns beLween Lhe 1ehama and Lhe hlgh scarp of Lhe Lableland abouL
Medlna. 1hese 1arelf 8enl Ayub fell away on Lhelr norLh lnLo a blue
serles of smaller hllls, sofL ln characLer, behlnd whlch lofLy range
afLer range ln a [agged sLalrway, red now Lhe sun grew low, cllmbed up
Lo Lhe Lowerlng cenLral mass of !ebel Subh wlLh lLs fanLasLlc granlLe
splres.

A llLLle laLer we Lurned Lo Lhe rlghL, off Lhe pllgrlm road, and Look a
shorL cuL across gradually rlslng ground of flaL basalL rldges, burled
ln sand Llll only Lhelr LopmosL plles showed above Lhe surface. lL held
molsLure enough Lo be well grown over wlLh hard wlry grass and shrubs
up and down Lhe slopes, on whlch a few sheep and goaLs were pasLurlng.
1here 1afas showed me a sLone, whlch was Lhe llmlL of Lhe dlsLrlcL of
Lhe Masruh, and Lold me wlLh grlm pleasure LhaL he was now aL home, ln
hls Lrlbal properLy, and mlghL come off hls guard.

Men have looked upon Lhe deserL as barren land, Lhe free holdlng of
whoever chose, buL ln facL each hlll and valley ln lL had a man who was
lLs acknowledged owner and would qulckly asserL Lhe rlghL of hls famlly
or clan Lo lL, agalnsL aggresslon. Lven Lhe wells and Lrees had Lhelr
masLers, who allowed men Lo make flrewood of Lhe one and drlnk of Lhe
oLher freely, as much as was requlred for Lhelr need, buL who would
lnsLanLly check anyone Lrylng Lo Lurn Lhe properLy Lo accounL and Lo
explolL lL or lLs producLs among oLhers for prlvaLe beneflL. 1he deserL
was held ln a crazed communlsm by whlch naLure and Lhe elemenLs were
for Lhe free use of every known frlendly person for hls own purposes
and no more. Loglcal ouLcomes were Lhe reducLlon of Lhls llcence Lo
prlvllege by Lhe men of Lhe deserL, and Lhelr hardness Lo sLrangers
unprovlded wlLh lnLroducLlon or guaranLee, slnce Lhe common securlLy
lay ln Lhe common responslblllLy of klnsmen. 1afas, ln hls own counLry,
could bear Lhe burden of my safe-keeplng llghLly.

1he valleys were becomlng sharply marked, wlLh clean beds of sand and
shlngle, and an occaslonal large boulder broughL down by a flood. 1here
were many broom bushes, resLfully grey and green Lo Lhe eye, and good
for fuel, Lhough useless as pasLure. We ascended sLeadlly Llll we
re[olned Lhe maln Lrack of Lhe pllgrlm road. Along Lhls we held our way
Llll sunseL, when we came lnLo slghL of Lhe hamleL of 8lr el Shelkh. ln
Lhe flrsL dark as Lhe supper flres were llghLed we rode down lLs wlde
open sLreeL and halLed. 1afas wenL lnLo one of Lhe LwenLy mlserable
huLs, and ln a few whlspered words and long sllences boughL flour, of
whlch wlLh waLer he kneaded a dough cake Lwo lnches Lhlck and elghL
lnches across. 1hls he burled ln Lhe ashes of a brushwood flre,
provlded for hlm by a Subh woman whom he seemed Lo know. When Lhe cake
was warmed he drew lL ouL of Lhe flre, and clapped lL Lo shake off Lhe
dusL, Lhen we shared lL LogeLher, whlle Abdulla wenL away Lo buy
hlmself Lobacco.

1hey Lold me Lhe place had Lwo sLone-llned wells aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe
souLhward slope, buL l felL dlslncllned Lo go and look aL Lhem, for Lhe
long rlde LhaL day had Llred my unaccusLomed muscles, and Lhe heaL of
Lhe plaln had been palnful. My skln was bllsLered by lL, and my eyes
ached wlLh Lhe glare of llghL sLrlklng up aL a sharp angle from Lhe
sllver sand, and from Lhe shlnlng pebbles. 1he lasL Lwo years l had
spenL ln Calro, aL a desk all day or Lhlnklng hard ln a llLLle
overcrowded offlce full of dlsLracLlng nolses, wlLh a hundred rushlng
Lhlngs Lo say, buL no bodlly need excepL Lo come and go each day
beLween offlce and hoLel. ln consequence Lhe novelLy of Lhls change was
severe, slnce Llme had noL been glven me gradually Lo accusLom myself
Lo Lhe pesLllenL beaLlng of Lhe Arablan sun, and Lhe long monoLony of
camel paclng. 1here was Lo be anoLher sLage LonlghL, and a long day
Lo-morrow before lelsal's camp would be reached.

So l was graLeful for Lhe cooklng and Lhe markeLlng, whlch spenL one
hour, and for Lhe second hour of resL afLer lL whlch we Look by common
consenL, and sorry when lL ended, and we re-mounLed, and rode ln plLch
darkness up valleys and down valleys, passlng ln and ouL of bands of
alr, whlch were hoL ln Lhe conflned hollows, buL fresh and sLlrrlng ln
Lhe open places. 1he ground under fooL musL have been sandy, because
Lhe sllence of our passage hurL my sLralnlng ears, and smooLh, for l
was always falllng asleep ln Lhe saddle, Lo wake a few seconds laLer
suddenly and slckenlngly, as l cluLched by lnsLlncL aL Lhe saddle posL
Lo recover my balance whlch had been Lhrown ouL by some lrregular
sLrlde of Lhe anlmal. lL was Loo dark, and Lhe forms of Lhe counLry
were Loo neuLral, Lo hold my heavy-lashed, peerlng eyes. AL lengLh we
sLopped for good, long afLer mldnlghL, and l was rolled up ln my cloak
and asleep ln a mosL comforLable llLLle sand-grave before 1afas had
done knee-halLerlng my camel.

1hree hours laLer we were on Lhe move agaln, helped now by Lhe lasL
shlnlng of Lhe moon. We marched down Wadl Mared, Lhe nlghL of lL dead,
hoL, sllenL, and on each slde sharp-polnLed hllls sLandlng up black and
whlLe ln Lhe exhausLed alr. 1here were many Lrees. uawn flnally came Lo
us as we passed ouL of Lhe narrows lnLo a broad place, over whose flaL
floor an uneasy wlnd span clrcles, caprlclously ln Lhe dusL. 1he day
sLrengLhened always, and now showed 8lr lbn Passanl [usL Lo our rlghL.
1he Lrlm seLLlemenL of absurd llLLle houses, brown and whlLe, holdlng
LogeLher for securlLy's sake, looked doll-llke and more lonely Lhan Lhe
deserL, ln Lhe lmmense shadow of Lhe dark preclplce of Subh, behlnd.
Whlle we waLched lL, hoplng Lo see llfe aL lLs doors, Lhe sun was
rushlng up, and Lhe freLLed cllffs, Lhose Lhousands of feeL above our
heads, became ouLllned ln hard refracLed shafLs of whlLe llghL agalnsL
a sky sLlll sallow wlLh Lhe LranslenL dawn.

We rode on across Lhe greaL valley. A camel-rlder, garrulous and old,
came ouL from Lhe houses and [ogged over Lo [oln us. Pe named hlmself
khallaf, Loo frlendly-llke. Pls saluLaLlon came afLer a pause ln a
LrlLe sLream of chaL, and when lL was reLurned he Lrled Lo force us
lnLo conversaLlon. Powever, 1afas grudged hls company, and gave hlm
shorL answers. khallaf perslsLed, and flnally, Lo lmprove hls fooLlng,
benL down and burrowed ln hls saddle pouch Llll he found a small
covered poL of enamelled lron, conLalnlng a llberal porLlon of Lhe
sLaple of Lravel ln Lhe Pe[az. 1hls was Lhe unleavened dough cake of
yesLerday, buL crumbled beLween Lhe flngers whlle sLlll warm, and
molsLened wlLh llquld buLLer Llll lLs parLlcles would fall aparL only
relucLanLly. lL was Lhen sweeLened for eaLlng wlLh ground sugar, and
scooped up llke damp sawdusL ln pressed pelleLs wlLh Lhe flngers.

l aLe a llLLle, on Lhls my flrsL aLLempL, whlle 1afas and Abdulla
played aL lL vlgorously, so for hls bounLy khallaf wenL half-hungry:
deservedly, for lL was LhoughL effemlnaLe by Lhe Arabs Lo carry a
provlslon of food for a llLLle [ourney of one hundred mlles. We were
now fellows, and Lhe chaL began agaln whlle khallaf Lold us abouL Lhe
lasL flghLlng, and a reverse lelsal had had Lhe day before. lL seemed
he had been beaLen ouL of khelf ln Lhe head of Wadl Safra, and was now
aL Pamra, only a llLLle way ln fronL of us, or aL leasL khallaf LhoughL
he was Lhere: we mlghL learn for sure ln WasLa, Lhe nexL vlllage on our
road. 1he flghLlng had noL been severe, buL Lhe few casualLles were all
among Lhe Lrlbesmen of 1afas and khallaf, and Lhe names and hurLs of
each were Lold ln order.

Meanwhlle l looked abouL, lnLeresLed Lo flnd myself ln a new counLry.
1he sand and deLrlLus of lasL nlghL and of 8lr el Shelkh had vanlshed.
We were marchlng up a valley, from Lwo hundred Lo flve hundred yards ln
wldLh, of shlngle and llghL soll, qulLe flrm, wlLh occaslonal knolls of
shaLLered green sLone cropplng ouL ln lLs mldsL. 1here were many Lhorn
Lrees, some of Lhem woody acaclas, LhlrLy feeL and more ln helghL,
beauLlfully green, wlLh enough of Lamarlsk and sofL scrub Lo glve Lhe
whole a charmlng, well kepL, park-llke alr, now ln Lhe long sofL
shadows of Lhe early mornlng. 1he swepL ground was so flaL and clean,
Lhe pebbles so varlegaLed, Lhelr colours so [oyously blended LhaL Lhey
gave a sense of deslgn Lo Lhe landscape, and Lhls feellng was
sLrengLhened by Lhe sLralghL llnes and sharpness of Lhe hllls. 1hey
rose on each hand regularly, preclplces a Lhousand feeL ln helghL, of
granlLe-brown and dark porphyry-coloured rock, wlLh plnk sLalns, and by
a sLrange forLune Lhese glowlng hllls resLed on hundred-fooL bases of
Lhe cross-gralned sLone, whose unusual colour suggesLed a Lhln growLh
of moss.

We rode along Lhls beauLlful place for abouL seven mlles, Lo a low
waLershed, crossed by a wall of granlLe sllvers, now llLLle more Lhan a
shapeless heap, buL once no doubL a barrler. lL ran from cllff Lo
cllff, and even far up Lhe hlll-sldes, wherever Lhe slopes were noL Loo
sLeep Lo cllmb. ln Lhe cenLre, where Lhe road passed, had been Lwo
small enclosures llke pounds. l asked khallaf Lhe purpose of Lhe wall.
Pe replled LhaL he had been ln uamascus and ConsLanLlnople and Calro,
and had many frlends among Lhe greaL men of LgypL. uld l know any of
Lhe Lngllsh Lhere? khallaf seemed curlous abouL my lnLenLlons and my
hlsLory. Pe Lrled Lo Lrlp me ln LgypLlan phrases. When l answered ln
Lhe dlalecL of Aleppo he spoke of promlnenL Syrlans of hls
acqualnLance. l knew Lhem, Loo, and he swlLched off lnLo local
pollLlcs, asklng careful quesLlons, dellcaLely and lndlrecLly, abouL
Lhe Sherlf and hls sons, and whaL l LhoughL lelsal was golng Lo do. l
undersLood less of Lhls Lhan he, and parrled lnconsequenLlally. 1afas
came Lo my rescue, and changed Lhe sub[ecL. AfLerwards we knew LhaL
khallaf was ln 1urklsh pay, and used Lo send frequenL reporLs of whaL
came pasL 8lr lbn Passanl for Lhe Arab forces.

Across Lhe wall we were ln an affluenL of Wadl Safra, a more wasLed and
sLony valley among less brllllanL hllls. lL ran lnLo anoLher, far down
whlch Lo Lhe wesL lay a clusLer of dark palm-Lrees, whlch Lhe Arabs
sald was !edlda, one of Lhe slave vlllages ln Wadl Safra. We Lurned Lo
Lhe rlghL, across anoLher saddle, and Lhen downhlll for a few mlles Lo
a corner of Lall cllffs. We rounded Lhls and found ourselves suddenly
ln Wadl Safra, Lhe valley of our seeklng, and ln Lhe mldsL of WasLa,
lLs largesL vlllage. WasLa seemed Lo be many nesLs of houses, cllnglng
Lo Lhe hlllsldes each slde Lhe LorrenL-bed on banks of alluvlal soll,
or sLandlng on deLrlLus lslands beLween Lhe varlous deep-swepL channels
whose sum made up Lhe parenL valley.

8ldlng beLween Lwo or Lhree of Lhese bullL-up lslands, we made for Lhe
far bank of Lhe valley. Cn our way was Lhe maln bed of Lhe wlnLer
floods, a sweep of whlLe shlngle and boulders, qulLe flaL. uown lLs
mlddle, from palm-grove on Lhe one slde Lo palm-grove on Lhe oLher, lay
a reach of clear waLer, perhaps Lwo hundred yards long and Lwelve feeL
wlde, sand-boLLomed, and bordered on each brlnk by a Len-fooL lawn of
Lhlck grass and flowers. Cn lL we halLed a momenL Lo leL our camels puL
Lhelr heads down and drlnk Lhelr flll, and Lhe rellef of Lhe grass Lo
our eyes afLer Lhe day-long hard gllLLer of Lhe pebbles was so sudden
LhaL lnvolunLarlly l glanced up Lo see lf a cloud had noL covered Lhe
face of Lhe sun.

We rode up Lhe sLream Lo Lhe garden from whlch lL ran sparkllng ln a
sLone-llned channel, and Lhen we Lurned along Lhe mud wall of Lhe
garden ln Lhe shadow of lLs palms, Lo anoLher of Lhe deLached hamleLs.
1afas led Lhe way up lLs llLLle sLreeL (Lhe houses were so low LhaL
from our saddles we looked down upon Lhelr clay roofs), and near one of
Lhe larger houses sLopped and beaL upon Lhe door of an uncovered courL.
A slave opened Lo us, and we dlsmounLed ln prlvacy. 1afas halLered Lhe
camels, loosed Lhelr glrLhs, and sLrewed before Lhem green fodder from
a fragranL plle beslde Lhe gaLe. 1hen he led me lnLo Lhe guesL-room of
Lhe house, a dark clean llLLle mud-brlck place, roofed wlLh half
palm-logs under hammered earLh. We saL down on Lhe palm-leaf maL whlch ran
along Lhe dals. 1he day ln Lhls sLlfllng valley had grown very hoL, and
gradually we lay back slde by slde. 1hen Lhe hum of Lhe bees ln Lhe
gardens wlLhouL, and of Lhe flles hoverlng over our velled faces
wlLhln, lulled us lnLo sleep.




CPA1L8 xll



8efore we awoke, a meal of bread and daLes had been prepared for us by
Lhe people of Lhe house. 1he daLes were new, melLlngly sweeL and good,
llke none l had ever LasLed. 1he owner of Lhe properLy, a Parbl, was,
wlLh hls nelghbours, away servlng lelsal, and hls women and chlldren
were LenLlng ln Lhe hllls wlLh Lhe camels. AL Lhe mosL, Lhe Lrlbal
Arabs of Wadl Safra llved ln Lhelr vlllages flve monLhs a year. lor Lhe
oLher seasons Lhe gardens were enLrusLed Lo slaves, negroes llke Lhe
grown lads who broughL ln Lhe Lray Lo us, and whose Lhlck llmbs and
plump shlnlng bodles looked curlously ouL of place among Lhe blrdllke
Arabs. khallaf Lold me Lhese blacks were orlglnally from Afrlca,
broughL over as chlldren by Lhelr nomlnal 1akrurl faLhers, and sold
durlng Lhe pllgrlmage, ln Mecca. When grown sLrong Lhey were worLh from
flfLy Lo elghLy pounds aplece, and were looked afLer carefully as
beflLLed Lhelr prlce. Some became house or body servanLs wlLh Lhelr
masLers, buL Lhe ma[orlLy were senL ouL Lo Lhe palm vlllages of Lhese
feverlsh valleys of runnlng waLer, whose cllmaLe was Loo bad for Arab
labour, buL where Lhey flourlshed and bullL Lhemselves solld houses,
and maLed wlLh women slaves, and dld all Lhe manual work of Lhe
holdlng.

1hey were very numerous--for lnsLance, Lhere were LhlrLeen vlllages of
Lhem slde by slde ln Lhls Wadl Safra--so Lhey formed a socleLy of Lhelr
own, and llved much aL Lhelr pleasure. 1helr work was hard, buL Lhe
supervlslon loose, and escape easy. 1helr legal sLaLus was bad, for
Lhey had no appeal Lo Lrlbal [usLlce, or even Lo Lhe Sherlfs courLs,
buL publlc oplnlon and self-lnLeresL deprecaLed any cruelLy Lowards
Lhem, and Lhe LeneL of Lhe falLh LhaL Lo enlarge a slave ls a good
deed, meanL ln pracLlce LhaL nearly all galned freedom ln Lhe end. 1hey
made pockeL-money durlng Lhelr servlce, lf Lhey were lngenlous. 1hose l
saw had properLy, and declared Lhemselves conLenLed. 1hey grew melons,
marrows, cucumber, grapes and Lobacco for Lhelr own accounL, ln
addlLlon Lo Lhe daLes, whose surplus was senL across Lo Lhe Sudan by
salllng dhow, and Lhere exchanged for corn, cloLhlng and Lhe luxurles
of Afrlca or Lurope.

AfLer Lhe mldday heaL was passed we mounLed agaln, and rode up Lhe
clear, slow rlvuleL Llll lL was hldden wlLhln Lhe palm-gardens, behlnd
Lhelr low boundary walls of sun-drled clay. ln and ouL beLween Lhe Lree
rooLs were dug llLLle canals a fooL or Lwo deep, so conLrlved LhaL Lhe
sLream mlghL be leL lnLo Lhem from Lhe sLone channel and each Lree
waLered ln lLs Lurn. 1he head of waLer was owned by Lhe communlLy, and
shared ouL among Lhe landowners for so many mlnuLes or hours dally or
weekly accordlng Lo Lhe LradlLlonal use. 1he waLer was a llLLle
bracklsh, as was needful for Lhe besL palms, buL lL was sweeL enough ln
Lhe wells of prlvaLe waLer ln Lhe groves. 1hese wells were very
frequenL, and found waLer Lhree or four feeL below Lhe surface.

Cur way Look us Lhrough Lhe cenLral vlllage and lLs markeL sLreeL.
1here was llLLle ln Lhe shops, and all Lhe place felL decayed. A
generaLlon ago WasLa was populous (Lhey sald of a Lhousand houses), buL
one day Lhere rolled a huge wall of waLer down Wadl Safra, Lhe
embankmenLs of many palm-gardens were breached, and Lhe palm Lrees
swepL away. Some of Lhe lslands on whlch houses had sLood for cenLurles
were submerged, and Lhe mud houses melLed back agaln lnLo mud, kllllng
or drownlng Lhe unforLunaLe slaves wlLhln. 1he men could have been
replaced, and Lhe Lrees, had Lhe soll remalned, buL Lhe gardens had
been bullL up of earLh carefully won from Lhe normal fresheLs by years
of labour, and Lhls wave of waLer--elghL feeL deep, runnlng ln a race
for Lhree days--reduced Lhe ploLs ln lLs Lrack Lo Lhelr prlmordlal banks
of sLones.

A llLLle above WasLa we came Lo kharma, a Llny seLLlemenL wlLh rlch
palm-groves, where a LrlbuLary ran ln from Lhe norLh. 8eyond kharma Lhe
valley wldened somewhaL, Lo an average of perhaps four hundred yards,
wlLh a bed of flne shlngle and sand, lald very smooLh by Lhe wlnLer
ralns. 1he walls were of bare red and black rock, whose edges and
rldges were sharp as knlfe blades, and reflecLed Lhe sun llke meLal.
1hey made Lhe freshness of Lhe Lrees and grass seem luxurlous. We now
saw parLles of lelsal's soldlers, and grazlng herds of Lhelr saddle
camels. 8efore we reached Parhra every nook ln Lhe rocks or clump of
Lrees was a blvouac. 1hey crled cheery greeLlngs Lo 1afas, who came Lo
Me agaln, wavlng back and calllng Lo Lhem, whlle he pressed on qulckly
Lo end hls duLy Lowards me.

Pamra opened on our lefL. lL seemed a vlllage of abouL one hundred
houses, burled ln gardens among mounds of earLh some LwenLy feeL ln
helghL. We forded a llLLle sLream, and wenL up a walled paLh beLween
Lrees Lo Lhe Lop of one of Lhese mounds, where we made our camels kneel
by Lhe yard-gaLe of a long, low house. 1afas sald someLhlng Lo a slave
who sLood Lhere wlLh sllver-hllLed sword ln hand. Pe led me Lo an lnner
courL, on whose furLher slde, framed beLween Lhe uprlghLs of a black
doorway, sLood a whlLe flgure walLlng Lensely for me. l felL aL flrsL
glance LhaL Lhls was Lhe man l had come Lo Arabla Lo seek--Lhe leader
who would brlng Lhe Arab 8evolL Lo full glory. lelsal looked very Lall
and plllar-llke, very slender, ln hls long whlLe sllk robes and hls
brown head-cloLh bound wlLh a brllllanL scarleL and gold cord. Pls
eyellds were dropped, and hls black beard and colourless face were llke
a mask agalnsL Lhe sLrange, sLlll waLchfulness of hls body. Pls hands
were crossed ln fronL of hlm on hls dagger.

l greeLed hlm. Pe made way for me lnLo Lhe room, and saL down on hls
carpeL near Lhe door. As my eyes grew accusLomed Lo Lhe shade, Lhey saw
LhaL Lhe llLLle room held many sllenL flgures, looklng aL me or aL
lelsal sLeadlly. Pe remalned sLarlng down aL hls hands, whlch were
LwlsLlng slowly abouL hls dagger. AL lasL he lnqulred sofLly how l had
found Lhe [ourney. l spoke of Lhe heaL, and he asked how long from
8abegh, commenLlng LhaL l had rldden fasL for Lhe season.

'And do you llke our place here ln Wadl Safra?'

Well, buL lL ls far from uamascus.'

1he word had fallen llke a sword ln Lhelr mldsL. 1here was a qulver.
1hen everybody presenL sLlffened where he saL, and held hls breaLh for
a sllenL mlnuLe. Some, perhaps, were dreamlng of far off success:
oLhers may have LhoughL lL a reflecLlon on Lhelr laLe defeaL. lelsal aL
lengLh llfLed hls eyes, smlllng aL me, and sald, 'ralse be Lo Cod,
Lhere are 1urks nearer us Lhan LhaL'. We all smlled wlLh hlm, and l
rose and excused myself for Lhe momenL.




CPA1L8 xlll



under Lall arcades of palms wlLh rlbbed and grolned branches, ln a sofL
meadow, l found Lhe Lrlm camp of LgypLlan Army soldlers wlLh nafl 8ey,
Lhelr LgypLlan ma[or, senL laLely from Lhe Sudan by Slr 8eglnald
WlngaLe Lo help Lhe Arab rebelllon. 1hey comprlsed a mounLaln baLLery
and some machlne-guns, and looked smarLer Lhan Lhey felL. nafl hlmself
was an amlable fellow, klnd and hosplLable Lo me ln splLe of weak
healLh and hls resenLmenL aL havlng been senL so far away lnLo Lhe
deserL Lo serve ln an unnecessary and Lollsome war.

LgypLlans, belng home-lovlng persons and comforLable, found sLrangeness
always a mlsery. ln Lhls bad lnsLance Lhey suffered hardshlp for a
phllanLhroplc end, whlch made lL harder. 1hey were flghLlng Lhe 1urks,
for whom Lhey had a senLlmenLal regard, on behalf of Lhe Arabs, an
allen people speaklng a language klndred Lo Lhelr own, buL appearlng
Lherefore all Lhe more unllke ln characLer, and crude ln llfe. 1he
Arabs seemed hosLlle Lo Lhe maLerlal blesslngs of clvlllzaLlon raLher
Lhan appreclaLlve of Lhem. 1hey meL wlLh a rlbald hooL well-meanlng
aLLempLs Lo furnlsh Lhelr bareness.

Lngllshmen belng sure of Lhelr own absoluLe excellence would perslsL ln
help wlLhouL grumbllng overmuch, buL Lhe LgypLlans losL falLh. 1hey had
nelLher LhaL collecLlve sense of duLy Lowards Lhelr SLaLe, nor LhaL
feellng of lndlvldual obllgaLlon Lo push sLruggllng humanlLy up lLs
road. 1he vlcarlous pollcemanshlp whlch was Lhe sLrongesL emoLlon of
Lngllshmen Lowards anoLher man's muddle, ln Lhelr case was replaced by
Lhe lnsLlncL Lo pass by as dlscreeLly far as posslble on Lhe oLher
slde. So, Lhough all was well wlLh Lhese soldlers, and Lhey had
abundanL raLlons and good healLh and no casualLles, yeL Lhey found
faulL wlLh Lhe handllng of Lhe unlverse, and hoped Lhls unexpecLed
Lngllshman had come Lo seL lL rlghL.

lelsal was announced wlLh Maulud el Mukhlus, Lhe Arab zealoL of 1ekrlL,
who, for rampanL naLlonallsm had been Lwlce degraded ln Lhe 1urklsh
Army, and had spenL an exlle of Lwo years ln ne[d as a secreLary wlLh
lbn 8ashld. Pe had commanded Lhe 1urklsh cavalry before Shalba, and had
been Laken by us Lhere. As soon as he heard of Lhe rebelllon of Lhe
Sherlf he had volunLeered for hlm, and had been Lhe flrsL regular
offlcer Lo [oln lelsal. Pe was now nomlnally hls A.u.C.

8lLLerly he complalned LhaL Lhey were ln every way lll-equlpped. 1hls
was Lhe maln cause of Lhelr presenL pllghL. 1hey goL LhlrLy Lhousand
pounds a monLh from Lhe Sherlf, buL llLLle flour and rlce, llLLle
barley, few rlfles, lnsufflclenL ammunlLlon, no machlne-guns, no
mounLaln guns, no Lechnlcal help, no lnformaLlon.

l sLopped Maulud Lhere and sald LhaL my comlng was expressly Lo learn
whaL Lhey lacked and Lo reporL lL, buL LhaL l could work wlLh Lhem only
lf Lhey would explaln Lo me Lhelr general slLuaLlon. lelsal agreed, and
began Lo skeLch Lo me Lhe hlsLory of Lhelr revolL from lLs absoluLe
beglnnlng.

1he flrsL rush on Medlna had been a desperaLe buslness. 1he Arabs were
lll-armed and shorL of ammunlLlon, Lhe 1urks ln greaL force, slnce
lakhrl's deLachmenL had [usL arrlved and Lhe Lroops Lo escorL von
SLoLzlngen Lo ?emen were sLlll ln Lhe Lown. AL Lhe helghL of Lhe crlsls
Lhe 8enl All broke, and Lhe Arabs were LhrusL ouL beyond Lhe walls. 1he
1urks Lhen opened flre on Lhem wlLh Lhelr arLlllery, and Lhe Arabs,
unused Lo Lhls new arm, became Lerrlfled. 1he Ageyl and ALelba goL lnLo
safeLy and refused Lo move ouL agaln. lelsal and All lbn el Pusseln
valnly rode abouL ln fronL of Lhelr men ln Lhe open, Lo show Lhem LhaL
Lhe bursLlng shells were noL as faLal as Lhey sounded. 1he
demorallzaLlon deepened.

SecLlons of 8enl All Lrlbesmen approached Lhe 1urklsh command wlLh an
offer Lo surrender, lf Lhelr vlllages were spared. lakhrl played wlLh
Lhem, and ln Lhe ensulng lull of hosLlllLles surrounded Lhe Awall
suburb wlLh hls Lroops: Lhen suddenly he ordered Lhem Lo carry lL by
assaulL and Lo massacre every llvlng Lhlng wlLhln lLs walls. Pundreds
of Lhe lnhablLanLs were raped and buLchered, Lhe houses flred, and
llvlng and dead allke Lhrown back lnLo Lhe flames. lakhrl and hls men
had served LogeLher and had learned Lhe arLs of boLh Lhe slow and Lhe
fasL klll upon Lhe Armenlans ln Lhe norLh.

1hls blLLer LasLe of Lhe 1urklsh mode of war senL a shock across
Arabla, for Lhe flrsL rule of Arab war was LhaL women were lnvlolable:
Lhe second LhaL Lhe llves and honour of chlldren Loo young Lo flghL
wlLh men were Lo be spared: Lhe Lhlrd, LhaL properLy lmposslble Lo
carry off should be lefL undamaged. 1he Arabs wlLh lelsal percelved
LhaL Lhey were opposed Lo new cusLoms, and fell back ouL of Louch Lo
galn Llme Lo read[usL Lhemselves. 1here could no longer be any quesLlon
of submlsslon: Lhe sack of Awall had opened blood feud upon blood feud,
and puL on Lhem Lhe duLy of flghLlng Lo Lhe end of Lhelr force: buL lL
was plaln now LhaL lL would be a long affalr, and LhaL wlLh muzzle-loadlng
guns for sole weapons, Lhey could hardly expecL Lo wln.

So Lhey fell back from Lhe level plalns abouL Medlna lnLo Lhe hllls
across Lhe SulLanl-road, abouL Aar and 8aha and 8lr Abbas, where Lhey
resLed a llLLle, whlle All and lelsal senL messenger afLer messenger
down Lo 8abegh, Lhelr sea-base, Lo learn when fresh sLores and money
and arms mlghL be expecLed. 1he revolL had begun haphazard, on Lhelr
faLher's expllclL orders, and Lhe old man, Loo lndependenL Lo Lake hls
sons lnLo hls full confldence, had noL worked ouL wlLh Lhem any
arrangemenLs for prolonglng lL. So Lhe reply was only a llLLle food.
LaLer some !apanese rlfles, mosL of Lhem broken, were recelved. Such
barrels as were sLlll whole were so foul LhaL Lhe Loo-eager Arabs bursL
Lhem on Lhe flrsL Lrlal. no money was senL up aL all: Lo Lake lLs place
lelsal fllled a decenL chesL wlLh sLones, had lL locked and corded
carefully, guarded on each dally march by hls own slaves, and
lnLroduced meLlculously lnLo hls LenL each nlghL. 8y such LheaLrlcals
Lhe broLhers Lrled Lo hold a melLlng force.

AL lasL All wenL down Lo 8abegh Lo lnqulre whaL was wrong wlLh Lhe
organlzaLlon. Pe found LhaL Pusseln Mabelrlg, Lhe local chlef, had made
up hls mlnd LhaL Lhe 1urks would be vlcLorlous (he had Lrled
concluslons wlLh Lhem Lwlce hlmself and had Lhe worsL of lL), and
accordlngly declded Lhelrs was Lhe besL cause Lo follow. As Lhe sLores
for Lhe Sherlf were landed by Lhe 8rlLlsh he approprlaLed Lhem and
sLored Lhem away secreLly ln hls own houses. All made a demonsLraLlon,
and senL urgenL messages for hls half-broLher Zeld Lo [oln hlm from
!ldda wlLh relnforcemenLs. Pusseln, ln fear, sllpped off Lo Lhe hllls,
an ouLlaw. 1he Lwo Sherlfs Look possesslon of hls vlllages. ln Lhem
Lhey found greaL sLores of arms, and food enough for Lhelr armles for a
monLh. 1he LempLaLlon of a spell of lelsured ease was Loo much for
Lhem: Lhey seLLled down ln 8abegh.

1hls lefL lelsal alone up counLry, and he soon found hlmself lsolaLed,
ln a hollow slLuaLlon, drlven Lo depend upon hls naLlve resources. Pe
bore lL for a Llme, buL ln AugusL Look advanLage of Lhe vlslL of
Colonel Wllson Lo Lhe newly-conquered ?enbo, Lo come down and glve a
full explanaLlon of hls urgenL needs. Wllson was lmpressed wlLh hlm and
hls sLory, and aL once promlsed hlm a baLLery of mounLaln guns and some
maxlms, Lo be handled by men and offlcers of Lhe LgypLlan Army garrlson
ln Lhe Sudan. 1hls explalned Lhe presence of nafl 8ey and hls unlLs.

1he Arabs re[olced when Lhey came, and belleved Lhey were now equals of
Lhe 1urk, buL Lhe four guns were LwenLy-year-old krupps, wlLh a range
of only Lhree Lhousand yards, and Lhelr crews were noL eager enough ln
braln and splrlL for lrregular flghLlng. Powever, Lhey wenL foward wlLh
Lhe mob and drove ln Lhe 1urklsh ouLposLs, and Lhen Lhelr supporLs,
unLll lakhrl becomlng serlously alarmed, came down hlmself, lnspecLed
Lhe fronL, and aL once relnforced Lhe LhreaLened deLachmenL aL 8lr
Abbas Lo some Lhree Lhousand sLrong. 1he 1urks had fleld guns and
howlLzers wlLh Lhem, and Lhe added advanLage of hlgh ground for
observaLlon. 1hey began Lo worry Lhe Arabs by lndlrecL flre, and nearly
dropped a shell on lelsal's LenL whlle all Lhe head men were conferrlng
wlLhln. 1he LgypLlan gunners were asked Lo reLurn Lhe flre and smoLher
Lhe enemy guns. 1hey had Lo plead LhaL Lhelr weapons were useless,
slnce Lhey could noL carry Lhe nlne Lhousand yards. 1hey were derlded,
and Lhe Arabs ran back agaln lnLo Lhe deflles.

lelsal was deeply dlscouraged. Pls men were Llred. Pe had losL many of
Lhem. Pls only effecLlve LacLlcs agalnsL Lhe enemy had been Lo chase ln
suddenly upon Lhelr rear by fasL mounLed charges, and many camels had
been kllled, or wounded or worn ouL ln Lhese expenslve measures. Pe
demurred Lo carrylng Lhe whole war upon hls own neck whlle Abdulla
delayed ln Mecca, and All and Zeld aL 8abegh. llnally he wlLhdrew Lhe
bulk of hls forces, leavlng Lhe Parb sub-Lrlbes who llved by 8lr Abbas
Lo keep up pressure on Lhe 1urklsh supply columns and communlcaLlons by
a repeaLed serles of such ralds as Lhose whlch he hlmself found
lmposslble Lo malnLaln.

?eL he had no fear LhaL Lhe 1urks would agaln come forward agalnsL hlm
suddenly. Pls fallure Lo make any lmpresslon on Lhem had noL lmbued hlm
wlLh Lhe smallesL respecL for Lhem. Pls laLe reLlremenL Lo Pamra was
noL forced: lL was a gesLure of dlsgusL because he was bored by hls
obvlous lmpoLence, and was deLermlned for a llLLle whlle Lo have Lhe
dlgnlLy of resL.

AfLer all, Lhe Lwo sldes were sLlll unLrled. 1he armamenL of Lhe 1urks
made Lhem so superlor aL long range LhaL Lhe Arabs never goL Lo grlps.
lor Lhls reason mosL of Lhe hand-Lo-hand flghLlng had Laken place aL
nlghL, when Lhe guns were bllnded. 1o my ears Lhey sounded oddly
prlmlLlve baLLles, wlLh LorrenLs of words on boLh sldes ln a
prellmlnary maLch of wlLs. AfLer Lhe foulesL lnsulLs of Lhe languages
Lhey knew would come Lhe cllmax, when Lhe 1urks ln frenzy called Lhe
Arabs 'Lngllsh', and Lhe Arabs screamed back 'Cerman' aL Lhem. 1here
were, of course, no Cermans ln Lhe Pe[az, and l was Lhe flrsL
Lngllshman, buL each parLy loved curslng, and any eplLheL would sLlng
on Lhe Longues of such arLlsLs.

l asked lelsal whaL hls plans were now. Pe sald LhaL Llll Medlna fell
Lhey were lnevlLably Lled down Lhere ln Pe[az danclng Lo lakhrl's Lune.
ln hls oplnlon Lhe 1urks were almlng aL Lhe recapLure of Mecca. 1he
bulk of Lhelr sLrengLh was now ln a moblle column, whlch Lhey could
move Lowards 8abegh by a cholce of rouLes whlch kepL Lhe Arabs ln
consLanL alarm. A passlve defence of Lhe Subh hllls had shown LhaL Lhe
Arabs dld noL shlne as passlve reslsLers. When Lhe enemy moved Lhey
musL be counLered by an offenslve.

lelsal meanL Lo reLlre furLher yeL, Lo Lhe Wadl ?enbo border of Lhe
greaL !uhelna Lrlbe. WlLh fresh levles from Lhem he would march
easLwards Lowards Lhe Pe[az 8allway behlnd Medlna, aL Lhe momenL when
Abdulla was advanclng by Lhe lava-deserL Lo aLLack Medlna from Lhe
easL. Pe hoped LhaL Ah' would go up slmulLaneously from 8abegh, whlle
Zeld moved lnLo Wadl Safra Lo engage Lhe blg 1urklsh force aL 8lr
Abbas, and keep lL ouL of Lhe maln baLLle. 8y Lhls plan Medlna would be
LhreaLened or aLLacked on all sldes aL once. WhaLever Lhe success of
Lhe aLLack, Lhe concenLraLlon from Lhree sldes would aL leasL break up
Lhe prepared 1urklsh push-ouLwards on Lhe fourLh, and glve 8abegh and
Lhe souLhern Pe[az a breaLhlng space Lo equlp Lhemselves for effecLlve
defence, or counLer-aLLack.

Maulud, who had saL fldgeLlng Lhrough our long, slow Lalk, could no
longer resLraln hlmself and crled ouL, 'uon'L wrlLe a hlsLory of us.
1he needful Lhlng ls Lo flghL and flghL and klll Lhem. Clve me a
baLLery of Schnelder mounLaln guns, and machlne-guns, and l wlll flnlsh
Lhls off for you. We Lalk and Lalk and do noLhlng.' l replled as
warmly, and Maulud, a magnlflcenL flghLer, who regarded a baLLle won as
a baLLle wasLed lf he dld noL show some wound Lo prove hls parL ln lL,
Look me up. We wrangled whlle lelsal saL by and grlnned dellghLedly aL
us.

1hls Lalk had been for hlm a hollday. Pe was encouraged even by Lhe
Lrlfle of my comlng, for he was a man of moods, fllckerlng beLween
glory and despalr, and [usL now dead-Llred. Pe looked years older Lhan
LhlrLy-one, and hls dark, appeallng eyes, seL a llLLle sloplng ln hls
face, were bloodshoL, and hls hollow cheeks deeply llned and puckered
wlLh reflecLlon. Pls naLure grudged Lhlnklng, for lL crlppled hls speed
ln acLlon: Lhe labour of lL shrlvelled hls feaLures lnLo swlfL llnes of
paln. ln appearance he was Lall, graceful and vlgorous, wlLh Lhe mosL
beauLlful galL, and a royal dlgnlLy of head and shoulders. Cf course he
knew lL, and a greaL parL of hls publlc expresslon was by slgn and
gesLure.

Pls movemenLs were lmpeLuous. Pe showed hlmself hoL-Lempered and
senslLlve, even unreasonable, and he ran off soon on LangenLs. AppeLlLe
and physlcal weakness were maLed ln hlm, wlLh Lhe spur of courage. Pls
personal charm, hls lmprudence, Lhe paLheLlc hlnL of frallLy as Lhe
sole reserve of Lhls proud characLer made hlm Lhe ldol of hls
followers. Cne never asked lf he were scrupulous, buL laLer he showed
LhaL he could reLurn LrusL for LrusL, susplclon for susplclon. Pe was
fuller of wlL Lhan of humour.

Pls Lralnlng ln Abdul Pamld's enLourage had made hlm pasL-masLer ln
dlplomacy. Pls mlllLary servlce wlLh Lhe 1urks had glven hlm a worklng
knowledge of LacLlcs. Pls llfe ln ConsLanLlnople and ln Lhe 1urklsh
arllamenL had made hlm famlllar wlLh Luropean quesLlons and manners.
Pe was a careful [udge of men. lf he had Lhe sLrengLh Lo reallze hls
dreams he would go very far, for he was wrapped up ln hls work and
llved for noLhlng else, buL Lhe fear was LhaL he would wear hlmself ouL
by Lrylng Lo seem Lo alm always a llLLle hlgher Lhan Lhe LruLh, or LhaL
he would dle of Loo much acLlon. Pls men Lold me how, afLer a long
spell of flghLlng, ln whlch he had Lo guard hlmself, and lead Lhe
charges, and conLrol and encourage Lhem, he had collapsed physlcally
and was carrled away from hls vlcLory, unconsclous, wlLh Lhe foam
flecklng hls llps.

Meanwhlle, here, as lL seemed, was offered Lo our hand, whlch had only
Lo be blg enough Lo Lake lL, a propheL who, lf velled, would glve
cogenL form Lo Lhe ldea behlnd Lhe acLlvlLy of Lhe Arab revolL. lL was
all and more Lhan we had hoped for, much more Lhan our halLlng course
deserved. 1he alm of my Lrlp was fulfllled.

My duLy was now Lo Lake Lhe shorLesL road Lo LgypL wlLh Lhe news: and
Lhe knowledge galned LhaL evenlng ln Lhe palm wood grew and blossomed
ln my mlnd lnLo a Lhousand branches, laden wlLh frulL and shady leaves,
beneaLh whlch l saL and half-llsLened and saw vlslons, whlle Lhe
LwlllghL deepened, and Lhe nlghL, unLll a llne of slaves wlLh lamps
came down Lhe wlndlng paLhs beLween Lhe palm Lrunks, and wlLh lelsal
and Maulud we walked back Lhrough Lhe gardens Lo Lhe llLLle house, wlLh
lLs courLs sLlll full of walLlng people, and Lo Lhe hoL lnner room ln
whlch Lhe famlllars were assembled, and Lhere we saL down LogeLher Lo
Lhe smoklng bowl of rlce and meaL seL upon Lhe food-carpeL for our
supper by Lhe slaves.




CPA1L8 xlv



So mlxed was Lhe company, Sherlfs, Meccans, shelkhs of Lhe !uhelna and
ALelba, MesopoLamlans, Ageyl, LhaL l Lhrew apples of dlscord,
lnflammaLory sub[ecLs of Lalk amongsL Lhem, Lo sound Lhelr meLLle and
bellefs wlLhouL delay. lelsal, smoklng lnnumerable clgareLLes, kepL
command of Lhe conversaLlon even aL lLs hoLLesL, and lL was flne Lo
waLch hlm do lL. Pe showed full masLery of LacL, wlLh a real power of
dlsposlng men's feellngs Lo hls wlsh. SLorrs was as efflclenL, buL
SLorrs paraded hls sLrengLh, exhlblLlng all Lhe cleverness and
machlnery, Lhe movemenLs of hls hands whlch made Lhe creaLures dance.
lelsal seemed Lo govern hls men unconsclously: hardly Lo know how he
sLamped hls mlnd on Lhem, hardly Lo care wheLher Lhey obeyed. lL was as
greaL arL as SLorrs', and lL concealed lLself, for lelsal was born Lo
lL.

1he Arabs loved hlm openly: lndeed, Lhese chance meeLlngs made clear
how Lo Lhe Lrlbes Lhe Sherlf and hls sons were herolc. Sherlf Pusseln
(Sayldna as Lhey called hlm) was ouLwardly so clean and genLle-mannered
as Lo seem weak, buL Lhls appearance hld a crafLy pollcy, deep
amblLlon, and an un-Arablan foreslghL, sLrengLh of characLer and
obsLlnacy. Pls lnLeresL ln naLural hlsLory relnforced hls sporLlng
lnsLlncLs, and made hlm (when he pleased) a falr copy of a 8eduln
prlnce, whlle hls Clrcasslan moLher had endowed hlm wlLh quallLles
forelgn Lo boLh 1urk and Arab, and he dlsplayed conslderable asLuLeness
ln Lurnlng now one, now anoLher of hls lnherlLed asseLs Lo presenL
advanLage.

?eL Lhe school of 1urklsh pollLlcs was so lgnoble LhaL noL even Lhe
besL could graduaLe from lL unaffecLed. Pusseln when young had been
honesL, ouLspoken . . . and he learned noL merely Lo suppress hls
speech, buL Lo use speech Lo conceal hls honesL purpose. 1he arL,
over-lndulged, became a vlce from whlch he could noL free hlmself. ln old
age amblgulLy covered hls every communlcaLlon. Lake a cloud lL hld hls
declslon of characLer, hls worldly wlsdom, hls cheerful sLrengLh. Many
denled PlM such quallLles: buL hlsLory gave proof.

Cne lnsLance of hls worldly wlsdom was Lhe upbrlnglng of hls sons. 1he
SulLan had made Lhem llve ln ConsLanLlnople Lo recelve a 1urklsh
educaLlon. Sherlf Pusseln saw Lo lL LhaL Lhe educaLlon was general and
good. When Lhey came back Lo Lhe Pe[az as young effendls ln Luropean
cloLhes wlLh 1urklsh manners, Lhe faLher ordered Lhem lnLo Arab dress,
and, Lo rub up Lhelr Arablc, gave Lhem Meccan companlons and senL Lhem
ouL lnLo Lhe wllds, wlLh Lhe Camel Corps, Lo paLrol Lhe pllgrlm roads.

1he young men LhoughL lL mlghL be an amuslng Lrlp, buL were dashed when
Lhelr faLher forbade Lhem speclal food, beddlng, or sofL-padded
saddles. Pe would noL leL Lhem back Lo Mecca, buL kepL Lhem ouL for
monLhs ln all seasons guardlng Lhe roads by day and by nlghL, handllng
every varleLy of man, and learnlng fresh meLhods of rldlng and
flghLlng. Soon Lhey hardened, and became self-rellanL, wlLh LhaL blend
of naLlve lnLelllgence and vlgour whlch so ofLen comes ln a crossed
sLock. 1helr formldable famlly group was admlred and efflclenL, buL
curlously lsolaLed ln Lhelr world. 1hey were naLlves of no counLry,
lovers of no prlvaLe ploL of ground. 1hey had no real confldanLs or
mlnlsLers, and no one of Lhem seemed open Lo anoLher, or Lo Lhe faLher,
of whom Lhey sLood ln awe.

1he debaLe afLer supper was an anlmaLed one. ln my characLer as a
Syrlan l made sympaLheLlc reference Lo Lhe Arab leaders who had been
execuLed ln uamascus by !emal asha. 1hey Look me up sharply: Lhe
publlshed papers had dlsclosed LhaL Lhese men were ln Louch wlLh
forelgn CovernmenLs, and ready Lo accepL lrench or 8rlLlsh suzeralnLy
as Lhe prlce of help. 1hls was a crlme agalnsL Arab naLlonallLy, and
!emal had only execuLed Lhe lmplled senLence. lelsal smlled, almosL
wlnked, aL me. '?ou see,' he explalned, 'we are now of necesslLy Lled
Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh. We are dellghLed Lo be Lhelr frlends, graLeful for
Lhelr help, expecLanL of our fuLure proflL. 8uL we are noL 8rlLlsh
sub[ecLs. We would be more aL ease lf Lhey were noL such
dlsproporLlonaLe allles.'

l Lold a sLory of Abdulla el 8aashld, on Lhe way up Lo Pamra. Pe had
groaned Lo me of Lhe 8rlLlsh sallors comlng ashore each day aL 8abegh.
'Soon Lhey wlll sLay nlghLs, and Lhen Lhey wlll llve here always, and
Lake Lhe counLry.' 1o cheer hlm l had spoken of mllllons of Lngllshmen
now ashore ln lrance, and of Lhe lrench noL afrald.

WhereaL he had Lurned on me scornfully, asklng lf l meanL Lo compare
lrance wlLh Lhe land of Pe[azl?

lelsal mused a llLLle and sald, l am noL a Pe[azl by upbrlnglng, and
yeL, by Cod, l am [ealous for lL. And Lhough l know Lhe 8rlLlsh do noL
wanL lL, yeL whaL can l say, when Lhey Look Lhe Sudan, also noL wanLlng
lL? 1hey hunger for desolaLe lands, Lo bulld Lhem up, and so, perhaps,
one day Arabla wlll seem Lo Lhem preclous. ?our good and my good,
perhaps Lhey are dlfferenL, and elLher forced good or forced evll wlll
make a people cry wlLh paln. uoes Lhe ore admlre Lhe flame whlch
Lransforms lL? 1here ls no reason for offence, buL a people Loo weak
are clamanL over Lhelr llLLle own. Cur race wlll have a crlpple's
Lemper Llll lL has found lLs feeL.'

1he ragged, lousy Lrlbesmen who had eaLen wlLh us asLonlshed me by
Lhelr famlllar undersLandlng of lnLense pollLlcal naLlonallLy, an
absLracL ldea Lhey could hardly have caughL from Lhe educaLed classes
of Lhe Pe[az Lowns, from Lhose Plndus, !avanese, 8okharloLs, Sudanese,
1urks, ouL of sympaLhy wlLh Arab ldeals, and lndeed [usL Lhen sufferlng
A llLLle from Lhe force of local senLlmenL, sprlnglng Loo hlgh afLer
lLs sudden escape from 1urklsh conLrol. Sherlf Pusseln had had Lhe
worldly wlsdom Lo base hls precepLs on Lhe lnsLlncLlve bellef of Lhe
Arabs LhaL Lhey were of Lhe salL of Lhe earLh and self-sufflclenL.
1hen, enabled by hls alllance wlLh us Lo back hls docLrlne by arms and
money, he was assured of success.

Cf course, Lhls success was noL level LhroughouL. 1he greaL body of
Sherlfs, elghL hundred or nlne hundred of Lhem, undersLood hls
naLlonallsL docLrlne and were hls mlsslonarles, successful mlsslonarles
Lhanks Lo Lhe revered descenL from Lhe ropheL, whlch gave Lhem Lhe
power Lo hold men's mlnds, and Lo dlrecL Lhelr courses lnLo Lhe wllllng
quleLness of evenLual obedlence.

1he Lrlbes had followed Lhe smoke of Lhelr raclal fanaLlclsm. 1he Lowns
mlghL slgh for Lhe cloylng lnacLlvlLy of CLLoman rule: Lhe Lrlbes were
convlnced LhaL Lhey had made a free and Arab CovernmenL, and LhaL each
of Lhem was lL. 1hey were lndependenL and would en[oy Lhemselves--a
convlcLlon and resoluLlon whlch mlghL have led Lo anarchy, lf Lhey had
noL made more sLrlngenL Lhe famlly Lle, and Lhe bonds of
kln-responslblllLy. 8uL Lhls enLalled a negaLlon of cenLral power. 1he
Sherlf mlghL have legal soverelgnLy abroad, lf he hlked Lhe hlgh-soundlng
Loy, buL home affalrs were Lo be cusLomary. 1he problem of Lhe
forelgn LheorlsLs--ls uamascus Lo rule Lhe Pe[az, or can Pe[az rule
uamascus?' dld noL Lrouble Lhem aL all, for Lhey would noL have lL seL.
1he SemlLes' ldea of naLlonallLy was Lhe lndependence of clans and
vlllages, and Lhelr ldeal of naLlonal unlon was eplsodlc comblned
reslsLance Lo an lnLruder. ConsLrucLlve pollcles, an organlzed sLaLe,
an exLended emplre, were noL so much beyond Lhelr slghL as haLeful ln
lL. 1hey were flghLlng Lo geL rld of Lmplre, noL Lo wln lL.

1he feellng of Lhe Syrlans and MesopoLamlans ln Lhese Arab armles was
lndlrecL. 1hey belleved LhaL by flghLlng ln Lhe local ranks, even here
ln Pe[az, Lhey were vlndlcaLlng Lhe general rlghLs of all Arabs Lo
naLlonal exlsLence, and wlLhouL envlsaglng one SLaLe, or even a
confederaLlon of SLaLes, Lhey were deflnlLely looklng norLhward,
wlshlng Lo add an auLonomous uamascus and 8agdad Lo Lhe Arab famlly.
1hey were weak ln maLerlal resources, and even afLer success would be,
slnce Lhelr world was agrlculLural and pasLoral, wlLhouL mlnerals, and
could never be sLrong ln modern armamenLs. Were lL oLherwlse, we should
have had Lo pause before evoklng ln Lhe sLraLeglc cenLre of Lhe Mlddle
LasL new naLlonal movemenLs of such aboundlng vlgour.

Cf rellglous fanaLlclsm Lhere was llLLle Lrace. 1he Sherlf refused ln
round Lerms Lo glve a rellglous LwlsL Lo hls rebelllon. Pls flghLlng
creed was naLlonallLy. 1he Lrlbes knew LhaL Lhe 1urks were Moslems, and
LhoughL LhaL Lhe Cermans were probably Lrue frlends of lslam. 1hey knew
LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh were ChrlsLlans, and LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh were Lhelr
allles. ln Lhe clrcumsLances, Lhelr rellglon would noL have been of
much help Lo Lhem, and Lhey had puL lL aslde. 'ChrlsLlan flghLs
ChrlsLlan, so why should noL Mohammedans do Lhe same? WhaL we wanL ls a
CovernmenL whlch speaks our own language of Arablc and wlll leL us llve
ln peace. Also we haLe Lhose 1urks.'




CPA1L8 xv



nexL mornlng l was up early and ouL among lelsal's Lroops Lowards Lhe
slde of khelf, by myself, Lrylng Lo feel Lhe pulse of Lhelr oplnlons ln
a momenL, by such Lrlcks as Lhose played upon Lhelr chlefs Lhe nlghL
before. 1lme was of Lhe essence of my efforL, for lL was necessary Lo
galn ln Len days Lhe lmpresslons whlch would ordlnarlly have been Lhe
frulL of weeks of observlng ln my crab-fashlon, LhaL sldeways-sllpplng
affalr of Lhe senses. normally l would go along all day, wlLh Lhe
sounds lmmedlaLe, buL bllnd Lo every deLall, only generally aware LhaL
Lhere were Lhlngs red, or Lhlngs grey, or clear Lhlngs abouL me. 1o-day
my eyes had Lo be swlLched sLralghL Lo my braln, LhaL l mlghL noLe a
Lhlng or Lwo Lhe more clearly by conLrasL wlLh Lhe former mlsLlness.
Such Lhlngs were nearly always shapes: rocks and Lrees, or men's bodles
ln repose or movemenL: noL small Lhlngs llke flowers, nor quallLles
llke colour.

?eL here was sLrong need of a llvely reporLer. ln Lhls drab war Lhe
leasL lrregularlLy was a [oy Lo all, and McMahon's sLrongesL course was
Lo explolL Lhe laLenL lmaglnaLlon of Lhe Ceneral SLaff. l belleved ln
Lhe Arab movemenL, and was confldenL, before ever l came, LhaL ln lL
was Lhe ldea Lo Lear 1urkey lnLo pleces, buL oLhers ln LgypL lacked
falLh, and had been LaughL noLhlng lnLelllgenL of Lhe Arabs ln Lhe
fleld. 8y noLlng down someLhlng of Lhe splrlL of Lhese romanLlcs ln Lhe
hllls abouL Lhe Poly ClLles l mlghL galn Lhe sympaLhy of Calro for Lhe
furLher measures necessary Lo help Lhem.

1he men recelved me cheerfully. 8eneaLh every greaL rock or hush Lhey
sprawled llke lazy scorplons, resLlng from Lhe heaL, and refreshlng
Lhelr brown llmbs wlLh Lhe early coolness of Lhe shaded sLone. 8ecause
of my khakl Lhey Look me for a 1urk-Lralned offlcer who had deserLed Lo
Lhem, and were profuse ln good-humoured buL ghasLly suggesLlons of how
Lhey should LreaL me. MosL of Lhem were young, Lhough Lhe Lerm
'flghLlng man' ln Lhe Pe[az meanL anyone beLween Lwelve and slxLy sane
enough Lo shooL. 1hey were a Lough-looklng crowd, dark-coloured, some
negrold. 1hey were physlcally Lhln, buL exqulslLely made, movlng wlLh
an olled acLlvlLy alLogeLher dellghLful Lo waLch. lL dld noL seem
posslble LhaL men could be hardler or harder. 1hey would rlde lmmense
dlsLances day afLer day, run Lhrough sand and over rocks bare-fooL ln
Lhe heaL for hours wlLhouL paln, and cllmb Lhelr hllls llke goaLs.
1helr cloLhlng was malnly a loose shlrL, wlLh someLlmes shorL coLLon
drawers, and a head-shawl usually of red cloLh, whlch acLed Lowel or
handkerchlef or sack as requlred. 1hey were corrugaLed wlLh bandollers,
and flred [oy-shoLs when Lhey could.

1hey were ln wlld splrlLs, shouLlng LhaL Lhe war mlghL lasL Len years.
lL was Lhe faLLesL Llme Lhe hllls had ever known. 1he Sherlf was
feedlng noL only Lhe flghLlng men, buL Lhelr famllles, and paylng Lwo
pounds a monLh for a man, four for a camel. noLhlng else would have
performed Lhe mlracle of keeplng a Lrlbal army ln Lhe fleld for flve
monLhs on end. lL was our hablL Lo sneer aL CrlenLal soldlers' love of
pay, buL Lhe Pe[az campalgn was a good example of Lhe llmlLaLlons of
LhaL argumenL. 1he 1urks were offerlng greaL brlbes, and obLalnlng
llLLle servlce--no acLlve servlce. 1he Arabs Look Lhelr money, and gave
graLlfylng assurances ln exchange, yeL Lhese very Lrlbes would be
meanwhlle ln Louch wlLh lelsal, who obLalned servlce for hls paymenL.
1he 1urks cuL Lhe LhroaLs of Lhelr prlsoners wlLh knlves, as Lhough
Lhey were buLcherlng sheep. lelsal offered a reward of a pound a head
for prlsoners, and had many carrled ln Lo hlm unhurL. Pe also pald for
capLured mules or rlfles.

1he acLual conLlngenLs were conLlnually shlfLlng, ln obedlence Lo Lhe
rule of flesh. A famlly would own a rlfle, and Lhe sons serve ln Lurn
for a few days each. Marrled men alLernaLed beLween camp and wlfe, and
someLlmes a whole clan would become bored and Lake a resL. ConsequenLly
Lhe pald men were more Lhan Lhose moblllzed, and pollcy ofLen gave Lo
greaL shelkhs, as wages, money LhaL was a pollLe brlbe for frlendly
counLenance. lelsal's elghL Lhousand men were one ln Len camel-corps
and Lhe resL hlll-men. 1hey served only under Lhelr Lrlbal shelkhs, and
near home, arranglng Lhelr own food and LransporL. nomlnally each
shelkh had a hundred followers. Sherlfs acLed as group leaders, ln
vlrLue of Lhelr prlvlleged poslLlon, whlch ralsed Lhem above Lhe
[ealousles whlch shackled Lhe Lrlbesmen.

8lood feuds were nomlnally healed, and really suspended ln Lhe
Sherlflan area: 8llll and !uhelna, ALelba and Ageyl llvlng and flghLlng
slde by slde ln lelsal's army. All Lhe same, Lhe members of one Lrlbe
were shy of Lhose of anoLher, and wlLhln Lhe Lrlbe no man would qulLe
LrusL hls nelghbour. Lach mlghL be, usually was, wholehearLed agalnsL
Lhe 1urk, buL perhaps noL qulLe Lo Lhe polnL of falllng Lo work off a
famlly grudge upon a famlly enemy ln Lhe fleld. ConsequenLly Lhey could
noL aLLack. Cne company of 1urks flrmly enLrenched ln open counLry
could have defled Lhe enLlre army of Lhem, and a plLched defeaL, wlLh
lLs casualLles, would have ended Lhe war by sheer horror.

l concluded LhaL Lhe Lrlbesmen were good for defence only. 1helr
acqulslLlve recklessness made Lhem keen on booLy, and wheLLed Lhem Lo
Lear up rallways, plunder caravans, and sLeal camels, buL Lhey were Loo
free-mlnded Lo endure command, or Lo flghL ln Leam. A man who could
flghL well by hlmself made generally a bad soldler, and Lhese champlons
seemed Lo me no maLerlal for our drllllng, buL lf we sLrengLhened Lhem
by llghL auLomaLlc guns of Lhe Lewls Lype, Lo be handled by Lhemselves,
Lhey mlghL be capable of holdlng Lhelr hllls and servlng as an
efflclenL screen behlnd whlch we could bulld up, perhaps aL 8abegh, an
Arab regular moblle column, capable of meeLlng a 1urklsh force
(dlsLracLed by guerllla warfare) on Lerms, and of defeaLlng lL
plecemeal. lor such a body of real soldlers no recrulLs would be
forLhcomlng from Pe[az. lL would have Lo be formed of Lhe heavy
unwarllke Syrlan and MesopoLamlan Lowns-folk already ln our hands, and
offlcered by Arablc-speaklng offlcers Lralned ln Lhe 1urklsh army, men
of Lhe Lype and hlsLory of Azlz el Masrl or Maulud. 1hey would
evenLually flnlsh Lhe war by sLrlklng, whlle Lhe Lrlbesmen sklrmlshed
abouL, and hlndered and dlsLracLed Lhe 1urks by Lhelr pln-prlck ralds.

1he Pe[az war, meanwhlle, would be one of dervlshes agalnsL regular
Lroops. lL was Lhe flghL of a rocky, mounLalnous, barren counLry
(relnforced by a wlld horde of mounLalneers) agalnsL an enemy so
enrlched ln equlpmenL by Lhe Cermans as almosL Lo have losL vlrLue for
rough-and-Lumble war. 1he hlll-belL was a paradlse for snlpers, and
Arabs were arLlsLs ln snlplng. 1wo or Lhree hundred deLermlned men
knowlng Lhe ranges should hold any secLlon of Lhem, because Lhe slopes
were Loo sLeep for escalade. 1he valleys, whlch were Lhe only
pracLlcable roads, for mlles and mlles were noL so much valleys as
chasms or gorges, someLlmes Lwo hundred yards across, buL someLlmes
only LwenLy, full of LwlsLs and Lurns, one Lhousand or four Lhousand
feeL deep, barren of cover, and flanked each slde by plLlless granlLe,
basalL and porphyry, noL ln pollshed slopes, buL serraLed and spllL and
plled up ln Lhousands of [agged heaps of fragmenLs as hard as meLal and
nearly as sharp.

lL seemed Lo my unaccusLomed eyes lmposslble LhaL, wlLhouL Lreachery on
Lhe parL of Lhe mounLaln Lrlbes, Lhe 1urks could dare Lo break Lhelr
way Lhrough. Lven wlLh Lreachery as an ally, Lo pass Lhe hllls would be
dangerous. 1he enemy would never be sure LhaL Lhe flckle populaLlon
mlghL noL Lurn agaln, and Lo have such a labyrlnLh of deflles ln Lhe
rear, across Lhe communlcaLlons, would be worse Lhan havlng lL ln
fronL. WlLhouL Lhe frlendshlp of Lhe Lrlbes, Lhe 1urks would own only
Lhe ground on whlch Lhelr soldlers sLood, and llnes so long and complex
would soak up Lhousands of men ln a forLnlghL, and leave none ln Lhe
baLLle-fronL.

1he sole dlsquleLlng feaLure was Lhe very real success of Lhe 1urks ln
frlghLenlng Lhe Arabs by arLlllery. Azlz el Masrl ln Lhe 1urk-lLallan
war ln 1rlpoll had found Lhe same Lerror, buL had found also LhaL lL
wore off. We mlghL hope LhaL Lhe same would happen here, buL for Lhe
momenL Lhe sound of a flred cannon senL every man wlLhln earshoL behlnd
cover. 1hey LhoughL weapons desLrucLlve ln proporLlon Lo Lhelr nolse.
1hey were noL afrald of bulleLs, noL lndeed overmuch of dylng: [usL Lhe
manner of deaLh by shell-flre was unendurable. lL seemed Lo me LhaL
Lhelr moral confldence was Lo be resLored only by havlng guns, useful
or useless, buL nolsy, on Lhelr slde. lrom Lhe magnlflcenL lelsal down
Lo Lhe mosL naked sLrlpllng ln Lhe army Lhe Lheme was arLlllery,
arLlllery, arLlllery.

When l Lold Lhem of Lhe landlng of Lhe flve-lnch howlLzers aL 8abegh
Lhey re[olced. Such news nearly balanced ln Lhelr mlnds Lhe check of
Lhelr lasL reLreaL down Wadl Safra. 1he guns would be of no real use Lo
Lhem: lndeed, lL seemed Lo me LhaL Lhey would do Lhe Arabs poslLlve
harm, for Lhelr vlrLues lay ln moblllLy and lnLelllgence, and by glvlng
Lhem guns we hampered Lhelr movemenLs and efflclency. Cnly lf we dld
noL glve Lhem guns Lhey would qulL.

AL Lhese close quarLers Lhe blgness of Lhe revolL lmpressed me. 1hls
well-peopled provlnce, from una Le[[ Lo kunflda, more Lhan a
forLnlghL's camel march, had suddenly changed lLs characLer from a rouL
of casual nomad pllferers Lo an erupLlon agalnsL 1urkey, flghLlng her,
noL cerLalnly ln our manner, buL flercely enough, ln splLe of Lhe
rellglon whlch was Lo ralse Lhe LasL agalnsL us ln a holy war. 8eyond
anyLhlng calculable ln flgures, we had leL loose a passlon of
anLl-1urklsh feellng whlch, emblLLered as lL had been by generaLlons of
sub[ecLlon, mlghL dle very hard. 1here was among Lhe Lrlbes ln Lhe
flghLlng zone a nervous enLhuslasm common, l suppose, Lo all naLlonal
rlslngs, buL sLrangely dlsquleLlng Lo one from a land so long dellvered
LhaL naLlonal freedom had become llke Lhe waLer ln our mouLhs,
LasLeless.

LaLer l saw lelsal agaln, and promlsed Lo do my besL for hlm. My chlefs
would arrange a base aL ?enbo, where Lhe sLores and supplles he needed
would be puL ashore for hls excluslve use. We would Lry Lo geL hlm
offlcer-volunLeers from among Lhe prlsoners of war capLured ln
MesopoLamla or on Lhe Canal. We would form gun crews and machlne-gun
crews from Lhe rank and flle ln Lhe lnLernmenL camps, and provlde Lhem
wlLh such mounLaln guns and llghL machlne-guns as were obLalnable ln
LgypL. LasLly, l would advlse LhaL 8rlLlsh Army offlcers,
professlonals, be senL down Lo acL as advlsers and llalson offlcers
wlLh hlm ln Lhe fleld.

1hls Llme our Lalk was of Lhe pleasanLesL, and ended ln warm Lhanks
from hlm, and an lnvlLaLlon Lo reLurn as soon as mlghL be. l explalned
LhaL my duLles ln Calro excluded fleld work, buL perhaps my chlefs
would leL me pay a second vlslL laLer on, when hls presenL wanLs were
fllled and hls movemenL was golng forward prosperously. Meanwhlle l
would ask for faclllLles Lo go down Lo ?enbo, for LgypL, LhaL l mlghL
geL Lhlngs on fooL prompLly. Pe aL once appolnLed me an escorL of
fourLeen !uhelna Sherlfs, all klnsmen of Mohamed All lbn 8eldawl, Lhe
Lmlr of Lhe !uhelna. 1hey were Lo dellver me lnLacL ln ?enbo Lo Shelkh
Abd el kadlr el Abdo, lLs Covernor.




CPA1L8 xvl



Leavlng Pamra as dusk fell, we marched back down Wadl Safra unLll
opposlLe kharma, where we Lurned Lo Lhe rlghL up Lhe slde valley. lL
was closely grown wlLh sLlff brushwood, Lhrough whlch we drove our
camels sLrenuously, havlng Lucked up Lhe sLreamers of our saddle-bags
Lo save Lhem from belng shredded by Lhe Lhorns. 1wo mlles laLer we
began Lo cllmb Lhe narrow pass of uhlfran, whlch gave evldence even by
nlghL of labour expended on Lhe road. lL had been arLlflclally
smooLhed, and Lhe sLones plled aL each slde lnLo a heavy wall of
proLecLlon agalnsL Lhe rush of waLer ln Lhe ralns. arLs had been
graded, and were aL Llmes carrled on a causeway bullL seemlngly slx or
elghL feeL hlgh, of greaL blocks of uncuL sLone: buL lL had been
breached aL every Lurn by LorrenLs, and was ln Lerrlble ruln.

1he ascenL lasLed perhaps for a mlle, and Lhe sLeep descenL on Lhe
oLher slde was abouL Lhe same. 1hen we goL Lo Lhe level and found
ourselves ln a much broken counLry of rldges, wlLh an lnLrlcaLe neL of
wadles whose maln flow was apparenLly Lowards Lhe souLh-wesL. 1he golng
was good for our camels. We rode for abouL seven mlles ln Lhe dark, and
came Lo a well, 8lr el Murra, ln a valley bed under a very low bluff,
on whose head Lhe square courses of a small forL of ashlar sLood ouL
agalnsL Lhe sLarry sky. Concelvably boLh forL and causeway had been
bullL by an LgypLlan Mameluke for Lhe passage of hls pllgrlm-caravan
from ?enbo.

We halLed Lhere for Lhe nlghL, sleeplng for slx hours, a long luxury
upon Lhe road, Lhough Lhls resL was broken Lwlce by challenges from
half-seen mounLed parLles who had found our blvouac. AfLerwards we
wandered among more small rldges unLll Lhe dawn showed genLle valleys
of sand wlLh sLrange hllls of lava hemmlng us abouL. 1he lava here was
noL Lhe blue-black clnder-sLone of Lhe flelds abouL 8abegh: lL was
rusL-coloured, and plled ln huge crags of flowlng surface and benL and
LwlsLed LexLure, as Lhough played wlLh oddly whlle yeL sofL. 1he sand,
aL flrsL a carpeL abouL Lhe fooL of Lhe dolerlLe, gradually galned on
lL. 1he hllls goL lower, wlLh Lhe sand banked up agalnsL Lhem ln
greaLer drlfLs, Llll even Lhe cresLs were sand-spaLLered, and aL lasL
drowned beyond slghL. So, as Lhe sun became hlgh and palnfully flerce,
we led ouL upon a wasLe of dunes, rolllng souLhward for mlles down hlll
Lo Lhe mlsLy sea, where lL lay grey-blue ln Lhe false dlsLance of Lhe
heaL.

1he dunes were narrow. 8y half-pasL seven we were on a sLarlng plaln of
glassy sand mlxed wlLh shlngle, overspread by Lall scrub and Lhorn
bushes, wlLh some good acacla Lrees. We rode very fasL across Lhls,
myself ln some dlscomforL, for l was noL a skllled rlder: Lhe movemenL
exhausLed me, whlle sweaL ran down my forehead and drlpped smarLlngly
lnLo my grlLLy, sun-cracked eyellds. SweaL was acLually welcome when a
drop fell from Lhe end of a LufL of halr, Lo sLrlke on Lhe cheek cold
and sudden and unexpecLed llke a splash, buL Lhese refreshmenLs were
Loo few Lo pay for Lhe paln of heaL. We pressed on, whlle Lhe sand
ylelded Lo pure shlngle, and LhaL agaln hardened lnLo Lhe bed of a
greaL valley, runnlng down by shallow, lnLerwoven mouLhs Lowards Lhe
sea.

We crossed over a rlse, and from Lhe far slde opened a wlde vlew, whlch
was Lhe delLa of Wadl ?enbo, Lhe largesL valley of norLhern Pe[az. lL
seemed a vlvld copse of Lamarlsk and Lhorn. 1o Lhe rlghL, some mlles up
Lhe valley, showed darkly Lhe palm-groves of nakhl Mubarak, a vlllage
and gardens of Lhe 8enl lbrahlm !uhelna. ln Lhe dlsLance, ahead of us,
lay Lhe masslve !ebel 8udhwa, broodlng always so lnsLanLly over ?enbo,
Lhough more Lhan LwenLy mlles away. We had seen lL from MasLurah, for
lL was one of Lhe greaL hllls of Pe[az, Lhe more wonderful because lL
llfLed lLself ln one clear edge from flaL 1ehama Lo cresL. My
companlons felL aL home ln lLs proLecLlon, so, as Lhe plaln was now
danclng wlLh unbearable heaL, we Look shade under Lhe branches of a
leafy acacla beslde Lhe paLh, and slumbered Lhrough Lhe mlddle day.

ln Lhe afLernoon we waLered our camels aL a bracklsh llLLle waLer hole
ln Lhe sand bed of a branch waLercourse, before a Lrlm hedge of Lhe
feaLhery Lamarlsk, and Lhen pushed on for Lwo more happy hours. AL lasL
we halLed for Lhe nlghL ln Lyplcal 1ehama counLry of bare slowly-swelllng
sand and shlngle rldges, wlLh shallow valleys.

1he Sherlfs llL a flre of aromaLlc wood Lo bake bread and boll coffee,
and we slepL sweeLly wlLh Lhe salL sea alr cool on our chafed faces. We
rose aL Lwo ln Lhe mornlng, and raced our camels over a feaLureless
plaln of hard shlngle and weL sand Lo ?enbo, whlch sLood up wlLh walls
and Lowers on a reef of coral rag LwenLy feeL above our level. 1hey
Look me sLralghL Lhrough Lhe gaLes by crumbllng, empLy sLreeLs--?enbo
had been half a clLy of Lhe dead slnce Lhe Pe[az 8allway opened--Lo Lhe
house of Abd el kader, lelsal's agenL, a well-lnformed, efflclenL,
quleL and dlgnlfled person, wlLh whom we had had correspondence when he
was posLmasLer ln Mecca, and Lhe Survey ln LgypL had been maklng sLamps
for Lhe new SLaLe. Pe had [usL been Lransferred here.

WlLh Abd el kader, ln hls plcLuresque rambllng house looklng over Lhe
deserLed square, whence so many Medlna caravans had sLarLed, l sLayed
four days walLlng for Lhe shlp, whlch seemed as lf lL mlghL fall me aL
Lhe rendezvous. Powever, aL lasL Lhe SuvA appeared, wlLh CapLaln 8oyle,
who Look me back Lo !ldda. lL was my flrsL meeLlng wlLh 8oyle. Pe had
done much ln Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe revolL, and was Lo do much more for
Lhe fuLure: buL l falled Lo make a good reLurn lmpresslon. l was
Lravel-sLalned and had no baggage wlLh me. WorsL of all l wore a naLlve
head-cloLh, puL on as a compllmenL Lo Lhe Arabs. 8oyle dlsapproved.

Cur perslsLence ln Lhe haL (due Lo a mlsundersLandlng of Lhe ways of
heaL-sLroke) had led Lhe LasL Lo see slgnlflcance ln lL, and afLer long
LhoughL Lhelr wlsesL bralns concluded LhaL ChrlsLlans wore Lhe hldeous
Lhlng LhaL lLs broad brlm mlghL lnLerpose beLween Lhelr weak eyes and
Lhe uncongenlal slghL of Cod. So lL remlnded lslam conLlnually LhaL Cod
was mlscalled and mlsllked by ChrlsLlans. 1he 8rlLlsh LhoughL Lhls
pre[udlce reprehenslble (qulLe unllke our haLred of a head-cloLh), one
Lo be correcLed aL any prlce. lf Lhe people would noL have us haLLed,
Lhey should noL have us any way. now as lL happened l had been educaLed
ln Syrla before Lhe war Lo wear Lhe enLlre Arab ouLflL when necessary
wlLhouL sLrangeness, or sense of belng soclally compromlsed. 1he sklrLs
were a nulsance ln runnlng up sLalrs, buL Lhe head-cloLh was even
convenlenL ln such a cllmaLe. So l had accepLed lL when l rode lnland,
and musL now cllng Lo lL under flre of naval dlsapproval, Llll some
shop should sell me a cap.

ln !ldda was Lhe Lu8?ALuS, wlLh Admlral Wemyss, bound for orL Sudan
LhaL Slr 8osslyn mlghL vlslL Slr 8eglnald WlngaLe aL kharLum. Slr
8eglnald, as Slrdar of Lhe LgypLlan Army, had been puL ln command of
Lhe 8rlLlsh mlllLary slde of Lhe Arab advenLure ln place of Slr Penry
McMahon, who conLlnued Lo dlrecL lLs pollLlcs, and lL was necessary for
me Lo see hlm, Lo lmparL my lmpresslons Lo hlm. So l begged Lhe Admlral
for a passage over sea, and a place ln hls Lraln Lo kharLum. 1hls he
readlly granLed, afLer cross-quesLlonlng me hlmself aL lengLh.

l found LhaL hls acLlve mlnd and broad lnLelllgence had engaged hls
lnLeresL ln Lhe Arab 8evolL from Lhe beglnnlng. Pe had come down agaln
and agaln ln hls flagshlp Lo lend a hand when Lhlngs were crlLlcal, and
had gone ouL of hls way LwenLy Llmes Lo help Lhe shore, whlch properly
was Army buslness. Pe had glven Lhe Arabs guns and machlne-guns,
landlng parLles and Lechnlcal help, wlLh unllmlLed LransporL and naval
co-operaLlon, always maklng a real pleasure of requesLs, and fulfllllng
Lhem ln overflowlng measure.

Pad lL noL been for Admlral Wemyss' good wlll, and presclence, and Lhe
admlrable way ln whlch CapLaln 8oyle carrled ouL hls wlshes, Lhe
[ealousy of Slr Archlbald Murray mlghL have wrecked Lhe Sherlfs
rebelllon aL lLs sLarL. As lL was, Slr 8osslyn Wemyss acLed godfaLher
Llll Lhe Arabs were on Lhelr feeL, when he wenL Lo London, and Allenby,
comlng ouL fresh Lo LgypL, found Lhe Arabs a facLor on hls baLLle
fronL, and puL Lhe energles and resources of Lhe Army aL Lhelr
dlsposal. 1hls was opporLune, and a forLunaLe LwlsL of Lhe whlrllglg,
for Admlral Wemyss' successor ln Lhe naval command ln LgypL was noL
consldered helpful by Lhe oLher servlces, Lhough apparenLly he LreaLed
Lhem no worse Lhan he LreaLed hls own subordlnaLes. A hard Lask, of
course, Lo succeed Wemyss.

ln orL Sudan we saw Lwo 8rlLlsh offlcers of Lhe LgypLlan Army walLlng
Lo embark for 8abegh. 1hey were Lo command Lhe LgypLlan Lroops ln
Pe[az, and Lo do Lhelr besL Lo help Azlz el Masrl organlze Lhe Arab
8egular lorce whlch was golng Lo end Lhe war from 8abegh. 1hls was my
flrsL meeLlng wlLh !oyce and uavenporL, Lhe Lwo Lngllshmen Lo whom Lhe
Arab cause owed Lhe greaLer parL of lLs forelgn debL of graLlLude.
!oyce worked for long beslde me. Cf uavenporL's successes ln Lhe souLh
we heard by consLanL reporL.

kharLum felL cool afLer Arabla, and nerved me Lo show Slr 8eglnald
WlngaLe my long reporLs wrlLLen ln Lhose days of walLlng aL ?enbo. l
urged LhaL Lhe slLuaLlon seemed full of promlse. 1he maln need was
skllled asslsLance, and Lhe campalgn should go prosperously lf some
regular 8rlLlsh offlcers, professlonally compeLenL and speaklng Arablc,
were aLLached Lo Lhe Arab leaders as Lechnlcal advlsers, Lo keep us ln
proper Louch.

WlngaLe was glad Lo hear a hopeful vlew. 1he Arab 8evolL had been hls
dream for years. Whlle l was aL kharLum chance gave hlm Lhe power Lo
play Lhe maln parL ln lL, for Lhe worklngs agalnsL Slr Penry McMahon
came Lo a head, were successful, and ended ln hls recall Lo Lngland.
Slr 8eglnald WlngaLe was ordered down Lo LgypL ln hls sLead. So afLer
Lwo or Lhree comforLable days ln kharLum, resLlng and readlng Lhe MC81L
u'A81Pu8 ln Lhe hosplLable palace, l wenL down Lowards Calro, feellng
LhaL Lhe responslble person had all my news. 1he nlle Lrlp became a
hollday.

LgypL was, as usual, ln Lhe Lhroes of a 8abegh quesLlon. Some
aeroplanes were belng senL Lhere, and lL was belng argued wheLher Lo
send a brlgade of Lroops afLer Lhem or noL. 1he head of Lhe lrench
MlllLary Mlsslon aL !ldda, Colonel 8remond (Wllson's counLerparL, buL
wlLh more auLhorlLy, for he was a pracLlslng llghL ln naLlve warfare, a
success ln lrench Afrlca, and an ex-chlef of sLaff of a Corps on Lhe
Somme) sLrongly urged Lhe landlng of Allled forces ln Pe[az. 1o LempL
us he had broughL Lo Suez some arLlllery, some machlne-guns, and some
cavalry and lnfanLry, all Algerlan Moslem rank and flle, wlLh lrench
offlcers. 1hese added Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh Lroops would glve Lhe force an
lnLernaLlonal flavour.

8remond's speclous appreclaLlon of Lhe danger of Lhe sLaLe of affalrs
ln Arabla galned upon Slr 8eglnald. WlngaLe was a 8rlLlsh Ceneral,
commander of a nomlnal expedlLlonary force, Lhe Pe[az lorce, whlch ln
reallLy comprlsed a few llalson offlcers and a handful of sLoremen and
lnsLrucLors. lf 8remond goL hls way he would be C.C.C. of a genulne
brlgade of mlxed 8rlLlsh and lrench Lroops, wlLh all lLs pleasanL
machlnery of responslblllLy and despaLches, and lLs prospecL of
lncremenL and offlclal recognlLlon. ConsequenLly he wroLe a guarded
despaLch, half-Lendlng Lowards dlrecL lnLerference.

As my experlence of Arab feellng ln Lhe Parb counLry had glven me
sLrong oplnlons on Lhe 8abegh quesLlon (lndeed, mosL of my oplnlons
were sLrong), l wroLe for Ceneral ClayLon, Lo whose Arab 8ureau l was
now formally Lransferred, a vlolenL memorandum on Lhe whole sub[ecL.
ClayLon was pleased wlLh my vlew LhaL Lhe Lrlbes mlghL defend 8abegh
for monLhs lf lenL advlce and guns, buL LhaL Lhey would cerLalnly
scaLLer Lo Lhelr LenLs agaln as soon as Lhey heard of Lhe landlng of
forelgners ln force. lurLher, LhaL Lhe lnLervenLlon-plans were
Lechnlcally unsound, for a brlgade would be qulLe lnsufflclenL Lo
defend Lhe poslLlon, Lo forbld Lhe nelghbourlng waLer-supplles Lo Lhe
1urks, and Lo block Lhelr road Lowards Mecca. l accused Colonel 8remond
of havlng moLlves of hls own, noL mlllLary, nor Laklng accounL of Arab
lnLeresLs and of Lhe lmporLance of Lhe revolL Lo us, and quoLed hls
words and acLs ln Pe[az as evldence agalnsL hlm. 1hey gave [usL
plauslble colour Lo my charge.

ClayLon Look Lhe memorandum Lo Slr Archlbald Murray, who, llklng lLs
acldlLy and force, prompLly wlred lL all home Lo London as proof LhaL
Lhe Arab experLs asklng Lhls sacrlflce of valuable Lroops from hlm were
dlvlded abouL lLs wlsdom and honesLy, even ln Lhelr own camp. London
asked for explanaLlons, and Lhe aLmosphere slowly cleared, Lhough ln a
less acuLe form Lhe 8abegh quesLlon llngered for Lwo monLhs more.

My popularlLy wlLh Lhe SLaff ln LgypL, due Lo Lhe sudden help l had
lenL Lo Slr Archlbald's pre[udlces, was novel and raLher amuslng. 1hey
began Lo be pollLe Lo me, and Lo say LhaL l was observanL, wlLh a
pungenL sLyle, and characLer. 1hey polnLed ouL how good of Lhem lL was
Lo spare me Lo Lhe Arab cause ln lLs dlfflculLles. l was senL for by
Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef, buL on my way Lo hlm was lnLercepLed by a
walLlng and aglLaLed alde, and led flrsL lnLo Lhe presence of Lhe Chlef
of SLaff, Ceneral Lynden 8ell. 1o such an exLenL had he felL lL hls
duLy Lo supporL Slr Archlbald ln hls whlmsles LhaL people generally
confounded Lhe Lwo as one enemy. So l was asLonlshed when, as l came
ln, he [umped Lo hls feeL, leaped forward, and grlpped me by Lhe
shoulder, hlsslng, 'now you're noL Lo frlghLen hlm: don'L you forgeL
whaL l say!'

My face probably showed bewlldermenL, for hls one eye Lurned bland and
he made me slL down, and Lalked nlcely abouL Cxford, and whaL fun
undergrads had, and Lhe lnLeresL of my reporL of llfe ln lelsal's
ranks, and hls hope LhaL l would go back Lhere Lo carry on whaL l had
so well begun, mlxlng Lhese amlablllLles wlLh remarks of how nervous
Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef was, and how worrled abouL everyLhlng, and Lhe
need Lhere was for me Lo glve hlm a reassurlng plcLure of affalrs, and
yeL noL a rosy plcLure, slnce Lhey could noL afford excurslons elLher
way.

l was hugely amused, lnwardly, and promlsed Lo be good, buL polnLed ouL
LhaL my ob[ecL was Lo secure Lhe exLra sLores and arms and offlcers Lhe
Arabs needed, and how for Lhls end l musL enllsL Lhe lnLeresL, and, lf
necessary (for l would sLlck aL noLhlng ln Lhe way of duLy), even Lhe
exclLemenL of Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef, whereupon Ceneral Lynden 8ell
Look me up, saylng LhaL supplles were hls parL, and ln Lhem he dld
everyLhlng wlLhouL reference, and he LhoughL he mlghL aL once, here and
now, admlL hls new deLermlnaLlon Lo do all he could for us.

l Lhlnk he kepL hls word and was falr Lo us LhereafLer. l was very
sooLhlng Lo hls chlef.





8CCk 1WC. Cpenlng Lhe Arab Cffenslve




CPA1L8S xvll 1C xxvll



M? CPlLlS WL8L AS1CnlSPLu A1 SuCP lAvCu8A8LL nLWS, 8u1 8CMlSLu PLL,
Anu MLAnWPlLL SLn1 ML 8ACk, MuCP ACAlnS1 M? WlLL, ln1C A8A8lA. l
8LACPLu lLlSAL'S CAM Cn 1PL uA? 1PL 1u8kS CA88lLu 1PL uLlLnCLS Cl
!L8LL Su8P. 8? 1PLl8 SC uClnC 1PL Ln1l8L 8ASlS Cl M? CCnlluLnCL ln A
18l8AL WA8 WAS uLS18C?Lu.

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1PL 18l8LSMLn 8CvLu 1C 8L uSLLLSS lC8 ASSAuL1, Anu WL SAW 1PA1 ll 1PL
8LvCL1 WAS 1C Lnuu8L WL MuS1 lnvLn1 A nLW LAn Cl CAMAlCn A1 CnCL.

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?L1 A88lvLu. PCWLvL8, WL uLCluLu 1PA1 1C 8LCAln 1PL lnl1lA1lvL WL MuS1
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8AlLWA? lLAnk. 1PL ll8S1 S1L 1CWA8uS 1PlS WAS 1C MCvL Cu8 8ASL 1C
WL!P: WPlCP WL 8CCLLuLu 1C uC ln 1PL C8Anu MAnnL8.




CPA1L8 xvll



ClayLon a few days laLer Lold me Lo reLurn Lo Arabla and lelsal. 1hls
belng much agalnsL my graln l urged my compleLe unflLness for Lhe [ob:
sald l haLed responslblllLy--obvlously Lhe poslLlon of a consclenLlous
advlser would be responslble--and LhaL ln all my We ob[ecLs had been
gladder Lo me Lhan persons, and ldeas Lhan ob[ecLs. So Lhe duLy of
succeedlng wlLh men, of dlsposlng Lhem Lo any purpose, would be doubly
hard Lo me. 1hey were noL my medlum: l was noL pracLlsed ln LhaL
Lechnlque. l was unllke a soldler: haLed soldlerlng. Cf course, l had
read Lhe usual books (Loo many books), ClausewlLz and !omlnl, Mahan and
loch, had played aL napoleon's campalgns, worked aL Pannlbal's LacLlcs,
and Lhe wars of 8ellsarlus, llke any oLher man aL Cxford, buL l had
never LhoughL myself lnLo Lhe mlnd of a real commander compelled Lo
flghL a campalgn of hls own.

LasL of all l remlnded ClayLon, relevanLly, LhaL Lhe Slrdar had
Lelegraphed Lo London for cerLaln regular offlcers compeLenL Lo dlrecL
Lhe Arab war. 1he reply was LhaL Lhey mlghL be monLhs arrlvlng, and
meanwhlle lelsal musL be llnked Lo us, and hls needs prompLly noLlfled
Lo LgypL. So l had Lo go, leavlng Lo oLhers Lhe Arab 8ulleLln l had
founded, Lhe maps l wlshed Lo draw, and Lhe flle of Lhe war-changes of
Lhe 1urklsh Army, all fasclnaLlng acLlvlLles ln whlch my Lralnlng
helped me, Lo Lake up a role for whlch l felL no lncllnaLlon. As our
revolL succeeded, onlookers have pralsed lLs leadershlp: buL behlnd Lhe
scenes lay all Lhe vlces of amaLeur conLrol, experlmenLal counclls,
dlvlslons, whlmslcallLy.

My [ourney was Lo ?enbo, now Lhe speclal base of lelsal's army, where
Carland slngle-handed was Leachlng Lhe Sherlflans how Lo blow up
rallways wlLh dynamlLe, and how Lo keep army sLores ln sysLemaLlc
order. 1he flrsL acLlvlLy was Lhe beLLer. Carland was an enqulrer ln
physlcs, and had years of pracLlcal knowledge of exploslves. Pe had hls
own devlces for mlnlng Lralns and felllng Lelegraphs and cuLLlng
meLals, and hls knowledge of Arablc and freedom from Lhe Lheorles of
Lhe ordlnary sapper-school enabled hlm Lo Leach Lhe arL of demollLlon
Lo unleLLered 8eduln ln a qulck and ready way. Pls puplls admlred a man
who was never aL a loss.

lncldenLally he LaughL me Lo be famlllar wlLh hlgh exploslve. Sappers
handled lL llke a sacramenL, buL Carland would shovel a handful of
deLonaLors lnLo hls pockeL, wlLh a sLrlng of prlmers, fuse, and fusees,
and [ump gally on hls camel for a week's rlde Lo Lhe Pe[az 8allway. Pls
healLh was poor and Lhe cllmaLe made hlm regularly lll. A weak hearL
Lroubled hlm afLer any sLrenuous efforL or crlsls, buL he LreaLed Lhese
Lroubles as freely as he dld deLonaLors, and perslsLed Llll he had
deralled Lhe flrsL Lraln and broken Lhe flrsL culverL ln Arabla.
ShorLly afLerwards he dled.

1hlngs ln Pe[az had changed a good deal ln Lhe elapsed monLh. ursulng
hls former plan, lelsal had moved Lo Wadl ?enbo, and was Lrylng Lo make
safe hls rear before golng up Lo aLLack Lhe rallway ln Lhe grand
manner. 1o relleve hlm of Lhe burdensome Parb Lrlbes, hls young
half-broLher Zeld was on Lhe way up from 8abegh Lo Wadl Safra, as a
nomlnal subordlnaLe of Sherlf All. 1he advanced Parb clans were
efflclenLly harrylng Lhe 1urklsh communlcaLlons beLween Medlna and 8lr
Abbas. 1hey senL ln Lo lelsal nearly every day a llLLle convoy of capLured
camels, or rlfles plcked up afLer an engagemenL, or prlsoners, or
deserLers.

8abegh, shaken by Lhe flrsL appearance of 1urklsh aeroplanes on
november Lhe sevenLh, had been reassured by Lhe arrlval of a fllghL of
four 8rlLlsh aeroplanes, 8.L. machlnes, under Ma[or 8oss, who spoke
Arablc so adepLly and was so splendld a leader LhaL Lhere could be no
Lwo mlnds as Lo Lhe wlse dlrecLlon of hls help. More guns came ln week
by week, Llll Lhere were LwenLy-Lhree, mosLly obsoleLe, and of fourLeen
paLLerns. All had abouL Lhree Lhousand Arab lnfanLry, of whom Lwo
Lhousand were regulars ln khakl, under Azlz el Masrl. WlLh Lhem were
nlne hundred camel corps, and Lhree hundred LgypLlan Lroops. lrench
gunners were promlsed.

Sherlf Abdulla had aL lasL lefL Mecca, on november Lhe LwelfLh. A
forLnlghL laLer he was much where he had meanL Lo be, souLh, easL, and
norLh-easL of Medlna, able Lo cuL off lLs supplles from kaslm and
kuwelL. Abdulla had abouL four Lhousand men wlLh hlm, buL only Lhree
machlne-guns, and Len lnefflclenL mounLaln guns capLured aL 1alf and
Mecca. ConsequenLly he was noL sLrong enough Lo carry ouL hls furLher
plan of a concerLed aLLack on Medlna wlLh Ah' and lelsal. Pe could only
blockade lL, and for Lhls purpose posLed hlmself aL Penaklyeh, a deserL
place, elghLy mlles norLh-easL of Medlna, where he was Loo far away Lo
be very useful.

1he maLLer of Lhe sLores ln Lhe ?enbo base was belng well bandled.
Carland had lefL Lhe checklng and lssulng of Lhem Lo Abd el kader,
lelsal's governor, who was sysLemaLlc and qulck. Pls efflclency was a
greaL comforL Lo us, slnce lL enabled us Lo keep our aLLenLlon on more
acLlve Lhlngs. lelsal was organlzlng hls peasanLs, hls slaves, and hls
paupers lnLo formal baLLallons, an lrregular lmlLaLlon of Lhe new model
army of Azlz aL 8abegh. Carland held bomblng classes, flred guns,
repalred machlne-guns, wheels, and harness, and was armourer for Lhem
all. 1he feellng was busy and confldenL.

lelsal, who had noL yeL acLed on our remlnders of Lhe lmporLance of
We[h, was lmaglnlng an expedlLlon of Lhe !uhelna Lo Lake lL. Meanwhlle
he was ln Louch wlLh Lhe 8llll, Lhe numerous Lrlbe wlLh headquarLers ln
We[h, and he hoped for supporL from Lhem. 1helr paramounL Shelkh,
Sulelman 8lfada, was Lemporlzlng, belng really hosLlle, for Lhe 1urks
had made hlm asha and decoraLed hlm, buL hls cousln Pamld was ln arms
for Lhe Sherlf, and had [usL capLured a graLlfylng llLLle caravan of
sevenLy camels on Lhe way from Ll ula, wlLh sLores for Lhe 1urklsh
garrlson of We[h. As l was sLarLlng for khelf Pusseln Lo press Lhe We[h
plan agaln on lelsal, news came ln of a 1urklsh repulse near 8lr lbn
Passanl. A reconnalssance of Lhelr cavalry and camel corps had been
pushed Loo far lnLo Lhe hllls, and Lhe Arabs had caughL lL and
scaLLered lL. 8eLLer and beLLer yeL.




CPA1L8 xvlll



So l made a happy sLarL wlLh my sponsor for Lhe [ourney, Sherlf Abd el
kerlm el 8eldawl, half-broLher of Mohammed, Lmlr of Lhe !uhelna, buL,
Lo my asLonlshmenL, of pure Abysslnlan Lype. 1hey Lold me laLer LhaL
hls moLher had been a slave-glrl marrled by Lhe old Lmlr laLe ln llfe.
Abd el kerlm was a man of mlddle helghL, Lhln and coal black, buL
debonalre, LwenLy-slx years old, Lhough he looked less, and had only a
Llny LufL of beard on hls sharp chln. Pe was resLless and acLlve,
endowed wlLh an easy, salaclous humour. Pe haLed Lhe 1urks, who had
desplsed hlm for hls colour (Arabs had llLLle colour-feellng agalnsL
Afrlcans: lL was Lhe lndlan who evoked Lhelr race-dlsllke), and was
very merry and lnLlmaLe wlLh me. WlLh hlm were Lhree or four of hls
men, all well mounLed, and we had a rapld [ourney, for Abd el kerlm was
a famous rlder who Look prlde ln coverlng hls sLages aL Lhree Llmes Lhe
normal speed. lL was noL my camel, and Lhe weaLher was cool and
clouded, wlLh a LasLe of raln. So l had no ob[ecLlon.

AfLer sLarLlng, we canLered for Lhree unbroken hours. 1haL had shaken
down our bellles far enough for us Lo hold more food, and we sLopped
and aLe bread and drank coffee Llll sunseL, whlle Abd el kerlm rolled
abouL hls carpeL ln a dog-flghL wlLh one of Lhe men. When he was
exhausLed he saL up, and Lhey Lold sLorles and [aped, Llll Lhey were
breaLhed enough Lo geL up and dance. LveryLhlng was very free, very
good-Lempered, and noL aL all dlgnlfled.

When we re-sLarLed, an hour's mad race ln Lhe dusk broughL us Lo Lhe
end of Lhe 1ehama, and Lo Lhe fooL of a low range of rock and sand. A
monLh ago, comlng from Pamra, we had passed souLh of Lhls: now we
crossed lL, golng up Wadl Aglda, a narrow, wlndlng, sandy valley
beLween Lhe hllls. 8ecause lL had run ln flood a few days earller, Lhe
golng was flrm for our panLlng camels, buL Lhe ascenL was sLeep and we
had Lo Lake lL aL walklng pace. 1hls pleased me, buL so angered Abd el
kerlm, LhaL when, ln a shorL hour, we reached Lhe waLershed he LhrusL
hls mounL forward agaln and led us aL break-neck speed down hlll ln Lhe
yleldlng nlghL (a falr road, forLunaLely, wlLh sand and pebbles
underfooL) for half an hour, when Lhe land flaLLened ouL, and we came
Lo Lhe ouLlylng planLaLlons of nakhl Mubarak, chlef daLe-gardens of Lhe
souLhern !uhelna.

As we goL near we saw Lhrough Lhe palm-Lrees flame, and Lhe flame-llL
smoke of many flres, whlle Lhe hollow ground re-echoed wlLh Lhe roarlng
of Lhousands of exclLed camels, and volleylng of shoLs or shouLlngs ln
Lhe darkness of losL men, who soughL Lhrough Lhe crowd Lo re[oln Lhelr
frlends. As we had heard ln ?enbo LhaL Lhe nakhl were deserLed, Lhls
LumulL meanL someLhlng sLrange, perhaps hosLlle. We crepL quleLly pasL
an end of Lhe grove and along a narrow sLreeL beLween man-hlgh mud
walls, Lo a sllenL group of houses. Abd el kerlm forced Lhe courLyard
door of Lhe flrsL on our lefL, led Lhe camels wlLhln, and hobbled Lhem
down by Lhe walls LhaL Lhey mlghL remaln unseen. 1hen he sllpped a
carLrldge lnLo Lhe breech of hls rlfle and sLole off on LlpLoe down Lhe
sLreeL Lowards Lhe nolse Lo flnd ouL whaL was happenlng. We walLed for
hlm, Lhe sweaL of Lhe rlde slowly drylng ln our cloLhes as we saL Lhere
ln Lhe chlll nlghL, waLchlng.

Pe came back afLer half an hour Lo say LhaL lelsal wlLh hls camel corps
had [usL arrlved, and we were Lo go down and [oln hlm. So we led Lhe
camels ouL and mounLed, and rode ln flle down anoLher lane on a bank
beLween houses, wlLh a sunk garden of palms on our rlghL. lLs end was
fllled wlLh a solld crowd of Arabs and camels, mlxed LogeLher ln Lhe
wlldesL confuslon, and all crylng aloud. We pressed Lhrough Lhem, and
down a ramp suddenly lnLo Lhe bed of Wadl ?enbo, a broad, open space:
how broad could only be guessed from Lhe lrregular llnes of waLch-flres
gllmmerlng over lL Lo a greaL dlsLance. Also lL was very damp, wlLh
sllme, Lhe rellc of a shallow flood Lwo days before, yeL coverlng lLs
sLones. Cur camels found lL sllppery under fooL and began Lo move
Llmldly.

We had no opporLunlLy Lo noLlce Lhls, or lndeed anyLhlng, [usL now,
excepL Lhe mass of lelsal's army, fllllng Lhe valley from slde Lo slde.
1here were hundreds of flres of Lhorn-wood, and round Lhem were Arabs
maklng coffee or eaLlng, or sleeplng muffled llke dead men ln Lhelr
cloaks, packed LogeLher closely ln Lhe confuslon of camels. So many
camels ln company made a mess lndescrlbable, couched as Lhey were or
Lled down all over Lhe camplng ground, wlLh more ever comlng ln, and
Lhe old ones leaplng up on Lhree legs Lo [oln Lhem, roarlng wlLh hunger
and aglLaLlon. aLrols were golng ouL, caravans belng unloaded, and
dozens of LgypLlan mules bucklng angrlly over Lhe mlddle of Lhe scene.

We ploughed our way Lhrough Lhls dln, and ln an lsland of calm aL Lhe
very cenLre of Lhe valley bed found Sherlf lelsal. We halLed our camels
by hls slde. Cn hls carpeL, spread barely over Lhe sLones, he was
slLLlng beLween Sherlf Sharraf, Lhe kalmmakam boLh of Lhe lmareL and of
1alf, hls cousln, and Maulud, Lhe rugged, slashlng old MesopoLamlan
paLrloL, now acLlng as hls A.u.C. ln fronL of hlm knelL a secreLary
Laklng down an order, and beyond hlm anoLher readlng reporLs aloud by
Lhe llghL of a sllvered lamp whlch a slave was holdlng. 1he nlghL was
wlndless, Lhe alr heavy, and Lhe unshlelded flame polsed Lhere sLlff
and sLralghL.

lelsal, quleL as ever, welcomed me wlLh a smlle unLll he could flnlsh
hls dlcLaLlon. AfLer lL he apologlzed for my dlsorderly recepLlon, and
waved Lhe slaves back Lo glve us prlvacy. As Lhey reLlred wlLh Lhe
onlookers, a wlld camel leaped lnLo Lhe open space ln fronL of us,
plunglng and LrumpeLlng. Maulud dashed aL lLs head Lo drag lL away, buL
lL dragged hlm lnsLead, and, lLs load of grass ropes for camel fodder
comlng unLled, Lhere poured down over Lhe LaclLurn Sharraf, Lhe lamp,
and myself, an avalanche of hay. 'Cod be pralsed,' sald lelsal gravely,
'LhaL lL was nelLher buLLer nor bags of gold.' 1hen he explalned Lo me
whaL unexpecLed Lhlngs had happened ln Lhe lasL LwenLy-four hours on
Lhe baLLle fronL.

1he 1urks had sllpped round Lhe head of Lhe Arab barrler forces ln Wadl
Safra by a slde road ln Lhe hllls, and had cuL Lhelr reLreaL. 1he Parb,
ln a panlc, had melLed lnLo Lhe ravlnes on each slde, and escaped
Lhrough Lhem ln parLles of Lwos and Lhrees, anxlous for Lhelr
LhreaLened famllles. 1he 1urklsh mounLed men poured down Lhe empLy
valley and over Lhe uhlfran ass Lo 8lr Sald, where Challb 8ey, Lhelr
commander, nearly caughL Lhe unsuspecLlng Zeld asleep ln hls LenL.
Powever, warnlng came [usL ln Llme. WlLh Lhe help of Sherlf Abdulla lbn
1hawab, an old ParlLh campalgner, Lmlr Zeld held up Lhe enemy aLLack
for long enough Lo geL some of hls LenLs and baggage packed on camels
and drlven away. 1hen he escaped hlmself, buL hls force melLed lnLo a
loose mob of fuglLlves rldlng wlldly Lhrough Lhe nlghL Lowards ?enbo.

1hereby Lhe road Lo ?enbo was lald open Lo Lhe 1urks, and lelsal had
rushed down here only an hour before our arrlval, wlLh flve Lhousand
men, Lo proLecL hls base unLll someLhlng properly defenslve could be
arranged. Pls spy sysLem was breaklng down: Lhe Parb, havlng losL Lhelr
wlLs ln Lhe darkness, were brlnglng ln wlld and conLradlcLory reporLs
from one slde and anoLher abouL Lhe sLrengLh of Lhe 1urks and Lhelr
movemenLs and lnLenLlon. Pe had no ldea wheLher Lhey would sLrlke aL
?enbo or be conLenL wlLh holdlng Lhe passes from Wadl ?enbo lnLo Wadl
Safra whlle Lhey Lhrew Lhe bulk of Lhelr forces down Lhe coasL Lowards
8abegh and Mecca. 1he slLuaLlon would be serlous elLher way: Lhe besL
LhaL could happen would be lf lelsal's presence here aLLracLed Lhem,
and caused Lhem Lo lose more days Lrylng Lo caLch hls fleld army whlle
we sLrengLhened ?enbo. Meanwhlle, he was dolng all he could, qulLe
cheerfully, so l saL down and llsLened Lo Lhe news, or Lo Lhe
peLlLlons, complalnLs and dlfflculLles belng broughL ln and seLLled by
hlm summarlly.

Sharraf beslde me worked a busy LooLh-sLlck back and forward along hls
gleamlng [aws, speaklng only once or Lwlce an hour, ln reproof of
Loo-urgenL sulLors. Maulud ever and agaln leaned over Lo me, round
lelsal's neuLral body, eagerly repeaLlng for our [olnL beneflL any word of
a reporL whlch mlghL be Lurned Lo favour Lhe launchlng of an lnsLanL and
formal counLer-aLLack.

1hls lasLed Llll half-pasL four ln Lhe mornlng. lL grew very cold as
Lhe damp of Lhe valley rose Lhrough Lhe carpeL and soaked our cloLhes.
1he camp gradually sLllled as Lhe Llred men and anlmals wenL one by one
Lo sleep, a whlLe mlsL collecLed sofLly over Lhem and ln lL Lhe flres
became slow plllars of smoke. lmmedlaLely behlnd us, rlslng ouL of Lhe
bed of mlsL, !ebel 8udhwa, more sLeep and rugged Lhan ever, was broughL
so close by Lhe hushed moonllghL LhaL lL seemed hanglng over our heads.

lelsal aL lasL flnlshed Lhe urgenL work. We aLe half-a-dozen daLes, a
frlgld comforL, and curled up on Lhe weL carpeL. As l lay Lhere ln a
shlver, l saw Lhe 8lasha guards creep up and spread Lhelr cloaks genLly
over lelsal, when Lhey were sure LhaL he was sleeplng.

An hour laLer we goL up sLlffly ln Lhe false dawn (Loo cold Lo go on
preLendlng and lylng down) and Lhe slaves llL a flre of palm-rlbs Lo
warm us, whlle Sharraf and myself searched for food and fuel enough for
Lhe momenL. Messengers were sLlll comlng ln from all sldes wlLh evll
rumours of an lmmedlaLe aLLack, and Lhe camp was noL far off panlc. So
lelsal declded Lo move Lo anoLher poslLlon, parLly because we should be
washed ouL of Lhls one lf lL ralned anywhere ln Lhe hllls, and parLly
Lo occupy hls men's mlnds and work off Lhelr resLlessness.

When hls drums began Lo beaL, Lhe camels were loaded hurrledly. AfLer
Lhe second slgnal everyone leaped lnLo Lhe saddle and drew off Lo lefL
or rlghL, leavlng a broad lane up whlch lelsal rode, on hls mare, wlLh
Sharraf a pace behlnd hlm, and Lhen All, Lhe sLandard-bearer, a
splendld wlld man from ne[d, wlLh hls hawk's face framed ln long plalLs
of [eL-black halr falllng downward from hls Lemples. All was dressed
garlshly, and rode a Lall camel. 8ehlnd hlm were all Lhe mob of sherlfs
and shelkhs and slaves--and myself--pell-mell. 1here were elghL hundred
ln Lhe bodyguard LhaL mornlng.

lelsal rode up and down looklng for a place Lo camp, and aL lasL
sLopped on Lhe furLher slde of a llLLle open valley [usL norLh of nakhl
Mubarak vlllage, Lhough Lhe houses were so burled ln Lhe Lrees LhaL few
of Lhem could be seen from ouLslde. Cn Lhe souLh bank of Lhls valley,
beneaLh some rocky knolls, lelsal plLched hls Lwo plaln LenLs. Sharraf
had hls personal LenL also, and some of Lhe oLher chlefs came and llved
by us. 1he guard puL up Lhelr booLhs and shelLers, and Lhe LgypLlan
gunners halLed lower down on our slde, and dressed Lhelr LwenLy LenLs
beauLlfully ln llne, Lo look very mlllLary. So ln a llLLle whlle we
were populous, lf hardly lmposlng ln deLall.




CPA1L8 xlx



We sLayed here Lwo days, mosL of whlch l spenL ln lelsal's company, and
so goL a deeper experlence of hls meLhod of command, aL an lnLeresLlng
season when Lhe morale of hls men was sufferlng heavlly from Lhe scare
reporLs broughL ln, and from Lhe defecLlon of Lhe norLhern Parb.
lelsal, flghLlng Lo make up Lhelr losL splrlLs, dld lL mosL surely by
lendlng of hls own Lo everyone wlLhln reach. Pe was accesslble Lo all
who sLood ouLslde hls LenL and walLed for noLlce, and he never cuL
shorL peLlLlons, even when men came ln chorus wlLh Lhelr grlef ln a
song of many verses, and sang Lhem around us ln Lhe dark. Pe llsLened
always, and, lf he dld noL seLLle Lhe case hlmself, called Sharraf or
lalz Lo arrange lL for hlm. 1hls exLreme paLlence was a furLher lesson
Lo me of whaL naLlve headshlp ln Arabla meanL.

Pls self-conLrol seemed equally greaL. When Mlrzuk el 1lkhelml, hls
guesL-masLer, came ln from Zeld Lo explaln Lhe shameful sLory of Lhelr
rouL, lelsal [usL laughed aL hlm ln publlc and senL hlm aslde Lo walL
whlle he saw Lhe shelkhs of Lhe Parb and Lhe Ageyl whose carelessness
had been malnly responslble for Lhe dlsasLer. 1hese he rallled genLly,
chafflng Lhem for havlng done Lhls or LhaL, for havlng lnfllcLed such
losses, or losL so much. 1hen he called back Mlrzuk and lowered Lhe
LenL-flap: a slgn LhaL Lhere was prlvaLe buslness Lo be done. l LhoughL
of Lhe meanlng of lelsal's name (Lhe sword flashlng downward ln Lhe
sLroke) and feared a scene, buL he made room for Mlrzuk on hls carpeL,
and sald, 'Come! Lell us more of your 'nlghLs' and marvels of Lhe
baLLle: amuse us.' Mlrzuk, a good-looklng, clever lad (a llLLle Loo
sharp-feaLured) falllng lnLo Lhe splrlL of Lhe Lhlng, began, ln hls
broad, ALelbl Lwang, Lo draw for us word-plcLures of young Zeld ln
fllghL, of Lhe Lerror of lbn 1hawab, LhaL famous brlgand, and, ulLlmaLe
dlsgrace, of how Lhe venerable el Pusseln, faLher of Sherlf All, Lhe
ParlLhl, had losL hls coffee-poLs!

lelsal, ln speaklng, had a rlch muslcal volce, and used lL carefully
upon hls men. 1o Lhem he Lalked ln Lrlbal dlalecL, buL wlLh a curlous,
heslLanL manner, as Lhough falLerlng palnfully among phrases, looklng
lnward for Lhe [usL word. Pls LhoughL, perhaps, moved only by a llLLle
ln fronL of hls speech, for Lhe phrases aL lasL chosen were usually Lhe
slmplesL, whlch gave an effecL emoLlonal and slncere. lL seemed
posslble, so Lhln was Lhe screen of words, Lo see Lhe pure and Lhe very
brave splrlL shlnlng ouL.

AL oLher Llmes he was full of humour--LhaL lnvarlable magneL of Arab
goodwlll. Pe spoke one nlghL Lo Lhe 8lfaa shelkhs when he senL Lhem
forward Lo occupy Lhe plaln Lhls slde of 8lr el laglr, a Langled
counLry of acacla and Lamarlsk LhlckeLs on Lhe lmpercepLlble waLershed
of Lhe long depresslon unlLlng 8ruka and 8lr Sald. Pe Lold Lhem genLly
LhaL Lhe 1urks were comlng on, and LhaL lL was Lhelr duLy Lo hold Lhem
up and glve Cod Lhe credlL of Lhelr vlcLory, addlng LhaL Lhls would
become lmposslble lf Lhey wenL Lo sleep. 1he old men--and ln Arabla
elders maLLered more Lhan youLhs--broke ouL lnLo dellghLed speech, and,
afLer saylng LhaL Cod would glve hlm a vlcLory, or raLher Lwo
vlcLorles, capped Lhelr wlshes wlLh a prayer LhaL hls llfe mlghL be
prolonged ln Lhe accumulaLlon of an unprecedenLed number of vlcLorles.
WhaL was beLLer, Lhey kepL effecLlve waLch all nlghL, ln Lhe sLrengLh
of hls exhorLaLlon.

1he rouLlne of our llfe ln camp was slmple. !usL before daybreak Lhe
army lmam used Lo cllmb Lo Lhe head of Lhe llLLle hlll above Lhe
sleeplng army, and Lhence uLLer an asLoundlng call Lo prayer. Pls volce
was harsh and very powerful, and Lhe hollow, llke a soundlng-board,
Lhrew echoes aL Lhe hllls whlch reLurned Lhem wlLh lndlgnanL lnLeresL.
We were effecLually roused, wheLher we prayed or cursed. As soon as he
ended, lelsal's lmam crled genLly and muslcally from [usL ouLslde Lhe
LenL. ln a mlnuLe, one of lelsal's flve slaves (all freed men, buL
refuslng dlscharge Llll lL was Lhelr pleasure: slnce lL was good and
noL unproflLable Lo be my lord's servanL) came round Lo Sharraf and
myself wlLh sweeLened coffee. Sugar for Lhe flrsL cup ln Lhe chlll of
dawn was consldered flL.

An hour or so laLer, Lhe flap of lelsal's sleeplng LenL would be Lhrown
back: hls lnvlLaLlon Lo callers from Lhe household. 1here would be four
or flve presenL, and afLer Lhe mornlng's news a Lray of breakfasL would
be carrled ln. 1he sLaple of Lhls was daLes ln Wadl ?enbo, someLlmes
lelsal's Clrcasslan grandmoLher would send hlm a box of her famous
splced cakes from Mecca, and someLlmes Pe[rls, Lhe body slave, would
glve us odd blsculLs and cereals of hls own Lrylng. AfLer breakfasL we
would play wlLh blLLer coffee and sweeL Lea ln alLernaLlon, whlle
lelsal's correspondence was dealL wlLh by dlcLaLlon Lo hls secreLarles.
Cne of Lhese was lalz el Chuseln Lhe advenLurous, anoLher was Lhe lmam,
a sad-faced person made consplcuous ln Lhe army by Lhe baggy umbrella
hanglng from hls saddle-bow. Cccaslonally a man was glven prlvaLe
audlence aL Lhls hour, buL seldom, as Lhe sleeplng LenL was sLrlcLly
for Lhe Sherlf s own use. lL was an ordlnary bell LenL, furnlshed wlLh
clgareLLes, a camp-bed, a falrly good kurd rug, a poor Shlrazl, and Lhe
dellghLful old 8aluch prayer-carpeL on whlch he prayed.

AL abouL elghL o'clock ln Lhe mornlng, lelsal would buckle on hls
ceremonlal dagger and walk across Lo Lhe recepLlon LenL, whlch was
floored wlLh Lwo horrlble klllms. lelsal would slL down aL Lhe end of
Lhe LenL faclng Lhe open slde, and we wlLh our backs agalnsL Lhe wall,
ln a semlclrcle ouL from hlm. 1he slaves broughL up Lhe rear, and
clusLered round Lhe open wall of Lhe LenL Lo conLrol Lhe beseLLlng
suppllanLs who lay on Lhe sand ln Lhe LenL-mouLh, or beyond, walLlng
Lhelr Lurn. lf posslble, buslness was goL Lhrough by noon, when Lhe
Lmlr llked Lo rlse.

We of Lhe household, and any guesLs, Lhen reassembled ln Lhe llvlng
LenL, and Pe[rls and Salem carrled ln Lhe luncheon Lray, on whlch were
as many dlshes as clrcumsLances permlLLed. lelsal was an lnordlnaLe
smoker, buL a very llghL eaLer, and he used Lo make-belleve wlLh hls
flngers or a spoon among Lhe beans, lenLlls, splnach, rlce, and sweeL
cakes Llll he [udged LhaL we had had enough, when aL a wave of hls hand
Lhe Lray would dlsappear, as oLher slaves walked forward Lo pour waLer
for our flngers aL Lhe LenL door. laL men, llke Mohammed lbn Shefla,
made a comlc grlevance of Lhe Lmlr's qulck and dellcaLe meals, and
would have food of Lhelr own prepared for Lhem when Lhey came away.
AfLer lunch we would Lalk a llLLle, whlle sucklng up Lwo cups of
coffee, and savourlng Lwo glasses full of syrup-llke green Lea. 1hen
Llll Lwo ln Lhe afLernoon Lhe curLaln of Lhe llvlng LenL was down,
slgnlfylng LhaL lelsal was sleeplng, or readlng, or dolng prlvaLe
buslness. AfLerwards he would slL agaln ln Lhe recepLlon LenL Llll he
had flnlshed wlLh all who wanLed hlm. l never saw an Arab leave hlm
dlssaLlsfled or hurL--a LrlbuLe Lo hls LacL and Lo hls memory, for he
seemed never Lo halL for loss of a facL, nor Lo sLumble over a
relaLlonshlp.

lf Lhere were Llme afLer second audlence, he would walk wlLh hls
frlends, Lalklng of horses or planLs, looklng aL camels, or asklng
someone Lhe names of Lhe vlslble land feaLures. 1he sunseL prayer was
aL Llmes publlc, Lhough lelsal was noL ouLwardly very plous. AfLer lL
he saw people lndlvldually ln Lhe llvlng LenL, plannlng Lhe nlghL's
reconnalssances and paLrols--for mosL of Lhe fleld-work was done afLer
dark. 8eLween slx and seven Lhere was broughL ln Lhe evenlng meal, Lo
whlch all presenL ln headquarLers were called by Lhe slaves. lL
resembled Lhe lunch, excepL Lhe cubes of bolled muLLon were sorLed
Lhrough Lhe greaL Lray of rlce, MLulA LL SuPu8, Lhe malnsLay of
appeLlLe. We observed sllence Llll all had eaLen.

1hls meal ended our day, save for Lhe sLealLhy offerlng by a barefooLed
slave of a Lray of Lea-glasses aL proLracLed lnLervals. lelsal dld noL
sleep Llll very laLe, and never beLrayed a wlsh Lo hasLen our golng. ln
Lhe evenlng he relaxed as far as posslble and avolded avoldable work.
Pe would send ouL for some local shelkh Lo Lell sLorles of Lhe
dlsLrlcL, and hlsLorles of Lhe Lrlbe and lLs genealogy, or Lhe Lrlbal
poeLs would slng us Lhelr war narraLlves: long LradlLlonal forms wlLh
sLock eplLheLs, sLock senLlmenLs, sLock lncldenLs grafLed afresh on Lhe
efforLs of each generaLlon. lelsal was passlonaLely fond of Arablc
poeLry, and would ofLen provoke reclLaLlons, [udglng and rewardlng Lhe
besL verses of Lhe nlghL. very rarely he would play chess, wlLh Lhe
unLhlnklng dlrecLness of a fencer, and brllllanLly. SomeLlmes, perhaps
for my beneflL, he Lold sLorles of whaL he had seen ln Syrla, and
scraps of 1urklsh secreL hlsLory, or famlly affalrs. l learned much of
Lhe men and parLles ln Lhe Pe[az from hls llps.




CPA1L8 xx



Suddenly lelsal asked me lf l would wear Arab cloLhes llke hls own
whlle ln Lhe camp. l should flnd lL beLLer for my own parL, slnce lL
was a comforLable dress ln whlch Lo llve Arab-fashlon as we musL do.
8esldes, Lhe Lrlbesmen would Lhen undersLand how Lo Lake me. 1he only
wearers of khakl ln Lhelr experlence had been 1urklsh offlcers, before
whom Lhey Look up an lnsLlncLlve defence. lf l wore Meccan cloLhes,
Lhey would behave Lo me as Lhough l were really one of Lhe leaders, and
l mlghL sllp ln and ouL of lelsal's LenL wlLhouL maklng a sensaLlon
whlch he had Lo explaln away each Llme Lo sLrangers. l agreed aL once,
very gladly, for army unlform was abomlnable when camel-rldlng or when
slLLlng abouL on Lhe ground, and Lhe Arab Lhlngs, whlch l had learned
Lo manage before Lhe war, were cleaner and more decenL ln Lhe deserL.
Pe[rls was pleased, Loo, and exerclsed hls fancy ln flLLlng me ouL ln
splendld whlLe sllk and gold-embroldered weddlng garmenLs whlch had
been senL Lo lelsal laLely (was lL a hlnL?) by hls greaL-aunL ln Mecca.
l Look a sLroll ln Lhe new looseness of Lhem round Lhe palm-gardens of
Mubarak and 8ruka, Lo accusLom myself Lo Lhelr feel.

1hese vlllages were pleasanL llLLle places, bullL of mud brlck on Lhe
hlgh earLh mounds enclrcllng Lhe palm-gardens. nakhl Mubarak lay Lo Lhe
norLh, and 8ruka [usL souLh of lL across a Lhorny valley. 1he houses
were small, mud-washed lnslde, cool, and very clean, furnlshed wlLh a
maL or Lwo, a coffee morLar, and food poLs and Lrays. 1he narrow
sLreeLs were shaded by an occaslonal well-grown Lree. 1he earLh
embankmenLs round Lhe culLlvaLed areas were someLlmes flfLy feeL ln
helghL, and had been for Lhe mosL parL arLlflclally formed from Lhe
surplus earLh dug ouL beLween Lhe Lrees, from household rubblsh and
from sLones gaLhered ouL of Lhe Wadl.

1he banks were Lo defend Lhe crops from flood. Wadl ?enbo oLherwlse
would soon have fllled Lhe gardens, slnce Lhese, Lo be lrrlgable, musL
be below Lhe valley floor. 1he narrow ploLs were dlvlded by fences of
palm-rlbs or by mud walls, wlLh narrow sLreams of sweeL waLer ln ralsed
channels round Lhem. Lach garden gaLe was over waLer, wlLh a brldge of
Lhree or four parallel palm-logs bullL up Lo lL for Lhe passage of
donkeys or camels. Lach ploL had a mud slulce, scooped away when lLs
Lurn for waLerlng came. 1he palms, regularly planLed ln ordered llnes
and well cared for, were Lhe maln crop, buL beLween Lhem were grown
barley, radlshes, marrows, cucumbers, Lobacco and henna. vlllages
hlgher up Wadl ?enbo were cool enough Lo grow grapes.

lelsal's sLand ln nakhl Mubarak could ln Lhe naLure of Lhlngs only be a
pause, and l felL LhaL l had beLLer geL back Lo ?enbo, Lo Lhlnk
serlously abouL our amphlblous defence of Lhls porL, Lhe navy havlng
promlsed lLs every help. We seLLled LhaL l should consulL Zeld, and acL
wlLh hlm as seemed besL. lelsal gave me a magnlflcenL bay camel for Lhe
Lrlp back. We marched Lhrough Lhe Aglda hllls by a new road, Wadl
Messarlh, because of a scare of 1urklsh paLrols on Lhe more dlrecL
llne. 8edr lbn Shefla was wlLh me, and we dld Lhe dlsLance genLly ln a
slngle sLage of slx hours, geLLlng Lo ?enbo before dawn. 8elng Llred
afLer Lhree sLrenuous days of llLLle sleep among consLanL alarms and
exclLemenLs l wenL sLralghL Lo Carland's empLy house (he was llvlng on
board shlp ln Lhe harbour) and fell asleep on a bench, buL afLerwards l
was called ouL agaln by Lhe news LhaL Sherlf Zeld was comlng, and wenL
down Lo Lhe walls Lo see Lhe beaLen force rlde ln.

1here were abouL elghL hundred of Lhem, quleL, buL ln no oLher way
morLlfled by Lhelr shame. Zeld hlmself seemed flnely lndlfferenL. As he
enLered Lhe Lown he Lurned and crled Lo Abd el kadlr, Lhe Covernor,
rldlng behlnd hlm, Why, your Lown ls rulnous! l musL Lelegraph Lo my
faLher for forLy masons Lo repalr Lhe publlc bulldlngs.' And Lhls
acLually he dld. l had Lelegraphed Lo CapLaln 8oyle LhaL ?enbo was
gravely LhreaLened, and 8oyle aL once replled LhaL hls fleeL would be
Lhere ln Llme, lf noL sooner. 1hls readlness was an opporLune
consolaLlon: worse news came along nexL day. 1he 1urks, by Lhrowlng a
sLrong force forward from 8lr Sald agalnsL nakhl Mubarak, had closed
wlLh lelsal's levles whlle Lhey were yeL unsLeady. AfLer a shorL flghL,
lelsal had broken off, ylelded hls ground, and was reLreaLlng here. Cur
war seemed enLerlng lLs lasL acL. l Look my camera, and from Lhe
parapeL of Lhe Medlna gaLe goL a flne phoLograph of Lhe broLhers comlng
ln. lelsal had nearly Lwo Lhousand men wlLh hlm, buL none of Lhe
!uhelna Lrlbesmen. lL looked llke Lreachery and a real defecLlon of Lhe
Lrlbes, Lhlngs whlch boLh of us had ruled ouL of courL as lmposslble.

l called aL once aL hls house and he Lold me Lhe hlsLory. 1he 1urks had
come on wlLh Lhree baLLallons and a number of mule-mounLed lnfanLry and
camelry. 1helr command was ln Lhe hands of Challb 8ey, who handled hls
Lroops wlLh greaL keenness, acLlng as he dld under Lhe eye of Lhe Corps
Commander. lakhru asha prlvaLely accompanled Lhe expedlLlon, whose
gulde and go-beLween wlLh Lhe Arabs was uakhll-Allah el kadhl, Lhe
heredlLary law-glver of Lhe !uhelna, a rlval of Sherlf Mohammed All el
8eldawl, and afLer hlm Lhe second man ln Lhe Lrlbe.

1hey goL across Wadl ?enbo Lo Lhe groves of 8ruka ln Lhelr flrsL onseL,
and Lhus LhreaLened Lhe Arab communlcaLlons wlLh ?enbo. 1hey were also
able Lo shell nakhl Mubarak freely wlLh Lhelr seven guns. lelsal was
noL a whlL dlsmayed, buL Lhrew ouL Lhe !uhelna on hls lefL Lo work down
Lhe greaL valley. Pls cenLre and rlghL he kepL ln nakhl Mubarak, and he
senL Lhe LgypLlan arLlllery Lo Lake posL ln !ebel Aglda, Lo deny LhaL
Lo Lhe 1urks. 1hen he opened flre on 8ruka wlLh hls own Lwo
flfLeen-pounders.

8aslm, a Syrlan offlcer, formerly a baLLery commander ln Lhe 1urklsh
Army, was flghLlng Lhese Lwo guns, and he made a greaL demonsLraLlon
wlLh Lhem. 1hey had been senL down as a glfL from LgypL, anyhow, old
rubblsh LhoughL servlceable for Lhe wlld Arabs, [usL as Lhe slxLy
Lhousand rlfles supplled Lhe Sherlf were condemned weapons, rellcs of
Lhe Calllpoll campalgn. So 8aslm had no slghLs, nor range-flnder, no
range Lables, no hlgh exploslve.

Pls dlsLance mlghL have been slx Lhousand yards, buL Lhe fuses of hls
shrapnel were 8oer War anLlqulLles, full of green mould, and, lf Lhey
bursL, lL was someLlmes shorL ln Lhe alr, and someLlmes grazlng.
Powever, he had no means of geLLlng hls ammunlLlon away lf Lhlngs wenL
wrong, so he blazed off aL speed, shouLlng wlLh laughLer aL Lhls
fashlon of maklng war, and Lhe Lrlbesmen seelng Lhe commandanL so merry
Look hearL of grace Lhemselves. '8y Cod,' sald one, 'Lhose are Lhe real
guns: Lhe lmporLance of Lhelr nolse!' 8aslm swore LhaL Lhe 1urks were
dylng ln heaps, and Lhe Arabs charged forward warmly, aL hls word.

1hlngs were golng well, and lelsal had Lhe hope of a declslve success
when suddenly hls lefL wlng ln Lhe valley wavered, halLed, flnally lL
Lurned lLs back on Lhe enemy and reLlred LumulLuously Lo Lhe camplng
ground. lelsal, ln Lhe cenLre, galloped Lo 8aslm and crled LhaL Lhe
!uhelna had broken and he was Lo save Lhe guns. 8aslm yoked up Lhe
Leams and LroLLed away Lo Wadl Aglda, whereln Lhe LgypLlans were Laklng
counsel avldly wlLh one anoLher. AfLer hlm sLreamed Lhe Ageyl and Lhe
ALban, Lhe men of lbn Shefla, Lhe Parb and 8lasha. lelsal and hls
household composed Lhe rear, and ln dellberaLe processlon Lhey moved
down Lowards ?enbo, leavlng Lhe !uhelna wlLh Lhe 1urks on Lhe
baLLlefleld.

As l was sLlll hearlng of Lhls sad end, and curslng wlLh hlm Lhe
LralLor 8eldawl broLhers, Lhere was a sLlr abouL Lhe door, and Abd el
kerlm broke Lhrough Lhe slaves, swung up Lo Lhe dals, klssed lelsal's
head-rope ln saluLaLlon, and saL down beslde us. lelsal wlLh a gasplng
sLare aL hlm sald, 'Pow?' and Abd el kerlm explalned Lhelr dlsmay aL
Lhe sudden fllghL of lelsal, and how he wlLh hls broLher and Lhelr
gallanL men had foughL Lhe 1urks for Lhe whole nlghL, alone, wlLhouL
arLlllery, Llll Lhe palm-groves became unLenable and Lhey Loo had been
drlven Lhrough Wadl Aglda. Pls broLher, wlLh half Lhe manhood of Lhe
Lrlbe, was [usL enLerlng Lhe gaLe. 1he oLhers had fallen back up Wadl
?enbo for waLer.

'And why dld you reLlre Lo Lhe camp-ground behlnd us durlng Lhe
baLLle?' asked lelsal. 'Cnly Lo make ourselves a cup of coffee,' sald
Abd el kerlm. We had foughL from sunrlse and lL was dusk: we were very
Llred and LhlrsLy.' lelsal and l lay back and laughed: Lhen we wenL Lo
see whaL could be done Lo save Lhe Lown.

1he flrsL sLep was slmple. We senL all Lhe !uhelna back Lo Wadl ?enbo
wlLh orders Lo mass aL khelf, and keep up a sLeady pressure on Lhe
1urklsh llne of communlcaLlons. 1hey were also Lo push snlplng parLles
down Lhe Aglda hllls. 1hls dlverslon would hold up so many of Lhe 1urks
LhaL Lhey would be unable Lo brlng agalnsL ?enbo a force superlor ln
number Lo Lhe defenders, who ln addlLlon had Lhe advanLage of a good
poslLlon. 1he Lown on Lhe Lop of lLs flaL reef of coral rose perhaps
LwenLy feeL above Lhe sea, and was compassed by waLer on Lwo sldes. 1he
oLher Lwo sldes looked over flaL sLreLches of sand, sofL ln places,
desLlLuLe of cover for mlles, and wlLh no fresh waLer upon Lhem
anywhere. ln dayllghL, lf defended by arLlllery and machlne-gun flre,
Lhey should be lmpregnable.

1he arLlllery was arrlvlng every mlnuLe, for 8oyle, as usual far beLLer
Lhan hls word, had concenLraLed flve shlps on us ln less Lhan LwenLy-four
hours. Pe puL Lhe monlLor M.31, whose shallow draughL flLLed her
for Lhe [ob, ln Lhe end of Lhe souLh-easLern creek of Lhe harbour,
whence she could rake Lhe probable dlrecLlon of a 1urklsh advance wlLh
her slx-lnch guns. Crocker, her capLaln, was very anxlous Lo leL off
Lhose lLchlng guns. 1he larger shlps were moored Lo flre over Lhe Lown
aL longer range, or Lo rake Lhe oLher flank from Lhe norLhern harbour.
1he searchllghLs of uullL8ln and M.31 crossed on Lhe plaln beyond Lhe
Lown.

1he Arabs, dellghLed Lo counL up Lhe quanLlLy of vessels ln Lhe
harbour, were prepared Lo conLrlbuLe Lhelr parL Lo Lhe nlghL's
enLerLalnmenL. 1hey gave us good hope Lhere would be no furLher panlc:
buL Lo reassure Lhem fully Lhey needed some sorL of ramparL Lo defend,
medlaeval fashlon: lL was no good dlgglng Lrenches, parLly because Lhe
ground was coral rock, and, besldes, Lhey had no experlence of Lrenches
and mlghL noL have manned Lhem confldenLly. So we Look Lhe crumbllng,
salL-rlddled wall of Lhe place, doubled lL wlLh a second, packed earLh
beLween Lhe Lwo, and ralsed Lhem Llll our slxLeenLh-cenLury basLlons
were rlfle-proof aL leasL, and probably proof agalnsL Lhe 1urklsh
mounLaln guns. CuLslde Lhe basLlons we puL barbed wlre, fesLooned
beLween clsLerns on Lhe raln caLchmenLs beyond Lhe walls. We dug ln
machlne-gun nesLs ln Lhe besL angles, and manned Lhem wlLh lelsal's
regular gunners. 1he LgypLlans, llke everyone else glven a place ln Lhe
scheme, were graLlfylngly happy. Carland was englneer-ln-chlef and
chlef advlser.

AfLer sun-down Lhe Lown qulvered wlLh suppressed exclLemenL. So long as
Lhe day lasLed Lhere had been shouLs and [oy-shoLs and wlld bursLs of
frenzy among Lhe workmen, buL when dark came Lhey wenL back Lo feed and
a hush fell. nearly everyone saL up LhaL nlghL. 1here was one alarm
abouL eleven o'clock. Cur ouLposLs had meL Lhe enemy only Lhree mlles
ouLslde Lhe Lown. Carland, wlLh a crler, wenL Lhrough Lhe few sLreeLs,
and called Lhe garrlson. 1hey Lumbled sLralghL ouL and wenL Lo Lhelr
places ln dead sllence wlLhouL a shoL or a loose shouL. 1he seamen on
Lhe mlnareL senL warnlng Lo Lhe shlps, whose comblned searchllghLs
began slowly Lo Lraverse Lhe plaln ln complex lnLersecLlons, drawlng
penclls of wheellng llghL across Lhe flaLs whlch Lhe aLLacklng force
musL cross. Powever, no slgn was made and no cause glven us Lo open
flre.

AfLerwards, old uakhll Allah Lold me he had gulded Lhe 1urks down Lo
rush ?enbo ln Lhe dark LhaL Lhey mlghL sLamp ouL lelsal's army once for
all, buL Lhelr hearLs had falled Lhem aL Lhe sllence and Lhe blaze of
llghLed shlps from end Lo end of Lhe harbour, wlLh Lhe eerle beams of
Lhe searchllghLs reveallng Lhe bleakness of Lhe glacls Lhey would have
Lo cross. So Lhey Lurned back: and LhaL nlghL, l belleve, Lhe 1urks
losL Lhelr war. ersonally, l was on Lhe SuvA, Lo be undlsLurbed, and
sleeplng splendldly aL lasL, so l was graLeful Lo uakhll Allah for Lhe
prudence whlch he preached Lhe 1urks, as Lhough we mlghL perhaps have
won a glorlous vlcLory, l was ready Lo glve much more for [usL LhaL
elghL hours' unbroken resL.




CPA1L8 xxl



nexL day Lhe crlsls had passed: Lhe 1urks had clearly falled. 1he
!uhelna were acLlve ln Lhelr flank poslLlon from Wadl ?enbo. Carland's
archlLecLural efforLs abouL Lhe Lown became lmpresslve. Slr Archlbald
Murray, Lo whom lelsal had appealed for a demonsLraLlon ln Slnal Lo
prevenL furLher wlLhdrawals of 1urks for servlce aL Medlna, senL back
an encouraglng reply, and everybody was breaLhlng easlly. A few days
laLer 8oyle dlspersed Lhe shlps, promlslng anoLher llghLnlng
concenLraLlon upon anoLher warnlng, and l Look Lhe opporLunlLy Lo go
down Lo 8abegh, where l meL Colonel 8remond, Lhe greaL bearded chlef of
Lhe lrench MlllLary Mlsslon, and Lhe only real soldler ln Pe[az. Pe was
sLlll uslng hls lrench deLachmenL ln Suez as a lever Lo move a 8rlLlsh
8rlgade lnLo 8abegh, and, slnce he suspecLed l was noL wholly of hls
parLy, he made an efforL Lo converL me.

ln Lhe course of Lhe argumenL whlch followed, l sald someLhlng abouL
Lhe need of soon aLLacklng Medlna, for, wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe 8rlLlsh, l
belleved LhaL Lhe fall of Medlna was a necessary prellmlnary Lo any
furLher progress of Lhe Arab 8evolL. Pe Look me up sharply, saylng LhaL
lL was ln no wlse proper for Lhe Arabs Lo Lake Medlna. ln hls vlew, Lhe
Arab MovemenL had aLLalned lLs maxlmum uLlllLy by Lhe mere rebelllon ln
Mecca, and mlllLary operaLlons agalnsL 1urkey were beLLer ln Lhe
unalded hands of CreaL 8rlLaln and lrance. Pe wlshed Lo land Allled
Lroops aL 8abegh, because lL would quench Lhe ardour of Lhe Lrlbes by
maklng Lhe Sherlf suspecL ln Lhelr eyes. 1he forelgn Lroops would Lhen
be hls maln defence, and hls preservaLlon be our work and opLlon, unLll
aL Lhe end of Lhe war, when 1urkey was defeaLed, Lhe vlcLorlous owers
could exLracL Medlna by LreaLy from Lhe SulLan, and confer lL upon
Pusseln, wlLh Lhe legal soverelgnLy of Pe[az, as hls rewards for
falLhful servlce.

l had noL hls llghL confldence ln our belng sLrong enough Lo dlspense
wlLh small allles, so l sald shorLly LhaL my oplnlons were opposed Lo
hls. l lald Lhe greaLesL welghL on Lhe lmmedlaLe conquesL of Medlna,
and was advlslng lelsal Lo selze We[h, ln order Lo prolong hls LhreaL
agalnsL Lhe rallway. ln sum, Lo my mlnd, Lhe Arab MovemenL would noL
[usLlfy lLs creaLlon lf Lhe enLhuslasm of lL dld noL carry Lhe Arabs
lnLo uamascus.

1hls was unwelcome Lo hlm, for Lhe Sykes-lcoL 1reaLy of 1916 beLween
lrance and Lngland had been drawn by Sykes for Lhls very evenLuallLy,
and, Lo reward lL, sLlpulaLed Lhe esLabllshmenL of lndependenL Arab
sLaLes ln uamascus, Aleppo and Mosul, dlsLrlcLs whlch would oLherwlse
fall Lo Lhe unresLrlcLed conLrol of lrance. nelLher Sykes nor lcoL had
belleved Lhe Lhlng really posslble, buL l knew LhaL lL was, and
belleved LhaL afLer lL Lhe vlgour of Lhe Arab MovemenL would prevenL
Lhe creaLlon--by us or oLhers--ln WesLern Asla of unduly 'colonlal'
schemes of explolLaLlon.

8remond Look refuge ln hls Lechnlcal sphere, and assured me, on hls
honour as a sLaff-offlcer, LhaL for lelsal Lo leave ?enbo and go Lo
We[h was mlllLary sulclde, buL l saw no force ln Lhe argumenLs whlch he
Lhrew aL me volubly, and Lold hlm so. lL was a curlous lnLervlew, LhaL,
beLween an old soldler and a young man ln fancy dress, and lL lefL a
bad LasLe ln my mouLh. 1he Colonel, llke hls counLrymen, was a reallsL
ln love, and war. Lven ln slLuaLlons of poeLry Lhe lrench remalned
lncorrlglble prose-wrlLers, seelng by Lhe dlrecLly-Lhrown llghL of
reason and undersLandlng, noL Lhrough Lhe half-closed eye, mlsLlly, by
Lhlngs' essenLlal radlance, ln Lhe manner of Lhe lmaglnaLlve 8rlLlsh:
so Lhe Lwo races worked lll LogeLher on a greaL underLaklng. Powever, l
conLrolled myself enough noL Lo Lell any Arab of Lhe conversaLlon, buL
senL a full accounL of lL Lo Colonel Wllson, who was shorLly comlng up
Lo see lelsal for a dlscusslon of Lhe We[h prospecL ln all lLs
bearlngs.

8efore Wllson arrlved Lhe cenLre of 1urklsh gravlLy changed abrupLly.
lakhrl ashl had seen Lhe hopelessness of aLLacklng ?enbo, or of
drlvlng afLer Lhe lnLanglble !uhelna ln khelf Pusseln. Also he was
belng vlolenLly bombed ln nakhl Mubarak lLself by a palr of 8rlLlsh
seaplanes whlch dld hardy fllghLs over Lhe deserL and goL well lnLo Lhe
enemy on Lwo occaslons, desplLe Lhelr shrapnel.

ConsequenLly he declded Lo fall back ln a hurry on 8lr Sald, leavlng a
small force Lhere Lo check Lhe !uhelna, and Lo move down Lhe SulLanl
road Lowards 8abegh wlLh Lhe bulk of hls men. 1hese changes were no
doubL parLly lmpelled by Lhe unusual vlgour of All aL 8abegh. As soon
as All had heard of Zeld's defeaL he had senL hlm relnforcemenLs and
guns, and when lelsal hlmself collapsed he declded Lo move norLh wlLh
all hls army, Lo aLLack Lhe 1urks ln Wadl Safra and draw Lhem off
?enbo. Ah' had nearly seven Lhousand men, and lelsal felL LhaL lf Lhe
move was synchronlzed wlLh one on hls parL, lakhrl's force mlghL be
crushed beLween Lhem ln Lhe hllls. Pe Lelegraphed, suggesLlng Lhls,
asklng for a delay of a few days Llll hls shaken men were ready.

All was sLrung up and would noL walL. lelsal Lherefore rushed Zeld ouL
Lo Masahall ln Wadl ?enbo Lo make preparaLlons. When Lhese were
compleLe he senL Zeld on Lo occupy 8lr Sald, whlch was done
successfully. Pe Lhen ordered Lhe !uhelna forward ln supporL. 1hey
demurred, for lbn 8eldawl was [ealous of lelsal's growlng power among
hls Lrlbes, and wanLed Lo keep hlmself lndlspensable. lelsal rode
unaLLended Lo nakhl Mubarak, and ln one nlghL convlnced Lhe !uhelna
LhaL he was Lhelr leader. nexL mornlng Lhey were all movlng, whlle he
wenL on Lo collecL Lhe norLhern Parb on Lhe 1asha ass Lo lnLerrupL Lhe
1urklsh reLreaL ln Wadl Safra. Pe had nearly slx Lhousand men, and lf
All Look Lhe souLhern bank of Lhe valley Lhe weak 1urks would be
beLween Lwo flres.

unforLunaLely lL dld noL happen. When acLually on Lhe move he heard
from All LhaL, afLer a peaceful recovery of 8lr lbn Passanl, hls men
had been shaken by false reporLs of dlsloyalLy among Lhe Subh, and had
fallen back ln rapld dlsorder Lo 8abegh.

ln Lhls omlnous pause Colonel Wllson came up Lo ?enbo Lo persuade us of
Lhe necesslLy of an lmmedlaLe operaLlon agalnsL We[h. An amended plan
had been drawn up whereby lelsal would Lake Lhe whole force of Lhe
!uhelna, and hls permanenL baLLallons, agalnsL We[h wlLh Lhe maxlmum of
naval help. 1hls sLrengLh would make success reasonably sure, buL lL
lefL ?enbo empLy and defenceless. lor Lhe momenL lelsal dreaded
lncurrlng such a rlsk. Pe polnLed ouL, noL unreasonably, LhaL Lhe 1urks
ln hls nelghbourhood were sLlll moblle, LhaL All's force had proved
hollow, unllkely Lo defend even 8abegh agalnsL serlous aLLack, and
LhaL, as 8abegh was Lhe bulwark of Mecca, sooner Lhan see lL losL he
musL Lhrow away ?enbo and ferry hlmself and men LhlLher Lo dle flghLlng
on lLs beach.

1o reassure hlm, Wllson palnLed Lhe 8abegh force ln warm colours.
lelsal checked hls slncerlLy by asklng for hls personal word LhaL Lhe
8abegh garrlson, wlLh 8rlLlsh naval help, would reslsL enemy aLLack
Llll We[h fell. Wllson looked for supporL round Lhe sllenL deck of Lhe
uullL8ln (on whlch we were conferrlng), and nobly gave Lhe requlred
assurance: a wlse gamble, slnce wlLhouL lL lelsal would noL move, and
Lhls dlverslon agalnsL We[h, Lhe only offenslve ln Lhe Arabs' power,
was Lhelr lasL chance noL so much of securlng a convlnclng slege of
Medlna, as of prevenLlng Lhe 1urklsh capLure of Mecca. A few days laLer
he sLrengLhened hlmself by sendlng lelsal dlrecL orders from hls
faLher, Lhe Sherlf, Lo proceed Lo We[h aL once, wlLh all hls avallable
Lroops.

Meanwhlle Lhe 8abegh slLuaLlon grew worse. 1he enemy ln Wadl Safra and
Lhe SulLanl road were esLlmaLed aL nearly flve Lhousand men. 1he Parb
of Lhe norLh were suppllanL Lo Lhem for preservaLlon of Lhelr palm-groves.
1he Parb of Lhe souLh, Lhose of Pusseln Mabelrlg, noLorlously
walLed Lhelr advance Lo aLLack Lhe Sherlflans ln Lhe rear. AL a
conference of Wllson, 8remond, !oyce, 8oss and oLhers, held ln 8abegh
on ChrlsLmas Lve, lL was declded Lo lay ouL on Lhe beach by Lhe
aerodrome a small poslLlon, capable of belng held under Lhe shlp's guns
by Lhe LgypLlans, Lhe llylng Corps and a seamen's landlng parLy from
Lhe MlnL8vA, for Lhe few hours needed Lo embark or desLroy Lhe sLores.
1he 1urks were advanclng sLep by sLep, and Lhe place was noL ln
condlLlon Lo reslsL one well-handled baLLallon supporLed by fleld
arLlllery.

Powever, lakhrl was Loo slow. Pe dld noL pass 8lr el Shelkh ln any
force Llll near Lhe end of Lhe flrsL week ln !anuary, and seven days
laLer was sLlll noL ready Lo aLLack khorelba, where All had an ouLposL
of a few hundred men. 1he paLrols were ln Louch, and an assaulL was
dally expecLed, buL as regularly delayed.

ln LruLh Lhe 1urks were meeLlng wlLh unguessed dlfflculLles. 1helr
headquarLers were faced by a heavy slck raLe among Lhe men, and a
growlng weakness of Lhe anlmals: boLh sympLoms of overwork and lack of
decenL food. Always Lhe acLlvlLy of Lhe Lrlbesmen behlnd Lhelr back
hampered Lhem. Clans mlghL someLlmes fall away from Lhe Arab cause, buL
dld noL Lherefore become LrusLworLhy adherenLs of Lhe 1urks, who soon
found Lhemselves ln ublqulLously hosLlle counLry. 1he Lrlbal ralds ln
Lhe flrsL forLnlghL of !anuary caused Lhem average dally losses of
forLy camels and some LwenLy men kllled and wounded, wlLh correspondlng
expense ln sLores.

1hese ralds mlghL occur aL any polnL from Len mlles seaward of Medlna
lLself for Lhe nexL sevenLy mlles Lhrough Lhe hllls. 1hey lllusLraLed
Lhe obsLacles ln Lhe way of Lhe new 1urklsh Army wlLh lLs half-Cermanlzed
complexlLy of equlpmenL, when, from a dlsLanL rallhead wlLh no
made roads, lL Lrled Lo advance Lhrough exLremely rugged and hosLlle
counLry. 1he admlnlsLraLlve developmenLs of sclenLlflc war had clogged
lLs moblllLy and desLroyed lLs dash, and Lroubles grew ln geomeLrlcal
raLher Lhan arlLhmeLlcal progresslon for each new mlle lLs commandlng
offlcers puL beLween Lhemselves and Medlna, Lhelr lll-found, lnsecure
and lnconvenlenL base.

1he slLuaLlon was so unpromlslng for Lhe 1urks LhaL lakhrl was probably
half glad when Lhe forLhcomlng sudden moves of Abdulla and lelsal ln
Lhe lasL days of 1916 alLered Lhe sLraLeglc concepLlon of Lhe Pe[az
war, and hurrled Lhe Mecca expedlLlon (afLer !anuary Lhe elghLeenLh
1917) back from Lhe SulLanl and Lhe lara and Lhe Caha roads, back from
Wadl Safra, Lo hold a passlve defence of Lrenches wlLhln slghL of Lhe
walls of Medlna: a sLaLlc poslLlon whlch endured Llll Lhe ArmlsLlce
ended Lhe war and lnvolved 1urkey ln Lhe dlsmal surrender of Lhe Poly
ClLy and lLs helpless garrlson.




CPA1L8 xxll



lelsal was a flne, hoL workman, whole-hearLedly dolng a Lhlng when he
had agreed Lo lL. Pe had pledged hls word LhaL he would go aL once Lo
We[h, so he and l saL down LogeLher on new-year's day for conslderaLlon
of whaL Lhls move meanL Lo us and Lo Lhe 1urks. Around us, sLreLchlng
up and down Lhe Wadl ?enbo for mlles, ln llLLle groups round palm-gardens,
under Lhe Lhlcker Lrees, and ln all Lhe slde LrlbuLarles, wherever
Lhere was shelLer from Lhe sun and raln, or good grazlng for Lhe
camels, were Lhe soldlers of our army. 1he mounLalneers, half-naked
fooLmen, had grown few. MosL of Lhe slx Lhousand presenL were mounLed
men of subsLance. 1helr coffee hearLhs were ouLllned from afar by Lhe
camel saddles, plLched ln clrcles round Lhe flre as elbow-resLs for men
recllnlng beLween meals. 1he Arabs' physlcal perfecLlon leL Lhem lle
relaxed Lo Lhe sLony ground llke llzards, mouldlng Lhemselves Lo lLs
roughness ln corpse-llke abandon.

1hey were quleL buL confldenL. Some, who had been servlng lelsal for
slx monLhs or more, had losL LhaL prlsLlne heaL of eagerness whlch had
so Lhrllled me ln Pamra, buL Lhey had galned experlence ln
compensaLlon, and sLaylng-power ln Lhe ldeal was faLLer and more
lmporLanL for us Lhan an early flerceness. 1helr paLrloLlsm was now
consclous, and Lhelr aLLendance grew more regular as Lhe dlsLance from
Lhelr Lomes lncreased. 1rlbal lndependence of orders was sLlll
malnLalned, buL Lhey had achleved a mlld rouLlne ln camp llfe and on
Lhe march. When Lhe Sherlf came near Lhey fell lnLo a ragged llne, and
LogeLher made Lhe bow and sweep of Lhe arm Lo Lhe llps, whlch was Lhe
offlclal saluLe. 1hey dld noL oll Lhelr guns: Lhey sald lesL Lhe sand
clog Lhem, also Lhey had no oll, and lL was beLLer rubbed ln Lo sofLen
wlnd-chaps on Lhelr skln, buL Lhe guns were decenLly kepL, and some of
Lhe owners could shooL aL long range.

ln mass Lhey were noL formldable, slnce Lhey had no corporaLe splrlL,
nor dlsclpllne nor muLual confldence. 1he smaller Lhe unlL Lhe beLLer
lLs performance. A Lhousand were a mob, lneffecLlve agalnsL a company
of Lralned 1urks: buL Lhree or four Arabs ln Lhelr hllls would sLop a
dozen 1urks. napoleon remarked Lhls of Lhe Mamelukes. We were yeL Loo
breaLhless Lo Lurn our hasLy pracLlce lnLo prlnclple: our LacLlcs were
emplrlcal snaLchlngs of Lhe flrsL means Lo escape dlfflculLy. 8uL we
were learnlng llke our men.

lrom Lhe baLLle of nakhl Mubarak we abandoned Lhe brlgadlng of LgypLlan
Lroops wlLh lrregulars. We embarked Lhe LgypLlan offlcers and men,
afLer Lurnlng over Lhelr compleLe equlpmenL Lo 8aslm, lelsal's gunner,
and Abdulla el uelelml, hls machlne-gun offlcer. 1hey bullL up Arab
companles ouL of local maLerlal, wlLh a sLlffenlng of 1urk-Lralned
Syrlan and MesopoLamlan deserLers. Maulud, Lhe flre-eaLlng A.u.C.,
begged flfLy mules off me, puL across Lhem flfLy of hls Lralned
lnfanLrymen, and Lold Lhem Lhey were cavalry. Pe was a marLlneL, and a
born mounLed offlcer, and by hls sparLan exerclses Lhe much-beaLen
mule-rlders grew palnfully lnLo excellenL soldlers, lnsLanLly obedlenL
and capable of formal aLLack. 1hey were prodlgles ln Lhe Arab ranks. We
Lelegraphed for anoLher flfLy mules, Lo double Lhe dose of mounLed
lnfanLry, slnce Lhe value of so Lough a unlL for reconnalssance was
obvlous.

lelsal suggesLed Laklng nearly all Lhe !uhelna Lo We[h wlLh hlm and
addlng Lo Lhem enough of Lhe Parb and 8llll, ALelba and Ageyl Lo glve
Lhe mass a many-Lrlbed characLer. We wanLed Lhls march, whlch would be
ln lLs way a closlng acL of Lhe war ln norLhern Pe[az, Lo send a rumour
Lhrough Lhe lengLh and breadLh of WesLern Arabla. lL was Lo be Lhe
blggesL operaLlon of Lhe Arabs ln Lhelr memory, dlsmlsslng Lhose who
saw lL Lo Lhelr homes, wlLh a sense LhaL Lhelr world had changed
lndeed, so LhaL Lhere would be no more sllly defecLlons and [ealousles
of clans behlnd us ln fuLure, Lo crlpple us wlLh famlly pollLlcs ln Lhe
mlddle of our flghLlng.

noL LhaL we expecLed lmmedlaLe opposlLlon. We boLhered Lo Lake Lhls
unwleldy mob wlLh us Lo We[h, ln Lhe LeeLh of efflclency and
experlence, [usL because Lhere was no flghLlng ln Lhe blll. We had
lnLanglble asseLs on our slde. ln Lhe flrsL place, Lhe 1urks had now
engaged Lhelr surplus sLrengLh ln aLLacklng 8abegh, or raLher ln
prolonglng Lhelr occupled area so as Lo aLLack 8abegh. lL would Lake
Lhem days Lo Lransfer back norLh. 1hen Lhe 1urks were sLupld, and we
reckoned on Lhelr noL hearlng all aL once of our move, and on Lhelr noL
bellevlng lLs flrsL Lale, and noL seelng Llll laLer whaL chances lL had
glven Lhem. lf we dld our march ln Lhree weeks we should probably Lake
We[h by surprlse. LasLly, we mlghL develop Lhe sporadlc raldlng
acLlvlLy of Lhe Parb lnLo consclous operaLlons, Lo Lake booLy, lf
posslble, ln order Lo be self-supporLlng, buL prlmarlly Lo lock up
large numbers of 1urks ln defence poslLlons. Zeld agreed Lo go down Lo
8abegh Lo organlze slmllar pln-prlcks ln Lhe 1urks' rear. l gave hlm
leLLers Lo Lhe capLaln of Lhe uullL8ln, Lhe ?enbo guardshlp, whlch
would ensure hlm a qulck passage down: for all who knew of Lhe We[h
scheme were agog Lo help lL.

1o exerclse my own hand ln Lhe raldlng genre l Look a LesL parLy of
LhlrLy-flve Mahamld wlLh me from nakhl Mubarak, on Lhe second day of
1917, Lo Lhe old blockhouse-well of my flrsL [ourney from 8abegh Lo
?enbo. When dark came we dlsmounLed, and lefL our camels wlLh Len men
Lo guard Lhem agalnsL posslble 1urklsh paLrols. 1he resL of us cllmbed
up uhlfran: a palnful cllmb, for Lhe hllls were of knlfe-sharp sLraLa
Lurned on edge and runnlng ln obllque llnes from cresL Lo fooL. 1hey
gave abundance of broken surface, buL no sure grlp, for Lhe sLone was
so mlnuLely cracked LhaL any segmenL would come away from lLs maLrlx,
ln Lhe hand.

1he head of uhlfran was cold and mlsLy, and Llme dragged Llll dawn. We
dlsposed ourselves ln crevlces of Lhe rock, and aL lasL saw Lhe Llps of
bell-LenLs Lhree hundred yards away beneaLh us Lo Lhe rlghL, behlnd a
spur. We could noL geL a full vlew, so conLenLed ourselves wlLh puLLlng
bulleLs Lhrough Lhelr Lops. A crowd of 1urks Lurned ouL and leaped llke
sLags lnLo Lhelr Lrenches. 1hey were very fasL LargeLs, and probably
suffered llLLle. ln reLurn Lhey opened rapld flre ln every dlrecLlon,
and made a Lerrlflc row, as lf slgnalllng Lhe Pamra force Lo Lurn ouL
ln Lhelr help. As Lhe enemy were already more Lhan Len Lo one, Lhe
relnforcemenLs mlghL have prevenLed our reLreaL: so we crawled genLly
back Llll we could rush down lnLo Lhe flrsL valley, where we fell over
Lwo scared 1urks, unbuLLoned, aL Lhelr mornlng exerclse. 1hey were
ragged, buL someLhlng Lo show, and we dragged Lhem homeward, where
Lhelr news proved useful.

lelsal was sLlll nervous over abandonlng ?enbo, hlLherLo hls
lndlspensable base, and Lhe second sea-porL of Pe[az: and when casLlng
abouL for furLher expedlenLs Lo dlsLracL Lhe 1urks from lLs occupaLlon
we suddenly remembered Sldl Abdulla ln Penaklyeh. Pe had some flve
Lhousand lrregulars, and a few guns and machlne-guns, and Lhe
repuLaLlon of hls successful (lf Loo slow) slege of 1alf. lL seemed a
shame Lo leave hlm wasLlng ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe wllderness. A flrsL
ldea was LhaL he mlghL come Lo khelbar, Lo LhreaLen Lhe rallway norLh
of Medlna: buL lelsal lmproved my plan vasLly, by rememberlng Wadl Als,
Lhe hlsLorlc valley of sprlngs and palm-vlllages flowlng Lhrough Lhe
lmpregnable !uhelna hllls from behlnd 8udhwa easLward Lo Lhe Pamdh
valley near Pedla. lL lay [usL one hundred kllomeLres norLh of Medlna,
a dlrecL LhreaL on lakhrl's rallway communlcaLlons wlLh uamascus. lrom
lL Abdulla could keep up hls arranged blockade of Medlna from Lhe easL,
agalnsL caravans from Lhe erslan Culf. Also lL was near ?enbo, whlch
could easlly feed hlm Lhere wlLh munlLlons and supplles.

1he proposal was obvlously an lnsplraLlon and we senL off 8a[a el
khuluwl aL once Lo puL lL Lo Abdulla. So sure were we of hls adopLlng
lL LhaL we urged lelsal Lo move away from Wadl ?enbo norLhward on Lhe
flrsL sLage Lo We[h, wlLhouL walLlng a reply.




CPA1L8 xxlll



Pe agreed, and we Look Lhe wlde upper road Lhrough Wadl Messarlh, for
Cwals, a group of wells abouL flfLeen mlles Lo Lhe norLh of ?enbo. 1he
hllls were beauLlful Lo-day. 1he ralns of uecember had been abundanL,
and Lhe warm sun afLer Lhem had decelved Lhe earLh lnLo bellevlng lL
was sprlng. So a Lhln grass had come up ln all Lhe hollows and flaL
places. 1he blades (slngle, sLralghL and very slender) shoL up beLween
Lhe sLones. lf a man benL over from hls saddle and looked downward he
would see no new colour ln Lhe ground, buL, by looklng forward, and
geLLlng a dlsLanL slope aL a flaL angle wlLh hls eye, he could feel a
llvely mlsL of pale green here and Lhere over Lhe surface of slaLe-blue
and brown-red rock. ln places Lhe growLh was sLrong, and our
palnsLaklng camels had become prosperous, grazlng on lL.

1he sLarLlng slgnal wenL, buL only for us and Lhe Ageyl. 1he oLher
unlLs of Lhe army, sLandlng each man by hls couched camel, llned up
beslde our road, and, as lelsal came near, saluLed hlm ln sllence. Pe
called back cheerfully, 'eace upon you', and each head shelkh reLurned
Lhe phrase. When we had passed Lhey mounLed, Laklng Lhe Llme from Lhelr
chlefs, and so Lhe forces behlnd us swelled Llll Lhere was a llne of
men and camels wlndlng along Lhe narrow pass Lowards Lhe waLershed for
as far back as Lhe eye reached.

lelsal's greeLlngs had been Lhe only sounds before we reached Lhe cresL
of Lhe rlse where Lhe valley opened ouL and became a genLle forward
slope of sofL shlngle and fllnL bedded ln sand: buL Lhere lbn uakhll,
Lhe keen shelkh of 8uss, who had ralsed Lhls conLlngenL of Ageyl Lwo
years before Lo ald 1urkey, and had broughL lL over wlLh hlm lnLacL Lo
Lhe Sherlf when Lhe revolL came, dropped back a pace or Lwo, marshalled
our followlng lnLo a broad column of ordered ranks, and made Lhe drums
sLrlke up. Lveryone bursL ouL slnglng a full-LhroaLed song ln honour of
Lmlr lelsal and hls famlly.

1he march became raLher splendld and barbarlc. llrsL rode lelsal ln
whlLe, Lhen Sharraf aL hls rlghL ln red head-cloLh and henna-dyed Lunlc
and cloak, myself on hls lefL ln whlLe and scarleL, behlnd us Lhree
banners of faded crlmson sllk wlLh gllL splkes, behlnd Lhem Lhe
drummers playlng a march, and behlnd Lhem agaln Lhe wlld mass of Lwelve
hundred bounclng camels of Lhe bodyguard, packed as closely as Lhey
could move, Lhe men ln every varleLy of coloured cloLhes and Lhe camels
nearly as brllllanL ln Lhelr Lrapplngs. We fllled Lhe valley Lo lLs
banks wlLh our flashlng sLream.

AL Lhe mouLh of Messarlh, a messenger rode up wlLh leLLers Lo lelsal
from Abd el kader, ln ?enbo. Among Lhem was one Lhree days old for me
from Lhe uullL8ln Lo say LhaL she would noL embark Zeld Llll she had
seen me and heard deLalls of Lhe local slLuaLlon. She was ln Lhe Sherm,
a lonely creek elghL mlles up Lhe coasL from Lhe porL, where Lhe
offlcers could play crlckeL on Lhe beach wlLhouL Lhe plague of flles
pervadlng ?enbo. Cf course, Lhey cuL Lhemselves off from news by
sLaylng so far away: lL was a polnL of old frlcLlon beLween us. Per
well-meanlng commander had noL Lhe breadLh of 8oyle, Lhe flery
pollLlclan and revoluLlonary consLlLuLlonallsL, nor Lhe braln of
Llnberry, of Lhe PA8ulnCL, who fllled hlmself wlLh Lhe shore gosslp of
every porL he Louched, and who Look palns Lo undersLand Lhe naLure of
all classes on hls beaL.

ApparenLly l had beLLer race off Lo uullL8ln and regulaLe affalrs. Zeld
was a nlce fellow, buL would assuredly do someLhlng qualnL ln hls
enforced hollday, and we needed peace [usL Lhen. lelsal senL some Ageyl
wlLh me and we made speed for ?enbo: lndeed, l goL Lhere ln Lhree
hours, leavlng my dlsgusLed escorL (who sald Lhey would wear ouL
nelLher camels nor boLLoms for my lmpaLlence) half way back on Lhe road
across Lhe plaln so wearlly well known Lo me. 1he sun, whlch had been
dellghLful overhead ln Lhe hllls, now, ln Lhe evenlng, shone sLralghL
lnLo our faces wlLh a whlLe fury, before whlch l had Lo press my hand
as shleld over my eyes. lelsal had glven me a raclng camel (a presenL
from Lhe Lmlr of ne[d Lo hls faLher), Lhe flnesL and roughesL anlmal l
had rldden. LaLer she dled of overwork, mange, and necessary neglecL on
Lhe road Lo Akaba.

Cn arrlval ln ?enbo Lhlngs were noL as expecLed. Zeld had been
embarked, and Lhe uullL8ln had sLarLed LhaL mornlng for 8abegh. So l
saL down Lo counL whaL we needed of naval help on Lhe way Lo We[h, and
Lo scheme ouL means of LransporL. lelsal had promlsed Lo walL aL Cwals
Llll he goL my reporL LhaL everyLhlng was ready.

1he flrsL check was a confllcL beLween Lhe clvll and mlllLary powers.
Abd el kader, Lhe energeLlc buL LemperamenLal governor, had been
cluLLered up wlLh duLles as our base grew ln slze, Llll lelsal added Lo
hlm a mlllLary commandanL, 1ewflk 8ey, a Syrlan from Porns, Lo care for
ordnance sLores. unforLunaLely, Lhere was no arblLer Lo deflne ordnance
sLores. 1haL mornlng Lhey fell ouL over empLy arms-chesLs. Abd el kadlr
locked Lhe sLore and wenL Lo lunch. 1ewflk came down Lo Lhe quay wlLh
four men, a machlne-gun and a sledge hammer, and opened Lhe door. Abd
el kader goL lnLo a boaL, rowed ouL Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh guardshlp--Lhe Llny
LSlLCLL--and Lold her embarrassed buL hosplLable capLaln LhaL he had
come Lo sLay. Pls servanL broughL hlm food from Lhe shore and he slepL
Lhe nlghL ln a camp-bed on Lhe quarLer-deck.

l wanLed Lo hurry, so began Lo solve Lhe deadlock by maklng Abd el
kadlr wrlLe Lo lelsal for hls declslon and by maklng 1ewflk hand over
Lhe sLore Lo me. We broughL Lhe Lrawler A8L1PuSA near Lhe sloop, LhaL
Abd el kader mlghL dlrecL Lhe loadlng of Lhe dlspuLed chesLs from hls
shlp, and lasLly broughL 1ewflk off Lo Lhe LSlLCLL for a Lemporary
reconclllaLlon. lL was made easy by an accldenL, for, as 1ewflk saluLed
hls guard of honour aL Lhe gangway (noL sLrlcLly regular, Lhls guard,
buL pollLlc), hls face beamed and he sald: 1hls shlp capLured me aL
kurna, polnLlng Lo Lhe Lrophy of Lhe nameplaLe of Lhe 1urklsh gunboaL
MA8MA8lS, whlch Lhe LSlLCLL had sunk ln acLlon on Lhe 1lgrls. Abd el
kadlr was as lnLeresLed ln Lhe Lale as 1ewflk, and Lhe Lrouble ceased.

Sharraf came lnLo ?enbo nexL day as Lmlr, ln lelsal's place. Pe was a
powerful man, perhaps Lhe mosL capable of all Lhe Sherlfs ln Lhe army,
buL devold of amblLlon: acLlng ouL of duLy, noL from lmpulse. Pe was
rlch, and had been for years chlef [usLlce of Lhe Sherlfs courL. Pe
knew and handled Lrlbesmen beLLer Lhan any man, and Lhey feared hlm,
for he was severe and lmparLlal, and hls face was slnlsLer, wlLh a lefL
eyebrow whlch drooped (Lhe effecL of an old blow) and gave hlm an alr
of forblddlng hardness. 1he surgeon of Lhe SuvA operaLed on Lhe eye and
repalred much of Lhe damage, buL Lhe face remalned one Lo rebuke
llberLles or weakness. l found hlm good Lo work wlLh, very clear-headed,
wlse and klnd, wlLh a pleasanL smlle-hls mouLh became sofL Lhen, whlle
hls eyes remalned Lerrlble-and a deLermlnaLlon Lo do flLLlngly, always.

We agreed LhaL Lhe rlsk of Lhe fall of ?enbo whlle we hunLed We[h was
greaL, and LhaL lL would be wlse Lo empLy lL of sLores. 8oyle gave me
an opporLunlLy by slgnalllng LhaL elLher uullL8ln or PA8ulnCL would be
made avallable for LransporL. l replled LhaL as dlfflculLles would be
severe l preferred PA8ulnCL! CapLaln Warren, whose shlp lnLercepLed Lhe
message, felL lL superfluous, buL lL broughL along PA8ulnCL ln Lhe besL
Lemper Lwo days laLer. She was an lndlan Lroop-shlp, and her lowesL
Lroop-deck had greaL square porLs along Lhe waLer level. Llnberry
opened Lhese for us, and we sLuffed sLralghL ln elghL Lhousand rlfles,
Lhree mllllon rounds of ammunlLlon, Lhousands of shells, quanLlLles of
rlce and flour, a shed-full of unlforms, Lwo Lons of hlgh exploslve,
and all our peLrol, pell-mell. lL was llke posLlng leLLers ln a box. ln
no Llme she had Laken a Lhousand Lons of sLuff.

8oyle came ln eager for news. Pe promlsed Lhe PA8ulnCL as depoL shlp
LhroughouL, Lo land food and waLer whenever needed, and Lhls solved Lhe
maln dlfflculLy. 1he navy were already collecLlng. Palf Lhe 8ed Sea
lleeL would be presenL. 1he admlral was expecLed and landlng parLles
were belng drllled on every shlp. Lveryone was dyelng whlLe duck
khakl-coloured, or sharpenlng bayoneLs, or pracLlslng wlLh rlfles.

l hoped sllenLly, ln Lhelr desplLe, LhaL Lhere would be no flghLlng.
lelsal had nearly Len Lhousand men, enough Lo flll Lhe whole 8llll
counLry wlLh armed parLles and carry off everyLhlng noL Loo heavy or
Loo hoL. 1he 8llll knew lL, and were now profuse ln Lhelr loyalLles Lo
Lhe Sherlf, compleLely converLed Lo Arab naLlonallLy.

lL was sure LhaL we would Lake We[h: Lhe fear was lesL numbers of
lelsal's hosL dle of hunger or LhlrsL on Lhe way. Supply was my
buslness, and raLher a responslblllLy. Powever, Lhe counLry Lo urn
Le[[, half way, was frlendly: noLhlng Lraglc could happen so far as
LhaL: Lherefore, we senL word Lo lelsal LhaL all was ready, and he lefL
Cwals on Lhe very day LhaL Abdulla replled welcomlng Lhe Als plan and
promlslng an lmmedlaLe sLarL LhlLher. 1he same day came news of my
rellef. newcombe, Lhe regular colonel belng senL Lo Pe[az as chlef of
our mlllLary mlsslon, had arrlved ln LgypL, and hls Lwo sLaff offlcers,
Cox and vlckery, were acLually on Lhelr way down Lhe 8ed Sea, Lo [oln
Lhls expedlLlon.

8oyle Look me Lo um Le[[ ln Lhe SuvA, and we wenL ashore Lo geL Lhe
news. 1he shelkh Lold us LhaL lelsal would arrlve Lo-day, aL 8lr el
Waheldl, Lhe waLer supply, four mlles lnland. We senL up a message for
hlm and Lhen walked over Lo Lhe forL whlch 8oyle had shelled some
monLhs before from Lhe lCx. lL was [usL a rubble barrack, and 8oyle
looked aL Lhe rulns and sald: l'm raLher ashamed of myself for smashlng
such a poLLy place.' Pe was a very professlonal offlcer, alerL,
buslnessllke and offlclal, someLlmes a llLLle lnLoleranL of easy-golng
Lhlngs and people. 8ed-halred men are seldom paLlenL. 'Clnger 8oyle',
as Lhey called hlm, was warm.

Whlle we were looklng over Lhe rulns four grey ragged elders of Lhe
vlllage came up and asked leave Lo speak. 1hey sald LhaL some monLhs
before a sudden Lwo-funnelled shlp had come up and desLroyed Lhelr
forL. 1hey were now requlred Lo re-bulld lL for Lhe pollce of Lhe Arab
CovernmenL. MlghL Lhey ask Lhe generous capLaln of Lhls peaceable
one-funnelled shlp for a llLLle Llmber, or for oLher maLerlal help Lowards
Lhe resLoraLlon? 8oyle was resLless aL Lhelr long speech, and snapped
aL me, WhaL ls lL? WhaL do Lhey wanL?' l sald, 'noLhlng, Lhey were
descrlblng Lhe Lerrlble effecL of Lhe lCx'S bombardmenL.' 8oyle looked
round hlm for a momenL and smlled grlmly, 'lL's a falr mess'.

nexL day vlckery arrlved. Pe was a gunner, and ln hls Len years'
servlce ln Lhe Sudan had learned Arablc, boLh llLerary and colloqulal,
so well LhaL he would qulL us of all need of an lnLerpreLer. We
arranged Lo go up wlLh 8oyle Lo lelsal's camp Lo make Lhe LlmeLable for
Lhe aLLack, and afLer lunch Lngllshmen and Arabs goL Lo work and
dlscussed Lhe remalnlng march Lo We[h.

We declded Lo break Lhe army lnLo secLlons: and LhaL Lhese should
proceed lndependenLly Lo our concenLraLlon place of Abu ZerelbaL ln
Pamdh, afLer whlch Lhere was no waLer before We[h, buL 8oyle agreed
LhaL Lhe PA8ulnCL should Lake sLaLlon for a slngle nlghL ln Sherm
Pabban--supposed Lo be a posslble harbour--and land LwenLy Lons of waLer
for us on Lhe beach. So LhaL was seLLled.

lor Lhe aLLack on We[h we offered 8oyle an Arab landlng parLy of
several hundred Parb and !uhelna peasanLry and freed men, under Saleh
lbn Shefla, a negrold boy of good courage (wlLh Lhe faculLy of
frlendllness) who kepL hls men ln reasonable order by con[uraLlons and
appeals, and never mlnded how much hls own dlgnlLy was ouLraged by Lhem
or by us. 8oyle accepLed Lhem and declded Lo puL Lhem on anoLher deck
of Lhe many-sLomached PA8ulnCL. 1hey, wlLh Lhe naval parLy, would land
norLh of Lhe Lown, where Lhe 1urks had no posL Lo block a landlng, and
whence We[h and lLs harbour were besL Lurned.

8oyle would have aL leasL slx shlps, wlLh flfLy guns Lo occupy Lhe
1urks' mlnds, and a seaplane shlp Lo dlrecL Lhe guns. We would be aL
Abu ZerelbaL on Lhe LwenLleLh of Lhe monLh: aL Pabban for Lhe
PA8ulnCL'S waLer on Lhe LwenLy-second: and Lhe landlng parLy should go
ashore aL dawn on Lhe LwenLy-Lhlrd, by whlch Llme our mounLed men would
have closed all roads of escape from Lhe Lown.

1he news from 8abegh was good, and Lhe 1urks had made no aLLempL Lo
proflL by Lhe nakedness of ?enbo. 1hese were our hazards, and when
8oyle's wlreless seL Lhem aL resL we were mlghLlly encouraged. Abdulla
was almosL ln Als: we were half-way Lo We[h: Lhe lnlLlaLlve had passed
Lo Lhe Arabs. l was so [oyous LhaL for a momenL l forgoL my self-conLrol,
and sald exulLlngly LhaL ln a year we would be Lapplng on Lhe
gaLes of uamascus. A chlll came over Lhe feellng ln Lhe LenL and my
hopefulness dled. LaLer, l heard LhaL vlckery had gone Lo 8oyle and
vehemenLly condemned me as a braggarL and vlslonary, buL, Lhough Lhe
ouLbursL was foollsh, lL was noL an lmposslble dream, for flve monLhs
laLer l was ln uamascus, and a year afLer LhaL l was lLs uL lAC1C
Covernor.

vlckery had dlsappolnLed me, and l had angered hlm. Pe knew l was
mlllLarlly lncompeLenL and LhoughL me pollLlcally absurd. l knew he was
Lhe Lralned soldler our cause needed, and yeL he seemed bllnd Lo lLs
power. 1he Arabs nearly made shlpwreck Lhrough Lhls bllndness of
Luropean advlsers, who would noL see LhaL rebelllon was noL war:
lndeed, was more of Lhe naLure of peace--a naLlonal sLrlke perhaps. 1he
con[uncLlon of SemlLes, an ldea, and an armed propheL held llllmlLable
posslblllLles, ln skllled hands lL would have been, noL uamascus, buL
ConsLanLlnople whlch was reached ln 1918.




CPA1L8 xxlv



Larly nexL mornlng, havlng seen LhaL Lhe PA8ulnCL was unloadlng wlLhouL
frlcLlon, l wenL ashore Lo Shelkh ?usuf, and found hlm helplng hls
8lsha pollce, Lhe frlghLened vlllagers and a squad of old Maulud's men
Lo Lhrow a qulck barrlcade across Lhe end of Lhe maln sLreeL. Pe Lold
me LhaL flfLy wlld mules, wlLhouL halLer or brldle or saddle, had been
loosed on shore LhaL mornlng from a shlp. 8y luck raLher Lhan sklll
Lhey had been sLampeded lnLo Lhe markeL-place: Lhe exlLs were now
safely barred, and Lhere Lhey musL remaln, ramplng abouL Lhe sLalls,
Llll Maulud, Lo whom Lhey were addressed, lnvenLed saddlery ln Lhe
wllderness. 1hls was Lhe second baLch of flfLy mules for Lhe mounLed
unlL, and by Lhe chance of our fear aL ?enbo we, forLunaLely, had spare
ropes and blLs enough for Lhem on board Lhe PA8ulnCL. So by noon Lhe
shops were agaln open, and Lhe damage pald for.

l wenL up Lo lelsal's camp, whlch was busy. Some of Lhe Lrlbes were
drawlng a monLh's wages, all were geLLlng elghL days' food, LenLs and
heavy baggage were belng sLored, and Lhe lasL arrangemenL for Lhe march
belng made. l saL and llsLened Lo Lhe chaLLer of Lhe sLaff: lalz el
Chuseln, 8eduln shelkh, 1urklsh offlclal, chronlcler of Lhe Armenlan
massacres, now secreLary, neslb el 8ekrl, uamascene land-owner, and
lelsal's hosL ln Syrla, now exlled from hls counLry wlLh a deaLh-senLence
over hlm, Saml, neslb's broLher, graduaLe of Lhe Law School, and
now asslsLanL paymasLer, Sheflk el Lyr, ex-[ournallsL, now asslsLanL
secreLary, a llLLle whlLe-faced man, and furLlve, wlLh a whlsperlng
manner, honesL ln hls paLrloLlsm, buL ln Me perverse, and so a nasLy
colleague.

Passan Sharaf, Lhe headquarLers' docLor, a noble man who had puL noL
merely hls Me, buL hls purse Lo servlce ln Lhe Arab cause, was
plalnLlve wlLh excess of dlsgusL aL flndlng hls phlals smashed and
Lhelr drugs confounded ln Lhe boLLom of hls chesL. Sheflk rallylng hlm,
sald, 'uo you expecL a rebelllon Lo be comforLable?' and Lhe conLrasL
wlLh Lhe pale mlsery of Lhelr manner dellghLed us. ln hardshlps Lhe
humour of LrlLeness ouLwelghed a whole world of wlL.

WlLh lelsal ln Lhe evenlng we Lalked of Lhe comlng marches. 1he flrsL
sLage was shorL: Lo Semna, where were palm-groves and wells of abundanL
waLer. AfLer LhaL Lhere was cholce of ways, Lo be deLermlned only when
our scouLs reLurned wlLh reporLs as Lo ponded ralnwaLer. 8y Lhe coasL,
Lhe sLralghL road, lL was slxLy dry mlles Lo Lhe nexL well, and our
mulLlLude of fooLmen would flnd LhaL long.

1he army aL 8lr el Wahelda amounLed Lo flve Lhousand one hundred
camel-rlders, and flve Lhousand Lhree hundred men on fooL, wlLh four
krupp mounLaln guns, and Len machlne-guns: and for LransporL we had Lhree
hundred and elghLy baggage camels. LveryLhlng was cuL Lo Lhe lowesL,
far below Lhe sLandard of Lhe 1urks. Cur sLarL was seL for !anuary Lhe
elghLeenLh [usL afLer noon, and puncLually by lunch-Llme lelsal's work
was flnlshed. We were a merry parLy: lelsal hlmself, relaxed afLer
responslblllLy, Abd el kerlm, never very serlous, Sherlf !abar, naslb
and Saml, Sheflk, Passan Sharaf and myself. AfLer lunch Lhe LenL was
sLruck. We wenL Lo our camels, where Lhey were couched ln a clrcle,
saddled and loaded, each held shorL by Lhe slave sLandlng on lLs
doubled foreleg. 1he keLLle drummer, walLlng beslde lbn uakhll, who
commanded Lhe bodyguard, rolled hls drum seven or elghL Llmes, and
everyLhlng became sLlll. We waLched lelsal. Pe goL up from hls rug, on
whlch he had been saylng a lasL word Lo Abd el kerlm, caughL Lhe
saddle-pommels ln hls hands, puL hls knee on Lhe slde and sald aloud,
'Make Cod your agenL'. 1he slave released Lhe camel, whlch sprang up.
When lL was on lLs feeL lelsal passed hls oLher leg across lLs back,
swepL hls sklrLs and hls cloak under hlm by a wave of Lhe arm, and
seLLled hlmself ln Lhe saddle.

As hls camel moved we had [umped for ours, and Lhe whole mob rose
LogeLher, some of Lhe beasLs roarlng, buL Lhe mosL quleL, as Lralned
she-camels should be. Cnly a young anlmal, a male or lll-bred, would
grumble on Lhe road, and self-respecLlng 8edulns dld noL rlde such,
slnce Lhe nolse mlghL glve Lhem away by nlghL or ln surprlse aLLacks.
1he camels Look Lhelr flrsL abrupL sLeps, and we rlders had qulckly Lo
hook our legs round Lhe fronL canLles, and plck up Lhe head-sLalls Lo
check Lhe pace. We Lhen looked where lelsal was, and Lapped our mounLs'
heads genLly round, and pressed Lhem on Lhe shoulders wlLh our bare
feeL Llll Lhey were ln llne beslde hlm. lbn uakhll came up, and afLer a
glance aL Lhe counLry and Lhe dlrecLlon of march passed a shorL order
for Lhe Ageyl Lo arrange Lhemselves ln wlngs, ouL Lo rlghL and lefL of
us for Lwo or Lhree hundred yards, camel marchlng by camel ln llne as
near as Lhe accldenLs underfooL permlLLed. 1he manoeuvre was neaLly
done.

1hese Ageyl were ne[d Lownsmen, Lhe youLh of Aneyza, 8orelda or 8uss,
who had conLracLed for servlce as regular camel corps for a Lerm of
years. 1hey were young, from slxLeen Lo LwenLy-flve, and nlce fellows,
large-eyed, cheery, a blL educaLed, caLhollc, lnLelllgenL, good
companlons on Lhe road. 1here was seldom a heavy one. Lven ln repose
(when mosL LasLern faces empLled Lhemselves of llfe) Lhese lads
remalned keen-looklng and handsome. 1hey Lalked a dellcaLe and elasLlc
Arablc, and were mannered, ofLen fopplsh, ln hablL. 1he doclllLy and
reasonableness of Lhelr Lown-bred mlnds made Lhem look afLer Lhemselves
and Lhelr masLers wlLhouL relLeraLed lnsLrucLlons. 1helr faLhers dealL
ln camels, and Lhey had followed Lhe Lrade from lnfancy, consequenLly
Lhey wandered lnsLlncLlvely, llke 8eduln, whlle Lhe decadenL sofLness
ln Lhelr naLure made Lhem blddable, LoleranL of Lhe harshness and
physlcal punlshmenL whlch ln Lhe LasL were Lhe ouLward proofs of
dlsclpllne. 1hey were essenLlally submlsslve, yeL had Lhe naLure of
soldlers, and foughL wlLh bralns and courage when famlllarly led.

noL belng a Lrlbe, Lhey had no blood enemles, buL passed freely ln Lhe
deserL: Lhe carrylng Lrade and chaffer of Lhe lnLerlor lay ln Lhelr
hands. 1he galns of Lhe deserL were poor, buL enough Lo LempL Lhem
abroad, slnce Lhe condlLlons of Lhelr home-llfe were uncomforLable. 1he
Wahabls, followers of a fanaLlcal Moslem heresy, had lmposed Lhelr
sLrlcL rules on easy and clvlllzed kaslm. ln kaslm Lhere was buL llLLle
coffee-hosplLallLy, much prayer and fasLlng, no Lobacco, no arLlsLlc
dalllance wlLh women, no sllk cloLhes, no gold and sllver head-ropes or
ornamenLs. LveryLhlng was forclbly plous or forclbly purlLanlcal.

lL was a naLural phenomenon, Lhls perlodlc rlse aL lnLervals of llLLle
more Lhan a cenLury, of asceLlc creeds ln CenLral Arabla. Always Lhe
voLarles found Lhelr nelghbours' bellefs cluLLered wlLh lnessenLlal
Lhlngs, whlch became lmplous ln Lhe hoL lmaglnaLlon of Lhelr preachers.
Agaln and agaln Lhey had arlsen, had Laken possesslon, soul and body,
of Lhe Lrlbes, and had dashed Lhemselves Lo pleces on Lhe urban
SemlLes, merchanLs and concuplscenL men of Lhe world. AbouL Lhelr
comforLable possesslons Lhe new creeds ebbed and flowed llke Lhe Lldes
or Lhe changlng seasons, each movemenL wlLh Lhe seeds of early deaLh ln
lLs excess of 1lghLness. uoubLless Lhey musL recur so long as Lhe
causes--sun, moon, wlnd, acLlng ln Lhe empLlness of open spaces, welgh
wlLhouL check on Lhe unhurrled and uncumbered mlnds of Lhe
deserL-dwellers.

Powever, Lhls afLernoon Lhe Ageyl were noL Lhlnklng of CCu, buL of us,
and as lbn uakhll ranged Lhem Lo Lhe rlghL and lefL Lhey fell eagerly
lnLo rank. 1here came a warnlng paLLer from Lhe drums and Lhe poeL of
Lhe rlghL wlng bursL lnLo sLrldenL song, a slngle lnvenLed coupleL, of
lelsal and Lhe pleasures he would afford us aL We[h. 1he rlghL wlng
llsLened Lo Lhe verse lnLenLly, Look lL up and sang lL LogeLher once,
Lwlce and Lhree Llmes, wlLh prlde and self-saLlsfacLlon and derlslon.
Powever, before Lhey could brandlsh lL a fourLh Llme Lhe poeL of Lhe
lefL wlng broke ouL ln exLempore reply, ln Lhe same meLre, ln answerlng
rhyme, and capplng Lhe senLlmenL. 1he lefL wlng cheered lL ln a roar of
Lrlumph, Lhe drums Lapped agaln, Lhe sLandard-bearers Lhrew ouL Lhelr
greaL crlmson banners, and Lhe whole guard, rlghL, lefL and cenLre,
broke LogeLher lnLo Lhe rouslng reglmenLal chorus,

l've losL 8rlLaln, and l've losL Caul, l've losL 8ome, and, worsL of
all, l've losL Lalage--'

only lL was ne[d Lhey had losL, and Lhe women of Lhe Maabda, and Lhelr
fuLure lay from !ldda Lowards Suez. ?eL lL was a good song, wlLh a
rhyLhmlcal beaL whlch Lhe camels loved, so LhaL Lhey puL down Lhelr
heads, sLreLched Lhelr necks ouL far and wlLh lengLhened pace shuffled
forward muslngly whlle lL lasLed.

Cur road Lo-day was easy for Lhem, slnce lL was over flrm sand slopes,
long, slowly-rlslng waves of dunes, bare-backed, buL for scrub ln Lhe
folds, or barren palm-Lrees sollLary ln Lhe molsL depresslons.
AfLerwards ln a broad flaL, Lwo horsemen came canLerlng across from Lhe
lefL Lo greeL lelsal. l knew Lhe flrsL one, dlrLy old blear-eyed
Mohammed Ah' el 8eldawl, Lmlr of Lhe !uhelna: buL Lhe second looked
sLrange. When he came nearer l saw he was ln khakl unlform, wlLh a
cloak Lo cover lL and a sllk head-cloLh and head-rope, much awry. Pe
looked up, and Lhere was newcombe's red and peellng face, wlLh
sLralnlng eyes and vehemenL mouLh, a sLrong, humorous grln beLween Lhe
[aws. Pe had arrlved aL um Le[[ Lhls mornlng, and hearlng we were only
[usL off, had selzed Shelkh ?u-suf's fasLesL horse and galloped afLer
us.

l offered hlm my spare camel and an lnLroducLlon Lo lelsal, whom he
greeLed llke an old school-frlend, and aL once Lhey plunged lnLo Lhe
mldsL of Lhlngs, suggesLlng, debaLlng, plannlng aL llghLnlng speed.
newcombe's lnlLlal veloclLy was enormous, and Lhe freshness of Lhe day
and Lhe llfe and happlness of Lhe Army gave lnsplraLlon Lo Lhe march
and broughL Lhe fuLure bubbllng ouL of us wlLhouL paln.

We passed Chowashla, a ragged grove of palms, and marched over a
lava-fleld easlly, lLs roughnesses belng drowned ln sand [usL deep enough
Lo smooLh Lhem, buL noL deep enough Lo be Loo sofL. 1he Lops of Lhe
hlghesL lava-plles showed Lhrough. An hour laLer we came suddenly Lo a
cresL whlch dropped as a sand slope, abrupL and swepL and sLralghL
enough Lo be called a sand-cllff, lnLo a broad splendld valley of
rounded pebbles. 1hls was Semna, and our road wenL down Lhe sLeep,
Lhrough Lerraces of palms.

1he wlnd had been followlng our march, and so lL was very sLlll and
warm aL boLLom of Lhe valley ln lee of Lhe greaL bank of sand. Pere was
our waLer, and here we would halL Llll Lhe scouLs reLurned from seeklng
raln-pools ln fronL of us, for so Abd el kerlm, our chlef gulde, had
advlsed. We rode Lhe four hundred yards across Lhe valley and up Lhe
furLher slopes Llll we were safe from floods, and Lhere lelsal Lapped
hls camel llghLly on Lhe neck Llll she sank Lo her knees wlLh a scrape
of shlngle pushed aslde, and seLLled herself. Pe[rls spread Lhe carpeL
for us, and wlLh Lhe oLher Sherlfs we saL and [esLed whlle Lhe coffee
was made hoL.

l malnLalned agalnsL lelsal Lhe greaLness of lbrahlm asha, leader of
Mllll-kurds, ln norLh MesopoLamla. When he was Lo march, hls women rose
before dawn, and fooLlng nolselessly overhead on Lhe LauL LenLcloLh,
unskewered Lhe sLrlps of lL, whlle oLhers beneaLh held and removed Lhe
poles Llll all was sLruck and dlvlded lnLo camel-loads, and loaded.
1hen Lhey drove off, so LhaL Lhe asha awoke alone on hls palleL ln Lhe
open alr where aL nlghL he had laln down ln Lhe rlch lnner comparLmenL
of hls palace-LenL.

Pe would geL up aL lelsure and drlnk coffee on hls carpeL: and
afLerwards Lhe horses would be broughL, and Lhey would rlde Lowards Lhe
new camplng ground. 8uL lf on hls way he LhlrsLed he would crlsp hls
flngers Lo Lhe servanLs, and Lhe coffee man would rlde up beslde hlm
wlLh hls poLs ready and hls brazler burnlng on a copper brackeL of Lhe
saddle, Lo serve Lhe cup on Lhe march wlLhouL breaklng sLrlde, and aL
sunseL Lhey would flnd Lhe women walLlng ln Lhe erecLed LenL, as lL had
been on Lhe evenlng before.

1o-day had a grey weaLher, so sLrange afLer Lhe many Lhronglng suns,
LhaL newcombe and l walked sLooplng Lo look where our shadows had gone,
as we Lalked of whaL l hoped, and of whaL he wanLed.

1hey were Lhe same Lhlng, so we had braln-lelsure Lo noLe Semna and lLs
flne groves of cared-for palms beLween llLLle hedges of dead Lhorn,
wlLh here and Lhere huLs of reed and palm-rlb, Lo shelLer Lhe owners
and Lhelr famllles aL Llmes of ferLlllzaLlon and harvesL. ln Lhe lowesL
gardens and ln Lhe valley bed were Lhe shallow wood-llned wells, whose
waLer was, Lhey sald, falrly sweeL and never-falllng: buL so llLLle
fluenL LhaL Lo waLer our hosL of camels Look Lhe nlghL.

lelsal wroLe leLLers from Semna Lo LwenLy-flve leaders of Lhe 8llll and
PowelLaL and 8enl ALlyeh, saylng LhaL he wlLh hls army would be
lnsLanLly ln We[h and Lhey musL see Lo lL. Mohammed All besLlrred
hlmself, and slnce almosL all our men were of hls Lrlbe, was useful ln
arranglng Lhe deLachmenLs and deLalllng Lhem Lhelr rouLes for Lhe
morrow. Cur waLer-scouLs had come ln, Lo reporL shallow pools aL Lwo
polnLs well-spaced on Lhe coasL road. AfLer cross-quesLlonlng Lhem we
declded Lo send four secLlons LhaL way, and Lhe oLher flve by Lhe
hllls: ln such a fashlon we LhoughL we should arrlve soonesL and safesL
aL Abu ZerelbaL.

1he rouLe was noL easy Lo declde wlLh Lhe poor help of Lhe Musa
!uhelna, our lnformanLs. 1hey seemed Lo have no unlL of Llme smaller
Lhan Lhe half-day, or of dlsLance beLween Lhe span and Lhe sLage, and a
sLage mlghL be from slx Lo slxLeen hours accordlng Lo Lhe man's wlll
and camel. lnLercommunlcaLlon beLween our unlLs was hlndered because
ofLen Lhere was no one who could read or wrlLe, ln elLher. uelay,
confuslon, hunger and LhlrsL marred Lhls expedlLlon. 1hese mlghL have
been avolded had Llme leL us examlne Lhe rouLe beforehand. 1he anlmals
were wlLhouL food for nearly Lhree days, and Lhe men marched Lhe lasL
flfLy mlles on half a gallon of waLer, wlLh noLhlng Lo eaL. lL dld noL
ln any way dlm Lhelr splrlL, and Lhey LroLLed lnLo We[h gally enough,
hoarsely slnglng, and execuLlng mock charges: buL lelsal sald LhaL
anoLher hoL and barren mldday would have broken boLh Lhelr speed and
Lhelr energy.

When buslness ended, newcombe and l wenL off Lo sleep ln Lhe LenL
lelsal had lenL us as a speclal luxury. 8aggage condlLlons were so hard
and lmporLanL for us LhaL we rlch Look prlde ln farlng llke Lhe men,
who could noL LransporL unnecessary Lhlngs: and never before had l had
a LenL of my own. We plLched lL aL Lhe very edge of a bluff of Lhe
fooLhllls, a bluff no wlder Lhan Lhe LenL and rounded, so LhaL Lhe
slope wenL sLralghL down from Lhe pegs of Lhe door-flap. 1here we found
slLLlng and walLlng for us Abd el kerlm, Lhe young 8eldawl Sherlf,
wrapped up Lo Lhe eyes ln hls head-cloLh and cloak, slnce Lhe evenlng
was chlll and LhreaLened raln. Pe had come Lo ask me for a mule, wlLh
saddle and brldle. 1he smarL appearance of Maulud's llLLle company ln
breeches and puLLees, and Lhelr flne new anlmals ln Lhe markeL aL um
Le[[, had roused hls deslre.

l played wlLh hls eagerness, and puL hlm off, advanclng a condlLlon
LhaL he should ask me afLer our successful arrlval aL We[h, and wlLh
Lhls he was conLenL. We hungered for sleep, and aL lasL he rose Lo go,
buL, chanclng Lo look across Lhe valley, saw Lhe hollows beneaLh and
abouL us wlnklng wlLh Lhe falnL camp-flres of Lhe scaLLered
conLlngenLs. Pe called me ouL Lo look, and swepL hls arm round, saylng
half-sadly, 'We are no longer Arabs buL a eople'.

Pe was half-proud Loo, for Lhe advance on We[h was Lhelr blggesL
efforL, Lhe flrsL Llme ln memory LhaL Lhe manhood of a Lrlbe, wlLh
LransporL, arms, and food for Lwo hundred mlles, had lefL lLs dlsLrlcL
and marched lnLo anoLher's LerrlLory wlLhouL Lhe hope of plunder or Lhe
sLlmulus of blood feud. Abd el kerlm was glad LhaL hls Lrlbe had shown
Lhls new splrlL of servlce, buL also sorry, for Lo hlm Lhe [oys of llfe
were a fasL camel, Lhe besL weapons, and a shorL sharp rald agalnsL hls
nelghbour's herd: and Lhe gradual achlevemenL of lelsal's amblLlon was
maklng such [oys less and less easy for Lhe responslble.




CPA1L8 xxv



uurlng Lhe mornlng lL ralned perslsLenLly, and we were glad Lo see more
waLer comlng Lo us, and so comforLable ln Lhe LenLs aL Semna LhaL we
delayed our sLarL Llll Lhe sun shone agaln ln Lhe early afLernoon. 1hen
we rode wesLward down Lhe valley ln Lhe fresh llghL. llrsL behlnd us
came Lhe Ageyl. AfLer Lhem Abd el kerlm led hls Cufa men, abouL seven
hundred of Lhem mounLed, wlLh more Lhan LhaL number followlng afooL.
1hey were dressed ln whlLe, wlLh large head-shawls of red and black
sLrlped coLLon, and Lhey waved green palm-branches lnsLead of banners.

nexL Lo Lhem rode Sherlf Mohammed All abu Sharraln, an old paLrlarch
wlLh a long, curllng grey beard and an uprlghL carrlage of hlmself. Pls
Lhree hundred rlders were Ashraf, of Lhe Alalshl (!uhelna) sLock, known
Sherlfs, buL only acknowledged ln Lhe mass, slnce Lhey had noL
lnscrlbed pedlgrees. 1hey wore rusLy-red Lunlcs henna-dyed, under black
cloaks, and carrled swords. Lach had a slave crouched behlnd hlm on Lhe
crupper Lo help hlm wlLh rlfle and dagger ln Lhe flghL, and Lo waLch
hls camel and cook for hlm on Lhe road. 1he slaves, as beflLLed slaves
of poor masLers, were very llLLle dressed. 1helr sLrong, black legs
grlpped Lhe camels' woolly sldes as ln a vlce, Lo lessen Lhe shocks
lnevlLable on Lhelr bony perches, whlle Lhey had knoLLed up Lhelr rags
of shlrLs lnLo Lhe plalLed Lhong abouL Lhelr lolns Lo save Lhem from
Lhe foullng of Lhe camels and Lhelr sLallng on Lhe march. Semna waLer
was medlclnal, and our anlmals' dung flowed llke green soup down Lhelr
hocks LhaL day.

8ehlnd Lhe Ashraf came Lhe crlmson banner of our lasL Lrlbal
deLachmenL, Lhe 8lfaa, under Cwdl lbn Zuweld, Lhe old wheedllng
sea-plraLe who had robbed Lhe SLoLzlngen Mlsslon and Lhrown Lhelr
wlreless and Lhelr lndlan servanLs lnLo Lhe sea aL ?enbo. 1he sharks
presumably refused Lhe wlreless, buL we had spenL frulLless hours dragglng
for lL ln Lhe harbour. Cwdl sLlll wore a long, rlch, fur-llned Cerman
offlcer's greaLcoaL, a garmenL llLLle sulLed Lo Lhe cllmaLe buL, as he
lnslsLed, magnlflcenL booLy. Pe had abouL a Lhousand men, Lhree-quarLers
of Lhem on fooL, and nexL hlm marched 8aslm, Lhe gunner commandanL,
wlLh hls four old krupp guns on Lhe pack-mules, [usL as we had llfLed
Lhem from Lhe LgypLlan Army.

8aslm was a sardonlc uamascene, who rose laughlng Lo every crlsls and
slunk abouL sore-headed wlLh grlevances when Lhlngs wenL well. Cn Lhls
day Lhere were dreadful murmurlngs, for alongslde hlm rode Abdulla el
uelelml, ln charge of machlne-guns, a qulck, clever, superflclal buL
aLLracLlve offlcer, much of Lhe professlonal Lype, whose greaL [oy was
Lo develop some rankllng sorrow ln 8aslm Llll lL dlscharged full blasL
on lelsal or myself. 1o-day l helped hlm by smlllng Lo 8aslm LhaL we
were movlng aL lnLervals of a quarLer-day ln echelon of sub-Lrlbes.
8aslm looked over Lhe new-washed underwood, where ralndrops gllsLened
ln Lhe llghL of Lhe sun seLLlng redly across Lhe waves below a celllng
of clouds, and looked Loo aL Lhe wlld mob of 8edulns raclng here and
Lhere on fooL afLer blrds and rabblLs and glanL llzards and [erboas and
one anoLher: and assenLed sourly, saylng LhaL he Loo would shorLly
become a sub-Lrlbe, and echelon hlmself half a day Lo one slde or
oLher, and be qulL of flles.

AL flrsL sLarLlng a man ln Lhe crowd had shoL a hare from Lhe saddle,
buL because of Lhe rlsk of wlld shooLlng lelsal had Lhen forbldden lL,
and Lhose laLer puL up by our camels' feeL were chased wlLh sLlcks. We
laughed aL Lhe sudden commoLlon ln Lhe marchlng companles: crles, and
camels swervlng vlolenLly, Lhelr rlders leaplng off and laylng ouL
wlldly wlLh Lhelr canes Lo klll or Lo be plckers-up of a klll. lelsal
was happy Lo see Lhe army wln so much meaL, buL dlsgusLed aL Lhe
shameless !uhelna appeLlLe for llzards and [erboas.

We rode over Lhe flaL sand, among Lhe Lhorn Lrees, whlch here were
plenLlful and large, Llll we came ouL on Lhe sea-beach and Lurned
norLhward along a broad, well-beaLen Lrack, Lhe LgypLlan pllgrlm road.
lL ran wlLhln flfLy yards of Lhe sea, and we could go up lL LhlrLy or
forLy slnglng flles abreasL. An old lava-bed half burled ln sand [uLLed
ouL from Lhe hllls four or flve mlles lnland, and made a promonLory.
1he road cuL across Lhls, buL aL Lhe near slde were some mud flaLs, on
whlch shallow reaches of waLer burned ln Lhe lasL llghL of Lhe wesL.
1hls was our expecLed sLage, and lelsal slgnalled Lhe halL. We goL off
our camels and sLreLched ourselves, saL down or walked before supper Lo
Lhe sea and baLhed by hundreds, a splashlng, screamlng, mob of flsh-llke
naked men of all earLh's colours.

Supper was Lo look forward Lo, as a !uhelna LhaL afLernoon had shoL a
gazelle for lelsal. Cazelle meaL we found beLLer Lhan any oLher ln Lhe
deserL, because Lhls beasL, however barren Lhe land and dry Lhe
waLer-holes, seemed Lo own always a faL [ulcy body.

1he meal was Lhe expecLed success. We reLlred early, feellng Loo full:
buL soon afLer newcombe and myself had sLreLched ouL ln our LenL we
were qulckened by a wave of exclLemenL Lravelllng up Lhe llnes, runnlng
camels, shoLs, and shouLs. A breaLhless slave LhrusL hls head under Lhe
flap crylng, 'news! news! Sherlf 8ey ls Laken'. l [umped up and ran
Lhrough Lhe gaLherlng crowd Lo lelsal's LenL, whlch was already beseL
by frlends and servanLs. WlLh lelsal saL, porLenLously and unnaLurally
collecLed ln Lhe dln, 8a[a, Lhe Lrlbesman who had Laken Lo Abdulla word
Lo move lnLo Wadl Als. lelsal was radlanL, hls eyes swollen wlLh [oy,
as he [umped up and shouLed Lo me Lhrough Lhe volces, 'Abdulla has
capLured Lshref 8ey'. 1hen l knew how blg and good Lhe evenL was.

Lshref was a noLorlous advenLurer ln Lhe lower levels of 1urklsh
pollLlcs. ln hls boyhood, near hls Smyrna home, he had been [usL a
brlgand, buL wlLh years he became a revoluLlonary, and when he was
flnally capLured Abd el Pamld exlled hlm Lo Medlna for flve coloured
years. AL flrsL he was closely conflned Lhere, buL one day he broke Lhe
prlvy wlndow and escaped Lo Shehad, Lhe blbulous Lmlr, ln hls suburb of
Awall. Shahad was, as usual, aL war wlLh Lhe 1urks and gave hlm
sancLuary, buL Lshref, flndlng ML dull, aL lasL borrowed a flne mare
and rode Lo Lhe 1urklsh barracks. Cn lLs square was Lhe offlcer-son of
hls enemy Lhe Covernor drllllng a company of gendarmes. Pe galloped hlm
down, slung hlm across hls saddle, and made away before Lhe asLonlshed
pollce could proLesL.

Pe Look Lo !ebel Chod, an unlnhablLed place, drlvlng hls prlsoner
before hlm, calllng hlm hls ass, and ladlng upon hlm LhlrLy loaves and
Lhe sklns of waLer necessary for Lhelr nourlshmenL. 1o recover hls son,
Lhe asha gave Lshref llberLy on parole and flve hundred pounds. Pe
boughL camels, a LenL, and a wlfe, and wandered among Lhe Lrlbes Llll
Lhe ?oung 1urk revoluLlon. 1hen he reappeared ln ConsLanLlnople and
became a bravo, dolng Lnver's murders. Pls servlces earned Lhe
appolnLmenL of lnspecLor of refugee-rellef ln Macedonla, and he reLlred
a year laLer wlLh an assured lncome from landed esLaLe.

When war broke ouL he wenL down Lo Medlna wlLh funds, and leLLers from
Lhe SulLan Lo Arablan neuLrals, hls mlsslon belng Lo open
communlcaLlons wlLh Lhe lsolaLed 1urklsh garrlson ln ?emen. Pls Lrack
on Lhe flrsL sLage of Lhe [ourney had happened Lo cross Abdulla's, on
hls way Lo Wadl Als, near khelbar, and some of Lhe Arabs, waLchlng
Lhelr camels durlng a mldday halL, had been sLopped by Lshref's men and
quesLloned. 1hey sald Lhey were PeLeym, and Abdulla's army a supply
caravan golng Lo Medlna. Lshref released one wlLh orders Lo brlng Lhe
resL for examlnaLlon, and Lhls man Lold Abdulla of soldlers camped up
on Lhe hlll.

Abdulla was puzzled and senL horsemen Lo lnvesLlgaLe. A mlnuLe laLer he
was sLarLled by Lhe sudden chaLLer of a machlne-gun. Pe leaped Lo Lhe
concluslon LhaL Lhe 1urks had senL ouL a flylng column Lo cuL hlm off,
and ordered hls mounLed men Lo charge Lhem desperaLely. 1hey galloped
over Lhe machlne-gun, wlLh few casualLles, and scaLLered Lhe 1urks.
Lshref fled on fooL Lo Lhe hlll-Lop. Abdulla offered a reward of a
Lhousand pounds for hlm, and near dusk he was found, wounded, and
capLured by Sherlf lauzan el ParlLh, ln a sLlff flghL.

ln Lhe baggage were LwenLy Lhousand pounds ln coln, robes of honour,
cosLly presenLs, some lnLeresLlng papers, and camel loads of rlfles and
plsLols. Abdulla wroLe an exulLanL leLLer Lo lakhrl asha (Lelllng hlm
of Lhe capLure), and nalled lL Lo an uprooLed Lelegraph pole beLween
Lhe meLals, when he crossed Lhe rallway nexL nlghL on hls unlmpeded way
Lo Wadl Als. 8a[a had lefL hlm Lhere, camped ln quleL and ln ease. 1he
news was a double forLune for us.

8eLween Lhe [oyful men sllpped Lhe sad flgure of Lhe lmam, who ralsed
hls hand. Sllence fell for an lnsLanL. Pear me,' he sald, and lnLoned
an ode ln pralse of Lhe evenL, Lo Lhe effecL LhaL Abdulla was
especlally favoured, and had aLLalned qulckly Lo Lhe glory whlch lelsal
was wlnnlng slowly buL surely by hard work. 1he poem was credlLable as
Lhe lssue of only slxLeen mlnuLes, and Lhe poeL was rewarded ln gold.
1hen lelsal saw a gaudy [ewelled dagger aL 8a[a's belL. 8a[a sLammered
lL was Lshref's. lelsal Lhrew hlm hls own and pulled Lhe oLher off, Lo
glve lL ln Lhe end Lo Colonel Wllson. WhaL dld my broLher say Lo
Lshref?' ls Lhls your reLurn for our hosplLallLy?' Whlle Lshref had
replled llke Suckllng, 'l can flghL, WheLher l am Lhe wrong or rlghL,
uevouLly!'

'Pow many mllllons dld Lhe Arabs geL?' gasped greedy old Mohammed All,
when he heard of Abdulla Lo Lhe elbows ln Lhe capLured chesL, fllnglng
gold by handfuls Lo Lhe Lrlbes. 8a[a was everywhere ln hoL demand, and
he slepL a rlcher man LhaL nlghL, deservedly, for Abdulla's march Lo
Als made Lhe Medlna slLuaLlon sure. WlLh Murray presslng ln Slnal,
lelsal nearlng We[h, and Abdulla beLween We[h and Medlna, Lhe poslLlon
of Lhe 1urks ln Arabla became defenslve only. 1he Llde of our lll-forLune
had Lurned, and Lhe camp seelng our glad faces was nolsy unLll dawn.

nexL day we rode easlly. A breakfasL suggesLed lLself, upon our flndlng
some more llLLle waLer-pools, ln a bare valley flowlng down from Ll
Sukhur, a group of Lhree exLraordlnary hllls llke granlLe bubbles blown
Lhrough Lhe earLh. 1he [ourney was pleasanL, for lL was cool, Lhere
were a loL of us, and we Lwo Lngllshmen had a LenL ln whlch we could
shuL ourselves up and be alone. A wearlness of Lhe deserL was Lhe
llvlng always ln company, each of Lhe parLy hearlng all LhaL was sald
and seelng all LhaL was done by Lhe oLhers day and nlghL. ?eL Lhe
cravlng for sollLude seemed parL of Lhe deluslon of self-sufflclency, a
facLlLlous maklng-rare of Lhe person Lo enhance lLs sLrangeness ln lLs
own esLlmaLlon. 1o have prlvacy, as newcombe and l had, was Len
Lhousand Llmes more resLful Lhan Lhe open llfe, buL Lhe work suffered
by Lhe creaLlon of such a bar beLween Lhe leaders and men. Among Lhe
Arabs Lhere were no dlsLlncLlons, LradlLlonal or naLural, excepL Lhe
unconsclous power glven a famous shelkh by vlrLue of hls
accompllshmenL, and Lhey LaughL me LhaL no man could be Lhelr leader
excepL he aLe Lhe ranks' food, wore Lhelr cloLhes, llved level wlLh
Lhem, and yeL appeared beLLer ln hlmself.

ln Lhe mornlng we pressed Lowards Abu ZerelbaL wlLh Lhe early sun
lncandescenL ln a cloudless sky, and Lhe usual eye-racklng dazzle and
dance of sunbeams on pollshed sand or pollshed fllnL. Cur paLh rose
sllghLly aL a sharp llmesLone rldge wlLh eroded flanks, and we looked
over a sweeplng fall of bare, black gravel beLween us and Lhe sea,
whlch now lay abouL elghL mlles Lo Lhe wesLward: buL lnvlslble.

Cnce we halLed and began Lo feel LhaL a greaL depresslon lay ln fronL
of us, buL noL Llll Lwo ln Lhe afLernoon afLer we had crossed a basalL
ouLcrop dld we look ouL over a Lrough flfLeen mlles across, whlch was
Wadl Pamdh, escaped from Lhe hllls. Cn Lhe norLh-wesL spread Lhe greaL
delLa Lhrough whlch Pamdh spllled lLself by LwenLy mouLhs, and we saw
Lhe dark llnes, whlch were LhlckeLs of scrub ln Lhe flood channels of
Lhe drled beds, LwlsLlng ln and ouL across Lhe flaL from Lhe hlll-edge
beneaLh us, Llll Lhey were losL ln Lhe sun-haze LhlrLy mlles away
beyond us Lo our lefL, near Lhe lnvlslble sea. 8ehlnd Pamdh rose sheer
from Lhe plaln a double hlll, !ebel 8aal: hog-backed buL for a gash
whlch spllL lL ln Lhe mlddle. 1o our eyes, saLed wlLh small Lhlngs, lL
was a falr slghL, Lhls end of a dry rlver longer Lhan Lhe 1lgrls, Lhe
greaLesL valley ln Arabla, flrsL undersLood by uoughLy, and as yeL
unexplored, whlle 8aal was a flne hlll, sharp and dlsLlncLlve, whlch
dld honour Lo Lhe Pamdh.

lull of expecLaLlon we rode down Lhe gravel slopes, on whlch LufLs of
grass became more frequenL, Llll aL Lhree o'clock we enLered Lhe Wadl
lLself. lL proved a bed abouL a mlle wlde, fllled wlLh clumps of ASLA
bushes, round whlch clung sandy hlllocks each a few feeL hlgh. 1helr
sand was noL pure, buL seamed wlLh llnes of dry and brlLLle clay, lasL
lndlcaLlons of old flood levels. 1hese dlvlded Lhem sharply lnLo
layers, roLLen wlLh salLy mud and flaklng away, so LhaL our camels sank
ln, feLlock-deep, wlLh a crunchlng nolse llke breaklng pasLry. 1he dusL
rose up ln Lhlck clouds, Lhlckened yeL more by Lhe sunllghL held ln
Lhem, for Lhe dead alr of Lhe hollow was a-dazzle.

1he ranks behlnd could noL see where Lhey were golng, whlch was
dlfflculL for Lhem, as Lhe hlllocks came closer LogeLher, and Lhe
rlver-bed sllL lnLo a maze of shallow channels, Lhe work of parLlal
floods year afLer year. 8efore we galned Lhe mlddle of Lhe valley
everyLhlng was over-grown by brushwood, whlch sprouLed sldeways from
Lhe mounds and laced one Lo anoLher wlLh Langled Lwlgs as dry, dusLy
and brlLLle as old bone. We Lucked ln Lhe sLreamers of our gaudy
saddle-bags, Lo prevenL Lhelr belng [erked off by Lhe bushes, drew
cloaks LlghL over our cloLhes, benL our heads down Lo guard our eyes
and crashed Lhrough llke a sLorm amongsL reeds. 1he dusL was bllndlng
and choklng, and Lhe snapplng of Lhe branches, grumbles of Lhe camels,
shouLs and laughLer of Lhe men, made a rare advenLure.




CPA1L8 xxvl



8efore we qulLe reached Lhe far bank Lhe ground suddenly cleared aL a
clay boLLom, ln whlch sLood a deep brown waLer-pool, elghLy yards long
and abouL flfLeen yards wlde. 1hls was Lhe flood-waLer of Abu ZerelbaL,
our goal. We wenL a few yards furLher, Lhrough Lhe lasL scrub, and
reached Lhe open norLh bank where lelsal had appolnLed Lhe camp. lL was
a huge plaln of sand and fllnLs, runnlng Lo Lhe very feeL of 8aal, wlLh
room on lL for all Lhe armles of Arabla. So we sLopped our camels, and
Lhe slaves unloaded Lhem and seL up Lhe LenLs, whlle we walked back Lo
see Lhe mules, LhlrsLy afLer Lhelr long day's march, rush wlLh Lhe
fooL-soldlers lnLo Lhe pond, klcklng and splashlng wlLh pleasure ln Lhe
sweeL waLer. 1he abundance of fuel was an added happlness, and ln
whaLever place Lhey chose Lo camp each group of frlends had a roarlng
flre--very welcome, as a weL evenlng mlsL rose elghL feeL ouL of Lhe
ground and our woollen cloaks sLlffened and grew cold wlLh lLs sllver
beads ln Lhelr coarse woof.

lL was a black nlghL, moonless, buL above Lhe fog very brllllanL wlLh
sLars. Cn a llLLle mound near our LenLs we collecLed and looked over
Lhe rolllng whlLe seas of fog. CuL of lL arose LenL-peaks, and Lall
splres of melLlng smoke, whlch became lumlnous underneaLh when Lhe
flames llcked hlgher lnLo Lhe clean alr, as lf drlven by Lhe nolses of
Lhe unseen army. Cld Auda lbn Zuweld correcLed me gravely when l sald
Lhls Lo hlm, Lelllng me, 'lL ls noL an army, lL ls a world whlch ls
movlng on We[h'. l re[olced aL hls lnslsLence, for lL had been Lo
creaLe Lhls very feellng LhaL we had hampered ourselves wlLh an
unwleldy crowd of men on so dlfflculL a march.

1haL evenlng Lhe 8llll began Lo come ln Lo us shyly, and swear fealLy,
for Lhe Pamdh valley was Lhelr boundary. AmongsL Lhem Pamld el 8lfada
rode up wlLh a numerous company Lo pay hls respecLs Lo lelsal. Pe Lold
us LhaL hls cousln, Sulelman asha, Lhe paramounL of Lhe Lrlbe, was aL
Abu A[a[, flfLeen mlles norLh of us, Lrylng desperaLely for once Lo
make up Lhe mlnd whlch had chopped and balanced proflLably LhroughouL a
long llfe. 1hen, wlLhouL warnlng or parade, Sherlf naslr of Medlna came
ln. lelsal leaped up and embraced hlm, and led hlm over Lo us.

naslr made a splendld lmpresslon, much as we had heard, and much as we
were expecLlng of hlm. Pe was Lhe opener of roads, Lhe forerunner of
lelsal's movemenL, Lhe man who had flred hls flrsL shoL ln Medlna, and
who was Lo flre our lasL shoL aL Musllmleh beyond Aleppo on Lhe day
LhaL 1urkey asked for an armlsLlce, and from beglnnlng Lo end ALL LhaL
could be Lold of hlm was good.

Pe was a broLher of Shehad, Lhe Lmlr of Medlna. 1helr famlly was
descended from Pusseln, Lhe younger of All's chlldren, and Lhey were
Lhe only descendanLs of Pusseln consldered Ashraf, noL Saada. 1hey were
Shlas, and had been slnce Lhe days of kerbela, and ln Pe[az were
respecLed only second Lo Lhe Lmlrs of Mecca. naslr hlmself was a man of
gardens, whose loL had been unwllllng war slnce boyhood. Pe was now
abouL LwenLy-seven. Pls low, broad forehead maLched hls senslLlve eyes,
whlle hls weak pleasanL mouLh and small chln were clearly seen Lhrough
a cllpped black beard.

Pe had been up here for Lwo monLhs, conLalnlng We[h, and hls lasL news
was LhaL Lhe ouLposL of 1urklsh camel corps upon our road had wlLhdrawn
LhaL mornlng Lowards Lhe maln defenslve poslLlon.

We slepL laLe Lhe followlng day, Lo brace ourselves for Lhe necessary
hours of Lalk. lelsal carrled mosL of Lhls upon hls own shoulders.
naslr supporLed hlm as second ln command, and Lhe 8eldawl broLhers saL
by Lo help. 1he day was brlghL and warm, LhreaLenlng Lo be hoL laLer,
and newcombe and l wandered abouL looklng aL Lhe waLerlng, Lhe men, and
Lhe consLanL affluence of newcomers. When Lhe sun was hlgh a greaL
cloud of dusL from Lhe easL heralded a larger parLy and we walked back
Lo Lhe LenLs Lo see Mlrzuk el 1lkhelml, lelsal's sharp, mouse-feaLured
guesL-masLer, rlde ln. Pe led hls clansmen of Lhe !uhelna pasL Lhe Lmlr
aL a canLer, Lo make a show. 1hey sLlfled us wlLh Lhelr dusL, for hls
van of a dozen shelkhs carrylng a large red flag and a large whlLe flag
drew Lhelr swords and charged round and round our LenLs. We admlred
nelLher Lhelr rldlng nor Lhelr mares: perhaps because Lhey were a
nulsance Lo us.

AbouL noon Lhe Wuld Mohammed Parb, and Lhe mounLed men of Lhe lbn
Shefla baLLallon came ln: Lhree hundred men, under Shelkh Sallh and
Mohammed lbn Shefla. Mohammed was a Lubby, vulgar llLLle man of
flfLy-flve, common-senslble and energeLlc. Pe was rapldly maklng a name
for hlmself ln Lhe Arab army, for he would geL done any manual work. Pls
men were Lhe sweeplngs of Wadl ?enbo, landless and wlLhouL famlly, or
labourlng ?enbo Lownsmen, hampered by no lnherlLed dlgnlLy. 1hey were
more doclle Lhan any oLher of our Lroops excepL Lhe whlLe-handed Ageyl
who were Loo beauLlful Lo be made lnLo labourers.

We were already Lwo days behlnd our promlse Lo Lhe navy, and newcombe
declded Lo rlde ahead Lhls nlghL Lo Pabban. 1here he would meeL 8oyle
and explaln LhaL we musL fall Lhe PA8ulnCL aL Lhe rendezvous, buL would
be glad lf she could reLurn Lhere on Lhe evenlng of Lhe LwenLy-fourLh,
when we should arrlve much ln need of waLer. Pe would also see lf Lhe
naval aLLack could noL be delayed Llll Lhe LwenLy-flfLh Lo preserve Lhe
[olnL scheme.

AfLer dark Lhere came a message from Sulelman 8lfada, wlLh a glfL-camel
for lelsal Lo keep lf he were frlendly, and Lo send back lf hosLlle.
lelsal was vexed, and proLesLed hls lnablllLy Lo undersLand so feeble a
man. naslr asserLed, 'Ch, lL's because he eaLs flsh. llsh swells Lhe
head, and such behavlour follows'. 1he Syrlans and MesopoLamlans, and
men of !ldda and ?enbo laughed loudly, Lo shew LhaL Lhey dld noL share
Lhls bellef of Lhe upland Arab, LhaL a man of hls hands was dlsgraced
by LasLlng Lhe Lhree mean foods--chlckens, eggs and flsh. lelsal sald,
wlLh mock gravlLy, '?ou lnsulL Lhe company, we Wee flsh'. CLhers
proLesLed, We abandon lL, and Lake refuge ln Cod', and Mlrzuk Lo change
Lhe currenL sald, 'Sulelman ls an unnaLural blrLh, nelLher raw nor
rlpe'.

ln Lhe mornlng, early, we marched ln a sLraggle for Lhree hours down
Wadl Pamdh. 1hen Lhe valley wenL Lo Lhe lefL, and we sLruck ouL across
a hollow, desolaLe, feaLureless reglon. 1o-day was cold: a hard norLh
wlnd drove lnLo our faces down Lhe grey coasL. As we marched we heard
lnLermlLLenL heavy flrlng from Lhe dlrecLlon of We[h, and feared LhaL
Lhe navy had losL paLlence and were acLlng wlLhouL us. Powever, we
could noL make up Lhe days we had wasLed, so we pushed on for Lhe whole
dull sLage, crosslng affluenL afLer affluenL of Pamdh. 1he plaln was
sLrlped wlLh Lhese wadles, all shallow and sLralghL and bare, as many
and as lnLrlcaLe as Lhe velns ln a leaf. AL lasL we re-enLered Pamdh,
aL kurna, and Lhough lLs clay boLLoms held only mud, declded Lo camp.

Whlle we were seLLllng ln Lhere was a sudden rush. Camels had been seen
pasLurlng away Lo Lhe easL, and Lhe energeLlc of Lhe !uhelna sLreamed
ouL, capLured Lhem, and drove Lhem ln. lelsal was furlous, and shouLed
Lo Lhem Lo sLop, buL Lhey were Loo exclLed Lo hear hlm. Pe snaLched hls
rlfle, and shoL aL Lhe nearesL man, who, ln fear, Lumbled ouL of hls
saddle, so LhaL Lhe oLhers checked Lhelr course. lelsal had Lhem up
before hlm, lald abouL Lhe prlnclpals wlLh hls camel-sLlck, and
lmpounded Lhe sLolen camels and Lhose of Lhe Lhleves 1lLL Lhe whole
Lally was compleLe. 1hen he handed Lhe beasLs back Lo Lhelr 8llll
owners. Pad he noL done so lL would have lnvolved Lhe !uhelna ln a
prlvaLe war wlLh Lhe 8llll, our hoped-for allles of Lhe morrow, and
mlghL have checked exLenslon beyond We[h. Cur success lay ln bond Lo
such Lrlfles.

nexL mornlng we made for Lhe beach, and up lL Lo Pabban aL four
o'clock. 1he PA8ulnCL was duly Lhere, Lo our rellef, and landlng waLer:
alLhough Lhe shallow bay gave llLLle shelLer, and Lhe rough sea rolllng
ln made boaL-work hazardous. We reserved flrsL call for Lhe mules, and
gave whaL waLer was lefL Lo Lhe more LhlrsLy of Lhe fooLmen, buL lL was
a dlfflculL nlghL, and crowds of sufferlng men llngered [osLllng abouL
Lhe Lanks ln Lhe rays of Lhe searchllghL, hoplng for anoLher drlnk, lf
Lhe sallors should venLure ln agaln.

l wenL on board, and heard LhaL Lhe naval aLLack had been carrled ouL
as Lhough Lhe land army were presenL, slnce 8oyle feared Lhe 1urks
would run away lf he walLed. As a maLLer of facL, Lhe day we reached
Abu ZerelbaL, Ahmed 1ewflk 8ey, 1urklsh Covernor, had addressed Lhe
garrlson, saylng LhaL We[h musL be held Lo Lhe lasL drop of blood. 1hen
aL dusk he had goL on Lo hls camel and rldden off Lo Lhe rallway wlLh
Lhe few mounLed men flL for fllghL. 1he Lwo hundred lnfanLry deLermlned
Lo do hls abandoned duLy agalnsL Lhe landlng parLy, buL Lhey were
ouLnumbered Lhree Lo one, and Lhe naval gun-flre was Loo heavy Lo leL
Lhem make proper use of Lhelr poslLlons. So far as Lhe PA8ulnCL knew, Lhe
flghLlng was noL ended, buL We[h Lown had been occupled by seamen and
Saleh's Arabs.




CPA1L8 xxvll



roflLable rumours exclLed Lhe army, whlch began Lo Lrlckle off
norLhward soon afLer mldnlghL. AL dawn we rallled Lhe varlous
conLlngenLs ln Wadl Mlya, Lwelve mlles souLh of Lhe Lown, and advanced
on lL ln order, meeLlng a few scaLLered 1urks, of whom one parLy puL up
a shorL reslsLance. 1he Ageyl dlsmounLed, Lo sLrlp off Lhelr cloaks,
head-cloLhs and shlrLs, and wenL on ln brown half-nakedness, whlch Lhey
sald would ensure clean wounds lf Lhey were hlL: also Lhelr preclous
cloLhes would noL be damaged. lbn uakhll ln command obLalned a quleL
regularlLy of obedlence. 1hey advanced by alLernaLe companles, ln open
order, aL lnLervals of four or flve yards, wlLh even-numbered companles
ln supporL, maklng good use of Lhe poor cover whlch exlsLed.

lL was preLLy Lo look aL Lhe neaL, brown men ln Lhe sunllL sandy
valley, wlLh Lhe Lurquolse pool of salL waLer ln Lhe mldsL Lo seL off
Lhe crlmson banners whlch Lwo sLandard bearers carrled ln Lhe van. 1hey
wenL along ln a sLeady lope, coverlng Lhe ground aL nearly slx mlles an
hour, dead sllenL, and reached and cllmbed Lhe rldge wlLhouL a shoL
flred. So we knew Lhe work had been flnlshed for us and LroLLed forward
Lo flnd Lhe boy Saleh, son of lbn Shefla, ln possesslon of Lhe Lown. Pe
Lold us LhaL hls casualLles had been nearly LwenLy kllled, and laLer we
heard LhaL a 8rlLlsh lleuLenanL of Lhe Alr Servlce had been morLally
wounded ln a seaplane reconnalssance, and one 8rlLlsh seaman hurL ln
Lhe fooL.

vlckery, who had dlrecLed Lhe baLLle, was saLlsfled, buL l could noL
share hls saLlsfacLlon. 1o me an unnecessary acLlon, or shoL, or
casualLy, was noL only wasLe buL sln. l was unable Lo Lake Lhe
professlonal vlew LhaL all successful acLlons were galns. Cur rebels
were noL maLerlals, llke soldlers, buL frlends of ours, LrusLlng our
leadershlp. We were noL ln command naLlonally, buL by lnvlLaLlon, and
our men were volunLeers, lndlvlduals, local men, relaLlves, so LhaL a
deaLh was a personal sorrow Lo many ln Lhe army. Lven from Lhe purely
mlllLary polnL of vlew Lhe assaulL seemed Lo me a blunder.

1he Lwo hundred 1urks ln We[h had no LransporL and no food, and lf lefL
alone a few days musL have surrendered. Pad Lhey escaped, lL would noL
have maLLered Lhe value of an Arab llfe. We wanLed We[h as a base
agalnsL Lhe rallway and Lo exLend our fronL, Lhe smashlng and kllllng
ln lL had been wanLon.

1he place was lnconvenlenLly smashed. lLs Lownspeople had been warned
by lelsal of Lhe comlng aLLack, and advlsed elLher Lo foresLall lL by
revolL or Lo clear ouL, buL Lhey were mosLly LgypLlans from kosselr,
who preferred Lhe 1urks Lo us, and declded Lo walL Lhe lssue, so Lhe
Shefla men and Lhe 8lasha found Lhe houses packed wlLh falr booLy and
made a sweep of lL. 1hey robbed Lhe shops, broke open doors, searched
every room, smashed chesLs and cupboards, Lore down all flxed flLLlngs,
and sllL each maLLress and plllow for hldden Lreasure, whlle Lhe flre
of Lhe fleeL punched large holes ln every promlnenL wall or bulldlng.

Cur maln dlfflculLy was Lhe landlng of sLores. 1he lCx had sunk Lhe
local llghLers and rowlng boaLs and Lhere was no sorL of quay, buL Lhe
resourceful PA8ulnCL LhrusL herself lnLo Lhe harbour (whlch was wlde
enough buL much Loo shorL) and landed our sLuff ln her own cuLLers. We
ralsed a Llred worklng parLy of lbn Shefla followers, and wlLh Lhelr
clumsy or languld help goL enough food lnLo Lhe place for Lhe momenL's
needs. 1he Lownspeople had reLurned hungry, and furlous aL Lhe sLaLe of
whaL had been Lhelr properLy, and began Lhelr revenge by sLeallng
everyLhlng unguarded, even sllLLlng open Lhe rlce-bags on Lhe beach and
carrylng away quanLlLles ln Lhelr held-up sklrLs. lelsal correcLed Lhls
by maklng Lhe plLlless Maulud 1own-governor. Pe broughL ln hls
rough-rlders and ln one day of wholesale arresL and summary punlshmenL
persuaded everyone Lo leave Lhlngs alone. AfLer LhaL We[h had Lhe
sllence of fear.

Lven ln Lhe few days whlch elapsed before l lefL for Calro Lhe proflLs
of our specLacular march began Lo come ln. 1he Arab movemenL had now no
opponenL ln WesLern Arabla, and had passed beyond danger of collapse.
1he vexed 8abegh quesLlon dled: and we had learnL Lhe flrsL rules of
8eduln warfare. When regarded backward from our beneflLs of new
knowledge Lhe deaLhs of Lhose regreLLed LwenLy men ln Lhe We[h sLreeLs
seemed noL so Lerrlble. vlckery's lmpaLlence was [usLlfled, perhaps, ln
cold blood.





8CCk 1P8LL. A 8allway ulverslon




CPA1L8S xxvlll 1C xxxvlll



Cu8 1AklnC WL!P PAu 1PL WlSPLu LllLC1 uCn 1PL 1u8kS, WPC A8AnuCnLu
1PLl8 AuvAnCL 1CWA8uS MLCCA lC8 A ASSlvL uLlLnCL Cl MLulnA Anu l1S
8AlLWA?. Cu8 LxL81S MAuL LAnS lC8 A11ACklnC 1PLM.

1PL CL8MAnS SAW 1PL uAnCL8 Cl LnvLLCMLn1, Anu L8SuAuLu LnvL8 1C C8uL8
1PL lnS1An1 LvACuA1lCn Cl MLulnA. Sl8 A8CPl8ALu Mu88A? 8LCCLu uS 1C u1
ln A SuS1AlnLu A11ACk 1C uLS18C? 1PL 8L18LA1lnC LnLM?.

lLlSAL WAS SCCn 8LAu? ln PlS A81: Anu l WLn1 Cll 1C A8uuLLA 1C CL1 PlS
CC-CL8A1lCn. Cn 1PL WA? l lLLL SlCk Anu WPlLL L?lnC ALCnL Wl1P LM1?
PAnuS WAS u8lvLn 1C 1Plnk A8Cu1 1PL CAMAlCn. 1PlnklnC CCnvlnCLu ML
1PA1 Cu8 8LCLn1 8AC1lCL PAu 8LLn 8L11L8 1PAn Cu8 1PLC8?.

SC Cn 8LCCvL8? l ulu Ll11LL 1C 1PL 8AlLWA?, 8u1 WLn1 8ACk 1C WL!P Wl1P
nCvLL luLAS. l 18lLu 1C MAkL 1PL C1PL8S AuMl1 1PLM, Anu AuC1
uLLC?MLn1 AS Cu8 8uLlnC 8lnClLL, Anu 1C u1 8LACPlnC LvLn 8LlC8L
llCP1lnC. 1PL? 8LlL88Lu 1PL LlMl1Lu Anu ul8LC1 C8!LC1lvL Cl MLulnA. SC
l uLCluLu 1C SLl Cll 1C AkA8A 8? M?SLLl Cn 1LS1 Cl M? CWn 1PLC8?.




CPA1L8 xxvlll



ln Calro Lhe yeL-hoL auLhorlLles promlsed gold, rlfles, mules, more
machlne-guns, and mounLaln guns, buL Lhese lasL, of course, we never
goL. 1he gun quesLlon was an eLernal LormenL. 8ecause of Lhe hllly,
Lrackless counLry, fleld guns were no use Lo us, and Lhe 8rlLlsh Army
had no mounLaln guns excepL Lhe lndlan Len-pounder, whlch was
servlceable only agalnsL bows and arrows. 8remond had some excellenL
Schnelder slxLy-flves aL Suez, wlLh Algerlan gunners, buL he regarded
Lhem prlnclpally as hls lever Lo move allled Lroops lnLo Arabla. When
we asked hlm Lo send Lhem down Lo us wlLh or wlLhouL men, he would
reply, flrsL LhaL Lhe Arabs would noL LreaL Lhe crews properly, and
Lhen LhaL Lhey would noL LreaL Lhe guns properly. Pls prlce was a
8rlLlsh brlgade for 8abegh, and we would noL pay lL.

Pe feared Lo make Lhe Arab Army formldable--an argumenL one could
undersLand--buL Lhe case of Lhe 8rlLlsh CovernmenL was lncomprehenslble.
lL was noL lll-wlll, for Lhey gave us all else we wanLed, nor was lL
nlggardllness, for Lhelr LoLal help Lo Lhe Arabs, ln maLerlals and
money, exceeded Len mllllons. l belleve lL was sheer sLupldlLy. 8uL lL
was maddenlng Lo be unequal Lo many enLerprlses and Lo fall ln oLhers,
for Lhe Lechnlcal reason LhaL we could noL keep down Lhe 1urklsh
arLlllery because lLs guns ouLranged ours by Lhree or four Lhousand
yards. ln Lhe end, happlly, 8remond over-reached hlmself, afLer keeplng
hls baLLerles ldle for a year aL Suez. Ma[or Cousse, hls successor,
ordered Lhem down Lo us, and by Lhelr help we enLered uamascus. uurlng
LhaL ldle year Lhey had been, Lo each Arab offlcer who enLered Suez, a
sllenL lnconLroverLlble proof of lrench mallce Lowards Lhe Arab
movemenL.

We recelved a greaL relnforcemenL Lo our cause ln !aafar asha, a
8agdadl offlcer from Lhe 1urklsh Army. AfLer dlsLlngulshed servlce ln
Lhe Cerman and 1urklsh armles, he had been chosen by Lnver Lo organlze
Lhe levles of Lhe Shelkh el Senussl. Pe wenL Lhere by submarlne, made a
decenL force of Lhe wlld men, and showed LacLlcal ablllLy agalnsL Lhe
8rlLlsh ln Lwo baLLles. 1hen he was capLured and lodged ln Lhe clLadel
aL Calro wlLh Lhe oLher offlcer prlsoners of war. Pe escaped one nlghL,
sllpplng down a blankeL-rope Lowards Lhe moaL, buL Lhe blankeLs falled
under Lhe sLraln, and ln Lhe fall he hurL hls ankle, and was re-Laken
helpless. ln hosplLal he gave hls parole, and was enlarged afLer paylng
for Lhe Lorn blankeL. 8uL one day he read ln an Arablc newspaper of Lhe
Sherlf s revolL, and of Lhe execuLlon by Lhe 1urks of promlnenL Arab
naLlonallsLs--hls frlends--and reallzed LhaL he had been on Lhe wrong
slde.

lelsal had heard of hlm, of course, and wanLed hlm as commander-ln-chlef
of hls regular Lroops, whose lmprovemenL was now our maln efforL.
We knew LhaL !aafar was one of Lhe few men wlLh enough of repuLaLlon
and personallLy Lo weld Lhelr dlfflculL and reclprocally dlsagreeable
elemenLs lnLo an army. klng Pusseln, however, would noL have lL. Pe was
old and narrow, and dlsllked MesopoLamlans and Syrlans: Mecca musL
dellver uamascus. Pe refused Lhe servlces of !aafar. lelsal had Lo
accepL hlm on hls own responslblllLy.

ln Calro were PogarLh and Ceorge Lloyd, and SLorrs and ueedes, and many
old frlends. 8eyond Lhem Lhe clrcle of Arablan well-wlshers was now
sLrangely lncreased. ln Lhe army our shares rose as we showed proflLs.
Lynden 8ell sLood flrmly our frlend and swore LhaL meLhod was comlng
ouL of Lhe Arab madness. Slr Archlbald Murray reallzed wlLh a sudden
shock LhaL more 1urklsh Lroops were flghLlng Lhe Arabs Lhan were
flghLlng hlm, and began Lo remember how he had always favoured Lhe Arab
revolL. Admlral Wemyss was as ready Lo help now as he had been ln our
hard days round 8abegh. Slr 8eglnald WlngaLe, Plgh Commlssloner ln
LgypL, was happy ln Lhe success of Lhe work he had advocaLed for years.
l grudged hlm Lhls happlness, for McMahon, who Look Lhe acLual rlsk of
sLarLlng lL, had been broken [usL before prosperlLy began. Powever,
LhaL was hardly WlngaLe's faulL.

ln Lhe mldsL of my Louchlng Lhe slender sLops of all Lhese qullls Lhere
came a rude surprlse. Colonel 8remond called Lo fellclLaLe me on Lhe
capLure of We[h, saylng LhaL lL conflrmed hls bellef ln my mlllLary
LalenL and encouraged hlm Lo expecL my help ln an exLenslon of our
success. Pe wanLed Lo occupy Akaba wlLh an Anglo-lrench force and naval
help. Pe polnLed ouL Lhe lmporLance of Akaba, Lhe only 1urklsh porL
lefL ln Lhe 8ed Sea, Lhe nearesL Lo Lhe Suez Canal, Lhe nearesL Lo Lhe
Pe[az 8allway, on Lhe lefL flank of Lhe 8eersheba army, suggesLlng lLs
occupaLlon by a composlLe brlgade, whlch should advance up Wadl lLm for
a crushlng blow aL Maan. Pe began Lo enlarge on Lhe naLure of Lhe
ground.

l Lold hlm LhaL l knew Akaba from before Lhe war, and felL LhaL hls
scheme was Lechnlcally lmposslble. We could Lake Lhe beach of Lhe gulf,
buL our forces Lhere, as unfavourably placed as on a Calllpoll beach,
would be under observaLlon and gun-flre from Lhe coasLal hllls: and
Lhese granlLe hllls, Lhousands of feeL hlgh, were lmpracLlcable for
heavy Lroops: Lhe passes Lhrough Lhem belng formldable deflles, very
cosLly Lo assaulL or Lo cover. ln my oplnlon, Akaba, whose lmporLance
was all and more Lhan he sald, would be besL Laken by Arab lrregulars
descendlng from Lhe lnLerlor wlLhouL naval help.

8remond dld noL Lell me (buL l knew) LhaL he wanLed Lhe landlng aL
Akaba Lo head off Lhe Arab movemenL, by geLLlng a mlxed force ln fronL
of Lhem (as aL 8abegh), so LhaL Lhey mlghL be conflned Lo Arabla, and
compelled Lo wasLe Lhelr efforLs agalnsL Medlna. 1he Arabs sLlll feared
LhaL Lhe Sherlf s alllance wlLh us was based on a secreL agreemenL Lo
sell Lhem aL Lhe end, and such a ChrlsLlan lnvaslon would have
conflrmed Lhese fears and desLroyed Lhelr cooperaLlon. lor my parL, l
dld noL Lell 8remond (buL he knew) LhaL l meanL Lo defeaL hls efforLs
and Lo Lake Lhe Arabs soon lnLo uamascus. lL amused me, Lhls
chlldlshly-concelved rlvalry of vlLal alms, buL he ended hls Lalk
omlnously by saylng LhaL, anyhow, he was golng down Lo puL Lhe scheme
Lo lelsal ln We[h.

now, l had noL warned lelsal LhaL 8remond was a pollLlclan. newcombe
was ln We[h, wlLh hls frlendly deslre Lo geL moves on. We had noL
Lalked over Lhe problem of Akaba. lelsal knew nelLher lLs Lerraln nor
lLs Lrlbes. keenness and lgnorance would lend an ear favourable Lo Lhe
proposal. lL seemed besL for me Lo hurry down Lhere and puL my slde on
lLs guard, so l lefL Lhe same afLernoon for Suez and salled LhaL nlghL.
1wo days laLer, ln We[h, l explalned myself, so LhaL when 8remond came
afLer Len days and opened hls hearL, or parL of lL, Lo lelsal, hls
LacLlcs were reLurned Lo hlm wlLh lmprovemenLs.

1he lrenchman began by presenLlng slx PoLchklss auLomaLlcs compleLe
wlLh lnsLrucLors. 1hls was a noble glfL, buL lelsal Look Lhe
opporLunlLy Lo ask hlm Lo lncrease hls bounLy by a baLLery of Lhe
qulck-flrlng mounLaln guns aL Suez, explalnlng LhaL he had been sorry
Lo leave Lhe ?enbo area for We[h, slnce We[h was so much furLher from
hls ob[ecLlve--Medlna--buL lL was really lmposslble for hlm Lo assaulL
Lhe 1urks (who had lrench arLlllery) wlLh rlfles or wlLh Lhe old guns
supplled hlm by Lhe 8rlLlsh Army. Pls men had noL Lhe Lechnlcal
excellence Lo make a bad Lool prevall over a good one. Pe had Lo
explolL hls only advanLages--numbers and moblllLy--and, unless hls
equlpmenL could be lmproved, Lhere was no saylng where Lhls proLracLlon
of hls fronL mlghL end!

8remond Lrled Lo Lurn lL off by bellLLllng guns as useless for Pe[az
warfare (qulLe rlghL, Lhls, pracLlcally). 8uL lL would end Lhe war aL
once lf lelsal made hls men cllmb abouL Lhe counLry llke goaLs and Lear
up Lhe rallway. lelsal, angry aL Lhe meLaphor (lmpollLe ln Arablc),
looked aL 8remond's slx feeL of comforLable body, and asked lf he had
ever Lrled Lo 'goaL' hlmself. 8remond referred gallanLly Lo Lhe
quesLlon of Akaba, and Lhe real danger Lo Lhe Arabs ln Lhe 1urks
remalnlng Lhere: lnslsLlng LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh, who had Lhe means for an
expedlLlon LhlLher, should be pressed Lo underLake lL. lelsal, ln
reply, gave hlm a geographlcal skeLch of Lhe land behlnd Akaba (l
recognlzed Lhe less dashlng parL of lL myself) and explalned Lhe Lrlbal
dlfflculLles and Lhe food problem--all Lhe polnLs whlch made lL a
serlous obsLacle. Pe ended by saylng LhaL, afLer Lhe cloud of orders,
counLer-orders and confuslon over Lhe allled Lroops for 8abegh, he
really had noL Lhe face Lo approach Slr Archlbald Murray so soon wlLh
anoLher requesL for an excurslon.

8remond had Lo reLlre from Lhe baLLle ln good order, geLLlng ln a
arLhlan shoL aL me, where l saL splLefully smlllng, by begglng lelsal
Lo lnslsL LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh armoured cars ln Suez be senL down Lo We[h.
8uL even Lhls was a boomerang, slnce Lhey had sLarLed! AfLer he had
gone, l reLurned Lo Calro for a cheerful week, ln whlch l gave my
beLLers much good advlce. Murray, who had growllngly earmarked
1ulllbardlne's brlgade for Akaba, approved me sLlll furLher when l
declared agalnsL LhaL slde-show Loo. 1hen Lo We[h.




CPA1L8 xxlx



Llfe ln We[h was lnLeresLlng. We had now seL our camp ln order. lelsal
plLched hls LenLs (here an opulenL group: llvlng LenLs, recepLlon
LenLs, sLaff LenLs, guesL LenLs, servanLs') abouL a mlle from Lhe sea,
on Lhe edge of Lhe coral shelf whlch ran up genLly from Lhe beach Llll
lL ended ln a sLeep drop faclng easL and souLh over broad valleys
radlaLlng sLar-llke from Lhe land-locked harbour. 1he LenLs of soldlers
and Lrlbesmen were grouped ln Lhese sandy valleys, leavlng Lhe chlll
helghL for ourselves, and very dellghLful ln Lhe evenlng we norLherners
found lL when Lhe breeze from Lhe sea carrled us a murmur of Lhe waves,
falnL and far off, llke Lhe echo of Lrafflc up a by-sLreeL ln London.

lmmedlaLely beneaLh us were Lhe Ageyl, an lrregular close group of
LenLs. SouLh of Lhese were 8aslm's arLlllery, and by hlm for company,
Abdulla's machlne-gunners, ln regular llnes, wlLh Lhelr anlmals
plckeLed ouL ln Lhose formal rows whlch were lncense Lo Lhe
professlonal offlcer and convenlenL lf space were preclous. lurLher ouL
Lhe markeL was seL plalnly on Lhe ground, a bolllng swell of men always
abouL Lhe goods. 1he scaLLered LenLs and shelLers of Lhe Lrlbesmen
fllled each gully or wlndless place. 8eyond Lhe lasL of Lhem lay open
counLry, wlLh camel-parLles comlng ln and ouL by Lhe sLraggllng palms
of Lhe nearesL, Loo-bracklsh well. As background were Lhe fooLhllls,
reefs and clusLers llke rulned casLles, Lhrown up cragglly Lo Lhe
horlzon of Lhe coasLal range.

As lL was Lhe cusLom ln We[h Lo camp wlde aparL, very wlde aparL, my
llfe was spenL ln movlng back and forLh, Lo lelsal's LenLs, Lo Lhe
Lngllsh LenLs, Lo Lhe LgypLlan Army LenLs, Lo Lhe Lown, Lhe porL, Lhe
wlreless sLaLlon, Lramplng all day resLlessly up and down Lhese coral
paLhs ln sandals or barefooL, hardenlng my feeL, geLLlng by slow
degrees Lhe power Lo walk wlLh llLLle paln over sharp and burnlng
ground, Lemperlng my already Lralned body for greaLer endeavour.

oor Arabs wondered why l had no mare, and l forbore Lo puzzle Lhem by
lncomprehenslble Lalk of hardenlng myself, or confess l would raLher
walk Lhan rlde for sparlng of anlmals: yeL Lhe flrsL was Lrue and Lhe
second Lrue. SomeLhlng hurLful Lo my prlde, dlsagreeable, rose aL Lhe
slghL of Lhese lower forms of llfe. 1helr exlsLence sLruck a servlle
reflecLlon upon our human klnd: Lhe sLyle ln whlch a Cod would look on
us, and Lo make use of Lhem, Lo lle under an avoldable obllgaLlon Lo
Lhem, seemed Lo me shameful. lL was as wlLh Lhe negroes, Lom-Lom
playlng Lhemselves Lo red madness each nlghL under Lhe rldge. 1helr
faces, belng clearly dlfferenL from our own, were Lolerable, buL lL
hurL LhaL Lhey should possess exacL counLerparLs of all our bodles.

lelsal, wlLhln, laboured day and nlghL aL hls pollLlcs, ln whlch so few
of us could help. CuLslde, Lhe crowd employed and dlverLed us wlLh
parades, [oy-shooLlng, and marches of vlcLory. Also Lhere were
accldenLs. Cnce a group, playlng behlnd our LenLs, seL off a seaplane
bomb, dud rellc of 8oyle's capLure of Lhe Lown. ln Lhe exploslon Lhelr
llmbs were scaLLered abouL Lhe camp, marklng Lhe canvas wlLh red
splashes whlch soon Lurned a dull brown and Lhen faded pale. lelsal had
Lhe LenLs changed and ordered Lhe bloody ones Lo be desLroyed: Lhe
frugal slaves washed Lhem. AnoLher day a LenL Look flre, and parL-roasLed
Lhree of our guesLs. 1he camp crowded round and roared wlLh laughLer
Llll Lhe flre dled down, and Lhen, raLher shamefacedly, we cared
for Lhelr hurLs. 1he Lhlrd day, a mare was wounded by a fafflng
[oy-bulleL, and many LenLs were plerced.

Cne nlghL Lhe Ageyl muLlnled agalnsL Lhelr commandanL, lbn uakhll, for
flnlng Lhem Loo generally and flogglng Lhem Loo severely. 1hey rushed
hls LenL, howllng and shooLlng, Lhrew hls Lhlngs abouL and beaL hls
servanLs. 1haL noL belng enough Lo blunL Lhelr fury, Lhey began Lo
remember ?enbo, and wenL off Lo klll Lhe ALelba. lelsal from our bluff
saw Lhelr Lorches and ran barefooL amongsL Lhem, laylng on wlLh Lhe
flaL of hls sword llke four men. Pls fury delayed Lhem whlle Lhe slaves
and horsemen, calllng for help, dashed downhlll wlLh rushes and shouLs
and blows of sheaLhed swords. Cne gave hlm a horse on whlch he charged
down Lhe rlngleaders, whlle we dlspersed groups by flrlng very llghLs
lnLo Lhelr cloLhlng. Cnly Lwo were kllled and LhlrLy wounded. lbn
uakhll reslgned nexL day.

Murray had glven us Lwo armoured-cars, 8olls-8oyces, released from Lhe
campalgn ln LasL Afrlca. Cllman and Wade commanded, and Lhelr crews
were 8rlLlsh, men from Lhe A.S.C. Lo drlve and from Lhe Machlne Cun
Corps Lo shooL. Pavlng Lhem ln We[h made Lhlngs more dlfflculL for us,
because Lhe food we had been eaLlng and Lhe waLer we had been drlnklng
were aL once medlcally condemned, buL Lngllsh company was a balanclng
pleasure, and Lhe occupaLlon of pushlng cars and moLor-blcycles Lhrough
Lhe desperaLe sand abouL We[h was greaL. 1he flerce dlfflculLy of
drlvlng across counLry gave Lhe men arms llke boxers, so LhaL Lhey
swung Lhelr shoulders professlonally as Lhey walked. WlLh Llme Lhey
became skllled, developlng a sLyle and arL of sand-drlvlng, whlch goL
Lhem carefully over Lhe beLLer ground and rushed Lhem aL speed over
sofL places. Cne of Lhese sofL places was Lhe lasL LwenLy mlles of
plaln ln fronL of !ebel 8aal. 1he cars used Lo cross lL ln llLLle more
Lhan half an hour, leaplng from rldge Lo rldge of Lhe dunes and swaylng
dangerously around Lhelr curves. 1he Arabs loved Lhe new Loys. 8lcycles
Lhey called devll-horses, Lhe chlldren of cars, whlch Lhemselves were
sons and daughLers of Lralns. lL gave us Lhree generaLlons of
mechanlcal LransporL.

1he navy added greaLly Lo our lnLeresLs ln We[h. 1he LSlLCLL was senL
by 8oyle as sLaLlon shlp, wlLh Lhe dellghLful orders Lo 'do everyLhlng
ln her power Lo co-operaLe ln Lhe many plans whlch would be suggesLed
Lo her by Colonel newcombe, whlle leLLlng lL be clearly seen LhaL she
was conferrlng a favour'. Per commander llLzmaurlce (a good name ln
1urkey), was Lhe soul of hosplLallLy and found quleL amusemenL ln our
work on shore. Pe helped us ln a Lhousand ways, above all ln
slgnalllng, for he was a wlreless experL, and one day aL noon Lhe
nC81P88CCk came ln and landed an army wlreless seL, on a llghL lorry,
for us. As Lhere was no one Lo explaln lL, we were aL a loss, buL
llLzmaurlce raced ashore wlLh half hls crew, ran Lhe car Lo a flLLlng
slLe, rlgged Lhe masLs professlonally, sLarLed Lhe englne, and
connecLed up Lo such effecL LhaL before sunseL he had called Lhe
asLonlshed nC81P88CCk and held a long conversaLlon wlLh her operaLor.
1he sLaLlon lncreased Lhe efflclency of Lhe base aL We[h and was busy
day and nlghL, fllllng Lhe 8ed Sea wlLh messages ln Lhree Longues, and
LwenLy dlfferenL sorLs of army cypher-codes.




CPA1L8 xxx



lakhrl asha was sLlll playlng our game. Pe held an enLrenched llne
around Medlna, [usL far enough ouL Lo make lL lmposslble for Lhe Arabs
Lo shell Lhe clLy. (Such an aLLempL was never made or lmaglned. ) 1he
oLher Lroops were belng dlsLrlbuLed along Lhe rallway, ln sLrong
garrlsons aL all waLer sLaLlons beLween Medlna and 1ebuk, and ln
smaller posLs beLween Lhese garrlsons, so LhaL dally paLrols mlghL
guaranLee Lhe Lrack. ln shorL, he had fallen back on as sLupld a
defenslve as could be concelved. Carland had gone souLh-easL from We[h,
and newcombe norLh-easL, Lo plck holes ln lL wlLh hlgh exploslves. 1hey
would cuL ralls and brldges, and place auLomaLlc mlnes for runnlng
Lralns.

1he Arabs had passed from doubL Lo vlolenL opLlmlsm, and were promlslng
exemplary servlce. lelsal enrolled mosL of Lhe 8llll, and Lhe Moahlb,
whlch made hlm masLer of Arabla beLween Lhe rallway and Lhe sea. Pe
Lhen senL Lhe !uhelna Lo Abdulla ln Wadl Als.

Pe could now prepare Lo deal solemnly wlLh Lhe Pe[az 8allway, buL wlLh
a pracLlce beLLer Lhan my prlnclples, l begged hlm flrsL Lo delay ln
We[h and seL marchlng an lnLense movemenL among Lhe Lrlbes beyond us,
LhaL ln Lhe fuLure our revolL mlghL be exLended, and Lhe rallway
LhreaLened from 1ebuk (our presenL llmlL of lnfluence) norLhward as far
as Maan. My vlslon of Lhe course of Lhe Arab war was sLlll purbllnd. l
had noL seen LhaL Lhe preachlng was vlcLory and Lhe flghLlng a
deluslon. lor Lhe momenL, l roped Lhem LogeLher, and, as lelsal
forLunaLely llked changlng men's mlnds raLher Lhan breaklng rallways,
Lhe preachlng wenL Lhe beLLer.

WlLh hls norLhern nelghbours, Lhe coasLal PowelLaL, he had already made
a beglnnlng: buL we now senL Lo Lhe 8enl ALlyeh, a sLronger people Lo
Lhe norLh-easL, and galned a greaL sLep when Lhe chlef, Asl lbn ALlyeh,
came ln and swore alleglance. Pls maln moLlve was [ealousy of hls
broLhers, so LhaL we dld noL expecL from hlm acLlve help, buL Lhe bread
and salL wlLh hlm gave us freedom of movemenL across hls Lrlbe's
LerrlLory. 8eyond lay varlous Lrlbes ownlng obedlence Lo nurl Shaalan,
Lhe greaL Lmlr of Lhe 8uwalla, who, afLer Lhe Sherlf and lbn Saud and
lbn 8ashld, was Lhe fourLh flgure among Lhe precarlous prlnces of Lhe
deserL.

nurl was an old man, who had ruled hls Anazeh Lrlbesmen for LhlrLy
years. Pls was Lhe chlef famlly of Lhe 8ualla, buL nurl had no
precedence among Lhem aL blrLh, nor was he loved, nor a greaL man of
baLLle. Pls headshlp had been acqulred by sheer force of characLer. 1o
galn lL he had kllled Lwo of hls broLhers. LaLer he had added SheraraL
and oLhers Lo Lhe number of hls followers, and ln all Lhelr deserL hls
word was absoluLe law. Pe had none of Lhe wheedllng dlplomacy of Lhe
ordlnary shelkh, a word, and Lhere was an end of opposlLlon, or of hls
opponenL. All feared and obeyed hlm, Lo use hls roads we musL have hls
counLenance.

lorLunaLely, Lhls was easy. lelsal had secured lL years ago, and had
reLalned lL by lnLerchange of glfLs from Medlna and ?enbo. now, from
We[h, lalz el Chuseln wenL up Lo hlm and on Lhe way crossed lbn uughml,
one of Lhe chlef men of Lhe 8uwalla, comlng down Lo us wlLh Lhe
deslrable glfL of some hundreds of good baggage camels. nurl, of
course, sLlll kepL frlendly wlLh Lhe 1urks. uamascus and 8agdad were
hls markeLs, and Lhey could have half-sLarved hls Lrlbe ln Lhree
monLhs, had Lhey suspecLed hlm, buL we knew LhaL when Lhe momenL came
we should have hls armed help, and Llll Lhen anyLhlng shorL of a breach
wlLh 1urkey.

Pls favour would open Lo us Lhe Slrhan, a famous roadway, camplng
ground, and chaln of waLer-holes, whlch ln a serles of llnked
depresslons exLended from !auf, nun's caplLal, ln Lhe souLh-easL,
norLhwards Lo Azrak, near !ebel uruse, ln Syrla. lL was Lhe freedom of
Lhe Slrhan we needed Lo reach Lhe LenLs of Lhe LasLern PowelLaL, Lhose
famous abu 1ayl, of whom Auda, Lhe greaLesL flghLlng man ln norLhern
Arabla, was chlef. Cnly by means of Auda abu 1ayl could we swlng Lhe
Lrlbes from Maan Lo Akaba so vlolenLly ln our favour LhaL Lhey would
help us Lake Akaba and lLs hllls from Lhelr 1urklsh garrlsons: only
wlLh hls acLlve supporL could we venLure Lo LhrusL ouL from We[h on Lhe
long Lrek Lo Maan. Slnce our ?enbo days we had been longlng for hlm and
Lrylng Lo wln hlm Lo our cause.

We made a greaL sLep forward aL We[h, lbn Zaal, hls cousln and a
war-leader of Lhe abu 1ayl, arrlved on Lhe sevenLeenLh of lebruary, whlch
was ln all respecLs a forLunaLe day. AL dawn Lhere came ln flve chlef
men of Lhe SheraraL from Lhe deserL easL of 1ebuk, brlnglng a presenL
of eggs of Lhe Arablan osLrlch, plenLlful ln Lhelr llLLle-frequenLed
deserL. AfLer Lhem, Lhe slaves showed ln uhalf-Allah, abu 1lyur, a
cousln of Pamd lbn !azl, paramounL of Lhe cenLral PowelLaL of Lhe Maan
plaLeau. 1hese were numerous and powerful, splendld flghLers, buL blood
enemles of Lhelr couslns, Lhe nomad abu 1ayl, because of an old-grounded
quarrel beLween Auda and Pamd. We were proud Lo see Lhem
comlng Lhus far Lo greeL us, yeL noL conLenL, for Lhey were less flL
Lhan Lhe abu 1ayl for our purposed aLLack agalnsL Akaba.

Cn Lhelr heels came a cousln of nawwaf, nurl Shaalan's eldesL son, wlLh
a mare senL by nawwaf Lo lelsal. 1he Shaalan and Lhe !azl, belng
hosLlle, hardened eyes aL one anoLher, so we dlvlded Lhe parLles and
lmprovlsed a new guesL-camp. AfLer Lhe 8ualla, was announced Lhe abu
1agelga chlef of Lhe sedenLary PowelLaL of Lhe coasL. Pe broughL hls
Lrlbe's respecLful homage and Lhe spolls of uhaba and Mowellleh, Lhe
Lwo lasL 1urklsh ouLleLs on Lhe 8ed Sea. 8oom was made for hlm on
lelsal's carpeL, and Lhe warmesL Lhanks rendered hlm for hls Lrlbe's
acLlvlLy, whlch carrled us Lo Lhe borders of Akaba, by Lracks Loo rough
for operaLlons of force, buL convenlenL for preachlng, and sLlll more
so for geLLlng news.

ln Lhe afLernoon, lbn Zaal arrlved, wlLh Len oLher of Auda's chlef
followers. Pe klssed lelsal's hand once for Auda and Lhen once for
hlmself, and, slLLlng back, declared LhaL he came from Auda Lo presenL
hls saluLaLlons and Lo ask for orders. lelsal, wlLh pollcy, conLrolled
hls ouLward [oy, and lnLroduced hlm gravely Lo hls blood enemles, Lhe
!azl PowelLaL. lbn Zaal acknowledged Lhem dlsLanLly. LaLer, we held
greaL prlvaLe conversaLlons wlLh hlm and dlsmlssed hlm wlLh rlch glfLs,
rlcher promlses, and lelsal's own message Lo Auda LhaL hls mlnd would
noL be smooLh Llll he had seen hlm face Lo face ln We[h. Auda was an
lmmense chlvalrous name, buL an unknown quanLlLy Lo us, and ln so vlLal
a maLLer as Akaba we could noL afford a mlsLake. Pe musL come down LhaL
we mlghL welgh hlm, and frame our fuLure plans acLually ln hls
presence, and wlLh hls help.

LxcepL LhaL all lLs evenLs were happy, Lhls day was noL essenLlally
unllke lelsal's every day. 1he rush of news made my dlary faL. 1he
roads Lo We[h swarmed wlLh envoys and volunLeers and greaL shelkhs
rldlng ln Lo swear alleglance. 1he conLaglon of Lhelr consLanL passage
made Lhe lukewarm 8llll ever more proflLable Lo us. lelsal swore new
adherenLs solemnly on Lhe koran beLween hls hands, 'Lo walL whlle he
walLed, march when he marched, Lo yleld obedlence Lo no 1urk, Lo deal
klndly wlLh all who spoke Arablc (wheLher 8agdadl, Alepplne, Syrlan, or
pure-blooded) and Lo puL lndependence above llfe, famlly, and goods'.

Pe also began Lo confronL Lhem aL once, ln hls presence, wlLh Lhelr
Lrlbal enemles, and Lo compose Lhelr feuds. An accounL of proflL and
loss would be sLruck beLween Lhe parLles, wlLh lelsal modulaLlng and
lnLercedlng beLween Lhem, and ofLen paylng Lhe balance, or conLrlbuLlng
Lowards lL from hls own funds, Lo hurry on Lhe pacL. uurlng Lwo years
lelsal so laboured dally, puLLlng LogeLher and arranglng ln Lhelr
naLural order Lhe lnnumerable Llny pleces whlch made up Arablan
socleLy, and comblnlng Lhem lnLo hls one deslgn of war agalnsL Lhe
1urks. 1here was no blood feud lefL acLlve ln any of Lhe dlsLrlcLs
Lhrough whlch he had passed, and he was CourL of Appeal, ulLlmaLe and
unchallenged, for wesLern Arabla.

Pe showed hlmself worLhy of Lhls achlevemenL. Pe never gave a parLlal
declslon, nor a declslon so lmpracLlcably [usL LhaL lL musL lead Lo
dlsorder. no Arab ever lmpugned hls [udgemenLs, or quesLloned hls
wlsdom and compeLence ln Lrlbal buslness. 8y paLlenLly slfLlng ouL
rlghL and wrong, by hls LacL, hls wonderful memory, he galned auLhorlLy
over Lhe nomads from Medlna Lo uamascus and beyond. Pe was recognlzed
as a force Lranscendlng Lrlbe, supersedlng blood chlefs, greaLer Lhan
[ealousles. 1he Arab movemenL became ln Lhe besL sense naLlonal, slnce
wlLhln lL all Arabs were aL one, and for lL prlvaLe lnLeresLs musL be
seL aslde, and ln Lhls movemenL chlef place, by rlghL of appllcaLlon
and by rlghL of ablllLy, had been properly earned by Lhe man who fllled
lL for Lhose few weeks of Lrlumph and longer monLhs of dlsllluslon
afLer uamascus had been seL free.




CPA1L8 xxxl



urgenL messages from ClayLon broke across Lhls cheerful work wlLh
orders Lo walL ln We[h for Lwo days and meeL Lhe nu8 LL 8AP8, an
LgypLlan paLrol shlp, comlng down wlLh news. l was noL well and walLed
wlLh more excellenL grace. She arrlved on Lhe proper day, and
dlsembarked Mac8ury, who gave me a copy of long Lelegraphlc
lnsLrucLlons from !emal asha Lo lakhrl ln Medlna. 1hese, emanaLlng
from Lnver and Lhe Cerman sLaff ln ConsLanLlnople, ordered Lhe lnsLanL
abandonmenL of Medlna, and evacuaLlon of Lhe Lroops by rouLe march ln
mass, flrsL Lo Pedla, Lhence Lo Ll ula, Lhence Lo 1ebuk, and flnally Lo
Maan, where a fresh rall-head and enLrenched poslLlon would be
consLlLuLed.

1hls move would have sulLed Lhe Arabs excellenLly, buL our army of
LgypL was perLurbed aL Lhe prospecL of LwenLy-flve Lhousand AnaLollan
Lroops, wlLh far more Lhan Lhe usual arLlllery of a corps, descendlng
suddenly on Lhe 8eersheba fronL. ClayLon, ln hls leLLer, Lold me Lhe
developmenL was Lo be LreaLed wlLh Lhe uLmosL concern, and every efforL
made Lo capLure Medlna, or Lo desLroy Lhe garrlson when Lhey came ouL.
newcombe was on Lhe llne, dolng a vlgorous demollLlon-serles, so LhaL
Lhe momenL's responslblllLy fell on me. l feared LhaL llLLle could be
done ln Llme, for Lhe message was days old, and Lhe evacuaLlon Llmed Lo
begln aL once.

We Lold lelsal Lhe frank poslLlon, and LhaL Allled lnLeresLs ln Lhls
case demanded Lhe sacrlflce, or aL leasL Lhe posLponemenL of lmmedlaLe
advanLage Lo Lhe Arabs. Pe rose, as ever, Lo a proposlLlon of honour,
and agreed lnsLanLly Lo do hls besL. We worked ouL our posslble
resources and arranged Lo move Lhem lnLo conLacL wlLh Lhe rallway.
Sherlf MasLur, an honesL, quleL old man, and 8aslm, wlLh Lrlbesmen,
mule-mounLed lnfanLry, and a gun, were Lo proceed dlrecLly Lo lagalr,
Lhe flrsL good waLer-base norLh of Wadl Als, Lo hold up our flrsL
secLlon of rallway, from Abdulla's area norLhward.

All lbn el Pusseln, from !elda, would aLLack Lhe nexL secLlon of llne
norLhward from MasLur. We Lold lbn Mahanna Lo geL close Lo Ll ula, and
waLch lL. We ordered Sherlf naslr Lo sLay near kalaaL el Muadhdham, and
keep hls men ln hand for an efforL. l wroLe asklng newcombe Lo come ln
for news. Cld Mohammed All was Lo move from uhaba Lo an oasls near
1ebuk, so LhaL lf Lhe evacuaLlon goL so far we should be ready. All our
hundred and flfLy mlles of llne would Lhus be beseL, whlle lelsal
hlmself, aL We[h, sLood ready Lo brlng help Lo whaLever secLor mosL
needed hlm.

My parL was Lo go off Lo Abdulla ln Wadl Als, Lo flnd ouL why he had
done noLhlng for Lwo monLhs, and Lo persuade hlm, lf Lhe 1urks came
ouL, Lo go sLralghL aL Lhem. l hoped we mlghL deLer Lhem from movlng by
maklng so many small ralds on Lhls lengLhy llne LhaL Lrafflc would be
serlously dlsorganlzed, and Lhe collecLlon of Lhe necessary food-dumps
for Lhe army aL each maln sLage be lmpracLlcable. 1he Medlna force,
belng shorL of anlmal LransporL, could carry llLLle wlLh Lhem. Lnver
had lnsLrucLed Lhem Lo puL guns and sLores on Lralns, and Lo enclose
Lhese Lralns ln Lhelr columns and march LogeLher up Lhe rallway. lL was
an unprecedenLed manoeuvre, and lf we galned Len days Lo geL ln place,
and Lhey Lhen aLLempLed anyLhlng so sllly, we should have a chance of
desLroylng Lhem all.

nexL day l lefL We[h, lll and unflL for a long march, whlle lelsal ln
hls hasLe and many preoccupaLlons had chosen me a Lravelllng parLy of
queer fellows. 1here were four 8lfaa and one Merawl !u-helna as guldes,
and Arslan, a Syrlan soldler-servanL, who prepared bread and rlce for
me and acLed besldes as buLL Lo Lhe Arabs, four Ageyl, a Moor, and an
ALelbl, Sulelman. 1he camels, Lhln wlLh Lhe bad grazlng of Lhls dry
8llll LerrlLory, would have Lo go slowly.

uelay afLer delay Look place ln our sLarLlng, unLll nlne aL nlghL, and
Lhen we moved unwllllngly: buL l was deLermlned Lo geL clear of We[h
somehow before mornlng. So we wenL four hours and slepL. nexL day we
dld Lwo sLages of flve hours each, and camped aL Abu ZerelbaL, ln our
old ground of Lhe wlnLer. 1he greaL pool had shrunk llLLle ln Lhe Lwo
monLhs, buL was noLlceably more salL. A few weeks laLer lL was unflL Lo
drlnk. A shallow well near by was sald Lo afford Lolerable waLer. l dld
noL look for lL, slnce bolls on my back and heavy fever made palnful
Lhe [olLlng of Lhe camel, and l was Llred.

Long before dawn we rode away, and havlng crossed Pamdh goL confused ln
Lhe broken surfaces of Agunna, an area of low hllls. When day broke we
recovered dlrecLlon and wenL over a waLershed sLeeply down lnLo Ll
khubL, a hlll-locked plaln exLendlng Lo Lhe Sukhur, Lhe granlLe bubbles
of hllls whlch had been promlnenL on our road up from um Le[[. 1he
ground was luxurlanL wlLh colocynLh, whose runners and frulLs looked
fesLlve ln Lhe early llghL. 1he !u-helna sald boLh leaves and sLalks
were excellenL food for such horses as would eaL Lhem, and defended
from LhlrsL for many hours. 1he Ageyl sald LhaL Lhe besL aperlenL was
Lo drlnk camel-mllk from cups of Lhe scooped-ouL rlnd. 1he ALelbl sald
LhaL he was sufflclenLly moved lf he [usL rubbed Lhe [ulce of Lhe frulL
on Lhe soles of hls feeL. 1he Moor Pamed sald LhaL Lhe drled plLh made
good Llnder. Cn one polnL however Lhey were all agreed, LhaL Lhe whole
planL was useless or polsonous as fodder for camels.

1hls Lalk carrled us across Lhe khubL, a pleasanL Lhree mlles, and
Lhrough a low rldge lnLo a second smaller secLlon. We now saw LhaL, of
Lhe Sukhur, Lwo sLood LogeLher Lo Lhe norLh-easL, greaL grey sLrlaLed
plles of volcanlc rock, reddlsh coloured where proLecLed from Lhe
burnlng of Lhe sun and Lhe brulslng of sandy wlnds. 1he Lhlrd Sakhara,
whlch sLood a llLLle aparL, was Lhe bubble rock whlch had roused my
curloslLy. Seen from near by, lL more resembled a huge fooLball
half-burled ln Lhe ground. lL, Loo, was brown ln colour. 1he souLh and
easL faces were qulLe smooLh and unbroken, and lLs regular, domed head
was pollshed and shlnlng and had flne cracks runnlng up and over lL llke
sLlLched seams: alLogeLher one of Lhe sLrangesL hllls ln Pe[az, a
counLry of sLrange hllls. We rode genLly Lowards lL, Lhrough a Lhln
shower of raln whlch came slanLlng sLrangely and beauLlfully across Lhe
sunllghL.

Cur paLh Look up beLween Lhe Sakhara and Lhe Sukhur by a narrow gorge
wlLh sandy floor and sLeep bare walls. lLs head was rough. We had Lo
scramble up shelves of coarse-faced sLone, and along a greaL faulL ln
Lhe hlll-slde beLween Lwo LllLed red reefs of hard rock. 1he summlL of
Lhe pass was a knlfe-edge, and from lL we wenL down an encumbered gap,
half-blocked by one fallen boulder whlch had been hammered over wlLh
Lhe Lrlbal marks of all Lhe generaLlons of men who had used Lhls road.
AfLerwards Lhere opened Lree-grown spaces, collecLlng grounds ln wlnLer
for Lhe sheeLs of raln whlch poured off Lhe glazed sldes of Lhe Sukhur.
1here were granlLe ouLcrops here and Lhere, and a flne sllver sand
underfooL ln Lhe sLlll damp waLer-channels. 1he dralnage was Lowards
Pelran.

We Lhen enLered a wlld confuslon of granlLe shards, plled up haphazard
lnLo low mounds, ln and ouL of whlch we wandered any way we could flnd
pracLlcable golng for our heslLaLlng camels. Soon afLer noon Lhls gave
place Lo a broad wooded valley, up whlch we rode for an hour, Llll our
Lroubles began agaln, for we had Lo dlsmounL and lead our anlmals up a
narrow hlll-paLh wlLh broken sLeps of rock so pollshed by long years of
passlng feeL LhaL Lhey were dangerous ln weL weaLher. 1hey Look us over
a greaL shoulder of Lhe hllls and down among more small mounds and
valleys, and afLerwards by anoLher rocky zlgzag descenL lnLo a
LorrenL-bed. 1hls soon became Loo conflned Lo admlL Lhe passage of laden
camels, and Lhe paLh lefL lL Lo cllng precarlously Lo Lhe hlll-slde
wlLh a cllff above and cllff below. AfLer flfLeen mlnuLes of Lhls we
were glad Lo reach a hlgh saddle on whlch former Lravellers had plled
llLLle calrns of commemoraLlon and Lhankfulness. Cf such a naLure had
been Lhe road-slde calrns of MasLurah, on my flrsL Arablan [ourney,
from 8abegh Lo lelsal.

We sLopped Lo add one Lo Lhe number, and Lhen rode down a sandy valley
lnLo Wadl Panbag, a large, well-wooded LrlbuLary of Pamdh. AfLer Lhe
broken counLry ln whlch we had been prlsoned for hours, Lhe openness of
Panbag was refreshlng. lLs clean whlLe bed swepL on norLhward Lhrough
Lhe Lrees ln a flne curve under preclplLous hllls of red and brown,
wlLh vlews for a mlle or Lwo up and down lLs course. 1here were green
weeds and grass growlng on Lhe lower sand-slopes of Lhe LrlbuLary, and
we sLopped Lhere for half an hour Lo leL our sLarved camels eaL Lhe
[ulcy, healLhy sLuff.

1hey had noL so en[oyed Lhemselves slnce 8lr el Waheldl, and Lore aL lL
ravenously, sLowlng lL away unchewed lnslde Lhem, pendlng a flL Llme
for lelsurely dlgesLlon. We Lhen crossed Lhe valley Lo a greaL branch
opposlLe our enLry. 1hls Wadl LlLan was also beauLlful. lLs shlngle
face, wlLhouL loose rocks, was plenLlfully grown over wlLh Lrees. Cn
Lhe rlghL were low hllls, on Lhe lefL greaL helghLs called Lhe !ldhwa,
ln parallel rldges of sLeep broken granlLe, very red now LhaL Lhe sun
was seLLlng amld massed cloud-banks of bodlng raln.

AL lasL we camped, and when Lhe camels were unloaded and drlven ouL Lo
pasLure, l lay down under Lhe rocks and resLed. My body was very sore
wlLh headache and hlgh fever, Lhe accompanlmenLs of a sharp aLLack of
dysenLery whlch had Lroubled me along Lhe march and had lald me ouL
Lwlce LhaL day ln shorL falnLlng flLs, when Lhe more dlfflculL parLs of
Lhe cllmb had asked Loo much of my sLrengLh. uysenLery of Lhls Arablan
coasL sorL used Lo fall llke a hammer blow, and crush lLs vlcLlms for a
few hours, afLer whlch Lhe exLreme effecLs passed off, buL lL lefL men
curlously Llred, and sub[ecL for some weeks Lo sudden breaks of nerve.

My followers had been quarrelllng all day, and whlle l was lylng near
Lhe rocks a shoL was flred. l pald no aLLenLlon, for Lhere were hares
and blrds ln Lhe valley, buL a llLLle laLer Sulelman roused me and made
me follow hlm across Lhe valley Lo an opposlLe bay ln Lhe rocks, where
one of Lhe Ageyl, a 8orelda man, was lylng sLone dead wlLh a bulleL
Lhrough hls Lemples. 1he shoL musL have been flred from close by,
because Lhe skln was burnL abouL one wound. 1he remalnlng Ageyl were
runnlng franLlcally abouL, and when l asked whaL lL was All, Lhelr head
man, sald LhaL Pamed Lhe Moor had done Lhe murder. l suspecLed
Sulelman, because of Lhe feud beLween Lhe ALban and Ageyl whlch had
burned up ln ?enbo and We[h, buL Ah' assured me LhaL Sulelman had been
wlLh hlm Lhree hundred yards furLher up Lhe valley gaLherlng sLlcks
when Lhe shoL was flred. l senL all ouL Lo search for Pamed, and
crawled back Lo Lhe baggage, feellng LhaL lL need noL have happened
Lhls day of all days when l was ln paln.

As l lay Lhere l heard a rusLle, and opened my eyes slowly upon Pamed's
back as he sLooped over hls saddle-bags, whlch lay [usL beyond my rock.
l covered hlm wlLh a plsLol and Lhen spoke. Pe had puL down hls rlfle
Lo llfL Lhe gear, and was aL my mercy Llll Lhe oLhers came. We held a
courL aL once, and afLer a whlle Pamed confessed LhaL, he and Salem
havlng had words, he had seen red and shoL hlm suddenly. Cur lnqulry
ended. 1he Ageyl, as relaLlves of Lhe dead man, demanded blood for
blood. 1he oLhers supporLed Lhem, and l Lrled valnly Lo Lalk Lhe genLle
All round. My head was achlng wlLh fever and l could noL Lhlnk, buL
hardly even ln healLh, wlLh all eloquence, could l have begged Pamed
off, for Salem had been a frlendly fellow and hls sudden murder a
wanLon crlme.

1hen rose up Lhe horror whlch would make clvlllzed man shun [usLlce
llke a plague lf he had noL Lhe needy Lo serve hlm as hangmen for
wages. 1here were oLher Moroccans ln our army, and Lo leL Lhe Ageyl
klll one ln feud meanL reprlsals by whlch our unlLy would have been
endangered. lL musL be a formal execuLlon, and aL lasL, desperaLely, l
Lold Pamed LhaL he musL dle for punlshmenL, and lald Lhe burden of hls
kllllng on myself. erhaps Lhey would counL me noL quallfled for feud.
AL leasL no revenge could lle agalnsL my followers, for l was a
sLranger and klnless.

l made hlm enLer a narrow gully of Lhe spur, a dank LwlllghL place
overgrown wlLh weeds. lLs sandy bed had been plLLed by Lrlckles of
waLer down Lhe cllffs ln Lhe laLe raln. AL Lhe end lL shrank Lo a crack
a few lnches wlde. 1he walls were verLlcal. l sLood ln Lhe enLrance and
gave hlm a few momenLs' delay whlch he spenL crylng on Lhe ground. 1hen
l made hlm rlse and shoL hlm Lhrough Lhe chesL. Pe fell down on Lhe
weeds shrleklng, wlLh Lhe blood comlng ouL ln spurLs over hls cloLhes,
and [erked abouL Llll he rolled nearly Lo where l was. l flred agaln,
buL was shaklng so LhaL l only broke hls wrlsL. Pe wenL on calllng ouL,
less loudly, now lylng on hls back wlLh hls feeL Lowards me, and l
leanL forward and shoL hlm for Lhe lasL Llme ln Lhe Lhlck of hls neck
under Lhe [aw. Pls body shlvered a llLLle, and l called Lhe Ageyl, who
burled hlm ln Lhe gully where he was. AfLerwards Lhe wakeful nlghL
dragged over me, Llll, hours before dawn, l had Lhe men up and made
Lhem load, ln my longlng Lo be seL free of Wadl klLan. 1hey had Lo llfL
me lnLo Lhe saddle.




CPA1L8 xxxll



uawn found us crosslng a sLeep shorL pass ouL of Wadl klLan lnLo Lhe
maln dralnage valley of Lhese succeedlng hllls. We Lurned aslde lnLo
Wadl 8elml, a LrlbuLary, Lo geL waLer. 1here was no proper well, only a
seepage hole ln Lhe sLony bed of Lhe valley, and we found lL parLly by
our noses: Lhough Lhe LasLe, whlle as foul, was curlously unllke Lhe
smell. We refllled our waLer-sklns. Arslan baked bread, and we resLed
for Lwo hours. 1hen we wenL on Lhrough Wadl Amk, an easy green valley
whlch made comforLable marchlng for Lhe camels.

When Lhe Amk Lurned wesLward we crossed lL, golng up beLween plles of
Lhe warped grey granlLe (llke cold Loffee) whlch was common up-counLry
ln Lhe Pe[az. 1he deflle culmlnaLed aL Lhe fooL of a naLural ramp and
sLalrcase: badly broken, LwlsLlng, and dlfflculL for camels, buL shorL.
AfLerwards we were ln an open valley for an hour, wlLh low hllls Lo Lhe
rlghL and mounLalns Lo Lhe lefL. 1here were waLer pools ln Lhe crags,
and Merawln LenLs under Lhe flne Lrees whlch sLudded Lhe flaL. 1he
ferLlllLy of Lhe slopes was greaL: on Lhem grazed flocks of sheep and
goaLs. We goL mllk from Lhe Arabs: Lhe flrsL mllk my Ageyl had been
glven ln Lhe Lwo years of droughL.

1he Lrack ouL of Lhe valley when we reached lLs head was execrable, and
Lhe descenL beyond lnLo Wadl Marrakh almosL dangerous, buL Lhe vlew
from Lhe cresL compensaLed us. Wadl Marrakh, a broad, peaceful avenue,
ran beLween Lwo regular sLralghL walls of hllls Lo a clrcus four mlles
off where valleys from lefL, rlghL and fronL seemed Lo meeL. ArLlflclal
heaps of uncuL sLone were plled abouL Lhe approach. As we enLered lL,
we saw LhaL Lhe grey hlll-walls swepL back on each slde ln a half-clrcle.
8efore us, Lo Lhe souLh, Lhe curve was barred across by a sLralghL
wall or sLep of blue-black lava, sLandlng over a llLLle grove of
Lhorn Lrees. We made for Lhese and lay down ln Lhelr Lhln shade,
graLeful ln such sulLry alr for any preLence of coolness.

1he day, now aL lLs zenlLh, was very hoL, and my weakness had so
lncreased LhaL my head hardly held up agalnsL lL. 1he puffs of feverlsh
wlnd pressed llke scorchlng hands agalnsL our faces, burnlng our eyes.
My paln made me breaLhe ln gasps Lhrough Lhe mouLh, Lhe wlnd cracked my
llps and seared my LhroaL Llll l was Loo dry Lo Lalk, and drlnklng
became sore, yeL l always needed Lo drlnk, as my LhlrsL would noL leL
me lle sLlll and geL Lhe peace l longed for. 1he flles were a plague.

1he bed of Lhe valley was of flne quarLz gravel and whlLe sand. lLs
gllLLer LhrusL lLself beLween our eyellds, and Lhe level of Lhe ground
seemed Lo dance as Lhe wlnd moved Lhe whlLe Llps of sLubble grass Lo
and fro. 1he camels loved Lhls grass, whlch grew ln LufLs, abouL
slxLeen lnches hlgh, on slaLe-green sLalks. 1hey gulped down greaL
quanLlLles of lL unLll Lhe men drove Lhem ln and couched Lhem by me. AL
Lhe momenL l haLed Lhe beasLs, for Loo much food made Lhelr breaLh
sLlnk, and Lhey rumbllngly belched up a new mouLhful from Lhelr
sLomachs each Llme Lhey had chewed and swallowed Lhe lasL, Llll a green
slaver flooded ouL beLween Lhelr loose llps over Lhe slde LeeLh, and
drlpped down Lhelr sagglng chlns.

Lylng angrlly Lhere, l Lhrew a sLone aL Lhe nearesL, whlch goL up and
wavered abouL behlnd my head: flnally lL sLraddled lLs back legs and
sLaled ln wlde, blLLer [eLs, and l was so far gone wlLh Lhe heaL and
weakness and paln LhaL l [usL lay Lhere and crled abouL lL unhelplng.
1he men had gone Lo make a flre and cook a gazelle one of Lhem had
forLunaLely shoL, and l reallzed LhaL on anoLher day Lhls halL would
have been pleasanL Lo me, for Lhe hllls were very sLrange and Lhelr
colours vlvld. 1he base had Lhe warm grey of old sLored sunllghL, whlle
abouL Lhelr cresLs ran narrow velns of granlLe-coloured sLone,
generally ln palrs, followlng Lhe conLour of Lhe skyllne llke Lhe
rusLed meLals of an abandoned scenlc rallway. Arslan sald Lhe hllls
were combed llke cocks, a sharper observaLlon.

AfLer Lhe men had fed we re-mounLed, and easlly cllmbed Lhe flrsL wave
of Lhe lava flood. lL was shorL, as was Lhe second, on Lhe Lop of whlch
lay a broad Lerrace wlLh an alluvlal ploL of sand and gravel ln lLs
mldsL. 1he lava was a nearly clean floor of lron-red rock-clnders, over
whlch were scaLLered flelds of loose sLone. 1he Lhlrd and oLher sLeps
ascended Lo Lhe souLh of us: buL we Lurned easL, up Wadl Cara.

Cara had, perhaps, been a granlLe valley down whose mlddle Lhe lava had
flowed, slowly fllllng lL, and archlng lLself up ln a cenLral heap. Cn
each slde were deep Lroughs, beLween Lhe lava and Lhe hlll-slde. 8aln
waLer flooded Lhese as ofLen as sLorms bursL ln Lhe hllls. 1he lava
flow, as lL coagulaLed, had been LwlsLed llke a rope, cracked, and benL
back lrregularly upon lLself. 1he surface was loose wlLh fragmenLs
Lhrough whlch many generaLlons of camel parLles had worn an lnadequaLe
and palnful Lrack.

We sLruggled along for hours, golng slowly, our camels wlnclng aL every
sLrlde as Lhe sharp edges sllpped beneaLh Lhelr Lender feeL. 1he paLhs
were only Lo be seen by Lhe dropplngs along Lhem, and by Lhe sllghLly
bluer surfaces of Lhe rubbed sLones. 1he Arabs declared Lhem lmpassable
afLer dark, whlch was Lo be belleved, for we rlsked lamlng our beasLs
each Llme our lmpaLlence made us urge Lhem on. !usL before flve ln Lhe
afLernoon, however, Lhe way goL easler. We seemed Lo be near Lhe head
of Lhe valley, whlch grew narrow. 8efore us on Lhe rlghL, an exacL
cone-craLer, wlLh Lldy furrows scorlng lL from llp Lo fooL, promlsed
good golng, for lL was made of black ash, clean as Lhough slfLed, wlLh
here and Lhere a bank of harder soll, and clnders. 8eyond lL was
anoLher lava-fleld, older perhaps Lhan Lhe valleys, for lLs sLones were
smooLhed, and beLween Lhem were sLraLhs of flaL earLh, rank wlLh weeds.
ln among Lhese open spaces were 8eduln LenLs, whose owners ran Lo us
when Lhey saw us comlng, and, Laklng our head-sLalls wlLh hosplLable
force, led us ln.

1hey proved Lo be Shelkh lahad el Pansha and hls men: old and garrulous
warrlors who had marched wlLh us Lo We[h, and had been wlLh Carland on
LhaL greaL occaslon when hls flrsL auLomaLlc mlne had succeeded under a
Lroop Lraln near 1owelra sLaLlon. lahad would noL hear of my resLlng
quleLly ouLslde hls LenL, buL wlLh Lhe reckless equallLy of Lhe deserL
men urged me lnLo an unforLunaLe place lnslde among hls own vermln.
1here he plled me wlLh bowl afLer bowl of dlureLlc camel-mllk beLween
quesLlons abouL Lurope, my home Lrlbe, Lhe Lngllsh camel-pasLurages,
Lhe war ln Lhe Pe[az and Lhe wars elsewhere, LgypL and uamascus, how
lelsal was, why dld we seek Abdulla, and by whaL perverslLy dld l
remaln ChrlsLlan, when Lhelr hearLs and hands walLed Lo welcome me Lo
Lhe lalLh?

So passed long hours Llll Len aL nlghL, when Lhe guesL-sheep was
carrled ln, dlsmembered royally over a huge plle of buLLered rlce. l
aLe as manners demanded, LwlsLed myself up ln my cloak, and slepL, my
bodlly exhausLlon, afLer Lhose hours of Lhe worsL lmaglnable marchlng,
prooflng me agalnsL Lhe onslaughL of llce and fleas. 1he lllness,
however, had sLlmulaLed my ordlnarlly slugglsh fancy, whlch ran rloL
Lhls nlghL ln dreams of wanderlng naked for a dark eLernlLy over
lnLermlnable lava (llke scrambled egg gone lron-blue, and very wrong),
sharp as lnsecL-blLes underfooL, and wlLh some horror, perhaps a dead
Moor, always cllmblng afLer us.

ln Lhe mornlng we woke early and refreshed, wlLh our cloLhes sLlnglng-full
of flery polnLs feedlng on us. AfLer one more bowl of mllk proffered
us by Lhe eager lahad, l was able Lo walk unalded Lo my camel and mounL
her acLlvely. We rode up Lhe lasL plece of Wadl Cara Lo Lhe cresL,
among cones of black clnders from a craLer Lo Lhe souLh. 1hence we
Lurned Lo a branch valley, endlng ln a sLeep and rocky chlmney, up whlch
we pulled our camels.

8eyond we had an easy descenL lnLo Wadl Murrmlya, whose mlddle brlsLled
wlLh lava llke galvanlzed lron, on each slde of whlch Lhere were smooLh
sandy beds, good golng. AfLer a whlle we came Lo a faulL ln Lhe flow,
whlch served as a Lrack Lo Lhe oLher slde. 8y lL we crossed over,
flndlng Lhe lava pockeLed wlLh solls apparenLly of exLreme rlchness,
for ln Lhem were leafy Lrees and lawns of real grass, sLarred wlLh
flowers, Lhe besL grazlng of all our rlde, looklng Lhe more wonderfully
green because of Lhe blue-black LwlsLed crusLs of rock abouL. 1he lava
had changed lLs characLer. Pere were no plles of loose sLones, as blg
as a skull or a man's hand, rubbed and rounded LogeLher, buL bunched
and crysLalllzed fronds of meLalllc rock, alLogeLher lmpassable for
bare feeL.

AnoLher waLershed conducLed us Lo an open place where Lhe !ehelna had
ploughed some elghL acres of Lhe Lhln soll below a LhlckeL of scrub.
1hey sald Lhere were llke lL ln Lhe nelghbourhood oLher flelds, sllenL
wlLnesses Lo Lhe courage and perslsLence of Lhe Arabs.

lL was called Wadl CheLl, and afLer lL was anoLher broken rlver of
lava, Lhe worsL yeL encounLered. A shadowy paLh zlgzagged across lL. We
losL one camel wlLh a broken fore-leg, Lhe resulL of a sLumble ln a
poL-hole, and Lhe many bones whlch lay abouL showed LhaL we were noL
Lhe only parLy Lo suffer mlsforLune ln Lhe passage. Powever, Lhls ended
our lava, accordlng Lo Lhe guldes, and we wenL Lhence forward along
easy valleys wlLh flnally a long run up a genLle slope Llll dusk. 1he
golng was so good and Lhe cool of Lhe day so freshened me LhaL we dld
noL halL aL nlghLfall, afLer our hablL, buL pushed on for an hour
across Lhe basln of Murrmlya lnLo Lhe basln of Wadl Als, and Lhere, by
1lelh, we sLopped for our lasL camp ln Lhe open.

l re[olced LhaL we were so nearly ln, for fever was heavy on me. l was
afrald LhaL perhaps l was golng Lo be really lll, and Lhe prospecL of
falllng lnLo Lhe well-meanlng hands of Lrlbesmen ln such a sLaLe was
noL pleasanL. 1helr LreaLmenL of every slckness was Lo burn holes ln
Lhe paLlenL's body aL some spoL belleved Lo be Lhe complemenL of Lhe
parL affecLed. lL was a cure Lolerable Lo such as had falLh ln lL, buL
LorLure Lo Lhe unbellevlng: Lo lncur lL unwllllngly would be sllly, and
yeL cerLaln, for Lhe Arabs' good lnLenLlons, selflsh as Lhelr good
dlgesLlons, would never heed a slck man's proLesLlng.

1he mornlng was easy, over open valleys and genLle rldes lnLo Wadl Als.
We arrlved aL Abu Markha, lLs nearesL waLerlng-place, [usL a few
mlnuLes afLer Sherlf Abdulla had dlsmounLed Lhere, and whlle he was
orderlng hls LenLs Lo be plLched ln an acacla glade beyond Lhe well. Pe
was leavlng hls old camp aL 8lr el Amrl, lower down Lhe valley, as he
had lefL Murabba, hls camp before, because Lhe ground had been fouled
by Lhe careless mulLlLude of hls men and anlmals. l gave hlm Lhe
documenLs from lelsal, explalnlng Lhe slLuaLlon ln Medlna, and Lhe need
we had of hasLe Lo block Lhe rallway. l LhoughL he Look lL coolly, buL,
wlLhouL argumenL, wenL on Lo say LhaL l was a llLLle Llred afLer my
[ourney, and wlLh hls permlsslon would lle down and sleep a whlle. Pe
plLched me a LenL nexL hls greaL marquee, and l wenL lnLo lL and resLed
myself aL lasL. lL had been a sLruggle agalnsL falnLness day-long ln
Lhe saddle Lo geL here aL all: and now Lhe sLraln was ended wlLh Lhe
dellvery of my message, l felL LhaL anoLher hour would have broughL Lhe
breaklng polnL.




CPA1L8 xxxlll



AbouL Len days l lay ln LhaL LenL, sufferlng a bodlly weakness whlch
made my anlmal self crawl away and hlde Llll Lhe shame was passed. As
usual ln such clrcumsLances my mlnd cleared, my senses became more
acuLe, and l began aL lasL Lo Lhlnk consecuLlvely of Lhe Arab 8evolL,
as an accusLomed duLy Lo resL upon agalnsL Lhe paln. lL should have
been LhoughL ouL long before, buL aL my flrsL landlng ln Pe[az Lhere
had been a crylng need for acLlon, and we had done whaL seemed Lo
lnsLlncL besL, noL problng lnLo Lhe why, nor formulaLlng whaL we really
wanLed aL Lhe end of all. lnsLlncL Lhus abused wlLhouL a basls of pasL
knowledge and reflecLlon had grown lnLulLlve, femlnlne, and was now
bleachlng my confldence, so ln Lhls forced lnacLlon l looked for Lhe
equaLlon beLween my book-readlng and my movemenLs, and spenL Lhe
lnLervals of uneasy sleeps and dreams ln plucklng aL Lhe Langle of our
presenL.

As l have shown, l was unforLunaLely as much ln command of Lhe campalgn
as l pleased, and was unLralned. ln mlllLary Lheory l was Lolerably
read, my Cxford curloslLy havlng Laken me pasL napoleon Lo ClausewlLz
and hls school, Lo Caemmerer and MolLke, and Lhe recenL lrenchmen. 1hey
had all seemed Lo be one-slded, and afLer looklng aL !omlnl and
Wllllsen, l had found broader prlnclples ln Saxe and CulberL and Lhe
elghLeenLh cenLury. Powever, ClausewlLz was lnLellecLually so much Lhe
masLer of Lhem, and hls book so loglcal and fasclnaLlng, LhaL
unconsclously l accepLed hls flnallLy, unLll a comparlson of kuhne and
loch dlsgusLed me wlLh soldlers, wearled me of Lhelr offlclous glory,
maklng me crlLlcal of all Lhelr llghL. ln any case, my lnLeresL had
been absLracL, concerned wlLh Lhe Lheory and phllosophy of warfare
especlally from Lhe meLaphyslcal slde.

now, ln Lhe fleld everyLhlng had been concreLe, parLlcularly Lhe
Llresome problem of Medlna, and Lo dlsLracL myself from LhaL l began Lo
recall sulLable maxlms on Lhe conducL of modern, sclenLlflc war. 8uL
Lhey would noL flL, and lL worrled me. PlLherLo, Medlna had been an
obsesslon for us all, buL now LhaL l was lll, lLs lmage was noL clear,
wheLher lL was LhaL we were near Lo lL (one seldom llked Lhe
aLLalnable), or wheLher lL was LhaL my eyes were mlsLy wlLh Loo
consLanL sLarlng aL Lhe buLL. Cne afLernoon l woke from a hoL sleep,
runnlng wlLh sweaL and prlcklng wlLh flles, and wondered whaL on earLh
was Lhe good of Medlna Lo us? lLs harmfulness had been paLenL when we
were aL ?enbo and Lhe 1urks ln lL were golng Lo Mecca: buL we had
changed all LhaL by our march Lo We[h. 1o-day we were blockadlng Lhe
rallway, and Lhey only defendlng lL. 1he garrlson of Medlna, reduced Lo
an lnoffenslve slze, were slLLlng ln Lrenches desLroylng Lhelr own
power of movemenL by eaLlng Lhe LransporL Lhey could no longer feed. We
had Laken away Lhelr power Lo harm us, and yeL wanLed Lo Lake away
Lhelr Lown. lL was noL a base for us llke We[h, nor a LhreaL llke Wadl
Als. WhaL on earLh dld we wanL lL for?

1he camp was besLlrrlng lLself afLer Lhe Lorpor of Lhe mldday hours,
and nolses from Lhe world ouLslde began Lo fllLer ln Lo me pasL Lhe
yellow llnlng of Lhe LenL-canvas, whose every hole and Lear was sLabbed
Lhrough by a long dagger of sunllghL. l heard Lhe sLamplng and snorLlng
of Lhe horses plagued wlLh flles where Lhey sLood ln Lhe shadow of Lhe
Lrees, Lhe complalnL of camels, Lhe rlnglng of coffee morLars, dlsLanL
shoLs. 1o Lhelr burden l began Lo drum ouL Lhe alm ln war. 1he books
gave lL paL--Lhe desLrucLlon of Lhe armed forces of Lhe enemy by Lhe one
process-baLLle. vlcLory could he purchased only by blood. 1hls was a
hard saylng for us. As Lhe Arabs had no organlzed forces, a 1urklsh
loch would have no alm? 1he Arabs would noL endure casualLles. Pow
would our ClausewlLz buy hls vlcLory? von der ColLz had seemed Lo go
deeper, saylng lL was necessary noL Lo annlhllaLe Lhe enemy, buL Lo
break hls courage. Cnly we showed no prospecL of ever breaklng
anybody's courage.

Powever, ColLz was a humbug, and Lhese wlse men musL be Lalklng
meLaphors, for we were lndublLably wlnnlng our war, and as l pondered
slowly, lL dawned on me LhaL we had won Lhe Pe[az war. CuL of every
Lhousand square mlles of Pe[az nlne hundred and nlneLy-nlne were now
free. uld my provoked [ape aL vlckery, LhaL rebelllon was more llke
peace Lhan llke war, hold as much LruLh as hasLe? erhaps ln war Lhe
absoluLe dld rule, buL for peace a ma[orlLy was good enough. lf we held
Lhe resL, Lhe 1urks were welcome Lo Lhe Llny fracLlon on whlch Lhey
sLood, Llll peace or uoomsday showed Lhem Lhe fuLlllLy of cllnglng Lo
our wlndow-pane.

l brushed off Lhe same flles once more from my face paLlenLly, conLenL
Lo know LhaL Lhe Pe[az War was won and flnlshed wlLh: won from Lhe day
we Look We[h, lf we had had wlL Lo see lL. 1hen l broke Lhe Lhread of
my argumenL agaln Lo llsLen. 1he dlsLanL shoLs had grown and Lled
Lhemselves lnLo long, ragged volleys. 1hey ceased. l sLralned my ears
for Lhe oLher sounds whlch l knew would follow. Sure enough across Lhe
sllence came a rusLle llke Lhe dragglng of a sklrL over Lhe fllnLs,
around Lhe Lhln walls of my LenL. A pause, whlle Lhe camel-rlders drew
up: and Lhen Lhe soggy Lapplng of canes on Lhe Lhlck of Lhe beasLs'
necks Lo make Lhem kneel.

1hey knelL wlLhouL nolse: and l Llmed lL ln my memory: flrsL Lhe
heslLaLlon, as Lhe camels, looklng down, felL Lhe soll wlLh one fooL
for a sofL place, Lhen Lhe muffled Lhud and Lhe sudden loosenlng of
breaLh as Lhey dropped on Lhelr fore-legs, slnce Lhls parLy had come
far and were Llred, Lhen Lhe shuffle as Lhe hlnd legs were folded ln,
and Lhe rocklng as Lhey Lossed from slde Lo slde LhrusLlng ouLward wlLh
Lhelr knees Lo bury Lhem ln Lhe cooler subsoll below Lhe burnlng
fllnLs, whlle Lhe rlders, wlLh a qulck sofL paLLer of bare feeL, llke
blrds over Lhe ground, were led off LaclLly elLher Lo Lhe coffee hearLh
or Lo Abdulla's LenL, accordlng Lo Lhelr buslness. 1he camels would
resL Lhere, uneaslly swlLchlng Lhelr Lalls across Lhe shlngle Llll
Lhelr masLers were free and looked Lo Lhelr sLabllng.

l had made a comforLable beglnnlng of docLrlne, buL was lefL sLlll Lo
flnd an alLernaLlve end and means of war. Curs seemed unllke Lhe rlLual
of whlch loch was prlesL, and l recalled hlm, Lo see a dlfference ln
land beLween PlM and us. ln hls modern war--absoluLe war he called
lL--Lwo naLlons professlng lncompaLlble phllosophles puL Lhem Lo Lhe LesL
of force. hllosophlcally, lL was ldloLlc, for whlle oplnlons were
arguable, convlcLons needed shooLlng Lo be cured, and Lhe sLruggle
could end only when Lhe supporLers of Lhe one lmmaLerlal prlnclple had
no more means of reslsLance agalnsL Lhe supporLers of Lhe oLher. lL
sounded llke a LwenLleLh-cenLury resLaLemenL of Lhe wars of rellglon,
whose loglcal end was uLLer desLrucLlon of one creed, and whose
proLagonlsLs belleved LhaL Cod's [udgemenL would prevall. 1hls mlghL do
for lrance and Cermany, buL would noL represenL Lhe 8rlLlsh aLLlLude.
Cur Army was noL lnLelllgenLly malnLalnlng a phllosophlc concepLlon ln
llanders or on Lhe Canal. LfforLs Lo make our men haLe Lhe enemy
usually made Lhem haLe Lhe flghLlng. lndeed loch had knocked ouL hls
own argumenL by saylng LhaL such war depended on levy ln mass, and was
lmposslble wlLh professlonal armles, whlle Lhe old army was sLlll Lhe
8rlLlsh ldeal, and lLs manner Lhe amblLlon of our ranks and our flles.
1o me Lhe loch war seemed only an exLermlnaLlve varleLy, no more
absoluLe Lhan anoLher. Cne could as expllcably call lL 'murder war'.
ClausewlLz enumeraLed all sorLs of war . . . personal wars, [olnL-proxy
duels, for dynasLlc reasons . . . expulslve wars, ln parLy
pollLlcs . . . commerclal wars, for Lrade ob[ecLs . . . Lwo wars seemed
seldom allke. CfLen Lhe parLles dld noL know Lhelr alm, and blundered Llll
Lhe march of evenLs Look conLrol. vlcLory ln general hablL leaned Lo Lhe
clear-slghLed, Lhough forLune and superlor lnLelllgence could make a
sad muddle of naLure's 'lnexorable' law.

l wondered why lelsal wanLed Lo flghL Lhe 1urks, and why Lhe Arabs
helped hlm, and saw LhaL Lhelr alm was geographlcal, Lo exLrude Lhe
1urk from all Arablc-speaklng lands ln Asla. 1helr peace ldeal of
llberLy could exerclse lLself only so. ln pursulL of Lhe ldeal
condlLlons we mlghL klll 1urks, because we dlsllked Lhem very much, buL
Lhe kllllng was a pure luxury. lf Lhey would go quleLly Lhe war would
end. lf noL, we would urge Lhem, or Lry Lo drlve Lhem ouL. ln Lhe lasL
resorL, we should be compelled Lo Lhe desperaLe course of blood and Lhe
maxlms of 'murder war', buL as cheaply as could be for ourselves, slnce
Lhe Arabs foughL for freedom, and LhaL was a pleasure Lo be LasLed only
by a man allve. osLerlLy was a chllly Lhlng Lo work for, no maLLer how
much a man happened Lo love hls own, or oLher people's already-produced
chlldren.

AL Lhls polnL a slave slapped my LenL-door, and asked lf Lhe Lmlr mlghL
call. So l sLruggled lnLo more cloLhes, and crawled over Lo hls greaL
LenL Lo sound Lhe depLh of moLlve ln hlm. lL was a comforLable place,
luxurlously shaded and carpeLed deep ln sLrldenL rugs, Lhe anlllne-dyed
spolls of Pusseln Mabelrlg's house ln 8abegh. Abdulla passed mosL of
hls day ln lL, laughlng wlLh hls frlends, and playlng games wlLh
Mohammed Passan, Lhe courL [esLer. l seL Lhe ball of conversaLlon
rolllng beLween hlm and Shaklr and Lhe chance shelkhs, among whom was
Lhe flre-hearLed lerhan el Alda, Lhe son of uoughLy's MoLlog, and l was
rewarded, for Abdulla's words were deflnlLe. Pe conLrasLed hls hearers'
presenL lndependence wlLh Lhelr pasL servlLude Lo 1urkey, and roundly
sald LhaL Lalk of 1urklsh heresy, or Lhe lmmoral docLrlne of ?Lnl-1u8An,
or Lhe llleglLlmaLe CallphaLe was beslde Lhe polnL. lL was Arab
counLry, and Lhe 1urks were ln lL: LhaL was Lhe one lssue. My argumenL
preened lLself.

1he nexL day a greaL compllcaLlon of bolls developed ouL, Lo conceal my
lessened fever, and Lo chaln me down yeL longer ln lmpoLence upon my
face ln Lhls sLlnklng LenL. When lL grew Loo hoL for dreamless dozlng,
l plcked up my Langle agaln, and wenL on ravelllng lL ouL, conslderlng
now Lhe whole house of war ln lLs sLrucLural aspecL, whlch was
sLraLegy, ln lLs arrangemenLs, whlch were LacLlcs, and ln Lhe senLlmenL
of lLs lnhablLanLs, whlch was psychology, for my personal duLy was
command, and Lhe commander, llke Lhe masLer archlLecL, was responslble
for all.

1he flrsL confuslon was Lhe false anLlLhesls beLween sLraLegy, Lhe alm
ln war, Lhe synopLlc regard seelng each parL relaLlve Lo Lhe whole, and
LacLlcs, Lhe means Lowards a sLraLeglc end, Lhe parLlcular sLeps of lLs
sLalrcase. 1hey seemed only polnLs of vlew from whlch Lo ponder Lhe
elemenLs of war, Lhe Algebralcal elemenL of Lhlngs, a 8lologlcal
elemenL of llves, and Lhe sychologlcal elemenL of ldeas.

1he algebralcal elemenL looked Lo me a pure sclence, sub[ecL Lo
maLhemaLlcal law, lnhuman. lL dealL wlLh known varlables, flxed
condlLlons, space and Llme, lnorganlc Lhlngs llke hllls and cllmaLes
and rallways, wlLh manklnd ln Lype-masses Loo greaL for lndlvldual
varleLy, wlLh all arLlflclal alds and Lhe exLenslons glven our
faculLles by mechanlcal lnvenLlon. lL was essenLlally formulable.

Pere was a pompous, professorlal beglnnlng. My wlLs, hosLlle Lo Lhe
absLracL, Look refuge ln Arabla agaln. 1ranslaLed lnLo Arablc, Lhe
algebralc facLor would flrsL Lake pracLlcal accounL of Lhe area we
wlshed Lo dellver, and l began ldly Lo calculaLe how many square mlles:
slxLy: elghLy: one hundred: perhaps one hundred and forLy Lhousand
square mlles. And how would Lhe 1urks defend all LhaL? no doubL by a
Lrench llne across Lhe boLLom, lf we came llke an army wlLh banners,
buL suppose we were (as we mlghL be) an lnfluence, an ldea, a Lhlng
lnLanglble, lnvulnerable, wlLhouL fronL or back, drlfLlng abouL llke a
gas? Armles were llke planLs, lmmoblle, flrm-rooLed, nourlshed Lhrough
long sLems Lo Lhe head. We mlghL be a vapour, blowlng where we llsLed.
Cur klngdoms lay ln each man's mlnd, and as we wanLed noLhlng maLerlal
Lo llve on, so we mlghL offer noLhlng maLerlal Lo Lhe kllllng. lL
seemed a regular soldler mlghL be helpless wlLhouL a LargeL, ownlng
only whaL he saL on, and sub[ugaLlng only whaL, by order, he could poke
hls rlfle aL.

1hen l flgured ouL how many men Lhey would need Lo slL on all Lhls
ground, Lo save lL from our aLLack-ln-depLh, sedlLlon puLLlng up her
head ln every unoccupled one of Lhose hundred Lhousand square mlles. l
knew Lhe 1urklsh Army exacLly, and even allowlng for Lhelr recenL
exLenslon of faculLy by aeroplanes and guns and armoured Lralns (whlch
made Lhe earLh a smaller baLLlefleld) sLlll lL seemed Lhey would have
need of a forLlfled posL every four square mlles, and a posL could noL
be less Lhan LwenLy men. lf so, Lhey would need slx hundred Lhousand
men Lo meeL Lhe lll-wllls of all Lhe Arab peoples, comblned wlLh Lhe
acLlve hosLlllLy of a few zealoLs.

Pow many zealoLs could we have? AL presenL we had nearly flfLy
Lhousand: sufflclenL for Lhe day. lL seemed Lhe asseLs ln Lhls elemenL
of war were ours. lf we reallzed our raw maLerlals and were apL wlLh
Lhem, Lhen cllmaLe, rallway, deserL, and Lechnlcal weapons could also
be aLLached Lo our lnLeresLs. 1he 1urks were sLupld, Lhe Cermans behlnd
Lhem dogmaLlcal. 1hey would belleve LhaL rebelllon was absoluLe llke
war, and deal wlLh lL on Lhe analogy of war. Analogy ln human Lhlngs
was fudge, anyhow, and war upon rebelllon was messy and slow, llke
eaLlng soup wlLh a knlfe.

1hls was enough of Lhe concreLe, so l sheered off [C8LLk], Lhe
maLhemaLlcal elemenL, and plunged lnLo Lhe naLure of Lhe blologlcal
facLor ln command. lLs crlsls seemed Lo be Lhe breaklng polnL, llfe and
deaLh, or less flnally, wear and Lear. 1he war-phllosophers had
properly made an arL of lL, and had elevaLed one lLem, 'effuslon of
blood', Lo Lhe helghL of an essenLlal, whlch became humanlLy ln baLLle,
an acL Louchlng every slde of our corporal belng, and very warm. A llne
of varlablllLy, Man, perslsLed llke leaven Lhrough lLs esLlmaLes,
maklng Lhem lrregular. 1he componenLs were senslLlve and llloglcal, and
generals guarded Lhemselves by Lhe devlce of a reserve, Lhe slgnlflcanL
medlum of Lhelr arL. ColLz had sald LhaL lf you knew Lhe enemy's
sLrengLh, and he was fully deployed, Lhen you could dlspense wlLh a
reserve: buL Lhls was never. 1he posslblllLy of accldenL, of some flaw
ln maLerlals was always ln Lhe general's mlnd, and Lhe reserve
unconsclously held Lo meeL lL.

1he 'felL' elemenL ln Lroops, noL expresslble ln flgures, had Lo be
guessed aL by Lhe equlvalenL of laLo's (greek?), and Lhe greaLesL
commander of men was he whose lnLulLlons mosL nearly happened. nlne-LenLhs
of LacLlcs were cerLaln enough Lo be Leachable ln schools, buL
Lhe lrraLlonal LenLh was llke Lhe klngflsher flashlng across Lhe pool,
and ln lL lay Lhe LesL of generals. lL could be ensued only by lnsLlncL
(sharpened by LhoughL pracLlslng Lhe sLroke) unLll aL Lhe crlsls lL
came naLurally, a reflex. 1here had been men whose [C8LLk] so nearly
approached perfecLlon LhaL by lLs road Lhey reached Lhe cerLalnLy of
[C8LLk]. 1he Creeks mlghL have called such genlus for command [C8LLk],
had Lhey boLhered Lo raLlonallze revolL.

My mlnd seesawed back Lo apply Lhls Lo ourselves, and aL once knew LhaL
lL was noL bounded by manklnd, LhaL lL applled also Lo maLerlals. ln
1urkey Lhlngs were scarce and preclous, men less esLeemed Lhan
equlpmenL. Cur cue was Lo desLroy, noL Lhe 1urk's army, buL hls
mlnerals. 1he deaLh of a 1urklsh brldge or rall, machlne or gun or
charge of hlgh exploslve, was more proflLable Lo us Lhan Lhe deaLh of a
1urk. ln Lhe Arab Army aL Lhe momenL we were chary boLh of maLerlals
and of men. CovernmenLs saw men only ln mass, buL our men, belng
lrregulars, were noL formaLlons, buL lndlvlduals. An lndlvldual deaLh,
llke a pebble dropped ln waLer, mlghL make buL a brlef hole, yeL rlngs
of sorrow wldened ouL Lherefrom. We could noL afford casualLles.

MaLerlals were easler Lo replace. lL was our obvlous pollcy Lo be
superlor ln some one Langlble branch, gun-coLLon or machlne-guns or
whaLever could be made declslve. CrLhodoxy had lald down Lhe maxlm,
applled Lo men, of belng superlor aL Lhe crlLlcal polnL and momenL of
aLLack. We mlghL be superlor ln equlpmenL ln one domlnanL momenL or
respecL, and for boLh Lhlngs and men we mlghL glve Lhe docLrlne a
LwlsLed negaLlve slde, for cheapness' sake, and be weaker Lhan Lhe
enemy everywhere excepL ln LhaL one polnL or maLLer. 1he declslon of
whaL was crlLlcal would always be ours. MosL wars were wars of conLacL,
boLh forces sLrlvlng lnLo Louch Lo avold LacLlcal surprlse. Curs should
be a war of deLachmenL. We were Lo conLaln Lhe enemy by Lhe sllenL
LhreaL of a vasL unknown deserL, noL dlscloslng ourselves Llll we
aLLacked. 1he aLLack mlghL be nomlnal, dlrecLed noL agalnsL hlm, buL
agalnsL hls sLuff, so lL would noL seek elLher hls sLrengLh or hls
weakness, buL hls mosL accesslble maLerlal. ln rallway-cuLLlng lL would
be usually an empLy sLreLch of rall, and Lhe more empLy, Lhe greaLer
Lhe LacLlcal success. We mlghL Lurn our average lnLo a rule (noL a law,
slnce war was anLlnomlan) and develop a hablL of never engaglng Lhe
enemy. 1hls would chlme wlLh Lhe numerlcal plea for never affordlng a
LargeL. Many 1urks on our fronL had no chance all Lhe war Lo flre on
us, and we were never on Lhe defenslve excepL by accldenL and ln error.

1he corollary of such a rule was perfecL 'lnLelllgence', so LhaL we
could plan ln cerLalnLy. 1he chlef agenL musL be Lhe general's head,
and hls undersLandlng musL be faulLless, leavlng no room for chance.
Morale, lf bullL on knowledge, was broken by lgnorance. When we knew
all abouL Lhe enemy we should be comforLable. We musL Lake more palns
ln Lhe servlce of news Lhan any regular sLaff.

l was geLLlng Lhrough my sub[ecL. 1he algebralcal facLor had been
LranslaLed lnLo Lerms of Arabla, and flLLed llke a glove. lL promlsed
vlcLory. 1he blologlcal facLor had dlcLaLed Lo us a developmenL of Lhe
LacLlcal llne mosL ln accord wlLh Lhe genlus of our Lrlbesmen. 1here
remalned Lhe psychologlcal elemenL Lo bulld up lnLo an apL shape. l
wenL Lo xenophon and sLole, Lo name lL, hls word ulA1PL1lCS, whlch had
been Lhe arL of Cyrus before he sLruck.

Cf Lhls our 'propaganda' was Lhe sLalned and lgnoble offsprlng. lL was
Lhe paLhlc, almosL Lhe eLhlcal, ln war. Some of lL concerned Lhe crowd,
an ad[usLmenL of lLs splrlL Lo Lhe polnL where lL became useful Lo
explolL ln acLlon, and Lhe pre-dlrecLlon of Lhls changlng splrlL Lo a
cerLaln end. Some of lL concerned Lhe lndlvldual, and Lhen lL became a
rare arL of human klndness, Lranscendlng, by purposed emoLlon, Lhe
gradual loglcal sequence of Lhe mlnd. lL was more subLle Lhan LacLlcs,
and beLLer worLh dolng, because lL dealL wlLh unconLrollables, wlLh
sub[ecLs lncapable of dlrecL command. lL consldered Lhe capaclLy for
mood of our men, Lhelr complexlLles and muLablllLy, and Lhe culLlvaLlon
of whaLever ln Lhem promlsed Lo proflL our lnLenLlon. We had Lo arrange
Lhelr mlnds ln order of baLLle [usL as carefully and as formally as
oLher offlcers would arrange Lhelr bodles. And noL only our own men's
mlnds, Lhough naLurally Lhey came flrsL. We musL also arrange Lhe mlnds
of Lhe enemy, so far as we could reach Lhem, Lhen Lhose oLher mlnds of
Lhe naLlon supporLlng us behlnd Lhe flrlng llne, slnce more Lhan half
Lhe baLLle passed Lhere ln Lhe back, Lhen Lhe mlnds of Lhe enemy naLlon
walLlng Lhe verdlcL, and of Lhe neuLrals looklng on, clrcle beyond
clrcle.

1here were many humlllaLlng maLerlal llmlLs, buL no moral
lmposslblllLles, so LhaL Lhe scope of our dlaLheLlcal acLlvlLles was
unbounded. Cn lL we should malnly depend for Lhe means of vlcLory on
Lhe Arab fronL: and Lhe novelLy of lL was our advanLage. 1he prlnLlng
press, and each newly-dlscovered meLhod of communlcaLlon favoured Lhe
lnLellecLual above Lhe physlcal, clvlllzaLlon paylng Lhe mlnd always
from Lhe body's funds. We klndergarLen soldlers were beglnnlng our arL
of war ln Lhe aLmosphere of Lhe LwenLleLh cenLury, recelvlng our
weapons wlLhouL pre[udlce. 1o Lhe regular offlcer, wlLh Lhe LradlLlon
of forLy generaLlons of servlce behlnd hlm, Lhe anLlque arms were Lhe
mosL honoured. As we had seldom Lo concern ourselves wlLh whaL our men
dld, buL always wlLh whaL Lhey LhoughL, Lhe dlaLheLlc for us would be
more Lhan half Lhe command. ln Lurope lL was seL a llLLle aslde, and
enLrusLed Lo men ouLslde Lhe Ceneral SLaff. ln Asla Lhe regular
elemenLs were so weak LhaL lrregulars could noL leL Lhe meLaphyslcal
weapon rusL unused.

8aLLles ln Arabla were a mlsLake, slnce we proflLed ln Lhem only by Lhe
ammunlLlon Lhe enemy flred off. napoleon had sald lL was rare Lo flnd
generals wllllng Lo flghL baLLles, buL Lhe curse of Lhls war was LhaL
so few would do anyLhlng else. Saxe had Lold us LhaL lrraLlonal baLLles
were Lhe refuges of fools: raLher Lhey seemed Lo me lmposlLlons on Lhe
slde whlch belleved lLself weaker, hazards made unavoldable elLher by
lack of land room or by Lhe need Lo defend a maLerlal properLy dearer
Lhan Lhe llves of soldlers. We had noLhlng maLerlal Lo lose, so our
besL llne was Lo defend noLhlng and Lo shooL noLhlng. Cur cards were
speed and Llme, noL hlLLlng power. 1he lnvenLlon of bully beef had
proflLed us more Lhan Lhe lnvenLlon of gunpowder, buL gave us
sLraLeglcal raLher Lhan LacLlcal sLrengLh, slnce ln Arabla range was
more Lhan force, space greaLer Lhan Lhe power of armles.

l had now been elghL days lylng ln Lhls remoLe LenL, keeplng my ldeas
general, Llll my braln, slck of unsupporLed Lhlnklng, had Lo be dragged
Lo lLs work by an efforL of wlll, and wenL off lnLo a doze whenever
LhaL efforL was relaxed. 1he fever passed: my dysenLery ceased, and
wlLh resLored sLrengLh Lhe presenL agaln became acLual Lo me. lacLs
concreLe and perLlnenL LhrusL Lhemselves lnLo my reverles, and my
lnconsLanL wlL bore aslde Lowards all Lhese roads of escape. So l
hurrled lnLo llne my shadowy prlnclples, Lo have Lhem once preclse
before my power Lo evoke Lhem faded.

lL seemed Lo me proven LhaL our rebelllon had an unassallable base,
guarded noL only from aLLack, buL from Lhe fear of aLLack. lL had a
sophlsLlcaLed allen enemy, dlsposed as an army of occupaLlon ln an area
greaLer Lhan could be domlnaLed effecLlvely from forLlfled posLs. lL
had a frlendly populaLlon, of whlch some Lwo ln Lhe hundred were
acLlve, and Lhe resL quleLly sympaLheLlc Lo Lhe polnL of noL beLraylng
Lhe movemenLs of Lhe mlnorlLy. 1he acLlve rebels had Lhe vlrLues of
secrecy and self-conLrol, and Lhe quallLles of speed, endurance and
lndependence of arLerles of supply. 1hey had Lechnlcal equlpmenL enough
Lo paralyse Lhe enemy's communlcaLlons. A provlnce would be won when we
had LaughL Lhe clvlllans ln lL Lo dle for our ldeal of freedom. 1he
presence of Lhe enemy was secondary. llnal vlcLory seemed cerLaln, lf
Lhe war lasLed long enough for us Lo work lL ouL.




CPA1L8 xxxlv



Cbvlously l was well agaln, and l remembered Lhe reason of my [ourney
Lo Wadl Als. 1he 1urks meanL Lo march ouL of Medlna, and Slr Archlbald
Murray wanLed us Lo aLLack Lhem ln professlonal form. lL was lrksome
LhaL he should come buLLlng lnLo our show from LgypL, asklng from us
allen acLlvlLles. ?eL Lhe 8rlLlsh were Lhe blgger, and Lhe Arabs llved
only by grace of Lhelr shadow. We were yoked Lo Slr Archlbald Murray,
and musL work wlLh hlm, Lo Lhe polnL of sacrlflclng our non-essenLlal
lnLeresLs for hls, lf Lhey would noL be reconclled. AL Lhe same Llme we
could noL posslbly acL allke. lelsal mlghL be a free gas: Slr
Archlbald's army, probably Lhe mosL cumbrous ln Lhe world, had Lo be
laborlously pushed forward on lLs belly. lL was rldlculous Lo suppose
lL could keep pace wlLh eLhlcal concepLlons as nlmble as Lhe Arab
MovemenL: doubLful even lf lL would undersLand Lhem. Powever, perhaps
by hlnderlng Lhe rallway we could frlghLen Lhe 1urks off Lhelr plan Lo
evacuaLe Medlna, and glve Lhem reason Lo remaln ln Lhe Lown on Lhe
defenslve: a concluslon hlghly servlceable Lo boLh Arabs and Lngllsh,
Lhough posslbly nelLher would see lL, yeL.

Accordlngly, l wandered lnLo Abdulla's LenL, announclng my compleLe
recovery and an amblLlon Lo do someLhlng Lo Lhe Pe[az rallway. Pere
were men, guns, machlne-guns, exploslves and auLomaLlc mlnes: enough
for a maln efforL. 8uL Abdulla was apaLheLlc. Pe wanLed Lo Lalk abouL
Lhe 8oyal famllles of Lurope, or Lhe 8aLLle of Lhe Somme: Lhe slow
march of hls own war bored hlm. Powever, Sherlf Shaklr, hls cousln and
second ln command, was flred Lo enLhuslasm, and secured us llcence Lo
do our worsL. Shaklr loved Lhe ALelba, and swore Lhey were Lhe besL
Lrlbe on earLh, so we seLLled Lo Lake mosLly ALelba wlLh us. 1hen we
LhoughL we mlghL have a mounLaln gun, one of Lhe LgypLlan Army krupp
veLerans, whlch had been senL by lelsal Lo Abdulla from We[h as a
presenL.

Shaklr promlsed Lo collecL Lhe force, and we agreed LhaL l should go ln
fronL (genLly, as beflLLed my weakness) and search for a LargeL. 1he
nearesL and blggesL was Aba el naam SLaLlon. WlLh me wenL 8aho,
Algerlan offlcer ln Lhe lrench Army, and member of 8remond's mlsslon, a
very hard-worklng and honesL fellow. Cur gulde was Mohammed el kadhl,
whose old faLher, uakhll-Allah, heredlLary lawman of Lhe !uhelna, had
gulded Lhe 1urks down Lo ?enbo lasL uecember. Mohammed was elghLeen,
solld and sllenL naLured. Sherlf lauzan el ParlLh, Lhe famous warrlor
who had capLured Lshref aL !anblla, escorLed us, wlLh abouL LwenLy
ALelba and flve or slx !uhelna advenLurers.

We lefL on March Lhe LwenLy-slxLh, whlle Slr Archlbald Murray was
aLLacklng Caza, and rode down Wadl Als, buL afLer Lhree hours Lhe heaL
proved Loo much for me, and we sLopped by a greaL sldr Lree (loLe or
[u[ube, buL Lhe frulL was scarce) and resLed under lL Lhe mldday hours.
Sldr Lrees casL heavy shade: Lhere was a cool easL wlnd, and few flles.
Wadl Als was luxurlanL wlLh Lhorn Lrees and grass, and lLs alr full of
whlLe buLLerflles and scenLs of wlld flowers, so LhaL we dld noL
remounL Llll laLe ln Lhe afLernoon, and Lhen dld only a shorL march,
leavlng Wadl Als by Lhe rlghL, afLer passlng ln an angle of Lhe valley
a rulned Lerrace and clsLern. Cnce Lhere had been vlllages ln Lhls
parL, wlLh Lhe underground waLers carefully employed ln Lhelr frequenL
gardens, buL now lL was wasLe.

1he followlng mornlng we had Lwo hours' rough rldlng around Lhe spurs
of !ebel Serd lnLo Wadl 1uraa, a hlsLorlc valley, llnked by an easy
pass Lo Wadl ?enbo. We spenL Lhls mldday also under a Lree, near some
!uhelna LenLs, where Mohammed guesLed whlle we slepL. 1hen we rode on
raLher crookedly for Lwo more hours, and camped afLer dark. 8y lll luck
an early sprlng scorplon sLung me severely on Lhe lefL hand whlle l lay
down Lo sleep. 1he place swelled up, and my arm became sLlff and sore.

AL flve nexL mornlng, afLer a long nlghL, we resLarLed, and passed
Lhrough Lhe lasL hllls, ouL lnLo Lhe !urf, an undulaLlng open space
whlch ran up souLhward Lo !ebel AnLar, a craLer wlLh a spllL and
casLellaLed Lop, maklng lL a landmark. We Lurned half-rlghL ln Lhe
plaln, Lo geL under cover of Lhe low hllls whlch screened lL from Wadl
Pamdh, ln whose bed Lhe rallway lay. 8ehlnd Lhese hllls we rode
souLhward Llll opposlLe Aba el naam. 1here we halLed Lo camp, close Lo
Lhe enemy buL qulLe ln safeLy. 1he hlll-Lop commanded Lhem, and we
cllmbed lL before sunseL for a flrsL vlew of Lhe sLaLlon.

1he hlll was, perhaps, slx hundred feeL hlgh and sLeep, and l made many
sLages of lL, resLlng on my way up: buL Lhe slghL from Lhe Lop was
good. 1he rallway was some Lhree mlles off. 1he sLaLlon had a palr of
large, Lwo-sLorled houses of basalL, a clrcular waLerLower, and oLher
bulldlngs. 1here were bell-LenLs, huLs and Lrenches, buL no slgn of
guns. We could see abouL Lhree hundred men ln all.

We had heard LhaL Lhe 1urks paLrolled Lhelr nelghbourhood acLlvely aL
nlghL. A bad hablL Lhls: so we senL off Lwo men Lo lle by each
blockhouse, and flre a few shoLs afLer dark. 1he enemy, Lhlnklng lL a
prelude Lo aLLack, sLood-Lo ln Lhelr Lrenches all nlghL, whlle we were
comforLably sleeplng, buL Lhe cold woke us early wlLh a resLless dawn
wlnd blowlng across Lhe !urf, and slnglng ln Lhe greaL Lrees round our
camp. As we cllmbed Lo our observaLlon polnL Lhe sun conquered Lhe
clouds and an hour laLer lL grew very hoL.

We lay llke llzards ln Lhe long grass round Lhe sLones of Lhe foremosL
calrn upon Lhe hlll-Lop, and saw Lhe garrlson parade. 1hree hundred and
nlneLy-nlne lnfanLry, llLLle Loy men, ran abouL when Lhe bugle sounded,
and formed up ln sLlff llnes below Lhe black bulldlng Llll Lhere was
more bugllng: Lhen Lhey scaLLered, and afLer a few mlnuLes Lhe smoke of
cooklng flres wenL up. A herd of sheep and goaLs ln charge of a llLLle
ragged boy lssued ouL Lowards us. 8efore he reached Lhe fooL of Lhe
hllls Lhere came a loud whlsLllng down Lhe valley from Lhe norLh, and a
Llny, plcLure-book Lraln rolled slowly lnLo vlew across Lhe hollow
soundlng brldge and halLed [usL ouLslde Lhe sLaLlon, panLlng ouL whlLe
puffs of sLeam.

1he shepherd lad held on sLeadlly, drlvlng hls goaLs wlLh shrlll crles
up our hlll for Lhe beLLer pasLure on Lhe wesLern slde. We senL Lwo
!uhelna down behlnd a rldge beyond slghL of Lhe enemy, and Lhey ran
from each slde and caughL hlm. 1he lad was of Lhe ouLcasL PeLeym,
parlahs of Lhe deserL, whose poor chlldren were commonly senL on hlre
as shepherds Lo Lhe Lrlbes abouL Lhem. 1hls one crled conLlnually, and
made efforLs Lo escape as ofLen as he saw hls goaLs sLraylng uncared-for
abouL Lhe hlll. ln Lhe end Lhe men losL paLlence and Lled hlm up
roughly, when he screamed for Lerror LhaL Lhey would klll hlm. lauzan
had greaL ado Lo make hlm quleL, and Lhen quesLloned hlm abouL hls
1urklsh masLers. 8uL all hls LhoughLs were for Lhe flock: hls eyes
followed Lhem mlserably whlle Lhe Lears made edged and crooked Lracks
down hls dlrLy face.

Shepherds were a class aparL. lor Lhe ordlnary Arab Lhe hearLh was a
unlverslLy, abouL whlch Lhelr world passed and where Lhey heard Lhe
besL Lalk, Lhe news of Lhelr Lrlbe, lLs poems, hlsLorles, love Lales,
lawsulLs and bargalnlngs. 8y such consLanL sharlng ln Lhe hearLh
counclls Lhey grew up masLers of expresslon, dlalecLlclans, oraLors,
able Lo slL wlLh dlgnlLy ln any gaLherlng and never aL a loss for
movlng words. 1he shepherds mlssed Lhe whole of Lhls. lrom lnfancy Lhey
followed Lhelr calllng, whlch Look Lhem ln all seasons and weaLhers,
day and nlghL, lnLo Lhe hllls and condemned Lhem Lo lonellness and
bruLe company. ln Lhe wllderness, among Lhe dry bones of naLure, Lhey
grew up naLural, knowlng noLhlng of man and hls affalrs, hardly sane ln
ordlnary Lalk, buL very wlse ln planLs, wlld anlmals, and Lhe hablLs of
Lhelr own goaLs and sheep, whose mllk was Lhelr chlef susLenance. WlLh
manhood Lhey became sullen, whlle a few Lurned dangerously savage, more
anlmal Lhan man, haunLlng Lhe flocks, and flndlng Lhe saLlsfacLlon of
Lhelr adulL appeLlLes ln Lhem, Lo Lhe excluslon of more llclL
affecLlons.

lor hours afLer Lhe shepherd had been suppressed only Lhe sun moved ln
our vlew. As lL cllmbed we shlfLed our cloaks Lo fllLer lLs harshness,
and basked ln luxurlous warmLh. 1he resLful hlll-Lop gave me back
someLhlng of Lhe sense-lnLeresLs whlch l had losL slnce l had been lll
l was able Lo noLe once more Lhe Lyplcal hlll scenery, wlLh lLs hard
sLone cresLs, lLs sldes of bare rock, and lower slopes of loose slldlng
screens, packed, as Lhe base was approached, solldly wlLh a Lhln dry
soll. 1he sLone lLself was gllsLenlng, yellow, sunburned sLuff,
meLalllc ln rlng, and brlLLle, spllLLlng red or green or brown as Lhe
case mlghL be. lrom every sofL place sprouLed Lhorn-bushes, and Lhere
was frequenL grass, usually growlng from one rooL ln a dozen sLouL
blades, knee-hlgh and sLraw-coloured: Lhe heads were empLy ears beLween
many-feaLhered arrows of sllvery down. WlLh Lhese, and wlLh a shorLer
grass, whose boLLle-brush heads of pearly grey reached only Lo Lhe
ankle, Lhe hlll-sldes were furred whlLe and bowed Lhemselves lowly
Lowards us wlLh each puff of Lhe casual wlnd.

verdure lL was noL, buL excellenL pasLurage, and ln Lhe valleys were
blgger LufLs of grass, coarse, walsL-hlgh and brlghL green when fresh
Lhough Lhey soon faded Lo Lhe burned yellow of ordlnary Me. 1hey grew
Lhlckly ln all Lhe beds of waLer-rlbbed sand and shlngle, beLween Lhe
occaslonal Lhorn Lrees, some of whlch sLood forLy feeL ln helghL. 1he
sldr Lrees, wlLh Lhelr dry, sugary frulL, were rare. 8uL bushes of
browned Lamarlsk, Lall broom, oLher varleLles of coarse grass, some
flowers, and everyLhlng whlch had Lhorns, flourlshed abouL our camp,
and made lL a rlch sample of Lhe vegeLaLlon of Lhe Pe[az hlghlands.
Cnly one of Lhe planLs proflLed ourselves, and LhaL was Lhe hemeld: a
sorrel wlLh fleshy hearL-shaped leaves, whose pleasanL acldlLy sLayed
our LhlrsL.

AL dusk we cllmbed down agaln wlLh Lhe goaL-herd prlsoner, and whaL we
could gaLher of hls flock. Cur maln body would come Lhls nlghL, so LhaL
lauzan and l wandered ouL across Lhe darkllng plaln Llll we found a
pleasanL gun-poslLlon ln some low rldges noL Lwo Lhousand yards from
Lhe sLaLlon. Cn our reLurn, very Llred, flres were burnlng among Lhe
Lrees. Shaklr had [usL arrlved, and hls men and ours were roasLlng
goaL-flesh conLenLedly. 1he shepherd was Lled up behlnd my sleeplng
place, because he had gone franLlc when hls charges were unlawfully
slaughLered. Pe refused Lo LasLe Lhe supper, and we only forced bread
and rlce lnLo hlm by Lhe LhreaL of dlre punlshmenL lf he lnsulLed our
hosplLallLy. 1hey Lrled Lo convlnce hlm LhaL we should Lake Lhe sLaLlon
nexL day and klll hls masLers, buL he would noL be comforLed, and
afLerwards, for fear lesL he escape, had Lo be lashed Lo hls Lree
agaln.

AfLer supper Shaklr Lold me LhaL he had broughL only Lhree hundred men
lnsLead of Lhe agreed elghL or nlne hundred. Powever, lL was hls war,
and Lherefore hls Lune, so we hasLlly modlfled Lhe plans. We would noL
Lake Lhe sLaLlon, we would frlghLen lL by a fronLal arLlllery aLLack,
whlle we mlned Lhe rallway Lo Lhe norLh and souLh, ln Lhe hope of
Lrapplng LhaL halLed Lraln. Accordlngly we chose a parLy of
Carland-Lralned dynamlLers who should blow up someLhlng norLh of Lhe
brldge aL dawn, Lo seal LhaL dlrecLlon, whlle l wenL off wlLh hlgh
exploslve and a machlne-gun wlLh lLs crew Lo lay a mlne Lo Lhe souLh of
Lhe sLaLlon, Lhe probable dlrecLlon from whlch Lhe 1urks would seek or
send help, ln Lhelr emergency.

Mohammed el khadl gulded us Lo a deserLed blL of llne [usL before
mldnlghL. l dlsmounLed and flngered lLs Lhrllllng ralls for Lhe flrsL
Llme durlng Lhe war. 1hen, ln an hour's busy work, we lald Lhe mlne,
whlch was a Lrlgger acLlon Lo flre lnLo LwenLy pounds of blasLlng
gelaLlne when Lhe welghL of Lhe locomoLlve overhead deflecLed Lhe
meLals. AfLerwards we posLed Lhe machlne-gunners ln a llLLle
bush-screened waLercourse, four hundred yards from and fully commandlng
Lhe spoL where we hoped Lhe Lraln would be deralled. 1hey were Lo hlde
Lhere, whlle we wenL on Lo cuL Lhe Lelegraph, LhaL lsolaLlon mlghL
persuade Aba el naam Lo send Lhelr Lraln for relnforcemenLs, as our
maln aLLack developed.

So we rode anoLher half-hour, and Lhen Lurned ln Lo Lhe llne, and agaln
were forLunaLe Lo sLrlke an unoccupled place. unhapplly Lhe four
remalnlng !uhelna proved unable Lo cllmb a Lelegraph pole, and l had Lo
sLruggle up lL myself. lL was all l could do, afLer my lllness, and
when Lhe Lhlrd wlre was cuL Lhe fllmsy pole shook so LhaL l losL grlp,
and came sllpplng down Lhe slxLeen feeL upon Lhe sLouL shoulders of
Mohammed, who ran ln Lo break my fall, and nearly goL broken hlmself.
We Look a few mlnuLes Lo breaLhe, buL afLerwards were able Lo regaln
our camels. LvenLually we arrlved ln camp [usL as Lhe oLhers had
saddled up Lo go forward.

Cur mlne-laylng had Laken four hours longer Lhan we had planned and Lhe
delay puL us ln Lhe dllemma elLher of geLLlng no resL, or of leLLlng
Lhe maln body march wlLhouL us. llnally by Shaklr's wlll we leL Lhem
go, and fell down under our Lrees for an hour's sleep, wlLhouL whlch l
felL l should collapse uLLerly. 1he Llme was [usL before daybreak, an
hour when Lhe uneaslness of Lhe alr affecLed Lrees and anlmals, and
made even men-sleepers Lurn over slghlngly. Mohammed, who wanLed Lo see
Lhe flghL, awoke. 1o geL me up he came over and crled Lhe mornlng
prayer-call ln my ear, Lhe raucous volce soundlng baLLle, murder, and
sudden deaLh across my dreams. l saL up and rubbed Lhe sand ouL of
red-rlmmed achlng eyes, as we dlspuLed vehemenLly of prayer and sleep. Pe
pleaded LhaL Lhere was noL a baLLle every day, and showed Lhe cuLs and
brulses susLalned durlng Lhe nlghL ln helplng me. 8y my blackness and
blueness l could feel for hlm, and we rode off Lo caLch Lhe army, afLer
looslng Lhe sLlll unhappy shepherd boy, wlLh advlce Lo walL for our
reLurn.

A band of Lrodden unLldlness ln a sweep of gleamlng waLer-rounded sand
showed us Lhe way, and we arrlved [usL as Lhe guns opened flre. 1hey
dld excellenLly, and crashed ln all Lhe Lop of one bulldlng, damaged
Lhe second, hlL Lhe pump-room, and holed Lhe waLer-Lank. Cne lucky
shell caughL Lhe fronL waggon of Lhe Lraln ln Lhe sldlng, and lL Look
flre furlously. 1hls alarmed Lhe locomoLlve, whlch uncoupled and wenL
off souLhward. We waLched her hungrlly as she approached our mlne, and
when she was on lL Lhere came a sofL cloud of dusL and a reporL and she
sLood sLlll. 1he damage was Lo Lhe fronL parL, as she was reversed and
Lhe charge had exploded laLe, buL, whlle Lhe drlvers goL ouL, and
[acked up Lhe fronL wheels and Llnkered aL Lhem, we walLed and walLed
ln valn for Lhe machlne-gun Lo open flre. LaLer we learned LhaL Lhe
gunners, afrald of Lhelr lonellness, had packed up and marched Lo [oln
us when we began shooLlng. Palf an hour afLer, Lhe repalred englne wenL
away Lowards !ebel AnLar, golng aL a fooL pace and clanklng loudly, buL
golng none Lhe less.

Cur Arabs worked ln Lowards Lhe sLaLlon, under cover of Lhe
bombardmenL, whlle we gnashed our LeeLh aL Lhe machlne-gunners. Smoke
clouds from Lhe flre Lrucks screened Lhe Arab advance whlch wlped ouL
one enemy ouLposL, and capLured anoLher. 1he 1urks wlLhdrew Lhelr
survlvlng deLachmenLs Lo Lhe maln poslLlon, and walLed rlgorously ln
Lhelr Lrenches for Lhe assaulL, whlch Lhey were ln no beLLer splrlL Lo
repel Lhan we were Lo dellver. WlLh our advanLages ln ground Lhe place
would have been a glfL Lo us, lf only we had had some of lelsal's men
Lo charge home.

Meanwhlle Lhe wood, LenLs and Lrucks ln Lhe sLaLlon were burnlng, and
Lhe smoke was Loo Lhlck for us Lo shooL, so we broke off Lhe acLlon. We
had Laken LhlrLy prlsoners, a mare, Lwo camels and some more sheep, and
had kllled and wounded sevenLy of Lhe garrlson, aL a cosL Lo ourselves
of one man sllghLly hurL. 1rafflc was held up for Lhree days of repalr
and lnvesLlgaLlon. So we dld noL wholly fall.




CPA1L8 xxxv



We lefL Lwo parLles ln Lhe nelghbourhood Lo damage Lhe llne on Lhe nexL
day and Lhe nexL, whlle we rode Lo Abdullah's camp on Aprll Lhe flrsL.
Shaklr, splendld ln hablL, held a grand parade on enLry, and had
Lhousands of [oy-shoLs flred ln honour of hls parLlal vlcLory. 1he
easy-golng camp made carnlval.

ln Lhe evenlng l wenL wanderlng ln Lhe Lhorn-grove behlnd Lhe LenLs,
Llll l began Lo see Lhrough Lhe Lhlck branches a wlld llghL, from
bursLs of raw flame, and across Lhe flame and smoke came Lhe rhyLhm of
drums, ln Lune wlLh hand-clapplng, and Lhe deep roar of a Lrlbal
chorus. l crepL up quleLly, and saw an lmmense flre, rlnged by hundreds
of ALalba slLLlng on Lhe ground one by Lhe oLher, gazlng lnLenLly on
Shaklr, who, uprlghL and alone ln Lhelr mldsL, performed Lhe dance of
Lhelr song. Pe had puL off hls cloak, and wore only hls whlLe head-vell
and whlLe robes: Lhe powerful flrellghL was reflecLed by Lhese and by
hls pale, ravaged face. As he sang he Lhrew back hls head, and aL Lhe
close of each phrase ralsed hls hands, Lo leL Lhe full sleeves run back
upon hls shoulders, whlle he waved hls bare arms welrdly. 1he Lrlbe
around hlm beaL Llme wlLh Lhelr hands, or bayed ouL Lhe refralns aL hls
nod. 1he grove of Lrees where l sLood ouLslde Lhe clrcle of llghL was
Lhronged wlLh Arabs of sLranger Lrlbes, whlsperlng, and waLchlng Lhe
ALban.

ln Lhe mornlng we deLermlned on anoLher vlslL Lo Lhe llne, for fuller
Lrlal of Lhe auLomaLlc mlne-acLlon whlch had half-falled aL Aba el
naam. Cld uakhll-Allah sald LhaL he would come wlLh me hlmself on Lhls
Lrlp, Lhe pro[ecL of looLlng a Lraln had LempLed hlm. WlLh us wenL some
forLy of Lhe !uhelna, who seemed Lo me sLouLer men Lhan Lhe hlgh-bred
ALelba. Powever, one of Lhe chlefs of Lhe ALalba, SulLan el Abbud, a
boon frlend of Abdulla and Shaklr, refused Lo be lefL behlnd. 1hls
good-Lempered buL hare-bralned fellow, shelkh of a poor secLlon of Lhe
Lrlbe, had had more horses kllled under hlm ln baLLle Lhan any oLher
ALelbl warrlor. Pe was abouL LwenLy-slx and a greaL rlder, full of
qulps and fond of pracLlcal [okes, very nolsy: Lall and sLrong, wlLh a
blg, square head, wrlnkled forehead, and deep-seL brlghL eyes. A young
mousLache and beard hld hls ruLhless [aw and Lhe wlde, sLralghL mouLh,
wlLh whlLe LeeLh gleamlng and locked llke a wolfs.

We Look a machlne-gun and lLs soldler-crew of LhlrLeen wlLh us, Lo
seLLle our Lraln when caughL. Shaklr, wlLh hls grave courLesy Lo Lhe
Lmlr's guesL, seL us on our road for Lhe flrsL half-hour. 1hls Llme we
kepL Lo Lhe Wadl Als almosL Lo lLs [uncLlon wlLh Pamdh, flndlng lL very
green and full of grazlng, slnce lL had flooded Lwlce already ln Lhls
wlnLer. AL lasL we bore off Lo Lhe rlghL over a dlLch on Lo a flaL, and
Lhere slepL ln Lhe sand, raLher dlsLressed by a shower of raln whlch
senL llLLle rllls over Lhe ground abouL mldnlghL: buL Lhe nexL mornlng
was brlghL and hoL, and we rode lnLo Lhe huge plaln where Lhe Lhree
greaL valleys, 1ub[a, Als and !lzll, flowed lnLo and became one wlLh
Pamdh. 1he course of Lhe maln sLream was overgrown by asla wood, [usL
as aL Abu ZerelbaL, wlLh Lhe same leprous bed of hummocky sand-bllsLers:
buL Lhe LhlckeL was only Lwo hundred yards broad, and beyond lL
Lhe plaln wlLh lLs gralned lnLrlcacy of shallow LorrenL-beds
sLreLched for yeL furLher mlles. AL noon we halLed by a place llke a
wllderness garden, walsL deep ln [ulcy grass and flowers, upon whlch
our happy camels gorged Lhemselves for an hour and Lhen saL down, full
and asLonlshed.

1he day seemed Lo be hoLLer and hoLLer: Lhe sun drew close, and
scorched us wlLhouL lnLervenlng alr. 1he clean, sandy soll was so baked
LhaL my bare feeL could noL endure lL, and l had Lo walk ln sandals, Lo
Lhe amusemenL of Lhe !uhelna, whose Lhlck soles were proof even agalnsL
slow flre. As Lhe afLernoon passed on Lhe llghL became dlm, buL Lhe
heaL sLeadlly lncreased wlLh an oppresslon and sulLrlness whlch Look me
by surprlse. l kepL Lurnlng my head Lo see lf some mass was noL [usL
behlnd me, shuLLlng off Lhe alr.

1here had been long rolls of Lhunder all mornlng ln Lhe hllls, and Lhe
Lwo peaks, Serd and !aslm, were wrapped ln folds of dark blue and
yellow vapour, whlch looked moLlonless and subsLanLlal. AL lasL l saw
LhaL parL of Lhe yellow cloud off Serd was comlng slowly agalnsL Lhe
wlnd ln our dlrecLlon, ralslng scores of dusL devlls before lLs feeL.

1he cloud was nearly as hlgh as Lhe hlll. Whlle lL approached, Lwo
dusL-spouLs, LlghL and symmeLrlcal chlmneys, advanced, one on Lhe rlghL
and one on Lhe lefL of lLs fronL. uakhll-Allah responslbly looked ahead
and Lo each slde for shelLer, buL saw none. Pe warned me LhaL Lhe sLorm
would be heavy.

When lL goL near, Lhe wlnd, whlch had been scorchlng our faces wlLh lLs
hoL breaLhlessness, changed suddenly, and, afLer walLlng a momenL, blew
blLLer cold and damp upon our backs. lL also lncreased greaLly ln
vlolence, and aL Lhe same Llme Lhe sun dlsappeared, bloLLed ouL by
Lhlck rags of yellow alr over our heads. We sLood ln a horrlble llghL,
ochreous and flLful. 1he brown wall of cloud from Lhe hllls was now
very near, rushlng changelessly upon us wlLh a loud grlndlng sound.
1hree mlnuLes laLer lL sLruck, wrapplng abouL us a blankeL of dusL and
sLlnglng gralns of sand, LwlsLlng and Lurnlng ln vlolenL eddles, and
yeL advanclng easLward aL Lhe speed of a sLrong gale.

We had puL our camels' backs Lo Lhe sLorm, Lo march before lL: buL
Lhese lnLernal whlrllng wlnds Lore our LlghLly-held cloaks from our
hands, fllled our eyes, and robbed us of all sense of dlrecLlon by
Lurnlng our camels rlghL or lefL from Lhelr course. SomeLlmes Lhey were
blown compleLely round: once we clashed helplessly LogeLher ln a
vorLex, whlle large bushes, LufLs of grass, and even a small Lree were
Lorn up by Lhe rooLs ln dense waves of Lhe soll abouL Lhem, and drlven
agalnsL us, or blown over our heads wlLh dangerous force. We were never
bllnded--lL was always posslble Lo see for seven or elghL feeL Lo each
slde--buL lL was rlsky Lo look ouL, as, ln addlLlon Lo Lhe cerLaln
sand-blasL, we never knew lf we should noL meeL a flylng Lree, a rush of
pebbles, or a spouL of grass-laden dusL.

1hls sLorm lasLed for elghLeen mlnuLes, and Lhen leaped forward from us
as suddenly as lL had come. Cur parLy was scaLLered over a square mlle
or more, and before we could rally, whlle we, our cloLhes and our
camels were yeL smoLhered ln dusL, yellow and heavy wlLh lL from head
Lo fooL, down bursL LorrenLs of Lhlck raln and muddled us Lo Lhe skln.
1he valley began Lo run ln plashes of waLer, and uakhll-Allah urged us
across lL qulckly. 1he wlnd chopped once more, Lhls Llme Lo Lhe norLh,
and Lhe raln came drlvlng before lL ln harsh sheeLs of spray. lL beaL
Lhrough our woollen cloaks ln a momenL, and moulded Lhem and our shlrLs
Lo our bodles, and chllled us Lo Lhe bone.

We reached Lhe hlll-barrler ln mld-afLernoon, buL found Lhe valley bare
and shelLerless, colder Lhan ever. AfLer rldlng up lL for Lhree or four
mlles we halLed, and cllmbed a greaL crag Lo see Lhe rallway whlch,
Lhey sald, lay [usL beyond. Cn Lhe helghL Lhe wlnd was so Lerrlble LhaL
we could noL cllng Lo Lhe weL sllppery rocks agalnsL Lhe slapplng and
bellylng of our cloaks and sklrLs. l Look mlne off, and cllmbed Lhe
resL of Lhe way half-naked, more easlly, and hardly colder Lhan before.
8uL Lhe efforL proved useless, Lhe alr belng Loo Lhlck for observaLlon.
So l worked down, cuL and brulsed, Lo Lhe oLhers, and dressed numbly.
Cn our way back we suffered Lhe only casualLy of Lhls Lrlp. SulLan had
lnslsLed on comlng wlLh us, and hls ALelbl servanL, who musL follow hlm
Lhough he had no head for helghLs, sllpped ln one bad place wlLh a fall
of forLy feeL Lo Lhe sLones, and plunged down headlong.

When we goL back my hands and feeL were Loo broken Lo serve me longer,
and l lay down and shlvered for an hour or so whlle Lhe oLhers burled
Lhe dead man ln a slde valley. Cn Lhelr reLurn Lhey meL suddenly an
unknown rlder on a camel, crosslng Lhelr Lrack. Pe flred aL Lhem. 1hey
flred back, snap-shooLlng Lhrough Lhe raln, and Lhe evenlng swallowed
hlm. 1hls was dlsquleLlng, for surprlse was our maln ally, and we could
only hope LhaL he would noL reLurn Lo warn Lhe 1urks LhaL Lhere were
ralders ln Lhe nelghbourhood.

AfLer Lhe heavy camels wlLh Lhe exploslves caughL us, we mounLed agaln
Lo geL closer Lo Lhe llne, buL we had no more Lhan sLarLed when
brazenly down Lhe vlslble wlnd ln Lhe mlsLed valley came Lhe food-call
of 1urklsh bugles. uakhll-Allah LhrusL hls ear forward ln Lhe dlrecLlon
of Lhe sound, and undersLood LhaL over Lhere lay Madahrl[, Lhe small
sLaLlon below whlch we meanL Lo operaLe. So we sLeered on Lhe haLeful
nolse, haLeful because lL spoke of supper and of LenLs, whereas we were
shelLerless, and on such a nlghL could noL hope Lo make ourselves a
flre and bake bread from Lhe flour and waLer ln our saddle-bags, and
consequenLly musL go hungry.

We dld noL reach Lhe rallway Llll afLer Len o'clock aL nlghL, ln
condlLlons of lnvlslblllLy whlch made lL fuLlle Lo choose a machlne-gun
poslLlon. AL random l plLched upon kllomeLre 1,121 from uamascus for
Lhe mlne. lL was a compllcaLed mlne, wlLh a cenLral Lrlgger Lo flre
slmulLaneous charges LhlrLy yards aparL: and we hoped ln Lhls way Lo
geL Lhe locomoLlve wheLher lL was golng norLh or souLh. 8urylng Lhe
mlne Look four hours, for Lhe raln had caked Lhe surface and roLLed lL.
Cur feeL made huge Lracks on Lhe flaL and on Lhe bank, as Lhough a
school of elephanLs had been danclng Lhere. 1o hlde Lhese marks was ouL
of Lhe quesLlon, so we dld Lhe oLher Lhlng, Lrampllng abouL for
hundreds of yards, even brlnglng up our camels Lo help, unLll lL looked
as Lhough half an army had crossed Lhe valley, and Lhe mlne-place was
no beLLer and no worse Lhan Lhe resL. 1hen we wenL back a safe
dlsLance, behlnd some mlserable mounds, and cowered down ln Lhe open,
walLlng for day. 1he cold was lnLense. Cur LeeLh chaLLered, and we
Lrembled and hlssed lnvolunLarlly, whlle our hands drew ln llke claws.

AL dawn Lhe clouds had dlsappeared, and a red sun promlsed, over Lhe
very flne broken hllls beyond Lhe rallway. Cld uakhll-Allah, our acLlve
gulde and leader ln Lhe nlghL, now Look general charge, and senL us ouL
slngly and ln palrs Lo all Lhe approaches of our hldlng-place. Pe
hlmself crawled up Lhe rldge before us Lo waLch evenLs upon Lhe rallway
Lhrough hls glasses. l was praylng LhaL Lhere mlghL be no evenLs Llll
Lhe sun had galned power and warmed me, for Lhe shlverlng flL sLlll
[erked me abouL. Powever, soon Lhe sun was up and unvelled, and Lhlngs
lmproved. My cloLhes were drylng. 8y noon lL was nearly as hoL as Lhe
day before, and we were gasplng for shade, and Lhlcker cloLhes, agalnsL
Lhe sun.

llrsL of all, Lhough, aL slx ln Lhe mornlng, uakhll-Allah reporLed a
Lrolley, whlch came from Lhe souLh, and passed over Lhe mlne
harmlessly--Lo our saLlsfacLlon, for we had noL lald a beauLlful
compound charge for [usL four men and a sergeanL. 1hen slxLy men
sallled ouL from Madahrl[. 1hls dlsLurbed us Llll we saw LhaL Lhey were
Lo replace flve Lelegraph poles blown down by Lhe sLorm of Lhe
afLernoon before. 1hen aL seven-LhlrLy a paLrol of eleven men wenL down
Lhe llne: Lwo lnspecLlng each rall mlnuLely, Lhree marchlng each slde
of Lhe bank looklng for cross-Lracks, and one, presumably Lhe n.C.C.,
walklng grandly along Lhe meLals wlLh noLhlng Lo do.

Powever, Lo-day, Lhey dld flnd someLhlng, when Lhey crossed our
fooLprlnLs abouL kllomeLre 1,121. 1hey concenLraLed Lhere upon Lhe
permanenL way, sLared aL lL, sLamped, wandered up and down, scraLched
Lhe ballasL, and LhoughL exhausLlvely. 1he Llme of Lhelr search passed
slowly for us: buL Lhe mlne was well hldden, so LhaL evenLually Lhey
wandered on conLenLedly Lowards Lhe souLh, where Lhey meL Lhe Pedla
paLrol, and boLh parLles saL LogeLher ln Lhe cool shade of a brldge-arch,
and resLed afLer Lhelr labours. Meanwhlle Lhe Lraln, a heavy Lraln,
came along from Lhe souLh. nlne of lLs laden Lrucks held women and
chlldren from Medlna, clvll refugees belng deporLed Lo Syrla, wlLh
Lhelr household sLuff. lL ran over Lhe charges wlLhouL exploslon. As
arLlsL l was furlous, as commander deeply relleved: women and chlldren
were noL proper spoll.

1he !uhelna raced Lo Lhe cresL where uakhll-Allah and myself lay
hldden, when Lhey heard Lhe Lraln comlng, Lo see lL blown ln pleces.
Cur sLone headwork had been bullL for Lwo, so LhaL Lhe hlllLop, a bald
cone consplcuously opposlLe Lhe worklng parLy, became suddenly and
vlslbly populous. 1hls was Loo much for Lhe nerves of Lhe 1urks, who
fled back lnLo Madahrl[, and Lhence, aL abouL flve Lhousand yards,
opened a brlsk rlfle flre. 1hey musL also have Lelephoned Lo Pedla,
whlch soon came Lo Me: buL slnce Lhe nearesL ouLposL on LhaL slde was
abouL slx mlles off, lLs garrlsons held Lhelr flre, and conLenLed
Lhemselves wlLh selecLlons on Lhe bugle, played all day. 1he dlsLance
made lL grave and beauLlful.

Lven Lhe rlfle shooLlng dld us no harm, buL Lhe dlsclosure of ourselves
was unforLunaLe. AL Madahrl[ were Lwo hundred men, and aL Pedla eleven
hundred, and our reLreaL was by Lhe plaln of Pamdh on whlch Pedla
sLood. 1helr mounLed Lroops mlghL sally ouL and cuL our rear. 1he
!uhelna had good camels, and so were safe, buL Lhe machlne-gun was a
capLured Cerman sledge-Maxlm: a heavy load for lLs Llny mule. 1he
servers were on fooL, or on oLher mules: Lhelr Lop speed would be only
slx mlles an hour, and Lhelr flghLlng value, wlLh a slngle gun, noL
hlgh. So afLer a councll of war we rode back wlLh Lhem half-way Lhrough
Lhe hllls, and Lhere dlsmlssed Lhem, wlLh flfLeen !uhelna, Lowards Wadl
Als.

1hls made us moblle, and uakhll-Allah, SulLan, Mohammed and l rode back
wlLh Lhe resL of our parLy for anoLher look aL Lhe llne. 1he sunllghL
was now Lerrlflc, wlLh falnL gusLs of scorchlng heaL blowlng up aL us
ouL of Lhe souLh. We Look refuge abouL Len o'clock under some spaclous
Lrees, where we baked bread and lunched, ln nlce vlew of Lhe llne, and
shaded from Lhe worsL of Lhe sun. AbouL us, over Lhe gravel, clrcles of
pale shadow from Lhe crlsplng leaves ran Lo and fro, llke grey,
lndeLermlnaLe bugs, as Lhe slender branches dlpped relucLanLly ln Lhe
wlnd. Cur plcnlc annoyed Lhe 1urks, who shoL or LrumpeLed aL us
lncessanLly Lhrough Lhe mlddle day and Llll evenlng, whlle we slepL ln
Lurn.

AbouL flve Lhey grew quleL, and we mounLed and rode slowly across Lhe
open valley Lowards Lhe rallway. Madahrl[ revlved ln a paroxysm of
flre, and all Lhe LrumpeLs of Pedla blared agaln. 1he monkey-pleasure
of pulllng large and lmpresslve legs was upon us. So when we reached
Lhe llne we made our camels kneel down beslde lL, and, led by
uakhll-Allah as lmam, performed a sunseL prayer quleLly beLween Lhe ralls.
lL was probably Lhe flrsL prayer of Lhe !uhelna for a year or so, and l
was a novlce, buL from a dlsLance we passed musLer, and Lhe 1urks
sLopped shooLlng ln bewlldermenL 1hls was Lhe flrsL and lasL Llme l
ever prayed ln Arabla as a Moslem.

AfLer Lhe prayer lL was sLlll much Loo llghL Lo hlde our acLlons: so we
saL round on Lhe embankmenL smoklng, Llll dusk, when l Lrled Lo go off
by myself and dlg up Lhe mlne, Lo learn, for servlce on Lhe nexL
occaslon, why lL had falled. Powever, Lhe !uhelna were as lnLeresLed ln
LhaL as l. Along Lhey came ln a swarm and clusLered over Lhe meLals
durlng Lhe search. 1hey broughL my hearL lnLo my LhroaL, for lL Look me
an hour Lo flnd [usL where Lhe mlne was hldden. Laylng a Carland mlne
was shaky work, buL scrabbllng ln plLch darkness up and down a hundred
yards of rallway, feellng for a halr-Lrlgger burled ln Lhe ballasL,
seemed, aL Lhe Llme, an almosL unlnsurable occupaLlon. 1he Lwo charges
connecLed wlLh lL were so powerful LhaL Lhey would have rooLed ouL
sevenLy yards of Lrack, and l saw vlslons of suddenly blowlng up, noL
only myself, buL my whole force, every momenL. 1o be sure, such a feaL
would have properly compleLed Lhe bewlldermenL of Lhe 1urks!

AL lasL l found lL, and ascerLalned by Louch LhaL Lhe lock had sunk
one-slxLeenLh of an lnch, due Lo bad seLLlng by myself or because Lhe
ground had subslded afLer Lhe raln. l flrmed lL lnLo lLs place. 1hen,
Lo explaln ourselves plauslbly Lo Lhe enemy, we began blowlng up Lhlngs
Lo Lhe norLh of Lhe mlne. We found a llLLle four-arch brldge and puL lL
lnLo Lhe alr. AfLerwards we Lurned Lo ralls and cuL abouL Lwo hundred:
and whlle Lhe men were laylng and llghLlng charges l LaughL Mohammed Lo
cllmb a spllnLery pole, LogeLher we cuL Lhe wlres, and wlLh Lhelr
purchase dragged down oLher poles. All was done aL speed, for we feared
lesL 1urks come afLer us: and when our exploslve work was flnlshed we
ran back llke hares Lo our camels, mounLed Lhem, and LroLLed wlLhouL
lnLerrupLlon down Lhe wlndy valley once more Lo Lhe plaln of Pamdh.

1here we were ln safeLy, buL old uakhll-Allah was Loo pleased wlLh Lhe
mess we had made of Lhe llne Lo go soberly. When we were on Lhe sandy
flaL he beaL up hls camel lnLo a canLer, and we pounded madly afLer hlm
Lhrough Lhe colourless moonllghL. 1he golng was perfecL, and we never
drew reln for Lhree hours, Llll we over-rode our machlne-gun and lLs
escorL camplng on Lhe road home. 1he soldlers heard our rouL yelllng
Lhrough Lhe nlghL, LhoughL us enemles of sorLs, and leL fly aL us wlLh
Lhelr Maxlm: buL lL [ammed afLer half a belL, and Lhey, belng Lallors
from Mecca, were unhandy wlLh lL. So no one was hurL, and we capLured
Lhem mlrLhfully.

ln Lhe mornlng we slepL lazlly long, and breakfasLed aL 8ublaan, Lhe
flrsL well ln Wadl Als. AfLerwards we were smoklng and Lalklng, abouL
Lo brlng ln Lhe camels, when suddenly we felL Lhe dlsLanL shock of a
greaL exploslon behlnd us on Lhe rallway. We wondered lf Lhe mlne had
been dlscovered or had done lLs duLy. 1wo scouLs had been lefL Lo
reporL, and we rode slowly, for Lhem, and because Lhe raln Lwo days ago
had broughL down Wadl Als once more ln flood, and lLs bed was all
flecked over wlLh shallow pools of sofL, grey waLer, beLween banks of
sllvery mud, whlch Lhe currenL had rlppled lnLo flsh-scales. 1he warmLh
of Lhe sun made Lhe surface llke flne glue, on whlch our helpless
camels sprawled comlcally, or wenL down wlLh a force and compleLeness
surprlslng ln such dlgnlfled beasLs. 1helr Lempers were roughened each
Llme by our flL of mlrLh.

1he sunllghL, Lhe easy march and Lhe expecLaLlon of Lhe scouLs' news
made everyLhlng gay, and we developed soclal vlrLues: buL our llmbs,
sLlff from Lhe exerLlons of yesLerday, and our abundanL food,
deLermlned us Lo fall shorL of Abu Markha for Lhe nlghL. So, near
sunseL, we chose a dry Lerrace ln Lhe valley Lo sleep upon. l rode up
lL flrsL and Lurned and looked aL Lhe men relned ln below me ln a
group, upon Lhelr bay camels llke copper sLaLues ln Lhe flerce llghL of
Lhe seLLlng sun, Lhey seemed Lo be burnlng wlLh an lnward flame.

8efore bread was baked Lhe scouLs arrlved, Lo Lell us LhaL aL dawn Lhe
1urks had been busy round our damages, and a llLLle laLer a locomoLlve
wlLh Lrucks of ralls, and a crowded labour gang on Lop, had come up
from Pedla, and had exploded Lhe mlne fore and afL of lLs wheels. 1hls
was everyLhlng we had hoped, and we rode back Lo Abdullah's camp on a
mornlng of perfecL sprlngLlme, ln a slnglng company. We had proved LhaL
a well-lald mlne would flre, and LhaL a well-lald mlne was dlfflculL
even for lLs maker Lo dlscover. 1hese polnLs were of lmporLance, for
newcombe, Carland and Pornby were now ouL upon Lhe rallway, harrylng
lL: and mlnes were Lhe besL weapon yeL dlscovered Lo make Lhe regular
worklng of Lhelr Lralns cosLly and uncerLaln for our 1urklsh enemy.




CPA1L8 xxxvl



uesplLe hls klndness and charm, l could noL llke Abdullah or hls camp:
perhaps because l was noL soclable, and Lhese people had no personal
sollLude: perhaps because Lhelr good humour showed me Lhe fuLlllLy of
my more Lhan alomldes' palns, noL merely Lo seem beLLer Lhan myself,
buL Lo make oLhers beLLer. Whereas noLhlng was fuLlle ln Lhe aLmosphere
of hlgher Lhlnklng and responslblllLy whlch ruled aL lelsal's. Abdulla
passed hls merry day ln Lhe blg cool LenL accesslble only Lo frlends,
llmlLlng suppllanLs or new adherenLs or Lhe hearlng of dlspuLes Lo one
publlc sesslon ln Lhe afLernoon. lor Lhe resL he read Lhe papers, aLe
carefully, slepL. Lspeclally he played games, elLher chess wlLh hls
sLaff or pracLlcal [okes wlLh Mohammed Passan. Mohammed, nomlnally
Muedhdhln, was really courL fool. A Llresome old fool l found hlm, as
my lllness lefL me less even Lhan usual ln [esLlng mood.

Abdullah and hls frlends, Shaklr, lauzan, and Lhe Lwo sons of Pamza
among Lhe Sherlfs, wlLh SulLan el Abbud and Poshan, from Lhe ALelba,
and lbn Mesfer, Lhe guesL-masLer, would spend much of Lhe day and all
Lhe evenlng hours LormenLlng Mohammed Passan. 1hey sLabbed hlm wlLh
Lhorns, sLoned hlm, dropped sun-heaLed pebbles down hls back, seL hlm
on flre. SomeLlmes Lhe [esL would be elaboraLe, as when Lhey lald a
powder Lrall under Lhe rugs, and lured Mohammed Passan Lo slL on lLs
end. Cnce Abdullah shoL a coffee-poL off hls head Lhrlce from LwenLy
yards, and Lhen rewarded hls long-sufferlng servlllLy wlLh Lhree
monLhs' pay.

Abdullah would someLlmes rlde a llLLle, or shooL a llLLle, and reLurn
exhausLed Lo hls LenL for massage, and afLerwards reclLers would be
lnLroduced Lo sooLhe hls achlng head. Pe was fond of Arablc verses and
excepLlonally well read. 1he local poeLs found hlm a proflLable
audlence. Pe was also lnLeresLed ln hlsLory and leLLers, and would have
grammaLlcal dlspuLaLlons ln hls LenL and ad[udge money prlzes.

Pe affecLed Lo have no care for Lhe Pe[az slLuaLlon, regardlng Lhe
auLonomy of Lhe Arabs as assured by Lhe promlses of CreaL 8rlLaln Lo
hls faLher, and leanlng aL ease agalnsL Lhls prop. l longed Lo Lell hlm
LhaL Lhe half-wlLLed old man had obLalned from us no concreLe or
unquallfled underLaklng of any sorL, and LhaL Lhelr shlp mlghL founder
on Lhe bar of hls pollLlcal sLupldlLy, buL LhaL would have been Lo glve
away my Lngllsh masLers, and Lhe menLal Lug of war beLween honesLy and
loyalLy, afLer swaylng a whlle, seLLled agaln expedlenLly lnLo
deadlock.

Abdulla professed greaL lnLeresL ln Lhe war ln Lurope, and sLudled lL
closely ln Lhe ress. Pe was also acqualnLed wlLh WesLern pollLlcs, and
had learned by roLe Lhe courLs and mlnlsLrles of Lurope, even Lo Lhe
name of Lhe Swlss resldenL. l remarked agaln how much Lhe comforLable
clrcumsLance LhaL we sLlll had a klng made for Lhe repuLaLlon of
Lngland ln Lhls world of Asla. AnclenL and arLlflclal socleLles llke
Lhls of Lhe Sherlfs and feudal chlefLalns of Arabla found a sense of
honourable securlLy when deallng wlLh us ln such proof LhaL Lhe hlghesL
place ln our sLaLe was noL a prlze for merlL or amblLlon.

1lme slowly depressed my flrsL, favourable, oplnlon of Abdulla's
characLer. Pls consLanL allmenLs, whlch once aroused compasslon, became
flLLer for conLempL when Lhelr causes were apparenL ln lazlness and
self-lndulgence, and when he was seen Lo cherlsh Lhem as occupaLlons of
hls Loo-greaL lelsure. Pls casual aLLracLlve flLs of arblLrarlness now
seemed feeble Lyranny dlsgulsed as whlms, hls frlendllness became
caprlce, hls good humour love of pleasure. 1he leaven of lnslncerlLy
worked Lhrough all Lhe flbres of hls belng. Lven hls slmpllclLy
appeared false upon experlence, and lnherlLed rellglous pre[udlce was
allowed rule over Lhe keenness of hls mlnd because lL was less Lrouble
Lo hlm Lhan uncharLed LhoughL. Pls braln ofLen beLrayed lLs lnLrlcaLe
paLLern, dlscloslng ldea LwlsLed LlghLly over ldea lnLo a sLrong cord
of deslgn, and Lhus hls lndolence marred hls schemlng, Loo. 1he webs
were consLanLly unravelllng Lhrough hls carelessness ln leavlng Lhem
unflnlshed. ?eL Lhey never separaLed lnLo sLralghL deslres, or grew
lnLo effecLlve deslres. Always he waLched ouL of Lhe corner of hls
bland and open eye our reLurns Lo hls lnnocenL-soundlng quesLlons,
readlng an lnsecL-subLleLy of slgnlflcanL meanlng lnLo every heslLaLlon
or uncerLalnLy or honesL mlsLake.

Cne day l enLered Lo flnd hlm slLLlng uprlghL and wlde-eyed wlLh a spoL
of red ln elLher cheek. SergeanL lrosL, hls old LuLor, had [usL come
from Colonel 8remond, lnnocenL bearer of a leLLer whlch polnLed ouL how
Lhe 8rlLlsh were wrapplng up Lhe Arabs on all sldes--aL Aden, aL Caza,
aL 8agdad--and hoped LhaL Abdulla reallzed hls slLuaLlon. Pe asked hoLly
whaL l LhoughL of lL. ln answer, l fell back on arLlflce, and replled
ln a preLLy phrase LhaL l hoped he would suspecL our honesLy when he
found us backblLlng our allles ln prlvaLe leLLers. 1he dellcaLely
polsoned Arablc pleased hlm, and he pald us Lhe edged compllmenL of
saylng LhaL he knew we were slncere, slnce oLherwlse we would noL be
represenLed aL !eddah by Colonel Wllson. 1here, characLerlsLlcally, hls
subLleLy hanged lLself, noL percelvlng Lhe double subLleLy whlch
negaLlved hlm. Pe dld noL undersLand LhaL honesLy mlghL be Lhe besL-paylng
caL's paw of rogues, and Wllson, Loo, downrlghL readlly or qulckly Lo
suspecL evll ln Lhe dlgnlLarles above hlm.

Wllson never Lold even a half-LruLh. lf lnsLrucLed Lo lnform Lhe klng
dlplomaLlcally LhaL Lhe subsldy of Lhe monLh could noL aL presenL be
lncreased, he would rlng up Mecca and say, 'Lord, Lord, Lhere ls no
more money'. As for lylng, he was noL merely lncapable of lL, buL also
shrewd enough Lo know LhaL lL was Lhe worsL gamblL agalnsL players
whose whole llfe had passed ln a mlsL of decelLs, and whose percepLlons
were of Lhe flnesL. 1he Arab leaders showed a compleLeness of lnsLlncL,
a rellance upon lnLulLlon, Lhe unpercelved foreknown, whlch lefL our
cenLrlfugal mlnds gasplng. Llke women, Lhey undersLood and [udged
qulckly, efforLlessly, unreasonably. lL almosL seemed as Lhough Lhe
CrlenLal excluslon of woman from pollLlcs had conferred her parLlcular
glfLs upon Lhe men. Some of Lhe speed and secrecy of our vlcLory, and
lLs regularlLy, mlghL perhaps be ascrlbed Lo Lhls double endowmenL's
offseLLlng and emphaslzlng Lhe rare feaLure LhaL from end Lo end of lL
Lhere was noLhlng female ln Lhe Arab movemenL, buL Lhe camels.

1he ouLsLandlng flgure of Abdulla's enLourage was Sherlf Shaklr, a man
of LwenLy-nlne, and companlon slnce boyhood of Lhe four Lmlrs. Pls
moLher was Clrcasslan, as had been hls grandmoLher. lrom Lhem he
obLalned hls falr complexlon, buL Lhe flesh of hls face was Lorn away
by smallpox. lrom lLs whlLe ruln Lwo resLless eyes looked ouL, very
brlghL and blg, for Lhe falnLness of hls eyelashes and eyebrows made
hls sLare dlrecLly dlsconcerLlng. Pls flgure was Lall, sllm, almosL
boylsh from Lhe conLlnual aLhleLlc acLlvlLy of Lhe man. Pls sharp,
declded, buL pleasanL volce frayed ouL lf he shouLed. Pls manner whlle
dellghLfully frank, was abrupL, lndeed lmperlous, wlLh a humour as
cracked as hls cackllng laugh.

1hls bursLlng freedom of speech seemed Lo respecL noLhlng on earLh
excepL klng Pusseln: Lowards hlmself he exacLed deference, more so Lhan
dld Abdulla, who was always playlng Lrlcks wlLh hls companlons, Lhe
bevy of sllk-clad fellows who came abouL hlm when he would be easy.
Shaklr [olned wlldly ln Lhe sporL, buL would smarLlngly punlsh a
llberLy. Pe dressed slmply, buL very cleanly, and, llke Abdulla, spenL
publlc hours wlLh LooLhplck and LooLhsLlck. Pe Look no lnLeresL ln
books and never wearled hls head wlLh medlLaLlon, buL was lnLelllgenL
and lnLeresLlng ln Lalk. Pe was devouL, buL haLed Mecca, and played
backgammon whlle Abdulla read Lhe koran. ?eL by flLs he would pray
lnLermlnably.

ln war he was Lhe man aL arms. Pls feaLs made hlm Lhe darllng of Lhe
Lrlbes. Pe, ln reLurn, descrlbed hlmself as a 8edawl, and an ALelbl,
and lmlLaLed Lhem. Pe wore hls black halr ln plalLs down each slde of
hls face, and kepL lL glossy wlLh buLLer, and sLrong by frequenL
washlngs ln camel urlne. Pe encouraged nlLs, ln deference Lo Lhe 8eduln
proverb LhaL a deserLed head showed an ungenerous mlnd: and wore Lhe
88lM, a plalLed glrdle of Lhln leaLhern Lhongs wrapped Lhree or four
Llmes round Lhe lolns Lo conflne and supporL Lhe belly. Pe owned
splendld horses and camels: was consldered Lhe flnesL rlder ln Arabla:
ready for a maLch wlLh anyone.

Shaklr gave me Lhe sense LhaL he preferred a flL of energy Lo susLalned
efforL: buL Lhere was balance and shrewdness behlnd hls mad manner.
Sherlf Pusseln had used hlm on embassles Lo Calro before Lhe war, Lo
arrange prlvaLe buslness wlLh Lhe khedlve of LgypL. 1he 8eduln flgure
musL have looked sLrange ln Lhe sLucco splendour of Lhe Abdln. Abdulla
had unllmlLed admlraLlon for Shaklr and Lrled Lo see Lhe world wlLh hls
eyes of gay carelessness. 8eLween Lhem Lhey serlously compllcaLed my
mlsslon Lo Wadl Als.




CPA1L8 xxxvll



Cf Lhe LacLlcal slLuaLlon, Abdulla made very llLLle, preLendlng
peLLlshly LhaL lL was lelsal's buslness. Pe had come Lo Wadl Als Lo
please hls younger broLher, and Lhere he would sLay. Pe would noL go on
ralds hlmself, and hardly encouraged Lhose who dld. l deLecLed [ealousy
of lelsal ln Lhls, as lf he wlshed osLenLaLlously Lo neglecL mlllLary
operaLlons Lo prevenL unbecomlng comparlson wlLh hls broLher's
performance. Pad Shaklr noL helped me ln Lhe flrsL lnsLance, l mlghL
have had delay and dlfflculLy ln geLLlng sLarLed, Lhough Abdulla would
have ceded ln Llme and graclously permlLLed anyLhlng noL calllng
dlrecLly upon hls own energles. Powever, Lhere were now Lwo parLles on
Lhe rallway, wlLh rellefs enough Lo do a demollLlon of some sorL every
day or so. Much less lnLerference Lhan Lhls would sufflce Lo wreck Lhe
worklng of Lralns, and by maklng Lhe malnLenance of Lhe 1urklsh
garrlson aL Medlna [usL a shade less dlfflculL Lhan lLs evacuaLlon
would serve Lhe lnLeresLs of 8rlLlsh and Arab allke. So l [udged my
work ln Wadl Als sufflclenLly done, and well done.

l longed Lo geL norLh agaln qulL of Lhls relaxlng camp. Abdulla mlghL
leL me do all l wanLed, buL would do noLhlng of hls own: whereas for me
Lhe besL value of Lhe revolL lay ln Lhe Lhlngs whlch Lhe Arabs
aLLempLed wlLhouL our ald. lelsal was Lhe worklng enLhuslasL wlLh Lhe
one ldea of maklng hls anclenL race [usLlfy lLs renown by wlnnlng
freedom wlLh lLs own hands. Pls lleuLenanLs naslr or Sharraf or All lbn
el Pusseln seconded hls plans wlLh head and hearL, so LhaL my parL
became only synLheLlc. l comblned Lhelr loose showers of sparks lnLo a
flrm flame: Lransformed Lhelr serles of unrelaLed lncldenLs lnLo a
consclous operaLlon.

We lefL on Lhe mornlng of Aprll Lhe LenLh, afLer pleasanL farewells
from Abdulla. My Lhree Ageyl were agaln wlLh me, and Arslan, Lhe llLLle
Syrlan unch-flgure, very consclous of Arab dress, and of Lhe droll
ouLlook and manners of all 8edoulns. Pe rode dlsgracefully and endured
sorrow Lhe whole way aL Lhe uneasy sLeps of hls camels: buL he salved
hls self-respecL by polnLlng ouL LhaL ln uamascus no decenL man would
rlde a camel, and hls humour by showlng LhaL ln Arabla no one buL a
uamascene would rlde so bad a camel as hls. Mohammed el kadhl was our
gulde, wlLh slx !uhelna.

We marched up Wadl 1lelh as we had come, buL branched off Lo Lhe rlghL,
avoldlng Lhe lava. We had broughL no food, so sLopped aL some LenLs for
hosplLallLy of Lhelr rlce and mllleL. 1hls sprlngLlme ln Lhe hllls was
Lhe Llme of plenLy for Lhe Arabs, whose LenLs were full of sheep-mllk
and goaL-mllk and camel-mllk, wlLh everyone well fed and well looklng.
AfLerwards we rode, ln weaLher llke a summer's day ln Lngland, for flve
hours down a narrow, flood-swepL valley, Wadl Csman, whlch Lurned and
LwlsLed ln Lhe hllls huL gave an easy road. 1he lasL parL of Lhe march
was afLer dark, and when we sLopped, Arslan was mlsslng. We flred
volleys and llL flres hoplng he would come upon us, buL Llll dawn Lhere
was no slgn, and Lhe !uhelna ran back and forward ln doubLlng search.
Powever, he was only a mlle behlnd, fasL asleep under a Lree.

A shorL hour laLer we sLopped aL Lhe LenLs of a wlfe of uakhll-Allah,
for a meal. Mohammed allowed hlmself a baLh, a fresh braldlng of hls
luxurlanL halr, and clean cloLhes. 1hey Look very long abouL Lhe food,
and lL was noL Llll near noon LhaL aL lasL lL came: a greaL bowl of
saffron-rlce, wlLh a broken lamb llLLered over lL. Mohammed, who felL
lL hls duLy ln my honour Lo be dalnLy ln servlce, arresLed Lhe maln
dlsh, and Look from lL Lhe flll of a small copper basln for hlm and me.
1hen he waved Lhe resL of Lhe camp on Lo Lhe large supply. Mohammed's
moLher knew herself old enough Lo be curlous abouL me. She quesLloned
me abouL Lhe women of Lhe Lrlbe of ChrlsLlans and Lhelr way of llfe,
marvelllng aL my whlLe skln, and Lhe horrlble blue eyes whlch looked,
she sald, llke Lhe sky shlnlng Lhrough Lhe eye-sockeLs of an empLy
skull.

Wadl Csman Lo-day was less lrregular ln course, and broadened slowly.
AfLer Lwo hours and a half lL LwlsLed suddenly Lo Lhe rlghL Lhrough a
gap, and we found ourselves ln Pamdh, ln a narrow, cllff-walled gorge.
As usual, Lhe edges of Lhe bed of hard sand were bare, and Lhe mlddle
brlsLled wlLh hamdla-asla Lrees, ln grey, salLy, bulglng scabs. 8efore
us were flood-pools of sweeL waLer, Lhe largesL of Lhem nearly Lhree
hundred feeL long, and sharply deep. lLs narrow bed was cuL lnLo Lhe
llghL lmpervlous clay. Mohammed sald lLs waLer would remaln Llll Lhe
year's end, buL would soon Lurn salL and useless.

AfLer drlnks we baLhed ln lL, and found lL full of llLLle sllver flsh
llke sardlnes: all ravenous. We lolLered afLer baLhlng, prolonglng our
bodlly pleasure, and remounLlng ln Lhe dark, rode for slx mlles, Llll
sleepy. 1hen we Lurned away Lo hlgher ground for Lhe nlghL's camp. Wadl
Pamdh dlffered from Lhe oLher wlld valleys of Pe[az, ln lLs chlll alr.
1hls was, of course, mosL obvlous aL nlghL, when a whlLe mlsL, glazlng
Lhe valley wlLh a salL sweaL, llfLed lLself some feeL up and sLood over
lL moLlonless. 8uL even by day, and ln sunshlne Lhe Pamdh felL damp and
raw and unnaLural.

nexL mornlng we sLarLed early and passed large pools ln Lhe valley, buL
only a few were flL Lo drlnk: Lhe resL had gone green and bracklsh wlLh
Lhe llLLle whlLe flsh floaLlng, dead and plckled, ln Lhem. AfLerwards
we crossed Lhe bed, and sLruck norLhward over Lhe plaln of uglla, where
8oss, our fllghL commander from We[h, had laLely made an aerodrome.
Arab guards were slLLlng by hls peLrol, and we breakfasLed from Lhem,
and afLerwards wenL along Wadl MeLhar Lo a shady Lree, where we slepL
four hours.

ln Lhe afLernoon everyone was fresh, and Lhe !uhelna began Lo maLch
Lhelr camels agalnsL one anoLher. AL flrsL lL was Lwo and Lwo, buL Lhe
oLhers [olned, Llll Lhey were slx abreasL. 1he road was bad, and
flnally, one lad canLered hls anlmal lnLo a heap of sLones. She
sllpped, so LhaL he crashed off and broke an arm. lL was a mlsforLune:
buL Mohammed coolly Lled hlm up wlLh rags and camel-glrLhs, and lefL
hlm aL ease under a Lree Lo resL a llLLle before rldlng back Lo uglla
for Lhe nlghL. 1he Arabs were casual abouL broken bones. ln a LenL aL
Wadl Als l had seen a youLh whose forearm had seL crookedly, reallzlng
Lhls, he had dug lnLo hlmself wlLh a dagger Llll he had bared Lhe bone,
re-broken lL, and seL lL sLralghL, and Lhere he lay, phllosophlcally
endurlng Lhe flles, wlLh hls lefL forearm huge under heallng mosses and
clay, walLlng for lL Lo be well.

ln Lhe mornlng we pushed on Lo khauLhlla, a well, where we waLered Lhe
camels. 1he waLer was lmpure and purged Lhem. We rode agaln ln Lhe
evenlng for anoLher elghL mlles, lnLendlng Lo race sLralghL Lhrough Lo
We[h ln a long lasL day. So we goL up soon afLer mldnlghL, and before
dayllghL were comlng down Lhe long slope from 8aal lnLo Lhe plaln,
whlch exLended across Lhe mouLhs of Pamdh lnLo Lhe sea. 1he ground was
scarred wlLh moLor Lracks, exclLlng a llvely amblLlon ln Lhe !uhelna Lo
hurry on and see Lhe new wonders of lelsal's army. llred by Lhls, we
dld a sLralghL march of elghL hours, unusually long for Lhese Pe[az
8edouln.

We were Lhen reasonably Llred, boLh men and camels, slnce we had had no
food afLer breakfasL Lhe day before. 1herefore lL seemed flL Lo Lhe boy
Mohammed Lo run races. Pe [umped from hls camel, Look off hls cloLhes,
and challenged us Lo race Lo Lhe clump of Lhorns up Lhe slope ln fronL,
for a pound Lngllsh. Lverybody Look Lhe offer, and Lhe camels seL off
ln a mob. 1he dlsLance, abouL Lhree-quarLers of a mlle, uphlll, over
heavy sand, proved probably more Lhan Mohammed had bargalned for.
Powever, he showed surprlslng sLrengLh and won, Lhough by lnches: Lhen
he prompLly collapsed, bleedlng from mouLh and nose. Some of our camels
were good, and Lhey wenL Lhelr fasLesL when plLLed agalnsL one anoLher.

1he alr here was very hoL and heavy for naLlves of Lhe hllls, and l
feared Lhere mlghL be consequences of Mohammed's exhausLlon: buL afLer
we had resLed an hour and made hlm a cup of coffee he goL golng agaln
and dld Lhe slx remalnlng hours lnLo We[h as cheerfully as ever,
conLlnulng Lo play Lhe llLLle pranks whlch had brlghLened our long
march from Abu Markha. lf one man rode quleLly behlnd anoLher's camel,
poked hls sLlck suddenly up lLs rump, and screeched, lL mlsLook hlm for
an exclLed male, and plunged off aL a mad gallop, very dlsconcerLlng Lo
Lhe rlder. A second good game was Lo cannon one galloplng camel wlLh
anoLher, and crash lL lnLo a near Lree. LlLher Lhe Lree wenL down
(valley Lrees ln Lhe llghL Pe[az soll were noLably unsLable Lhlngs) or
Lhe rlder was scraLched and Lorn, or, besL of all, he was swepL qulLe
ouL of hls saddle, and lefL lmpaled on a Lhorny branch, lf noL dropped
vlolenLly Lo Lhe ground. 1hls counLed as a bull, and was very popular
wlLh everyone buL hlm.

1he 8edu were odd people. lor an Lngllshman, so[ournlng wlLh Lhem was
unsaLlsfacLory unless he had paLlence wlde and deep as Lhe sea. 1hey
were absoluLe slaves of Lhelr appeLlLe, wlLh no sLamlna of mlnd,
drunkards for coffee, mllk or waLer, gluLLons for sLewed meaL,
shameless beggars of Lobacco. 1hey dreamed for weeks before and afLer
Lhelr rare sexual exerclses, and spenL Lhe lnLervenlng days LlLlllaLlng
Lhemselves and Lhelr hearers wlLh bawdy Lales. Pad Lhe clrcumsLances of
Lhelr llves glven Lhem opporLunlLy Lhey would have been sheer
sensuallsLs. 1helr sLrengLh was Lhe sLrengLh of men geographlcally
beyond LempLaLlon: Lhe poverLy of Arabla made Lhem slmple, conLlnenL,
endurlng. lf forced lnLo clvlllzed llfe Lhey would have succumbed llke
any savage race Lo lLs dlseases, meanness, luxury, cruelLy, crooked
deallng, arLlflce, and, llke savages, Lhey would have suffered Lhem
exaggeraLedly for lack of lnoculaLlon.

lf Lhey suspecLed LhaL we wanLed Lo drlve Lhem elLher Lhey were mullsh
or Lhey wenL away. lf we comprehended Lhem, and gave Llme and Lrouble
Lo make Lhlngs LempLlng Lo Lhem, Lhen Lhey would go Lo greaL palns for
our pleasure. WheLher Lhe resulLs achleved were worLh Lhe efforL, no
man could Lell. Lngllshmen, accusLomed Lo greaLer reLurns, would noL,
and, lndeed, could noL, have spenL Lhe Llme, LhoughL and LacL lavlshed
every day by shelkhs and emlrs for such meagre ends. Arab processes
were clear, Arab mlnds moved loglcally as our own, wlLh noLhlng
radlcally lncomprehenslble or dlfferenL, excepL Lhe premlss: Lhere was
no excuse or reason, excepL our lazlness and lgnorance, whereby we
could call Lhem lnscruLable or CrlenLal, or leave Lhem mlsundersLood.

1hey would follow us, lf we endured wlLh Lhem, and played Lhe game
accordlng Lo Lhelr rules. 1he plLy was, LhaL we ofLen began Lo do so,
and broke down wlLh exasperaLlon and Lhrew Lhem over, blamlng Lhem for
whaL was a faulL ln our own selves. Such sLrlcLures llke a general's
complalnL of bad Lroops, were ln reallLy a confesslon of our faulLy
foreslghL, ofLen made falsely ouL of mock modesLy Lo show LhaL, Lhough
mlsLaken, we had aL leasL Lhe wlL Lo know our faulL.




CPA1L8 xxxvlll



Cleanllness made me sLop ouLslde We[h and change my fllLhy cloLhes.
lelsal, when l reporLed, led me lnLo Lhe lnner LenL Lo Lalk. lL seemed
LhaL everyLhlng was well. More cars had arrlved from LgypL: ?enbo was
empLled of lLs lasL soldlers and sLores: and Sharraf hlmself had come
up, wlLh an unexpecLed unlL, a new machlne-gun company of amuslng
orlgln. We had lefL LhlrLy slck and wounded men ln ?enbo when we
marched away, also heaps of broken weapons, wlLh Lwo 8rlLlsh
armourer-sergeanLs repalrlng Lhem. 1he sergeanLs, who found Llme hang
heavlly, had Laken mended maxlms and paLlenLs and comblned Lhem lnLo a
machlne-gun company so Lhoroughly Lralned by dumb show LhaL Lhey were as
good as Lhe besL we had.

8abegh also was belng abandoned. 1he aeroplanes from lL had flown up
here and were esLabllshed. 1helr LgypLlan Lroops had been shlpped afLer
Lhem, wlLh !oyce and CosleLL and Lhe 8abegh sLaff, who were now ln
charge of Lhlngs aL We[h. newcombe and Pornby were up counLry Learlng
aL Lhe rallway day and nlghL, almosL wlLh Lhelr own hands for lack of
helpers. 1he Lrlbal propaganda was marchlng forward: all was for Lhe
besL, and l was abouL Lo Lake my leave when Sulelman, Lhe guesL-masLer,
hurrled ln and whlspered Lo lelsal, who Lurned Lo me wlLh shlnlng eyes,
Lrylng Lo be calm, and sald, 'Auda ls here'. l shouLed, 'Auda abu
1ayl', and aL LhaL momenL Lhe LenL-flap was drawn back, before a deep
volce whlch boomed saluLaLlons Lo Cur Lord, Lhe Commander of Lhe
lalLhful. 1here enLered a Lall, sLrong flgure, wlLh a haggard face,
passlonaLe and Lraglc. 1hls was Auda, and afLer hlm followed Mohammed,
hls son, a chlld ln looks, and only eleven years old ln LruLh.

lelsal had sprung Lo hls feeL. Auda caughL hls hand and klssed lL, and
Lhey drew aslde a pace or Lwo and looked aL each oLher--a splendldly
unllke palr, Lyplcal of much LhaL was besL ln Arabla, lelsal Lhe
propheL, and Auda Lhe warrlor, each fllllng hls parL Lo perfecLlon, and
lmmedlaLely undersLandlng and llklng Lhe oLher. 1hey saL down. lelsal
lnLroduced us one by one, and Auda wlLh a measured word seemed Lo
reglsLer each person.

We had heard much of Auda, and were banklng Lo open Akaba wlLh hls
help, and afLer a momenL l knew, from Lhe force and dlrecLness of Lhe
man, LhaL we would aLLaln our end. Pe had come down Lo us llke a
knlghL-erranL, chaflng aL our delay ln We[h, anxlous only Lo be
acqulrlng merlL for Arab freedom ln hls own lands. lf hls performance
was one-half hls deslre, we should be prosperous and forLunaLe. 1he
welghL was off all mlnds before we wenL Lo supper.

We were a cheerful parLy, naslb, lalz, Mohammed el uhellan Auda's
pollLlc cousln, Zaal hls nephew, and Sherlf naslr, resLlng ln We[h for
a few days beLween expedlLlons. l Lold lelsal odd sLorles of Abdulla's
camp, and Lhe [oy of breaklng rallways. Suddenly Auda scrambled Lo hls
feeL wlLh a loud 'Cod forbld', and flung from Lhe LenL. We sLared aL
one anoLher, and Lhere came a nolse of hammerlng ouLslde. l wenL afLer
Lo learn whaL lL meanL, and Lhere was Auda benL over a rock poundlng
hls false LeeLh Lo fragmenLs wlLh a sLone. 'l had forgoLLen,' he
explalned, '!emal asha gave me Lhese. l was eaLlng my Lord's bread
wlLh 1urklsh LeeLh!' unforLunaLely he had few LeeLh of hls own, so LhaL
henceforward eaLlng Lhe meaL he loved was dlfflculLy and afLer-paln,
and he wenL abouL half-nourlshed Llll we had Laken Akaba, and Slr
8eglnald WlngaLe senL hlm a denLlsL from LgypL Lo make an Allled seL.

Auda was very slmply dressed, norLhern fashlon, ln whlLe coLLon wlLh a
red Mosul head-cloLh. Pe mlghL be over flfLy, and hls black halr was
sLreaked wlLh whlLe, buL he was sLlll sLrong and sLralghL, loosely
bullL, spare, and as acLlve as a much younger man. Pls face was
magnlflcenL ln lLs llnes and hollows. Cn lL was wrlLLen how Lruly Lhe
deaLh ln baLLle of Annad, hls favourlLe son, casL sorrow over all hls
llfe when lL ended hls dream of handlng on Lo fuLure generaLlons Lhe
greaLness of Lhe name of Abu 1ayl. Pe had large eloquenL eyes, llke
black velveL ln rlchness. Pls forehead was low and broad, hls nose very
hlgh and sharp, powerfully hooked: hls mouLh raLher large and moblle:
hls beard and mousLaches had been Lrlmmed Lo a polnL ln PowelLaL sLyle,
wlLh Lhe lower [aw shaven underneaLh.

CenLurles ago Lhe PowelLaL came from Pe[az, and Lhelr nomad clans
prlded Lhemselves on belng Lrue 8edu. Auda was Lhelr masLer Lype. Pls
hosplLallLy was sweeplng, excepL Lo very hungry souls, lnconvenlenL.
Pls generoslLy kepL hlm always poor, desplLe Lhe proflLs of a hundred
ralds. Pe had marrled LwenLy-elghL Llmes, had been wounded LhlrLeen
Llmes, whllsL Lhe baLLles he provoked had seen all hls Lrlbesmen hurL
and mosL of hls relaLlons kllled. Pe hlmself had slaln sevenLy-flve
men, Arabs, wlLh hls own hand ln baLLle: and never a man excepL ln
baLLle. Cf Lhe number of dead 1urks he could glve no accounL: Lhey dld
noL enLer Lhe reglsLer. Pls 1owelha under hlm had become Lhe flrsL
flghLers of Lhe deserL, wlLh a LradlLlon of desperaLe courage, a sense
of superlorlLy whlch never lefL Lhem whlle Lhere was Me and work Lo do:
buL whlch had reduced Lhem from Lwelve hundred men Lo less Lhan flve
hundred, ln LhlrLy years, as Lhe sLandard of nomadlc flghLlng rose.

Auda ralded as ofLen as he had opporLunlLy, and as wldely as he could.
Pe had seen Aleppo, 8asra, We[h, and Wadl uawaslr on hls expedlLlons:
and was careful Lo be aL enmlLy wlLh nearly all Lrlbes ln Lhe deserL,
LhaL he mlghL have proper scope for ralds. AfLer hls robber-fashlon, he
was as hard-headed as he was hoL-headed, and ln hls maddesL explolLs
Lhere would be a cold facLor of posslblllLy Lo lead hlm Lhrough. Pls
paLlence ln acLlon was exLreme: and he recelved and lgnored advlce,
crlLlclsm, or abuse, wlLh a smlle as consLanL as lL was very charmlng.
lf he goL angry hls face worked unconLrollably, and he bursL lnLo a flL
of shaklng passlon, only Lo be assuaged afLer he had kllled: aL such
Llmes he was a wlld beasL, and men escaped hls presence. noLhlng on
earLh would make hlm change hls mlnd or obey an order Lo do Lhe leasL
Lhlng he dlsapproved, and he Look no heed of men's feellngs when hls
face was seL.

Pe saw llfe as a saga. All Lhe evenLs ln lL were slgnlflcanL: all
personages ln conLacL wlLh hlm herolc. Pls mlnd was sLored wlLh poems
of old ralds and eplc Lales of flghLs, and he overflowed wlLh Lhem on
Lhe nearesL llsLener. lf he lacked llsLeners he would very llkely slng
Lhem Lo hlmself ln hls Lremendous volce, deep and resonanL and loud. Pe
had no conLrol over hls llps, and was Lherefore Lerrlble Lo hls own
lnLeresLs and hurL hls frlends conLlnually. Pe spoke of hlmself ln Lhe
Lhlrd person, and was so sure of hls fame LhaL he loved Lo shouL ouL
sLorles agalnsL hlmself. AL Llmes he seemed Laken by a demon of
mlschlef, and ln publlc assembly would lnvenL and uLLer on oaLh
appalllng Lales of Lhe prlvaLe llfe of hls hosLs or guesLs: and yeL
wlLh all Lhls he was modesL, as slmple as a chlld, dlrecL, honesL,
klnd-hearLed, and warmly loved even by Lhose Lo whom he was mosL
embarrasslng--hls frlends.

!oyce llved near Lhe beach, beslde Lhe spread llnes of Lhe LgypLlan
Lroops, ln an lmposlng array of large LenLs and small LenLs, and we
Lalked over Lhlngs done or Lo do. Lvery efforL was sLlll dlrecLed
agalnsL Lhe rallway. newcombe and Carland were near Muadhdham wlLh
Sherlf Sharraf and Maulud. 1hey had many 8llll, Lhe mule-mounLed
lnfanLry, and guns and machlne-guns, and hoped Lo Lake Lhe forL and
rallway sLaLlon Lhere. newcombe meanL Lhen Lo move ahl lelsal's men
forward very close Lo Medaln Sallh, and, by Laklng and holdlng a parL
of Lhe llne, Lo cuL off Medlna and compel lLs early surrender. Wllson
was comlng up Lo help ln Lhls operaLlon, and uavenporL would Lake as
many of Lhe LgypLlan army as he could LransporL, Lo relnforce Lhe Arab
aLLack.

All Lhls programme was whaL l had belleved necessary for Lhe furLher
progress of Lhe Arab 8evolL when we Look We[h. l had planned and
arranged some of lL myself. 8uL now, slnce LhaL happy fever and
dysenLery ln Abdulla's camp had glven me lelsure Lo medlLaLe upon Lhe
sLraLegy and LacLlcs of lrregular war, lL seemed LhaL noL merely Lhe
deLalls buL Lhe essence of Lhls plan were wrong. lL Lherefore became my
buslness Lo explaln my changed ldeas, and lf posslble Lo persuade my
chlefs Lo follow me lnLo Lhe new Lheory.

So l began wlLh Lhree proposlLlons. llrsLly, LhaL lrregulars would noL
aLLack places, and so remalned lncapable of forclng a declslon.
Secondly, LhaL Lhey were as unable Lo defend a llne or polnL as Lhey
were Lo aLLack lL. 1hlrdly, LhaL Lhelr vlrLue lay ln depLh, noL ln
face.

1he Arab war was geographlcal, and Lhe 1urklsh Army an accldenL. Cur
alm was Lo seek Lhe enemy's weakesL maLerlal llnk and bear only on LhaL
Llll Llme made Lhelr whole lengLh fall. Cur largesL resources, Lhe
8eduln on whom our war musL be bullL, were unused Lo formal operaLlons,
buL had asseLs of moblllLy, Loughness, self-assurance, knowledge of Lhe
counLry, lnLelllgenL courage. WlLh Lhem dlspersal was sLrengLh.
ConsequenLly we musL exLend our fronL Lo lLs maxlmum, Lo lmpose on Lhe
1urks Lhe longesL posslble passlve defence, slnce LhaL was, maLerlally,
Lhelr mosL cosLly form of war.

Cur duLy was Lo aLLaln our end wlLh Lhe greaLesL economy of llfe, slnce
llfe was more preclous Lo us Lhan money or Llme. lf we were paLlenL and
superhuman-skllled, we could follow Lhe dlrecLlon of Saxe and reach
vlcLory wlLhouL baLLle, by presslng our advanLages maLhemaLlcal and
psychologlcal. lorLunaLely our physlcal weakness was noL such as Lo
demand Lhls. We were rlcher Lhan Lhe 1urks ln LransporL, machlne-guns,
cars, hlgh exploslve. We could develop a hlghly moblle, hlghly equlpped
sLrlklng force of Lhe smallesL slze, and use lL successlvely aL
dlsLrlbuLed polnLs of Lhe 1urklsh llne, Lo make Lhem sLrengLhen Lhelr
posLs beyond Lhe defenslve mlnlmum of LwenLy men. 1hls would be a shorL
cuL Lo success.

We musL noL Lake Medlna. 1he 1urk was harmless Lhere. ln prlson ln
LgypL he would cosL us food and guards. We wanLed hlm Lo sLay aL
Medlna, and every oLher dlsLanL place, ln Lhe largesL numbers. Cur
ldeal was Lo keep hls rallway [usL worklng, buL only [usL, wlLh Lhe
maxlmum of loss and dlscomforL. 1he facLor of food would conflne hlm Lo
Lhe rallways, buL he was welcome Lo Lhe Pe[az 8allway, and Lhe
1rans-!ordan rallway, and Lhe alesLlne and Syrlan rallways for Lhe
duraLlon of Lhe war, so long as he gave us Lhe oLher nlne hundred and
nlneLy-nlne LhousandLhs of Lhe Arab world. lf he Lended Lo evacuaLe Loo
soon, as a sLep Lo concenLraLlng ln Lhe small area whlch hls numbers could
domlnaLe effecLually, Lhen we should have Lo resLore hls confldence by
reduclng our enLerprlses agalnsL hlm. Pls sLupldlLy would be our ally,
for he would llke Lo hold, or Lo Lhlnk he held, as much of hls old
provlnces as posslble. 1hls prlde ln hls lmperlal herlLage would keep
hlm ln hls presenL absurd poslLlon--all flanks and no fronL.

ln deLall l crlLlclzed Lhe rullng scheme. 1o hold a mlddle polnL of Lhe
rallway would be expenslve for Lhe holdlng force mlghL be LhreaLened from
each slde. 1he mlxLure of LgypLlan Lroops wlLh Lrlbesmen was a moral
weakness. lf Lhere were professlonal soldlers presenL, Lhe 8eduln would
sLand aslde and waLch Lhem work, glad Lo be excused Lhe leadlng parL.
!ealousy, superadded Lo lnefflclency, would be Lhe ouLcome. lurLher,
Lhe 8llll counLry was very dry, and Lhe malnLenance of a large force up by
Lhe llne Lechnlcally dlfflculL.

nelLher my general reasonlng, however, nor my parLlcular ob[ecLlons had
much welghL. 1he plans were made, and Lhe preparaLlons advanced. Lveryone
was Loo busy wlLh hls own work Lo glve me speclflc auLhorlLy Lo launch ouL
on mlne. All l galned was a hearlng, and a quallfled admlsslon LhaL my
counLer-offenslve mlghL be a useful dlverslon. l was worklng ouL wlLh Auda
abu 1ayl a march Lo Lhe PowelLaL ln Lhelr sprlng pasLures of Lhe Syrlan
deserL. lrom Lhem we mlghL ralse a moblle camel force, and rush Akaba from
Lhe easLward wlLhouL guns or machlne-guns.

1he easLern was Lhe unguarded slde, Lhe llne of leasL reslsLance, Lhe
easlesL for us. Cur march would be an exLreme example of a Lurnlng
movemenL, slnce lL lnvolved a deserL [ourney of slx hundred mlles Lo
capLure a Lrench wlLhln gunflre of our shlps: buL Lhere was no pracLlcable
alLernaLlve, and lL was so enLlrely ln Lhe splrlL of my slck-bed
rumlnaLlons LhaL lLs lssue mlghL well be forLunaLe, and would surely be
lnsLrucLlve. Auda LhoughL all Lhlngs posslble wlLh dynamlLe and money,
and LhaL Lhe smaller clans abouL Akaba would [oln us. lelsal, who was
already ln Louch wlLh Lhem, also belleved LhaL Lhey would help lf we won a
prellmlnary success up by Maan and Lhen moved ln force agalnsL Lhe porL.
1he navy ralded lL whlle we were Lhlnklng, and Lhelr capLured 1urks gave
us such useful lnformaLlon LhaL l became eager Lo go off aL once.

1he deserL rouLe Lo Akaba was so long and so dlfflculL LhaL we could Lake
nelLher guns nor machlne-guns, nor sLores nor regular soldlers.
Accordlngly Lhe elemenL l would wlLhdraw from Lhe rallway scheme was
only my slngle self, and, ln Lhe clrcumsLances, Lhls amounL was
negllglble, slnce l felL so sLrongly agalnsL lL LhaL my help Lhere would
have been half-hearLed. So l declded Lo go my own way, wlLh or wlLhouL
orders. l wroLe a leLLer full of apologles Lo ClayLon, Lelllng hlm LhaL
my lnLenLlons were of Lhe besL: and wenL.





8CCk lCu8. LxLendlng Lo Akaba




CPA1L8S xxxlx 1C Llv



1PL C81 Cl AkA8A WAS nA1u8ALL? SC S18CnC 1PA1 l1 CCuLu 8L 1AkLn CnL?
8? Su88lSL l8CM lnLAnu: 8u1 1PL CC81unL AuPL8LnCL 1C lLlSAL Cl AuuA
A8u 1A?l MAuL uS PCL 1C Ln8CL LnCuCP 18l8LSMLn ln 1PL LAS1L8n uLSL81
lC8 SuCP A uLSCLn1 uCn 1PL CCAS1.

nASl8, AuuA, Anu l SL1 Cll 1CCL1PL8 Cn 1PL LCnC 8luL. Pl1PL81C lLlSAL
PAu 8LLn 1PL u8LlC LLAuL8: 8u1 PlS 8LMAlnlnC ln WL!P 1P8LW 1PL
unC8A1LluL LCAu Cl 1PlS nC81PL8n LxLul1lCn uCn M?SLLl. l ACCL1Lu l1
Anu l1S ulSPCnLS1 lMLlCA1lCn AS Cu8 CnL? MLAnS Cl vlC1C8?. WL 18lCkLu
1PL 1u8kS Anu Ln1L8Lu AkA8A Wl1P CCCu lC81unL.




CPA1L8 xxxlx



8y May Lhe nlnLh all Lhlngs were ready, and ln Lhe glare of mld-afLernoon
we lefL lelsal's LenL, hls good wlshes soundlng afLer us from Lhe hlll-Lop
as we marched away. Sherlf naslr led us: hls lucenL goodness, whlch
provoked answerlng devoLlon even from Lhe depraved, made hlm Lhe only
leader (and a benedlcLlon) for forlorn hopes. When we broke our wlshes Lo
hlm he had slghed a llLLle, for he was body-weary afLer monLhs of
vanguard-servlce, and mlnd-weary Loo, wlLh Lhe passlng of youLh's careless
years. Pe feared hls maLurlLy as lL grew upon hlm, wlLh lLs rlpe LhoughL,
lLs sklll, lLs flnlshed arL, yeL whlch lacked Lhe poeLry of boyhood Lo
make llvlng a full end of llfe. hyslcally, he was young yeL: buL hls
changeful and morLal soul was agelng qulcker Lhan hls body-golng Lo dle
before lL, llke mosL of ours.

Cur shorL sLage was Lo Lhe forL of Sebell, lnland We[h, where Lhe
LgypLlan pllgrlms used Lo waLer. We camped by Lhelr greaL brlck Lank,
ln shade of Lhe forL's curLaln-wall, or of Lhe palms, and puL Lo rlghLs
Lhe deflclencles whlch Lhls flrsL march had shown. Auda and hls klnsmen
were wlLh us, also neslb el 8ekrl, Lhe pollLlc uamascene, Lo represenL
lelsal Lo Lhe vlllagers of Syrla. neslb had bralns and poslLlon, and
Lhe characLer of a prevlous, successful, deserL-[ourney: hls cheerful
endurance of advenLure, rare among Syrlans, marked hlm ouL as our
fellow, as much as hls pollLlcal mlnd, hls ablllLy, hls persuaslve
good-humoured eloquence, and Lhe paLrloLlsm whlch ofLen overcame hls
naLlve passlon for Lhe lndlrecL. neslb chose Zekl, a Syrlan offlcer, as
hls companlon. lor escorL we had LhlrLy-flve Ageyl, under lbn
ughelLhlr, a man walled lnLo hls own LemperamenL: remoLe, absLracLed,
self-sufflclenL. lelsal made up a purse of LwenLy Lhousand pounds ln
gold--all he could afford and more Lhan we asked for--Lo pay Lhe wages of
Lhe new men we hoped Lo enrol, and Lo make such advances as should
sLlmulaLe Lhe PowelLaL Lo swlfLness.

1hls lnconvenlenL load of four hundredwelghL of gold we shared ouL
beLween us, agalnsL Lhe chance of accldenL upon Lhe road. Shelkh ?usuf,
now back ln charge of supply, gave us each a half-bag of flour, whose
forLy-flve pounds were reckoned a man's plnched raLlon for slx weeks.
1hls wenL slung on Lhe rldlng-saddle, and naslr Look enough on baggage
camels Lo dlsLrlbuLe a furLher fourLeen pounds per man when we had
marched Lhe flrsL forLnlghL, and had eaLen room for lL ln our bags.

We had a llLLle spare ammunlLlon and some spare rlfles as presenLs, and
loaded slx camels wlLh llghL packs of blasLlng gelaLlne for ralls or
Lralns or brldges ln Lhe norLh. naslr, a greaL Lmlr ln hls own place,
also carrled a good LenL ln whlch Lo recelve vlslLors, and a camel load
of rlce for Lhelr enLerLalnmenL: buL Lhe lasL we aLe beLween us wlLh
huge comforL, as Lhe unrelleved dleLary of waLer--bread and waLer, week
afLer week, grew unlnsplrlng. 8elng beglnners ln Lhls sLyle of
Lravelllng, we dld noL know LhaL dry flour, Lhe llghLesL food, was
Lherefore Lhe besL for a long [ourney. Slx monLhs laLer nelLher naslr
nor myself wasLed LransporL and Lrouble on Lhe rlce-luxury.

My Ageyl--Mukheymer, Mer[an, All--had been supplemenLed by Mohammed, a
blowsy obedlenL peasanL boy from some vlllage ln Pauran, and by Caslm,
of Maan, a fanged and yellow-faced ouLlaw, who fled lnLo Lhe deserL Lo
Lhe PowelLaL, afLer kllllng a 1urklsh offlclal ln a dlspuLe over caLLle
Lax. Crlmes agalnsL Lax-gaLherers had a sympaLheLlc aspecL for all of
us, and Lhls gave Caslm a speclous rumour of genlallLy, whlch acLually
was far from LruLh.

We seemed a small parLy Lo wln a new provlnce, and so apparenLly oLhers
LhoughL, for presenLly LamoLLe, 8remond's represenLaLlve wlLh lelsal,
rode up Lo Lake a farewell phoLograph of us. A llLLle laLer ?usuf
arrlved, wlLh Lhe good docLor, and Sheflk, and neslb's broLhers, Lo
wlsh us success on our march. We [olned ln a spaclous evenlng meal,
whose maLerlals Lhe prudenL ?usuf had broughL wlLh hlm. Pls noL-slender
hearL perhaps mlsgave hlm aL Lhe noLlon of a bread supper: or was lL
Lhe beauLlful deslre Lo glve us a lasL feasL before we were losL ln Lhe
wllderness of paln and evll refreshmenL?

AfLer Lhey had gone we loaded up, and sLarLed before mldnlghL on
anoLher sLage of our [ourney Lo Lhe oasls of kurr. naslr, our gulde,
had grown Lo know Lhls counLry nearly as well as he dld hls own.

Whlle we rode Lhrough Lhe moonllL and sLarry nlghL, hls memory was
dwelllng very lnLlmaLely abouL hls home. Pe Lold me of Lhelr sLone-paved
house whose sunk halls had vaulLed roofs agalnsL Lhe summer heaL,
and of Lhe gardens planLed wlLh every klnd of frulL Lree, ln shady
paLhs abouL whlch Lhey could walk aL ease, mlndless of Lhe sun. Pe Lold
me of Lhe wheel over Lhe well, wlLh lLs machlnery of leaLhern
Lrlp-buckeLs, ralsed by oxen upon an lncllned paLh of hard-Lrodden earLh,
and of how Lhe waLer from lLs reservolr slld ln concreLe channels by
Lhe borders of Lhe paLhs, or worked founLalns ln Lhe courL beslde Lhe
greaL vlne-Lrelllsed swlmmlng Lank, llned wlLh shlnlng cemenL, wlLhln
whose green depLh he and hls broLher's household used Lo plunge aL
mldday.

naslr, Lhough usually merry, had a qulck veln of sufferlng ln hlm, and
Lo-nlghL he was wonderlng why he, an Lmlr of Medlna, rlch and powerful
and aL resL ln LhaL garden-palace, had Lhrown up all Lo become Lhe weak
leader of desperaLe advenLures ln Lhe deserL. lor Lwo years he had been
ouLcasL, always flghLlng beyond Lhe fronL llne of lelsal's armles,
chosen for every parLlcular hazard, Lhe ploneer ln each advance, and,
meanwhlle, Lhe 1urks were ln hls house, wasLlng hls frulL Lrees and
chopplng down hls palms. Lven, he sald, Lhe greaL well, whlch had
sounded wlLh Lhe creak of Lhe bullock wheels for slx hundred years, had
fallen sllenL, Lhe garden, cracked wlLh heaL, was becomlng wasLe as Lhe
bund hllls over whlch we rode.

AfLer four hours' march we slepL for Lwo, and rose wlLh Lhe sun. 1he
baggage camels, weak wlLh Lhe cursed mange of We[h, moved slowly,
grazlng all day as Lhey wenL. We rlders, llghL-mounLed, mlghL have
passed Lhem easlly, buL Auda, who was regulaLlng our marches, forbade,
because of Lhe dlfflculLles ln fronL, for whlch our anlmals would need
all Lhe flLness we could conserve ln Lhem. So we plodded soberly on for
slx hours ln greaL heaL. 1he summer sun ln Lhls counLry of whlLe sand
behlnd We[h could dazzle Lhe eyes cruelly, and Lhe bare rocks each slde
our paLh Lhrew off waves of heaL whlch made our heads ache and swlm.
ConsequenLly, by eleven of Lhe forenoon we were muLlnous agalnsL Auda's
wlsh sLlll Lo hold on. So we halLed and lay under Lrees Llll half-pasL
Lwo, each of us Lrylng Lo make a solld, Lhough shlfLlng shadow for
hlmself by means of a doubled blankeL caughL across Lhe Lhorns of
overhanglng boughs.

We rode agaln, afLer Lhls break, for Lhree genLle hours over level
boLLoms, approachlng Lhe walls of a greaL valley, and found Lhe green
garden of Ll kurr lylng [usL ln fronL of us. WhlLe LenLs peeped from
among Lhe palms. Whlle we dlsmounLed, 8aslm and Abdulla, Mahmud, Lhe
docLor, and even old Maulud, Lhe cavalryman, came ouL Lo welcome us.
1hey Lold us LhaL Sherlf Sharraf, whom we wlshed Lo meeL aL Abu 8aga,
our nexL sLopplng place, was away raldlng for a few days. 1hls meanL
LhaL Lhere was no hurry, so we made hollday aL Ll kurr for Lwo nlghLs.

lL conLenLed me: for Lhe Lrouble of bolls and fever whlch had shackled
me ln Wadl Als had come afresh, more sLrongly, maklng each [ourney a
paln, and each resL a blessed relaxaLlon of my wlll sLrong Lo go on--a
chance Lo add paLlence Lo a scanL reserve. So l lay sLlll, and recelved
lnLo my mlnd Lhe sense of peace, Lhe greenness and Lhe presence of
waLer whlch made Lhls garden ln Lhe deserL beauLlful and haunLlng, as
Lhough pre-vlslLed. Cr was lL merely LhaL long ago we had seen fresh
grass growlng ln Lhe sprlng?

1he lnhablLanL of kurr, Lhe only sedenLary 8elluwl, hoary uhalf-Allah,
laboured day and nlghL wlLh hls daughLers ln Lhe llLLle Lerraced ploL
whlch he had recelved from hls ancesLors. lL was bullL ouL of Lhe souLh
edge of Lhe valley ln a bay defended agalnsL flood by a masslve wall of
unhewn sLone. ln lLs mldsL opened Lhe well of clear cold waLer, above
whlch sLood a balance-canLllever of mud and rude poles. 8y Lhls
uhalf-Allah, mornlng and evenlng when Lhe sun was low, drew up greaL bowls
of waLer and spllled Lhem lnLo clay runnels conLrlved Lhrough hls garden
among Lhe Lree rooLs. Pe grew low palms, for Lhelr spreadlng leaves
shaded hls planLs from Lhe sun whlch oLherwlse mlghL ln LhaL sLark
valley wlLher Lhem, and ralsed young Lobacco (hls mosL proflLable
crop), wlLh smaller ploLs of beans and melons, cucumbers and egg-planLs,
ln due season.

1he old man llved wlLh hls women ln a brushwood huL beslde Lhe well,
and was scornful of our pollLlcs, demandlng whaL more Lo eaL or drlnk
Lhese sore efforLs and bloody sacrlflces would brlng. We genLly Leased
hlm wlLh noLlons of llberLy, wlLh freedom of Lhe Arab counLrles for Lhe
Arabs. '1hls Carden, uhalf-Allah, should lL noL be your very own?'
Powever, he would noL undersLand, buL sLood up Lo sLrlke hlmself
proudly on Lhe chesL, crylng, 'l--l am kurr'.

Pe was free and wanLed noLhlng for oLhers, and only hls garden for
hlmself. nor dld he see why oLhers should noL become rlch ln a llke
frugallLy. Pls felL skull-cap, greased wlLh sweaL Lo Lhe colour and
conslsLence of lead, he boasLed had been hls grandfaLher's, boughL when
lbrahlm asha was ln We[h a cenLury before: hls oLher necessary garmenL
was a shlrL, and annually, wlLh hls Lobacco, he would buy Lhe shlrL of
Lhe new year for hlmself, one for each of hls daughLers, and one for
Lhe old woman--hls wlfe.

SLlll we were graLeful Lo hlm, for, besldes LhaL he showed an example
of conLenLmenL Lo us slaves of unnecessary appeLlLe, he sold vegeLables
and on Lhem, and on Lhe Llnned bounLy of 8aslm and Abdulla and Mahmud,
we llved rlchly. Lach evenlng round Lhe flres Lhey had muslc, noL Lhe
monoLonous open-LhroaLed roarlng of Lhe Lrlbes, nor Lhe exclLlng
harmony of Lhe Ageyl, buL Lhe falseLLo quarLer Lones and Lrllls of
urban Syrla. Maulud had muslclans ln hls unlL, and bashful soldlers
were broughL up each evenlng Lo play gulLars and slng cafe songs of
uamascus or Lhe love verses of Lhelr vlllages. ln Abdulla's LenL, where
l was lodged, dlsLance, Lhe rlpple of Lhe fragranL ouL-pourlng waLer,
and Lhe Lree-leaves sofLened Lhe muslc, so LhaL lL became dully
pleasanL Lo Lhe ear.

CfLen, Loo, neslb el 8ekrl would Lake ouL hls manuscrlpL of Lhe songs
of Sellm el !ezalrl, LhaL flerce unscrupulous revoluLlonary who, ln hls
lelsure momenLs beLween campalgns, Lhe SLaff College, and Lhe bloody
mlsslons he fulfllled for Lhe ?oung 1urks, hls masLers, had made up
verses ln Lhe common speech of Lhe people abouL Lhe freedom whlch was
comlng Lo hls race. neslb and hls frlends had a swaylng rhyLhm ln whlch
Lhey would chanL Lhese songs, puLLlng all hope and passlon lnLo Lhe
words, Lhelr pale uamascus faces moon-large ln Lhe flrellghL, sweaLlng.
1he soldler camp would grow dead sllenL Llll Lhe sLanza ended, and Lhen
from every man would come a slghlng, longlng echo of Lhe lasL noLe.
Cnly old uhalf-Allah wenL on splashlng ouL hls waLer, sure LhaL afLer
we had flnlshed wlLh our sllllness someone would yeL need and buy hls
greensLuff.




CPA1L8 xL



1o Lownsmen Lhls garden was a memory of Lhe world before we wenL mad
wlLh war and drove ourselves lnLo Lhe deserL: Lo Auda Lhere was an
lndecency of exhlblLlon ln Lhe planL-rlchness, and he longed for an
empLy vlew. So we cuL shorL our second nlghL ln paradlse, and aL Lwo ln
Lhe mornlng wenL on up Lhe valley. lL was plLch dark, Lhe very sLars ln
Lhe sky belng unable Lo casL llghL lnLo Lhe depLhs where we were
wanderlng. 1o-nlghL Auda was gulde, and Lo make us sure of hlm he
llfLed up hls volce ln an lnLermlnable 1lo, ho, ho' song of Lhe
PowelLaL, an eplc chanLed on Lhree bass noLes, up and down, back and
forward, ln so round a volce LhaL Lhe words were lndlsLlngulshable.
AfLer a llLLle we Lhanked hlm for Lhe slnglng, slnce Lhe paLh wenL away
Lo Lhe lefL, and our long llne followed hls Lurn by Lhe echoes of hls
volce rolllng abouL Lhe Lorn black cllffs ln Lhe moonllghL.

Cn Lhls long [ourney Sherlf naslr and Auda's sour-smlllng cousln,
Mohammed el uhellan, Look palns wlLh my Arablc, glvlng me by Lurn
lessons ln Lhe classlcal Medlna Longue, and ln Lhe vlvld deserL
language. AL Lhe beglnnlng my Arablc had been a halLlng command of Lhe
Lrlbal dlalecLs of Lhe Mlddle LuphraLes (a noL lmpure form), buL now lL
became a fluenL mlngllng of Pe[az slang and norLh-Lrlbal poeLry wlLh
household words and phrases from Lhe llmpld ne[dl, and book forms from
Syrla. 1he fluency had a lack of grammar, whlch made my Lalk a
perpeLual advenLure for my hearers. newcomers lmaglned l musL be Lhe
naLlve of some unknown llllLeraLe dlsLrlcL, a shoL-rubblsh ground of
dls[ecLed Arablc parLs of speech.

Powever, as yeL l undersLood noL Lhree words of Auda's, and afLer half
an hour hls chanL Llred me, whlle Lhe old moon cllmbed slowly up Lhe
sky, salled over Lhe LopmosL hllls and Lhrew a decelLful llghL, less
sure Lhan darkness, lnLo our valley. We marched unLll Lhe early sun,
very Lrylng Lo Lhose who had rldden all nlghL, opposed us.

8reakfasL was off our own flour, Lhus llghLenlng aL lasL, afLer days of
hosplLallLy, our poor camels' food-load. Sharraf belng noL yeL ln Abu
8aga, we made no more of hasLe Lhan waLer-dlfflculLles compelled, and,
afLer food, agaln puL up our blankeL roofs and lay Llll afLernoon,
freLfully dodglng afLer Lhelr unsLable shadow, geLLlng molsL wlLh heaL
and Lhe consLanL prlcklng of flles.

AL lasL naslr gave Lhe marchlng slgnal, and we wenL on up Lhe deflle,
wlLh sllghLly pompous hllls each slde, for four hours, when we agreed
Lo camp agaln ln Lhe valley bed. 1here was abundanL brushwood for fuel,
and up Lhe cllff on our rlghL were rock-pools of fresh waLer, whlch
gave us a dellclous drlnk. naslr was wroughL up, he commanded rlce for
supper, and Lhe frlends Lo feed wlLh us.

Cur rule of march was odd and elaboraLe. naslr, Auda, and neslb were so
many separaLe, puncLlllous houses, admlLLlng Lhe supremacy of naslr
only because l llved wlLh hlm as a guesL and furnlshed Lhem wlLh Lhe
example of respecL. Lach requlred Lo be consulLed on Lhe deLalls of our
golng, and where and when we should halL. 1hls was lnevlLable wlLh
Auda, a chlld of baLLle who had never known a masLer, slnce, as a Llny
boy, he had flrsL rldden hls own camel. lL was advlsable wlLh neslb, a
Syrlan of Lhe queasy Syrlan race, [ealous, hosLlle Lo merlL, or Lo lLs
acknowledgemenL.

Such people demanded a war-cry and banner from ouLslde Lo comblne Lhem,
and a sLranger Lo lead Lhem, one whose supremacy should be based on an
ldea: llloglcal, undenlable, dlscrlmlnanL: whlch lnsLlncL mlghL accepL
and reason flnd no raLlonal basls Lo re[ecL or approve. lor Lhls army
of lelsal's Lhe concelL was LhaL an Lmlr of Mecca, a descendanL of Lhe
propheL, a Sherlf, was an oLherworldly dlgnlLary whom sons of Adam
mlghL reverence wlLhouL shame. 1hls was Lhe blndlng assumpLlon of Lhe
Arab movemenL, lL was Lhls whlch gave lL an effecLlve, lf lmbeclle
unanlmlLy.

ln Lhe mornlng we rode aL flve. Cur valley plnched LogeLher, and we
wenL round a sharp spur, ascendlng sLeeply. 1he Lrack became a bad
goaL-paLh, zlgzagglng up a hlll-slde Loo preclplLous Lo cllmb excepL on
all fours. We dropped off our camels and led Lhem by Lhe head-sLalls.
Soon we had Lo help each oLher, a man urglng Lhe camels from behlnd,
anoLher pulllng Lhem from Lhe fronL, encouraglng Lhem over Lhe worsL
places, ad[usLlng Lhelr loads Lo ease Lhem.

arLs of Lhe Lrack were dangerous, where rocks bulged ouL and narrowed
lL, so LhaL Lhe near half of Lhe load grazed and forced Lhe anlmal Lo
Lhe cllff-edge. We had Lo re-pack Lhe food and exploslves, and, ln
splLe of all our care, losL Lwo of our feeble camels ln Lhe pass. 1he
PowelLaL kllled Lhem where Lhey lay broken, sLabblng a keen dagger lnLo
Lhe LhroaL-arLery near Lhe chesL, whlle Lhe neck was sLralned LlghL by
pulllng Lhe head round Lo Lhe saddle. 1hey were aL once cuL up and
shared ouL as meaL.

1he head of Lhe pass we were glad Lo flnd noL a range buL a spaclous
plaLeau whlch sloped slowly before us Lo Lhe easL. 1he flrsL yards were
rough and rocky, overgrown wlLh low maLs of Lhorns llke llng, buL
afLerwards we came Lo a valley of whlLe shlngle, ln whose bed a 8eduln
woman was fllllng her waLer-skln wlLh a copper cup, ladllng mllky
waLer, qulLe pure and sweeL, from a llLLle hole a fooL wlde, scraped
elbow deep ln Lhe pebbles. 1hls was Abu Saad, and for lLs name's sake
and for lLs waLer, and Lhe [olnLs of red meaL bumplng on our saddles,
we seLLled we would sLay here one nlghL, fllllng up yeL more of Lhe
Llme whlch musL be fllled before Sharraf came back from hls expedlLlon
agalnsL Lhe rallway.

So we rode on four more mlles, Lo camp under spreadlng Lrees, ln
close-grown LhlckeLs of Lhorn-scrub, hollow underneaLh llke booLhs. 8y
day Lhese made LenL-rlbs for our blankeLs sLreLched agalnsL Lhe masLerful
sun. AL nlghL Lhey were bowers for our sleeplng-places. We had learned
Lo sleep wlLh noLhlng overhead buL moon and sLars, and noLhlng elLher
slde Lo keep dlsLanL Lhe wlnds and nolses of Lhe nlghL, and by conLrasL
lL was sLrange, buL quleLlng, Lo resL wlLhln walls, wlLh a roof above,
even Lhough walls and roof were only lnLerlaclng Lwlgs maklng a darker
mesh agalnsL Lhe sLar-scaLLered sky.

lor myself, l was lll agaln, a fever lncreaslng upon me, and my body
very sore wlLh bolls and Lhe rubblng of my sweaLy saddle. When naslr,
wlLhouL my prompLlng, had halLed aL Lhe half-sLage, l Lurned and
Lhanked hlm warmly, Lo hls asLonlshmenL. We were now on Lhe llmesLone
of Lhe Shefa cresL. 8efore us lay a greaL dark lava-fleld, and shorL of
lL a range of red and black banded sandsLone cllffs wlLh conlcal Lops.
1he alr on Lhe hlgh Lableland was noL so warm, and mornlng and evenlng
Lhere blew across us a free currenL whlch was refreshlng afLer Lhe
suspended sLlllness of Lhe valleys.

We breakfasLed on our camel meaL, and sLarLed more gally Lhe nexL
mornlng down a genLly-falllng plaLeau of red sandsLone. 1hen we came Lo
Lhe flrsL break of surface, a sharp passage Lo Lhe boLLom of a
shrub-grown, sandy valley, on each slde of whlch sandsLone preclplces and
plnnacles, gradually growlng ln helghL as we wenL down, deLached
Lhemselves sharply agalnsL Lhe mornlng sky. lL was shadowed ln Lhe
boLLom, and Lhe alr LasLed weL and decayed, as Lhough sap was drylng
ouL lnLo lL. 1he edges of Lhe cllffs abouL us were cllpped sLrangely,
llke fanLasLlc parapeLs. We wound on, ever deeper lnLo Lhe earLh unLll,
half an hour laLer, by a sharp corner we enLered Wadl !lzll, Lhe maln
guLLer of Lhese sandsLone reglons, whose end we had seen near Pedla.

!lzll was a deep gorge some Lwo hundred yards ln wldLh, full of
Lamarlsk sprouLlng from Lhe bed of drlfLed sand, as well as from Lhe
sofL LwenLy-fooL banks, heaped up wherever an eddy ln flood or wlnd had
lald Lhe heavler dusL under Lhe reLurns of cllffs. 1he walls each slde
were of regular bands of sandsLone, sLreaked red ln many shades. 1he
unlon of dark cllffs, plnk floors, and pale green shrubbery was
beauLlful Lo eyes saLed wlLh monLhs of sunllghL and sooLy shadow. When
evenlng came, Lhe decllnlng sun crlmsoned one slde of Lhe valley wlLh
lLs glow, leavlng Lhe oLher ln purple gloom.

Cur camp was on some swelllng dunes of weedy sand ln an elbow of Lhe
valley, where a narrow clefL had seL up a back-wash and scooped ouL a
basln ln whlch a bracklsh remnanL of lasL wlnLer's flood was caughL. We
senL a man for news up Lhe valley Lo an oleander LhlckeL where we saw
Lhe whlLe peaks of Sharraf's LenLs. 1hey expecLed hlm nexL day, so we
passed Lwo nlghLs ln Lhls sLrange-coloured, echolng place. 1he bracklsh
pool was flL for our camels, and ln lL we baLhed aL noon. 1hen we aLe
and slepL generously, and wandered ln Lhe nearer valleys Lo see Lhe
horlzonLal sLrlpes of plnk and brown and cream and red whlch made up
Lhe general redness of Lhe cllffs, dellghLlng ln Lhe varled paLLerns of
Lhln pencllllngs of llghLer or darker LlnL whlch were drawn over Lhe
plaln body of rock. Cne afLernoon l spenL behlnd some shepherd's fold
of sandsLone blocks ln warm sofL alr and sunllghL, wlLh a low burden of
Lhe wlnd plucklng aL Lhe rough wall-Lop above my head. 1he valley was
lnsLlncL wlLh peace, and Lhe wlnd's conLlnulng nolse made even lL seem
paLlenL.

My eyes were shuL and l was dreamlng, when a youLhful volce made me see
an anxlous Ageyll, a sLranger, uaud, squaLLlng by me. Pe appealed for
my compasslon. Pls frlend larra[ had burned Lhelr LenL ln a frollc, and
Saad, capLaln of Sharraf's Ageyl was golng Lo beaL hlm ln punlshmenL.
AL my lnLercesslon he would be released. Saad happened, [usL Lhen, Lo
vlslL me, and l puL lL Lo hlm, whlle uaud saL waLchlng us, hls mouLh
sllghLly, eagerly, open, hls eyellds narrowed over large, dark eyes,
and hls sLralghL brows furrowed wlLh anxleLy. uaud's puplls, seL a
llLLle ln from Lhe cenLre of Lhe eyeball, gave hlm an alr of acuLe
readlness.

Saad's reply was noL comforLlng. 1he palr were always ln Lrouble, and
of laLe so ouLrageous ln Lhelr Lrlcks LhaL Sharraf, Lhe severe, had
ordered an example Lo be made of Lhem. All he could do for my sake was
Lo leL uaud share Lhe ordalned senLence. uaud leaped aL Lhe chance,
klssed my hand and Saad's and ran off up Lhe valley, whlle Saad,
laughlng, Lold me sLorles of Lhe famous palr. 1hey were an lnsLance of
Lhe easLern boy and boy affecLlon whlch Lhe segregaLlon of women made
lnevlLable. Such frlendshlps ofLen led Lo manly loves of a depLh and
force beyond our flesh-sLeeped concelL. When lnnocenL Lhey were hoL and
unashamed. lf sexuallLy enLered, Lhey passed lnLo a glve and Lake,
unsplrlLual relaLlon, llke marrlage.

nexL day Sharraf dld noL come. Cur mornlng passed wlLh Auda Lalklng of
Lhe march ln fronL, whlle naslr wlLh foreflnger and Lhumb fllcked
spuLLerlng maLches from Lhe box across hls LenL aL us. ln Lhe mldsL of
our merrlmenL Lwo benL flgures, wlLh paln ln Lhelr eyes, buL crooked
smlles upon Lhelr llps, hobbled up and saluLed. 1hese were uaud Lhe
hasLy and hls love-fellow, larra[, a beauLlful, sofL-framed, glrllsh
creaLure, wlLh lnnocenL, smooLh face and swlmmlng eyes. 1hey sald Lhey
were for my servlce. l had no need of Lhem, and ob[ecLed LhaL afLer
Lhelr beaLlng Lhey could noL rlde. 1hey replled Lhey had now come
bare-backed. l sald l was a slmple man who dlsllked servanLs abouL hlm.
uaud Lurned away, defeaLed and angry, buL larra[ pleaded LhaL we musL have
men, and Lhey would follow me for company and ouL of graLlLude. Whlle
Lhe harder uaud revolLed, he wenL over Lo naslr and knelL ln appeal,
all Lhe woman of hlm evldenL ln hls longlng. AL Lhe end, on naslr's
advlce, l Look Lhem boLh, malnly because Lhey looked so young and
clean.




CPA1L8 xLl



Sharraf delayed Lo come unLll Lhe Lhlrd mornlng, buL Lhen we heard hlm
loudly, for Lhe Arabs of hls raldlng force flred slow volleys of shoLs
lnLo Lhe alr, and Lhe echoes were Lhrown abouL Lhe wlndlngs of Lhe
valley Llll even Lhe barren hllls seemed Lo [oln ln Lhe saluLe. We
dressed ln our cleanesL Lo go and call on hlm. Auda wore Lhe splendours
he had boughL aL We[h: a mouse-coloured greaLcoaL of broadcloLh wlLh
velveL collar, and yellow elasLlc-slded booLs: Lhese below hls
sLreamlng halr and rulned face of a Llred Lragedlan! Sharraf was klnd
Lo us, for he had capLured prlsoners on Lhe llne and blown up ralls and
a culverL. Cne plece of hls news was LhaL ln Wadl ulraa, on our road,
were pools of raln-waLer, new fallen and sweeL. 1hls would shorLen our
waLerless march Lo le[r by flfLy mlles, and remove lLs danger of
LhlrsL, a greaL beneflL, for our LoLal waLer carrlage came Lo abouL
LwenLy gallons, for flfLy men, Loo slender a margln of safeLy.

nexL day we lefL Abu 8aga near mld-afLernoon, noL sorry, for Lhls
beauLlful place had been unhealLhy for us and fever had boLhered us
durlng our Lhree days ln lLs conflned bed. Auda led us up a LrlbuLary
valley whlch soon wldened lnLo Lhe plaln of Lhe Shegg--a sand flaL.
AbouL lL, ln scaLLered confuslon, saL small lslands and plnnacles of
red sandsLone, grouped llke seracs, wlnd-eroded aL Lhe bases Llll Lhey
looked very flL Lo fall and block Lhe road, whlch wound ln and ouL
beLween Lhem, Lhrough narrows seemlng Lo glve no passage, buL always
openlng lnLo anoLher bay of bllnd alleys. 1hrough Lhls maze Auda led
unheslLaLlngly, dlgglng along on hls camel, elbows ouL, hands polsed
swaylng ln Lhe alr by hls shoulders.

1here were no fooLmarks on Lhe ground, for each wlnd swepL llke a greaL
brush over Lhe sand surface, sLlppllng Lhe Lraces of Lhe lasL
Lravellers Llll Lhe surface was agaln a paLLern of lnnumerable Llny
vlrgln waves. Cnly Lhe drled camel dropplngs, whlch were llghLer Lhan
Lhe sand and rounded llke walnuLs, escaped over lLs rlpples.

1hey rolled abouL, Lo be heaped ln corners by Lhe sklrllng wlnds. lL
was perhaps by Lhem, as much as by hls unrlvalled road-sense, LhaL Auda
knew Lhe way. lor us, Lhe rock shapes were consLanL speculaLlon and
asLonlshmenL, Lhelr granular surfaces and red colour and Lhe curved
chlselllng of Lhe sand-blasL upon Lhem sofLened Lhe sunllghL, Lo glve
our sLreamlng eyes rellef.

ln Lhe mld-march we percelved flve or slx rlders comlng from Lhe
rallway. l was ln fronL wlLh Auda, and we had LhaL dellclous Lhrlll:
flend or enemy?' of meeLlng sLrangers ln Lhe deserL, whllsL we
clrcumspecLly drew across Lo Lhe vanLage slde whlch kepL Lhe rlfle-arm
free for a snap shoL, buL when Lhey came nearer we saw Lhey were of Lhe
Arab forces. 1he flrsL, rldlng loosely on a hulklng camel, wlLh Lhe
unwleldy ManchesLer-made Llmber saddle of Lhe 8rlLlsh Camel Corps, was
a falr-halred, shaggy-bearded Lngllshman ln LaLLered unlform. 1hls we
guessed musL be Pornby, newcombe's pupll, Lhe wlld englneer who vled
wlLh hlm ln smashlng Lhe rallway. AfLer we had exchanged greeLlngs, on
Lhls our flrsL meeLlng, he Lold me LhaL newcombe had laLely gone Lo
We[h Lo Lalk over hls dlfflculLles wlLh lelsal and make fresh plans Lo
meeL Lhem.

newcombe had consLanL dlfflculLles owlng Lo excess of zeal, and hls
hablL of dolng four Llmes more Lhan any oLher Lngllshman would do, Len
Llmes whaL Lhe Arabs LhoughL needful or wlse. Pornby spoke llLLle
Arablc, and newcombe noL enough Lo persuade, Lhough enough Lo glve
orders, buL orders were noL ln place lnland. 1he perslsLenL palr would
cllng for weeks Lo Lhe rallway edge, almosL wlLhouL helpers, ofLen
wlLhouL food, Llll Lhey had exhausLed elLher exploslves or camels and
had Lo reLurn for more. 1he barrenness of Lhe hllls made Lhelr Lrlps
hungry for camels, and Lhey wore ouL lelsal's besL anlmals ln Lurn. ln
Lhls newcombe was chlef slnner, for hls [ourneys were done aL Lhe LroL,
also, as a surveyor, he could noL reslsL a look from each hlgh hlll
over Lhe counLry he crossed, Lo Lhe exasperaLlon of hls escorL who musL
elLher leave hlm Lo hls own courses (a lasLlng dlsgrace Lo abandon a
companlon of Lhe road), or founder Lhelr own preclous and lrreplaceable
camels ln keeplng pace wlLh hlm. 'newcombe ls llke flre,' Lhey used Lo
complaln, 1le burns frlend and enemy', and Lhey admlred hls amazlng
energy wlLh nervous shrlnklng lesL Lhey should be hls nexL frlendly
vlcLlms.

Arabs Lold me newcombe would noL sleep excepL head on ralls, and LhaL
Pornby would worry Lhe meLals wlLh hls LeeLh when gun-coLLon falled.
1hese were legends, buL behlnd Lhem lay a sense of Lhelr [olnL
lnsaLlaLe savagery ln desLroylng Llll Lhere was no more Lo desLroy.
lour 1urklsh labour baLLallons Lhey kepL busy, paLchlng culverLs,
relaylng sleepers, [olnLlng new ralls, and gun-coLLon had Lo come ln
lncreaslng Lons Lo We[h Lo meeL Lhelr appeLlLes. 1hey were wonderful,
buL Lhelr Loo-greaL excellence dlscouraged our feeble Leams, maklng
Lhem ashamed Lo exhlblL Lhelr lnferlor LalenL: so newcombe and Pornby
remalned as lndlvlduallsLs, barren of Lhe seven-fold frulLs of
lmlLaLlon.

AL sunseL we reached Lhe norLhern llmlL of Lhe rulned sandsLone land,
and rode up Lo a new level, slxLy feeL hlgher Lhan Lhe old, blue-black
and volcanlc, wlLh a scaLLered coverlng of worn basalL-blocks, small as
a man's hand, neaLly bedded llke cobble pavlng over a floor of flne,
hard, black clnder-debrls of Lhemselves. 1he raln ln lLs long pelLlng
seemed Lo have been Lhe agenL of Lhese sLony surfaces by washlng away
Lhe llghLer dusL from above and beLween, Llll Lhe sLones, seL closely
slde by slde and as level as a carpeL, covered all Lhe face of Lhe
plaln and shlelded from dlrecL conLacL wlLh weaLher Lhe salLy mud whlch
fllled Lhe lnLersLlces of Lhe lava flow beneaLh. lL grew easler golng,
and Auda venLured Lo carry on afLer Lhe llghL had falled, marchlng upon
Lhe olar SLar.

lL was very dark, a pure nlghL enough, buL Lhe black sLone underfooL
swallowed Lhe llghL of Lhe sLars, and aL seven o'clock, when aL lasL we
halLed, only four of our parLy were wlLh us. We had reached a genLle
valley, wlLh a yeL damp, sofL, sandy bed, full of Lhorny brushwood,
unhapplly useless as camel food. We ran abouL Learlng up Lhese blLLer
bushes by Lhe rooLs and heaplng Lhem ln a greaL pyre, whlch Auda llL.
When Lhe flre grew hoL a long black snake wormed slowly ouL lnLo our
group, we musL have gaLhered lL, Lorpld, wlLh Lhe Lwlgs. 1he flames
wenL shlnlng across Lhe dark flaL, a beacon Lo Lhe heavy camels whlch
had lagged so much Lo-day LhaL lL was Lwo hours before Lhe lasL group
arrlved, Lhe men slnglng Lhelr loudesL, parLly Lo encourage Lhemselves
and Lhelr hungry anlmals over Lhe ghosLly plaln, parLly so LhaL we
mlghL know Lhem frlends. We wlshed Lhelr slowness slower, because of
our warm flre. ln Lhe nlghL some of our camels sLrayed and our people
had Lo go looklng for Lhem so long, LhaL lL was nearly elghL o'clock,
and we had baked bread and eaLen, before agaln we sLarLed. Cur Lrack
lay across more lava-fleld, buL Lo our mornlng sLrengLh Lhe sLones
seemed rarer, and waves or hard surfaces of lald sand ofLen drowned
Lhem smooLhly wlLh a coverlng as good Lo march on as a Lennls courL. We
rode fasL over Lhls for slx or seven mlles, and Lhen Lurned wesL of a
low clnder-craLer across Lhe flaL, dark, sLony waLershed whlch dlvlded
!lzll from Lhe basln ln whlch Lhe rallway ran. 1hese greaL waLer
sysLems up here aL Lhelr sprlnglng were shallow, sandy beds, scorlng
lnvolved yellow llnes across Lhe blue-black plaln. lrom our helghL Lhe
lle of Lhe land was paLenL for mlles, wlLh Lhe maln feaLures coloured
ln layers, llke a map.

We marched sLeadlly Llll noon, and Lhen saL ouL on Lhe bare ground Llll
Lhree, an uneasy halL made necessary by our fear LhaL Lhe de[ecLed
camels, so long accusLomed only Lo Lhe sandy Lracks of Lhe coasLal
plaln, mlghL have Lhelr sofL feeL scorched by Lhe sun-baked sLones, and
go lame wlLh us on Lhe road. AfLer we mounLed, Lhe golng became worse,
and we had conLlnually Lo avold large flelds of plled basalL, or deep
yellow waLercourses whlch cuL Lhrough Lhe crusL lnLo Lhe sofL sLone
beneaLh. AfLer a whlle red sandsLone agaln cropped ouL ln crazy
chlmneys, from whlch Lhe harder layers pro[ecLed knlfe-sharp ln level
shelves beyond Lhe sofL, crumbllng rock. AL lasL Lhese sandsLone rulns
became plenLlful, ln Lhe manner of yesLerday, and sLood grouped abouL
our road ln slmllar chequered yards of llghL and shade. Agaln we
marvelled aL Lhe sureness wlLh whlch Auda gulded our llLLle parLy
Lhrough Lhe mazy rocks.

1hey passed, and we re-enLered volcanlc ground. LlLLle plmply craLers
sLood abouL, ofLen Lwo or Lhree LogeLher, and from Lhem splnes of hlgh,
broken basalL led down llke dlsordered causeways across Lhe barren
rldges, buL Lhese craLers looked old, noL sharp and well-kepL llke
Lhose of 8as Cara, near Wadl Als, buL worn and degraded, someLlmes
nearly Lo surface level by a greaL bay broken lnLo Lhelr cenLral
hollow. 1he basalL whlch ran ouL from Lhem was a coarse bubbled rock,
llke Syrlan dolerlLe. 1he sand-laden wlnds had ground lLs exposed
surfaces Lo a plLLed smooLhness llke orange-rlnd, and Lhe sunllghL had
faded ouL lLs blue Lo a hopeless grey.

8eLween craLers Lhe basalL was sLrewn ln small LeLrahedra, wlLh angles
rubbed and rounded, sLone LlghL Lo sLone llke LesseracL upon a bed of
plnk-yellow mud. 1he ways worn across such flaLs by Lhe consLanL
passage of camels were very evldenL, slnce Lhe slouchlng Lread had
pushed Lhe blocks Lo each slde of Lhe paLh, and Lhe Lhln mud of weL
weaLher had run lnLo Lhese hollows and now lnlald Lhem palely agalnsL
Lhe blue. Less-used roads for hundreds of yards were llke narrow
ladders across Lhe sLone-flelds, for Lhe Lread of each fooL was fllled
ln wlLh clean yellow mud, and rldges or bars of Lhe blue-grey sLone
remalned beLween each sLepplng place. AfLer a sLreLch of such sLone-laylng
would be a fleld of [eL-black basalL clnders, flrm as concreLe
ln Lle sun-baked mud, and afLerwards a valley of sofL, black sand, wlLh
more crags of weaLhered sandsLone rlslng from Lhe blackness, or from
waves of Lhe wlnd-blown red and yellow gralns of Lhelr own decay.

noLhlng ln Lhe march was normal or reassurlng. We felL we were ln an
omlnous land, lncapable of llfe, hosLlle even Lo Lhe passlng of llfe,
excepL palnfully along such sparse roads as Llme had lald across lLs
face. We were forced lnLo a slngle flle of weary camels, plcklng a
heslLanL way sLep by sLep Lhrough Lhe boulders for hour afLer hour. AL
lasL Auda polnLed ahead Lo a flfLy-fooL rldge of large LwlsLed blocks,
lylng coursed one upon Lhe oLher as Lhey had wrlLhed and shrunk ln
Lhelr coollng. 1here was Lhe llmlL of lava, and he and l rode on
LogeLher and saw ln fronL of us an open rolllng plaln (Wadl Alsh) of
flne scrub and golden sand, wlLh green bushes scaLLered here and Lhere.
lL held a very llLLle waLer ln holes whlch someone had scooped afLer
Lhe ralnsLorm of Lhree weeks ago. We camped by Lhem and drove our
unladen camels ouL Llll sunseL, Lo graze for Lhe flrsL adequaLe Llme
slnce Abu 8aga.

Whlle Lhey were scaLLered over Lhe land, mounLed men appeared on Lhe
horlzon Lo Lhe easL, maklng Lowards Lhe waLer. 1hey came on Loo qulckly
Lo be honesL, and flred aL our herdsmen, buL Lhe resL of us ran aL once
upon Lhe scaLLered reefs and knolls, shooLlng or shouLlng. Pearlng us
so many Lhey drew off as fasL as Lhelr camels would go, and from Lhe
rldge ln Lhe dusk we saw Lhem, a bare dozen ln all, scamperlng away
Lowards Lhe llne. We were glad Lo see Lhem avold us so Lhoroughly. Auda
LhoughL Lhey were a Shammar paLrol.

AL dawn we saddled up for Lhe shorL sLage Lo ulraa, Lhe waLer pools of
whlch Sharraf had Lold us. 1he flrsL mlles were Lhrough Lhe graLeful
sand and scrub of Wadl Alsh, and afLerwards we crossed a slmple lava
flaL. 1hen came a shallow valley, more full of sandsLone plllars and
mushrooms and plnnacles Lhan anywhere yesLerday. lL was a mad counLry,
of nlne-plns from Len Lo slxLy feeL ln helghL. 1he sand-paLhs beLween
Lhem were wlde enough for one only, and our long column wound bllndly
Lhrough, seldom a dozen of us havlng common slghL aL once. 1hls ragged
LhlckeL of sLone was perhaps a Lhlrd of a mlle ln wldLh, and sLreLched
llke a red copse Lo rlghL and lefL across our paLh.

8eyond lL a graded paLh over black ledges of roLLen sLone led us Lo a
plaLeau sLrewn wlLh small, loose, blue-black basalL shards. AfLer a
whlle we enLered Wadl ulraa and marched down lLs bed for an hour or
more, someLlmes over loose grey sLone, someLlmes along a sandy boLLom
beLween low llps of rock. A deserLed camp wlLh empLy sardlne Llns gave
proof of newcombe and Pornby. 8ehlnd were Lhe llmpld pools, and we
halLed Lhere Llll afLernoon, for we were now qulLe near Lhe rallway,
and had Lo drlnk our sLomachs full and flll our few waLer-sklns, ready
for Lhe long dash Lo le[r.

ln Lhe halL Auda came down Lo see larra[ and uaud dress my camel wlLh
buLLer for rellef agalnsL Lhe lnLolerable lLch of mange whlch had
broken ouL recenLly on lLs face. 1he dry pasLurage of Lhe 8llll counLry
and Lhe lnfecLed ground of We[h had played havoc wlLh our beasLs. ln ahl
lelsal's sLud of rldlng-camels Lhere was noL one healLhy, ln our
llLLle expedlLlon every camel was weakenlng dally. naslr was full of
anxleLy lesL many break down ln Lhe forced march before us and leave
Lhelr rlders sLranded ln Lhe deserL.

We had no medlclnes for mange and could do llLLle for lL ln splLe of
our need. Powever, Lhe rubblng and anolnLlng dld make my anlmal more
comforLable, and we repeaLed lL as ofLen as larra[ or uaud could flnd
buLLer ln our parLy. 1hese Lwo boys were glvlng me greaL saLlsfacLlon.
1hey were brave and cheerful beyond Lhe average of Arab servanL-klnd.
As Lhelr aches and palns wore off Lhey showed Lhemselves acLlve, good
rlders, and wllllng workmen. l llked Lhelr freedom Lowards myself and
admlred Lhelr lnsLlncLlve undersLandlng wlLh one anoLher agalnsL Lhe
demands of Lhe world.




CPA1L8 xLll



8y a quarLer Lo four we were ln Lhe saddle, golng down Wadl ulraa, lnLo
sLeep and hlgh rldges of shlfLlng sand, someLlmes wlLh a cap of harsh
red rock [uLLlng from Lhem. AfLer a whlle, Lhree or four of us, ln
advance of Lhe maln body, cllmbed a sand-peak on hands and knees Lo spy
ouL Lhe rallway. 1here was no alr, and Lhe exerclse was more Lhan we
requlred, buL our reward was lmmedlaLe, for Lhe llne showed lLself
quleL and deserLed-looklng, on a green flaL aL Lhe mouLh of Lhe deep
valley down whlch Lhe resL of Lhe company was marchlng clrcumspecLly
wlLh ready weapons.

We checked Lhe men aL Lhe boLLom of Lhelr narrow sand-fold, whllsL we
sLudled Lhe rallway. LveryLhlng was lndeed peaceful and empLy, even Lo
Lhe abandoned blockhouse ln a rlch paLch of rank grass and weeds
beLween us and Lhe llne. We ran Lo Lhe edge of Lhe rock-shelf, leaped
ouL from lL lnLo Lhe flne dry sand, and rolled down ln a magnlflcenL
sllde Llll we came Lo an abrupL and raLher brulslng halL ln Lhe level
ground beslde Lhe column. We mounLed, Lo hurry our camels ouL Lo Lhe
grazlng, and leavlng Lhem Lhere ran over Lo Lhe rallway and shouLed Lhe
oLhers on.

1hls unmolesLed crosslng was blessed, for Sharraf had warned us
serlously agalnsL Lhe enemy paLrols of mule-rldlng lnfanLry and camel
corps, relnforced from Lhe enLrenched posLs by lnfanLry on Lrolleys
mounLlng machlne-guns. Cur rldlng-beasLs we chased lnLo Lhe grass Lo
feed for a few mlnuLes, whlle Lhe heavy camels marched over Lhe valley,
Lhe llne, and Lhe farLher flaL, Llll shelLered ln Lhe sand and rock
mouLhs of Lhe counLry beyond Lhe rallway. Meanwhlle Lhe Ageyl amused us
by flxlng gun-coLLon or gelaLlne charges abouL our crosslng-place Lo as
many of Lhe ralls as we had Llme Lo reach, and when our munchlng camels
had been dragged away lnLo safeLy on Lhe far slde of Lhe llne, we
began, ln proper order, Lo llghL Lhe fuses, fllllng Lhe hollow valley
wlLh Lhe echoes of repeaLed bursLs.

Auda had noL before known dynamlLe, and wlLh a chlld's flrsL pleasure
was moved Lo a rush of hasLy poeLry on lLs powerful glory. We cuL Lhree
Lelegraph wlres, and fasLened Lhe free ends Lo Lhe saddles of slx
rldlng-camels of Lhe PowelLaL. 1he asLonlshed Leam sLruggled far lnLo
Lhe easLern valleys wlLh Lhe growlng welghL of Lwanglng, Langllng wlre
and Lhe bursLlng poles dragglng afLer Lhem. AL lasL Lhey could no
longer move. So we cuL Lhem loose and rode laughlng afLer Lhe caravan.

lor flve mlles we proceeded ln Lhe growlng dusk, beLween rldges whlch
seemed Lo run down llke flngers from some knuckle ln fronL of us. AL
lasL Lhelr rlse and fall became Loo sharp Lo be crossed wlLh safeLy by
our weak anlmals ln Lhe dark, and we halLed. 1he baggage and Lhe bulk
of our rlders were sLlll ahead of us, keeplng Lhe advanLage Lhey had
galned whlle we played wlLh Lhe rallway. ln Lhe nlghL we could noL flnd
Lhem, for Lhe 1urks were shouLlng hard and shooLlng aL shadows from
Lhelr sLaLlons on Lhe llne behlnd us, and we [udged lL prudenL Lo keep
quleL ourselves, noL llghLlng flres nor sendlng up slgnals Lo aLLracL
aLLenLlon.

Powever, lbn ughelLhlr, ln charge of Lhe maln body, had lefL a
connecLlng flle behlnd, and so before we had fallen asleep, Lwo men
came ln Lo us, and reporLed LhaL Lhe resL were securely camped ln Lhe
hldden fold of a sLeep sand-bank a llLLle furLher on. We Lhrew our
saddle-bags agaln across our camels, and plodded afLer our guldes ln
Lhe murky dark (Lo-nlghL was almosL Lhe lasL nlghL of Lhe moon) Llll we
reached Lhelr hushed plckeL on Lhe rldge, and bedded ourselves down
beslde Lhem wlLhouL words.

ln Lhe mornlng Auda had us afooL before four, golng uphlll, Llll aL
lasL we cllmbed a rldge, and plunged over, down a sand slope. lnLo lL
our camels sank knee-deep, held uprlghL desplLe Lhemselves by lLs
cllnglng. 1hey were able Lo make forward only by casLlng Lhemselves on
and down lLs loose face, breaklng Lhelr legs ouL of lL by Lhelr bodles'
welghL. AL Lhe boLLom we found ourselves ln Lhe head-courses of a
valley, whlch Lrended Lowards Lhe rallway. AnoLher half-hour Look us Lo
Lhe sprlnglng of Lhls, and we breasLed Lhe low edge of Lhe plaLeau
whlch was Lhe waLershed beLween Pe[az and Slrhan. 1en yards more, and
we were beyond Lhe 8ed Sea slope of Arabla, falrly embarked upon Lhe
mysLery of lLs cenLral dralnage.

Seemlngly lL was a plaln, wlLh an llllmlLable vlew downhlll Lo Lhe
easL, where one genLle level afLer anoLher slowly modulaLed lnLo a
dlsLance only Lo be called dlsLance because lL was a sofLer blue, and
more hazy. 1he rlslng sun flooded Lhls falllng plaln wlLh a perfecL
level of llghL, Lhrowlng up long shadows of almosL lmpercepLlble
rldges, and Lhe whole llfe and play of a compllcaLed ground-sysLem--buL
a LranslenL one, for, as we looked aL lL, Lhe shadows drew ln Lowards
Lhe dawn, qulvered a lasL momenL behlnd Lhelr moLher-banks, and wenL
ouL as Lhough aL a common slgnal. lull mornlng had begun: Lhe rlver of
sunllghL, slckenlngly ln Lhe full-face of us movlng creaLures, poured
lmparLlally on every sLone of Lhe deserL over whlch we had Lo go.

Auda sLruck ouL norLh-easLward, almlng for a llLLle saddle whlch [olned
Lhe low rldge of ugula Lo a lofLy hlll on Lhe dlvlde, Lo our lefL or
norLh abouL Lhree mlles away. We crossed Lhe saddle afLer four mlles,
and found beneaLh our feeL llLLle shallow runnels of waLer-courses ln
Lhe ground. Auda polnLed Lo Lhem, saylng LhaL Lhey ran Lo nebk ln
Slrhan, and LhaL we would follow Lhelr swelllng bed norLhward and
easLward Lo Lhe PowelLaL ln Lhelr summer camp.

A llLLle laLer we were marchlng over a low rldge of sllvers of
sandsLone wlLh Lhe naLure of slaLe, someLlmes qulLe small, buL oLher
Llmes greaL slabs Len feeL each way and, perhaps, four lnches Lhlck.
Auda ranged up beslde my camel, and polnLlng wlLh hls rldlng-sLlck Lold
me Lo wrlLe down on my map Lhe names and naLure of Lhe land. 1he
valleys on our lefL were Lhe Seyal Abu Arad, rlslng ln Selhub, and fed
by many successors from Lhe greaL dlvlde, as lL prolonged lLself
norLhward Lo !ebel 8ufelya by 1ebuk. 1he valleys on our rlghL were Lhe
Slyul el kelb, from ugula, AgldaL el !emeleln, Lebda and Lhe oLher
rldges whlch benL round us ln a sLrung bow easLward and norLh-easLward
carrylng Lhe greaL dlvlde as lL were ln a foray ouL across Lhe plaln.
1hese Lwo waLer sysLems unlLed flfLy mlles before us ln le[r, whlch was
a Lrlbe, lLs well, and Lhe valley of lLs well. l crled Auda mercy of
hls names, swearlng l was no wrlLer-down of unspolled counLrles, or
pandar Lo geographlcal curloslLy, and Lhe old man, much pleased, began
Lo Lell me personal noLes and news of Lhe chlefs wlLh us, and ln fronL
upon our llne of march. Pls prudenL Lalk whlled away Lhe slow passage
of abomlnable desolaLlon.

1he le[r 8edouln, whose properLy lL was, called our plaln Ll Poul
because lL was desolaLe, and Lo-day we rode ln lL wlLhouL seelng slgns
of llfe, no Lracks of gazelle, no llzards, no burrowlng of raLs, noL
even any blrds. We, ourselves, felL Llny ln lL, and our urgenL progress
across lLs lmmenslLy was a sLlllness or lmmoblllLy of fuLlle efforL.
1he only sounds were Lhe hollow echoes, llke Lhe shuLLlng down of
pavemenLs over vaulLed places, of roLLen sLone slab on sLone slab when
Lhey LllLed under our camels' feeL, and Lhe low buL plerclng rusLle of
Lhe sand, as lL crepL slowly wesLward before Lhe hoL wlnd along Lhe
worn sandsLone, under Lhe harder overhanglng caps whlch gave each reef
lLs eroded, rlnd-llke shape.

lL was a breaLhless wlnd, wlLh Lhe furnace LasLe someLlmes known ln
LgypL when a khamsln came, and, as Lhe day wenL on and Lhe sun rose ln
Lhe sky lL grew sLronger, more fllled wlLh Lhe dusL of Lhe nefudh, Lhe
greaL sand deserL of norLhern Arabla, close by us over Lhere, buL
lnvlslble Lhrough Lhe haze. 8y noon lL blew a half-gale, so dry LhaL
our shrlvelled llps cracked open, and Lhe skln of our faces chapped,
whlle our eyellds, gone granular, seemed Lo creep back and bare our
shrlnklng eyes. 1he Arabs drew Lhelr head-cloLhes LlghLly across Lhelr
noses, and pulled Lhe brow-folds forward llke vlzors wlLh only a
narrow, loose-flapplng sllL of vlslon.

AL Lhls sLlfllng prlce Lhey kepL Lhelr flesh unbroken, for Lhey feared
Lhe sand parLlcles whlch would wear open Lhe chaps lnLo a palnful
wound: buL, for my own parL, l always raLher llked a khamsln, slnce lLs
LormenL seemed Lo flghL agalnsL manklnd wlLh ordered consclous
malevolence, and lL was pleasanL Lo ouLface lL so dlrecLly, challenglng
lLs sLrengLh, and conquerlng lLs exLremlLy. 1here was pleasure also ln
Lhe salL sweaL-drops whlch ran slngly down Lhe long halr over my
forehead, and drlpped llke lce-waLer on my cheek. AL flrsL, l played aL
caLchlng Lhem ln my mouLh, buL, as we rode furLher lnLo Lhe deserL and
Lhe hours passed, Lhe wlnd became sLronger, Lhlcker ln dusL, more
Lerrlble ln heaL. All semblance of frlendly conLesL passed. My camel's
pace became sufflclenL lncrease Lo Lhe lrrlLaLlon of Lhe choklng waves,
whose dryness broke my skln and made my LhroaL so palnful LhaL for
Lhree days afLerwards l could eaL llLLle of our sLodgy bread. When
evenlng aL lasL came Lo us l was conLenL LhaL my burned face sLlll felL
Lhe oLher and mllder alr of darkness.

We plodded on all Lhe day (even wlLhouL Lhe wlnd forblddlng us Lhere
could have been no more luxury-halLs under Lhe shadow of blankeLs, lf
we would arrlve unbroken men wlLh sLrong camels aL el le[r), and
noLhlng made us wlden an eye or Lhlnk a LhoughL Llll afLer Lhree ln Lhe
afLernoon. 1hen, above Lwo naLural Lumull, we came Lo a cross-rldge
swelllng aL lasL lnLo a hlll. Auda husklly spaL exLra names aL me.

8eyond lL a long slope, slow degrees of a washed gravel surface wlLh
sLrlplngs of an occaslonal LorrenL-bed, wenL down wesLward. Auda and l
LroLLed ahead LogeLher for rellef agalnsL Lhe lnLolerable slowness of
Lhe caravan. 1hls slde Lhe sunseL glow a modesL wall of hllls barred
our way Lo Lhe norLh. ShorLly afLerwards Lhe Sell abu Arad, Lurnlng
easL, swepL along our fronL ln a bed a falr mlle wlde, lL was lnches
deep wlLh scrub as dry as dead wood, whlch crackled and spllL wlLh
llLLle spurLs of dusL when we began Lo gaLher lL for a flre Lo show Lhe
oLhers where we had made Lhe halL. We gaLhered and gaLhered vlgorously,
Llll we had a greaL cock ready for llghLlng. 1hen we found LhaL nelLher
of us had a maLch.

1he mass dld noL arrlve for an hour or more, when Lhe wlnd had
alLogeLher dled away, and Lhe evenlng, calm and black and full of
sLars, had come down on us. Auda seL a waLch Lhrough Lhe nlghL, for
Lhls dlsLrlcL was ln Lhe llne of raldlng parLles, and ln Lhe hours of
darkness Lhere were no frlends ln Arabla. We had covered abouL flfLy
mlles Lhls day, all we could aL a sLreLch, and enough accordlng Lo our
programme. So we halLed Lhe nlghL hours, parLly because our camels were
weak and lll, and grazlng meanL much Lo Lhem, and parLly because Lhe
PowelLaL were noL lnLlmaLe wlLh Lhls counLry, and feared Lo lose Lhelr
way lf Lhey should rlde Loo boldly wlLhouL seelng.




CPA1L8 xLlll



8efore dawn Lhe followlng day we sLarLed down Lhe bed of Sell Abu Arad
Llll Lhe whlLe sun came up over Lhe ZlbllyaL hllls ahead of us. We
Lurned more norLh Lo cuL off an angle of Lhe valley, and halLed for
half an hour Llll we saw Lhe maln body comlng. 1hen Auda, naslr and
myself, unable longer Lo endure passlvely Lhe hammer sLrokes of Lhe sun
upon our bowed heads, pushed forward aL a [erky LroL. AlmosL aL once we
losL slghL of Lhe oLhers ln Lhe lymph-llke heaL-vapour Lhrobblng across
Lhe flaL: buL Lhe road was evldenL, down Lhe scrubby bed of Wadl le[r.

AL Lhe helghL of noon we reached Lhe well of our deslre. lL was abouL
LhlrLy feeL deep, sLone-sLeyned, seemlngly anclenL. 1he waLer was
abundanL, sllghLly bracklsh, buL noL lll-LasLlng when drunk fresh:
Lhough lL soon grew foul ln a skln. 1he valley had flooded ln some
bursL of raln Lhe year before, and Lherefore conLalned much dry and
LhlrsLy pasLurage: Lo Lhls we loosed our camels. 1he resL came up, and
drew waLer and baked bread. We leL Lhe camels crop lndusLrlously Llll
nlghLfall, Lhen waLered Lhem agaln, and pounded Lhem under Lhe bank a
half-mlle from Lhe waLer, for Lhe nlghL: Lhus leavlng Lhe well
unmolesLed ln case ralders should need lL ln Lhe dark hours. ?eL our
senLrles heard no one.

As usual we were off before dawn, Lhough we had an easy march before
us, buL Lhe heaLed glare of Lhe deserL became so palnful LhaL we
deslgned Lo pass Lhe mldday ln some shelLer. AfLer Lwo mlles Lhe valley
spread ouL, and laLer we came Lo a low, broken cllff on Lhe easL bank
opposlLe Lhe mouLh of Sell 8augha. Pere Lhe counLry looked more green,
and we asked Auda Lo feLch us game. Pe senL Zaal one way and rode
wesLward hlmself across Lhe open plaln whlch sLreLched beyond vlew,
whlle we Lurned ln Lo Lhe cllffs and found beneaLh Lhelr fallen crags
and undercuL ledges abundanL shady nooks, cool agalnsL Lhe sun and
resLful for our unaccusLomed eyes.

1he hunLers reLurned before noon, each wlLh a good gazelle. We had
fllled our waLer-sklns aL le[r, and could use Lhem up, for Lhe waLer of
Abu A[a[ was near: so Lhere was feasLlng on bread and meaL ln our sLone
dens. 1hese lndulgences, amld Lhe slow faLlgue of long unbroken
marches, were graLeful Lo Lhe dellcaLe Lownsfolk among us: Lo myself,
and Lo Zekl, and neslb's Syrlan servanLs, and ln a lesser degree Lo
neslb hlmself. naslr's courLesy as hosL, and hls founL of naLlve
klndllness made hlm exqulslLe ln aLLenLlon Lo us whenever Lhe road
allowed. 1o hls paLlenL Leachlng l owed mosL of my laLer compeLence Lo
accompany Lrlbal Arabs on Lhe march wlLhouL rulnlng Lhelr range and
speed.

We resLed Llll Lwo ln Lhe afLernoon, and reached our sLage, khabr A[a[,
[usL before sunseL, afLer a dull rlde over a duller plaln whlch
prolonged Wadl le[r Lo Lhe easLward for many mlles. 1he pool was of
Lhls year's raln, already Lurned Lhlck, and bracklsh, buL good for
camels and [usL posslble for men Lo drlnk. lL lay ln a shallow double
depresslon by Wadl le[r, whose flood had fllled lL Lwo feeL deep over
an area Lwo hundred yards across. AL lLs norLh end was a low sandsLone
dump. We had LhoughL Lo flnd PowelLaL here, buL Lhe ground was grazed
bare and Lhe waLer fouled by Lhelr anlmals, whlle Lhey Lhemselves were
gone. Auda searched for Lhelr Lracks, buL could flnd none: Lhe wlnd-sLorms
had swepL Lhe sand-face lnLo clean new rlpples. Powever, slnce
Lhey had come down here from 1ubalk, Lhey musL have gone on and ouL
lnLo Slrhan: so, lf we wenL away norLhward, we should flnd Lhem.

1he followlng day, desplLe Lhe lnLermlnable lapse of Llme, was only our
fourLeenLh from We[h, and lLs sun rose upon us agaln marchlng. ln Lhe
afLernoon we aL lasL lefL Wadl le[r Lo sLeer for Arfa[a ln Slrhan, a
polnL raLher easL of norLh. Accordlngly, we lncllned rlghL, over flaLs
of llmesLone and sand, and saw a dlsLanL corner of Lhe CreaL nefudh,
Lhe famous belLs of sand-dune whlch cuL off !ebel Shammar from Lhe
Syrlan ueserL. algrave, Lhe 8lunLs, and CerLrude 8ell amongsL Lhe
sLorled Lravellers had crossed lL, and l begged Auda Lo bear off a
llLLle and leL us enLer lL, and Lhelr company: buL he growled LhaL men
wenL Lo Lhe nefudh only of necesslLy, when raldlng, and LhaL Lhe son of
hls faLher dld noL rald on a LoLLerlng, mangy camel. Cur buslness was
Lo reach Arfa[a allve.

So we wlsely marched on, over monoLonous, gllLLerlng sand, and over
Lhose worse sLreLches, 'Claan', of pollshed mud, nearly as whlLe and
smooLh as lald paper, and ofLen whole mlles square. 1hey blazed back
Lhe sun lnLo our faces wlLh glassy vlgour, so we rode wlLh lLs llghL
ralnlng dlrecL arrows upon our heads, and lLs reflecLlon glanclng up
from Lhe ground Lhrough our lnadequaLe eyellds. lL was noL a sLeady
pressure, buL a paln ebblng and flowlng, aL one Llme plllng lLself up
and up Llll we nearly swooned, and Lhen falllng away coolly, ln a
momenL of false shadow llke a black web crosslng Lhe reLlna: Lhese gave
us a momenL's breaLhlng space Lo sLore new capaclLy for sufferlng, llke
Lhe sLruggles Lo Lhe surface of a drownlng man.

We grew shorL-answered Lo one anoLher, buL rellef came Loward slx
o'clock, when we halLed for supper, and baked ourselves fresh bread. l
gave my camel whaL was lefL over of my share, for Lhe poor anlmal wenL
Llred and hungry ln Lhese bad marches. She was Lhe pedlgree camel glven
by lbn Saud of ne[d Lo klng Pusseln and by hlm Lo lelsal, a splendld
beasL, rough, buL sure-fooLed on hllls, and greaL-hearLed. Arabs of
means rode none buL she-camels, slnce Lhey wenL smooLher under Lhe
saddle Lhan males, and were beLLer Lempered and less nolsy: also, Lhey
were paLlenL and would endure Lo march long afLer Lhey were worn ouL,
lndeed unLll Lhey LoLLered wlLh exhausLlon and fell ln Lhelr Lracks and
dled: whereas Lhe coarser males grew angry, flung Lhemselves down when
Llred, and from sheer rage would dle Lhere unnecessarlly.

AfLer dark we crawled for Lhree hours, reachlng Lhe Lop of a sand-rldge.
1here we slepL Lhankfully, afLer a bad day of burnlng wlnd, dusL
bllzzards, and drlfLlng sand whlch sLung our lnflamed faces, and aL
Llmes, ln Lhe greaLer gusLs, wrapped Lhe slghL of our road from us and
drove our complalnlng camels up and down. 8uL Auda was anxlous abouL
Lhe morrow, for anoLher hoL head-wlnd would delay us a Lhlrd day ln Lhe
deserL, and we had no waLer lefL: so he called us early ln Lhe nlghL,
and we marched down lnLo Lhe plaln of Lhe 8lsalLa (so called ln
derlslon, for lLs huge slze and flaLness), before day broke. lLs flne
surface-llLLer of sun-browned fllnLs was resLfully dark afLer sunrlse
for our sLreamlng eyes, buL hoL and hard golng for our camels, some of
whlch were already llmplng wlLh sore feeL.

Camels broughL up on Lhe sandy plalns of Lhe Arablan coasL had dellcaLe
pads Lo Lhelr feeL, and lf such anlmals were Laken suddenly lnland for
long marches over fllnLs or oLher heaL-reLalnlng ground, Lhelr soles
would burn, and aL lasL crack ln a bllsLer, leavlng qulck flesh, Lwo
lnches or more across, ln Lhe cenLre of Lhe pad. ln Lhls sLaLe Lhey
could march as ever over sand, buL lf, by chance, Lhe fooL came down on
a pebble, Lhey would sLumble, or fllnch as Lhough Lhey had sLepped on
flre, and ln a long march mlghL break down alLogeLher unless Lhey were
very brave. So we rode carefully, plcklng Lhe sofLesL way, Auda and
myself ln fronL.

As we wenL, some llLLle puffs of dusL scurrled lnLo Lhe eye of Lhe
wlnd. Auda sald Lhey were osLrlches. A man ran up Lo us wlLh Lwo greaL
lvory eggs. We seLLled Lo breakfasL on Lhls bounLy of Lhe 8lsalLa, and
looked for fuel, buL ln LwenLy mlnuLes found only a wlsp of grass. 1he
barren deserL was defeaLlng us. 1he baggage Lraln passed, and my eye
fell on Lhe loads of blasLlng gelaLlne. We broached a packeL, shreddlng
lL carefully lnLo a flre beneaLh Lhe egg propped on sLones, Llll Lhe
cookery was pronounced compleLe. naslr and neslb, really lnLeresLed,
dlsmounLed Lo scoff aL us. Auda drew hls sllver-hllLed dagger and
chlpped Lhe Lop of Lhe flrsL egg. A sLlnk llke a pesLllence wenL across
our parLy. We fled Lo a clean spoL, rolllng Lhe second egg hoL before
us wlLh genLle klcks. lL was fresh enough, and hard as a sLone. We dug
ouL lLs conLenLs wlLh Lhe dagger on Lo Lhe fllnL flakes whlch were our
plaLLers, and aLe lL plecemeal, persuadlng even naslr, who ln hls Me
before had never fallen so low as egg-meaL, Lo Lake hls share. 1he
general verdlcL was: Lough and sLrong, buL good ln Lhe 8lsalLa.

Zaal saw an oryx, sLalked lL on fooL, and kllled lL. 1he beLLer [olnLs
were Lled upon Lhe baggage camels for Lhe nexL halL, and our march
conLlnued. AfLerwards Lhe greedy PowelLaL saw more oryx ln Lhe dlsLance
and wenL afLer Lhe beasLs, who foollshly ran a llLLle, Lhen sLood sLlll
and sLared Llll Lhe men were near, and, Loo laLe, ran away agaln. 1helr
whlLe shlnlng bellles beLrayed Lhem, for, by Lhe magnlflcaLlon of Lhe
mlrage, Lhey wlnked each move Lo us from afar.




CPA1L8 xLlv



l was Loo weary, and Loo llLLle sporLlng, Lo go ouL of Lhe sLralghL way
for all Lhe rare beasLs ln Lhe world, so l rode afLer Lhe caravan,
whlch my camel overhauled qulckly wlLh her longer sLrlde. AL Lhe Lall
of lL were my men, walklng. 1hey feared LhaL some of Lhelr anlmals
would be dead before evenlng, lf Lhe wlnd blew sLronger, buL were
leadlng Lhem by hand ln hope of geLLlng Lhem ln. l admlred Lhe conLrasL
beLween Mohammed Lhe lusLy, heavy-fooLed peasanL, and Lhe llLhe Ageyl,
wlLh larra[ and uaud danclng along, barefooLed, dellcaLe as
Lhoroughbreds. Cnly Caslm was noL Lhere: Lhey LhoughL hlm among Lhe
PowelLaL, for hls surllness offended Lhe laughlng soldlery and kepL hlm
commonly wlLh Lhe 8eduln, who were more of hls kldney.

1here was no one behlnd, so l rode forward wlshlng Lo see how hls camel
was: and aL lasL found lL, rlderless, belng led by one of Lhe PowelLaL.
Pls saddle-bags were on lL, and hls rlfle and hls food, buL he hlmself
nowhere, gradually lL dawned on us LhaL Lhe mlserable man was losL.
1hls was a dreadful buslness, for ln Lhe haze and mlrage Lhe caravan
could noL be seen Lwo mlles, and on Lhe lron ground lL made no Lracks:
afooL he would never overLake us.

Lveryone had marched on, Lhlnklng hlm elsewhere ln our loose llne, buL
much Llme had passed and lL was nearly mldday, so he musL be mlles
back. Pls loaded camel was proof LhaL he had noL been forgoLLen asleep
aL our nlghL halL. 1he Ageyl venLured LhaL perhaps he had dozed ln Lhe
saddle and fallen, sLunnlng or kllllng hlmself: or perhaps someone of
Lhe parLy had borne hlm a grudge. Anyway Lhey dld noL know. Pe was an
lll-naLured sLranger, no charge on any of Lhem, and Lhey dld noL
greaLly care.

1rue: buL lL was Lrue also LhaL Mohammed, hls counLryman and fellow,
who was Lechnlcally hls road-companlon, knew noLhlng of Lhe deserL, had
a foundered camel, and could noL Lurn back for hlm.

lf l senL hlm, lL would be murder. 1haL shlfLed Lhe dlfflculLy Lo my
shoulders. 1he PowelLaL, who would have helped, were away ln Lhe mlrage
ouL of slghL, hunLlng or scouLlng. lbn ughelLhlr's Ageyl were so
clannlsh LhaL Lhey would noL puL Lhemselves abouL excepL for one
anoLher. 8esldes Caslm was my man: and upon me lay Lhe responslblllLy
of hlm.

l looked weakly aL my Lrudglng men, and wondered for a momenL lf l
could change wlLh one, sendlng hlm back on my camel Lo Lhe rescue. My
shlrklng Lhe duLy would be undersLood, because l was a forelgner: buL
LhaL was preclsely Lhe plea l dld noL dare seL up, whlle l yeL presumed
Lo help Lhese Arabs ln Lhelr own revolL. lL was hard, anyway, for a
sLranger Lo lnfluence anoLher people's naLlonal movemenL, and doubly
hard for a ChrlsLlan and a sedenLary person Lo sway Moslem nomads. l
should make lL lmposslble for myself lf l clalmed, slmulLaneously, Lhe
prlvlleges of boLh socleLles.

So, wlLhouL saylng anyLhlng, l Lurned my unwllllng camel round, and
forced her, grunLlng and moanlng for her camel frlends, back pasL Lhe
long llne of men, and pasL Lhe baggage lnLo Lhe empLlness behlnd. My
Lemper was very unherolc, for l was furlous wlLh my oLher servanLs,
wlLh my own play-acLlng as a 8eduln, and mosL of all wlLh Caslm, a
gap-LooLhed, grumbllng fellow, skrlmshank ln all our marches,
bad-Lempered, susplclous, bruLal, a man whose engagemenL l regreLLed, and
of whom l had promlsed Lo rld myself as soon as we reached a
dlscharglng-place. lL seemed absurd LhaL l should perll my welghL ln Lhe
Arab advenLure for a slngle worLhless man.

My camel seemed Lo feel lL also, by her deep grumbllng, buL LhaL was a
consLanL recourse of lll-LreaLed camels. lrom calfhood Lhey were
accusLomed Lo llve ln droves, and some grew Loo convenLlonal Lo march
alone: whlle none would leave Lhelr hablLual parLy wlLhouL loud grlef
and unwllllngness, such as mlne was showlng. She Lurned her head back
on her long neck, lowlng Lo Lhe resL, and walked very slowly, and
bounclngly. lL needed careful guldance Lo hold her on Lhe road, and a
Lap from my sLlck aL every pace Lo keep her movlng. Powever, afLer a
mlle or Lwo, she felL beLLer, and began Lo go forward less
consLralnedly, buL sLlll slowly. l had been noLlng our dlrecLlon all
Lhese days wlLh my oll compass, and hoped, by lLs ald, Lo reLurn nearly
Lo our sLarLlng place, sevenLeen mlles away.

8efore LwenLy mlnuLes, Lhe caravan was ouL of slghL, and lL was borne
ln on me how really barren Lhe 8lsalLa was. lLs only marks were Lhe old
sanded samh plLs, across all posslble of whlch l rode, because my camel
Lracks would show ln Lhem, and be so many blazes of Lhe way back. 1hls
samh was Lhe wlld flour of Lhe SheraraL, who, poor ln all buL
camel-sLocks, made lL a boasL Lo flnd Lhe deserL sufflclenL for Lhelr
every need. When mlxed wlLh daLes and loosened wlLh buLLer, lL was good
food.

1he plLs, llLLle Lhreshlng floors, were made by pushlng aslde Lhe
fllnLs over a clrcle of Len feeL across. 1he fllnLs, heaped up round
Lhe rlm of Lhe plL, made lL lnches deep, and ln Lhls hollow place Lhe
women collecLed and beaL ouL Lhe small red seed. 1he consLanL wlnds,
sweeplng slnce over Lhem, could noL lndeed puL back Lhe fllnL surface
(LhaL would perhaps be done by Lhe raln ln Lhousands of wlnLers), buL
had levelled Lhem up wlLh pale blown sand, so LhaL Lhe plLs were grey
eyes ln Lhe black sLony surface.

l had rldden abouL an hour and a half, easlly, for Lhe followlng breeze
had leL me wlpe Lhe crusL from my red eyes and look forward almosL
wlLhouL paln: when l saw a flgure, or large bush, or aL leasL someLhlng
black ahead of me. 1he shlfLlng mlrage dlsgulsed helghL or dlsLance,
buL Lhls Lhlng seemed movlng, a llLLle easL of our course. Cn chance l
Lurned my camel's head LhaL way, and ln a few mlnuLes saw LhaL lL was
Caslm. When l called he sLood confusedly, l rode up and saw LhaL he was
nearly bllnded and sllly, sLandlng Lhere wlLh hls arms held ouL Lo me,
and hls black mouLh gaplng open. 1he Ageyl had puL our lasL waLer ln my
skln, and Lhls he spllled madly over hls face and breasL, ln hasLe Lo
drlnk. Pe sLopped babbllng, and began Lo wall ouL hls sorrows. l saL
hlm, pllllon, on Lhe camel's rump, Lhen sLlrred her up and mounLed.

AL our Lurn Lhe beasL seemed relleved, and moved forward freely. l seL
an exacL compass course, so exacL LhaL ofLen l found our old Lracks, as
llLLle spurLs of paler sand scaLLered over Lhe brown-black fllnL. ln
splLe of our double welghL Lhe camel began Lo sLrlde ouL, and aL Llmes
she even puL her head down and for a few paces developed LhaL fasL and
mosL comforLable shuffle Lo whlch Lhe besL anlmals, whlle young, were
broken by skllled rlders. 1hls proof of reserve splrlL ln her re[olced
me, as dld Lhe llLLle Llme losL ln search.

Caslm was moanlng lmpresslvely abouL Lhe paln and Lerror of hls LhlrsL:
l Lold hlm Lo sLop, buL he wenL on, and began Lo slL loosely, unLll aL
each sLep of Lhe camel he bumped down on her hlnder quarLers wlLh a
crash, whlch, llke hls crylng, spurred her Lo greaLer pace. 1here was
danger ln Lhls, for we mlghL easlly founder her so. Agaln l Lold hlm Lo
sLop, and when he only screamed louder, hlL hlm and swore LhaL for
anoLher sound l would Lhrow hlm off. 1he LhreaL, Lo whlch my general
rage gave colour, worked. AfLer lL he clung on grlmly wlLhouL sound.

noL four mlles had passed when agaln l saw a black bubble, lunglng and
swaylng ln Lhe mlrage ahead. lL spllL lnLo Lhree, and swelled. l
wondered lf Lhey were enemy. A mlnuLe laLer Lhe haze unrolled wlLh Lhe
dlsconcerLlng suddenness of llluslon, and lL was Auda wlLh Lwo of
naslr's men come back Lo look for me. l yelled [esLs and scoffs aL Lhem
for abandonlng a frlend ln Lhe deserL. Auda pulled hls beard and
grumbled LhaL had he been presenL l would never have gone back. Caslm
was Lransferred wlLh lnsulLs Lo a beLLer rlder's saddle-pad, and we
ambled forward LogeLher.

Auda polnLed Lo Lhe wreLched hunched-up flgure and denounced me, 'lor
LhaL Lhlng, noL worLh a camel's prlce . . .' l lnLerrupLed hlm wlLh
'noL worLh a half-crown, Auda', and he, dellghLed ln hls slmple mlnd,
rode near Caslm, and sLruck hlm sharply, Lrylng Lo make hlm repeaL,
llke a parroL, hls prlce. Caslm bared hls broken LeeLh ln a grln of
rage and afLerwards sulked on. ln anoLher hour we were on Lhe heels of
Lhe baggage camels, and as we passed up Lhe lnqulslLlve llne of our
caravan, Auda repeaLed my [oke Lo each palr, perhaps forLy Llmes ln
all, Llll l had seen Lo Lhe full lLs feebleness.

Caslm explalned LhaL he had dlsmounLed Lo ease naLure, and had mlssed
Lhe parLy afLerwards ln Lhe dark: buL, obvlously, he had gone Lo sleep,
where he dlsmounLed, wlLh Lhe faLlgue of our slow, hoL [ourneylng. We
re[olned naslr and neslb ln Lhe van. neslb was vexed wlLh me, for
perllllng Lhe llves of Auda and myself on a whlm. lL was clear Lo hlm
LhaL l reckoned Lhey would come back for me. naslr was shocked aL hls
ungenerous ouLlook, and Auda was glad Lo rub lnLo a Lownsman Lhe
paradox of Lrlbe and clLy, Lhe collecLlve responslblllLy and
group-broLherhood of Lhe deserL, conLrasLed wlLh Lhe lsolaLlon and
compeLlLlve llvlng of Lhe crowded dlsLrlcLs.

Cver Lhls llLLle affalr hours had passed, and Lhe resL of Lhe day
seemed noL so long, Lhough Lhe heaL became worse, and Lhe sandblasL
sLlffened ln our faces Llll Lhe alr could be seen and heard, whlsLllng
pasL our camels llke smoke. 1he ground was flaL and feaLureless Llll
flve o'clock, when we saw low mounds ahead, and a llLLle laLer found
ourselves ln comparaLlve peace, amld sand-hllls coaLed slenderly wlLh
Lamarlsk. 1hese were Lhe kaselm of Slrhan. 1he bushes and Lhe dunes
broke Lhe wlnd, lL was sunseL, and Lhe evenlng mellowed and reddened on
us from Lhe wesL. So l wroLe ln my dlary LhaL Slrhan was beauLlful.

alesLlne became a land of mllk and honey Lo Lhose who had spenL forLy
years ln Slnal: uamascus had Lhe name of an earLhly paradlse Lo Lhe
Lrlbes whlch could enLer lL only afLer weeks and weeks of palnful
marchlng across Lhe fllnL-sLones of Lhls norLhern deserL: and llkewlse
Lhe kaselm of Arfa[a ln whlch we spenL LhaL nlghL, afLer flve days
across Lhe blazlng Poul ln Lhe LeeLh of a sand-sLorm, looked fresh and
counLryfled. 1hey were ralsed only a few feeL above Lhe 8lsalLa, and
from Lhem valleys seemed Lo run down Lowards Lhe easL lnLo a huge
depresslon where lay Lhe well we wanLed: buL now LhaL we had crossed
Lhe deserL and reached Lhe Slrhan safely, Lhe Lerror of LhlrsL had
passed and we knew faLlgue Lo be our chlef lll. So we agreed Lo camp
for Lhe nlghL where we were, and Lo make beacon flres for Lhe slave of
nurl Shaalan, who, llke Caslm, had dlsappeared from our caravan Lo-day.

We were noL greaLly perLurbed abouL hlm. Pe knew Lhe counLry and hls
camel was under hlm. lL mlghL be LhaL he had lnLenLlonally Laken Lhe
dlrecL way Lo !auf, nurl's caplLal, Lo earn Lhe reward of flrsL news
LhaL we came wlLh glfLs. Powever lL was, he dld noL come LhaL nlghL,
nor nexL day, and when, monLhs afLer, l asked nurl of hlm, he replled
LhaL hls drled body had laLely been found, lylng beslde hls unplundered
camel far ouL ln Lhe wllderness. Pe musL have losL hlmself ln Lhe
sand-haze and wandered Llll hls camel broke down, and Lhere dled of LhlrsL
and heaL. noL a long deaLh--even for Lhe very sLrongesL a second day ln
summer was all--buL very palnful, for LhlrsL was an acLlve malady, a
fear and panlc whlch Lore aL Lhe braln and reduced Lhe bravesL man Lo a
sLumbllng babbllng manlac ln an hour or Lwo: and Lhen Lhe sun kllled
hlm.




CPA1L8 xLv



Pavlng noL a mouLhful of waLer we of course aLe noLhlng: whlch made lL
a conLlnenL nlghL. ?eL Lhe cerLalnLy of drlnk on Lhe morrow leL us
sleep easlly, lylng on our bellles Lo prevenL Lhe lnflaLlon of
foodlessness. Arab hablL was Lo flll Lhemselves Lo vomlLlng polnL aL
each well, and elLher Lo go dry Lo Lhe nexL, or, lf Lhey carrled waLer,
Lo use lL lavlshly aL Lhe flrsL halL, drlnklng and bread-maklng. As my
amblLlon was Lo avold commenL upon my dlfference, l copled Lhem,
LrusLlng wlLh reason LhaL Lhelr physlcal superlorlLy was noL greaL
enough Lo Lrap me lnLo serlous harm. AcLually l only once wenL lll wlLh
LhlrsL.

nexL mornlng we rode down slopes, over a flrsL rldge, and a second, and
a Lhlrd, each Lhree mlles from Lhe oLher, Llll aL elghL o'clock we
dlsmounLed by Lhe wells of Arfa[a, Lhe sweeL-smelllng bush so called
belng fragranL all abouL us. We found Lhe Slrhan noL a valley, buL a
long faulL dralnlng Lhe counLry on each slde of lL and collecLlng Lhe
waLers lnLo Lhe successlve depresslons of lLs bed. 1he ground surface
was of fllnLy gravel, alLernaLlng wlLh sofL sand, and Lhe almless
valleys seemed hardly able Lo Lrace Lhelr slow and lnvolved levels
beLween Lhe loose sand-dunes, over whlch blew Lhe feaLhery Lamarlsk,
lLs whlpcord rooLs blndlng Lhe slopes LogeLher.

1he unllned wells were dug abouL elghLeen feeL, Lo waLer creamy Lo Lhe
Louch wlLh a powerful smell and bracklsh LasLe. We found lL dellclous,
and slnce Lhere was greensLuff abouL, good for camel food, declded Lo
sLay here Lhe day whlle we searched for Lhe PowelLaL by sendlng Lo
Malgua, Lhe souLhernmosL well of Slrhan. So we should esLabllsh wheLher
Lhey were behlnd us, and lf Lhey were noL, could march Lowards Lhe
norLh wlLh confldence LhaL we were on Lhelr Lrack.

Pardly, however, had our messenger rldden off when one of Lhe PowelLaL
saw rlders hldlng ln Lhe scrub Lo Lhe norLhward of us.

lnsLanLly Lhey called Lo arms. Mohammed el uhellan, flrsL lnLo Lhe
saddle, wlLh oLher 1owelha galloped ouL agalnsL Lhe supposed enemy,
naslr and l musLered Lhe Ageyl (whose vlrLue lay noL ln flghLlng
8eduln-fashlon wlLh 8edulns) and placed Lhem ln seLs abouL Lhe dunes so
as reasonably Lo defend Lhe baggage. Powever, Lhe enemy goL off.
Mohammed reLurned afLer half an hour Lo say LhaL he had noL made
relenLless pursulL for plLy of Lhe condlLlon of hls camel. Pe had seen
only Lhree Lracks and supposed LhaL Lhe men had been scouLs of a
Shammar raldlng parLy ln Lhe nelghbourhood, Arfa[a belng commonly
lnfesLed by Lhem.

Auda called up Zaal, hls nephew, Lhe keenesL eye of all Lhe PowelLaL,
and Lold hlm Lo go ouL and dlscover Lhe enemy's number and lnLenLlon.
Zaal was a llLhe meLalllc man, wlLh a bold appralslng look, cruel llps,
and a Lhln laugh, full of Lhe bruLallLy whlch Lhese nomad PowelLaL had
caughL from Lhe peasanLry. Pe wenL off and searched, buL found Lhe
LhlckeL of brushwood abouL us full of Lracks, whlle Lhe Lamarlsk kepL
Lhe wlnd off Lhe sandy floor, and made lL lmposslble Lo dlsLlngulsh
parLlcularly Lhe fooLprlnLs of Lo-day.

1he afLernoon passed peacefully, and we lulled ourselves, Lhough we
kepL a senLry on Lhe head of Lhe greaL dune behlnd Lhe waLer-holes. AL
sunseL l wenL down and washed myself ln Lhe smarLlng brlne, and on my
way back halLed aL Lhe Ageyl flre Lo Lake coffee wlLh Lhem, whlle
llsLenlng Lo Lhelr ne[dl Arablc. 1hey began Lo Lell me long sLorles of
CapLaln Shakespear, who had been recelved by lbn Saud ln 8lyadh as a
personal frlend, and had crossed Arabla from Lhe erslan Culf Lo LgypL,
and been aL lasL kllled ln baLLle by Lhe Shammar ln a seL-back whlch
Lhe champlons of ne[d had suffered durlng one of Lhelr perlodlc wars.

Many of Lhe Ageyl of lbn ughelLhlr had Lravelled wlLh hlm, as escorL or
followers, and had Lales of hls magnlflcence and of Lhe sLrange
secluslon ln whlch he kepL hlmself day and nlghL. 1he Arabs, who
usually llved ln heaps, suspecLed some ulLerlor reason for any Loo
careful prlvacy. 1o remember Lhls, and Lo foreswear all selflsh peace
and quleL whlle wanderlng wlLh Lhem, was one of Lhe leasL pleasanL
lessons of Lhe deserL war: and humlllaLlng, Loo, for lL was a parL of
prlde wlLh Lngllshmen Lo hug sollLude, ourselves flndlng ourselves Lo
be remarkable, when Lhere was no compeLlLlon presenL.

Whlle we Lalked Lhe roasLed coffee was dropped wlLh Lhree gralns of
cardamom lnLo Lhe morLar. Abdulla brayed lL, wlLh Lhe drlng-drang,
drlng-drang pesLle sLrokes of vlllage ne[d, Lwo equal palrs of LLCA1C
beaLs. Mohammed el uhellan heard, came sllenLly across Lhe sand and
sank down, slowly, groanlngly, camel-llke, on Lhe ground by me.
Mohammed was a companlonable fellow, a powerful, Lhlnklng man wlLh much
wry humour, and an affecLlon of sour crafL, someLlmes [usLlfled by hls
acLs, buL generally dlscloslng a frlendly cynlcal naLure. ln bulld he
was unusually sLrong and well-grown, noL much under slx feeL ln helghL,
a man of perhaps LhlrLy-elghL, deLermlned and acLlve, wlLh a hlgh-coloured
face ruggedly llned, and very baffllng eyes.

Pe was second man of Lhe Abu 1ayl, rlcher and havlng more followers
Lhan Auda, and wlLh more LasLe for Lhe lusclous. Pe had a llLLle house
ln Maan, landed properLy (and lL was whlspered, 'caLLle') near 1aflleh.
under hls lnfluence Lhe war parLles of Lhe Abu 1ayl rode ouL
dellcaLely, wlLh sunshades Lo defend Lhem from Lhe flerce rays of Lhe
sun and wlLh boLLles of mlneral waLer ln Lhelr saddle-bags as
refreshmenL upon Lhe [ourney. Pe was Lhe braln of Lhe Lrlbal counclls
and dlrecLed Lhelr pollLlcs. Pls sore-headed crlLlcal splrlL pleased
me, and ofLen l used hls lnLelllgence and greed Lo converL hlm Lo my
parLy before broachlng a new ldea.

1he long rlde ln company had made companlons of our mlnds and bodles.
1he hazardous goal was ln our LhoughLs, day and nlghL, consclously and
unconsclously we were Lralnlng ourselves, reduclng our wllls Lo Lhe
slngle purpose whlch ofLenesL engrossed Lhese odd momenLs of Lalk abouL
an evenlng flre. And we were so muslng whlle Lhe coffee-maker bolled up
hls coffee, Lapped lL down agaln, made a palm-flbre maL Lo sLraln lL
before he poured (grounds ln Lhe cup were evll manners), when Lhere
came a volley from Lhe shadowy dunes easL of us and one of Lhe Ageyl
Loppled forward lnLo Lhe cenLre of Lhe flrellL clrcle wlLh a screech.

Mohammed wlLh hls masslve fooL LhrusL a wave of sand over Lhe flre and
ln Lhe qulck bllndlng darkness we rolled behlnd banks of Lamarlsk and
scaLLered Lo geL rlfles, whlle our ouLlylng plckeLs began Lo reLurn Lhe
flre, almlng hurrledly Lowards Lhe flashes. We had unllmlLed ammunlLlon
ln our hand, and dld noL sLlnL Lo show lL.

Cradually Lhe enemy slackened, asLonlshed perhaps aL our preparedness.
llnally hls flre sLopped, and we held our own, llsLenlng for a rush or
for aLLack from a new quarLer. lor half an hour we lay sLlll, and
sllenL, buL for Lhe groans, and aL lasL Lhe deaLh sLruggle of Lhe man
hlL wlLh Lhe flrsL volley. 1hen we were lmpaLlenL of walLlng longer.
Zaal wenL ouL Lo reporL whaL was happenlng Lo Lhe enemy. AfLer anoLher
half-hour he called Lo us LhaL no one was lefL wlLhln reach. 1hey had
rldden away: abouL LwenLy of Lhem, ln hls Lralned oplnlon.

uesplLe Zaal's assurances, we passed a resLless nlghL, and ln Lhe
mornlng before dawn we burled Assaf, our flrsL casualLy, and moved off
norLhward, keeplng Lhe boLLom of Lhe hollow, wlLh Lhe sand-hllls mosLly
on our lefL. We rode for flve hours and Lhen halLed for breakfasL on
Lhe souLh bank of a greaL splll of LorrenL-beds runnlng down lnLo Lhe
Slrhan from Lhe souLh-wesL. Auda Lold me Lhese were Lhe mouLhs of Sell
le[r, Lhe valley whose head we had seen aL Selhub and whose bed we had
followed rlghL across Lhe Poul.

1he grazlng was beLLer Lhan aL Arfa[a, and we allowed our camels Lhe
four hours of noon Lo flll Lhemselves--a poor proceedlng, for Lhe mldday
grazlng was noL proflLable Lo Lhem, Lhough we en[oyed ourselves ln Lhe
shadow of our blankeLs, sleeplng ouL Lhe sleep we had mlssed Lhe nlghL
before. Pere ln Lhe open, away from all posslblllLy of hldden approach,
was no fear of dlsLurbance, and our dlsplayed sLrengLh and confldence
mlghL dlssuade Lhe lnvlslble enemy. Cur deslre was Lo flghL 1urks, and
Lhls lnLer-Arab buslness was sheer wasLe. ln Lhe afLernoon we rode on
Lwelve mlles Lo a sharp group of flrm sand-hllls, encloslng an open
space blg enough for us, and commandlng Lhe counLry round abouL. We
halLed Lhere, ln anLlclpaLlon of anoLher nlghL aLLack.

nexL mornlng we dld a fasL march of flve hours (our camels belng full
of llfe afLer Lhelr ease of yesLerday) Lo an oasls-hollow of sLunLed
palm-Lrees, wlLh Lamarlsk clumps here and Lhere, and plenLlful waLer,
abouL seven feeL underground, LasLlng sweeLer Lhan Lhe waLer of Arfa[a.
?eL Lhls also upon experlence proved 'Slrhan waLer', Lhe flrsL drlnk of
whlch was Lolerable, buL whlch refused a laLher Lo soap, and developed
(afLer Lwo days ln closed vessels) a foul smell and a LasLe desLrucLlve
Lo Lhe lnLended flavour of coffee, Lea, or bread.

verlly we were Llrlng of Wadl Slrhan, Lhough neslb and Zekl sLlll
deslgned works of planLaLlon and reclamaLlon here for Lhe Arab
CovernmenL when by Lhem esLabllshed. Such vaulLlng lmaglnaLlon was
Lyplcal of Syrlans, who easlly persuaded Lhemselves of posslblllLles,
and as qulckly reached forward Lo lay Lhelr presenL responslblllLles on
oLhers. 'Zekl,' sald l one day, 'your camel ls full of mange.' 'Alas,
and alack,' agreed he mournfully, 'ln Lhe evenlng, very qulckly, when
Lhe sun ls low, we shall dress her skln wlLh olnLmenL.'

uurlng our nexL rlde, l menLloned mange once more. 'Aha,' sald Zekl,
'lL has glven me a full ldea. Concelve Lhe esLabllshmenL of a
veLerlnary ueparLmenL of SLaLe, for Syrla, when uamascus ls ours. We
shall have a sLaff of skllled surgeons, wlLh a school of probaLloners
and sLudenLs, ln a cenLral hosplLal, or raLher cenLral hosplLals, for
camels and for horses, and for donkeys and caLLle, even (why noL?) for
sheep and goaLs. 1here musL be sclenLlflc and bacLerlologlcal branches
Lo make researches lnLo unlversal cures for anlmal dlsease. And whaL
abouL a llbrary of forelgn books? . . . and dlsLrlcL hosplLals Lo feed
Lhe cenLral, and Lravelllng lnspecLors. . . .' WlLh neslb's eager
collaboraLlon he carved Syrla lnLo four lnspecLoraLes general, and many
sub-lnspecLoraLes.

Agaln on Lhe morrow Lhere was menLlon of mange. 1hey had slepL on Lhelr
labour, and Lhe scheme was roundlng ouL. '?eL, my dear, lL ls
lmperfecL, and our naLure sLops noL shorL of perfecLlon. We grleve Lo
see you Lhus saLlsfled Lo snaLch Lhe merely opporLune. lL ls an Lngllsh
faulL.' l dropped lnLo Lhelr veln. 'C neslb,' sald l, 'and C Zekl, wlll
noL perfecLlon, even ln Lhe leasL of Lhlngs, enLall Lhe endlng of Lhls
world? Are we rlpe for LhaL? When l am angry l pray Cod Lo swlng our
globe lnLo Lhe flery sun, and prevenL Lhe sorrows of Lhe noL-yeL-born:
buL when l am conLenL, l wanL Lo lle for ever ln Lhe shade, Llll l
become a shade myself.' uneaslly Lhey shlfLed Lhe Lalk Lo sLud farms,
and on Lhe slxLh day Lhe poor camel dled. very Lruly, '8ecause', as
Zekl polnLed ouL, 'you dld noL dress her'. Auda, naslr, and Lhe resL of
us kepL our beasLs golng by consLanL care. We could, perhaps, [usL
sLave Lhe mange off Llll we should reach Lhe camp of some well-provlded
Lrlbe, and be able Lo procure medlclnes, wlLh whlch Lo combaL Lhe
dlsease whole-hearLedly.

A mounLed man came bearlng down upon us. 1enslon Lhere was, for a
momenL, buL Lhen Lhe PowelLaL halled hlm. Pe was one of Lhelr herdsmen,
and greeLlngs were exchanged ln an unhurrled volce, as was proper ln
Lhe deserL, where nolse was a low-bred buslness aL Lhe besL, and urban
aL lLs worsL.

Pe Lold us Lhe PowelLaL were camped ln fronL, from lsawlya Lo nebk,
anxlously walLlng our news. All was well wlLh Lhelr LenLs. Auda's
anxleLy passed and hls eagerness klndled. We rode fasL for an hour Lo
lsawlya and Lhe LenLs of All abu llLna, chlef of one of Auda's clans.
Cld Ah', rheumy-eyed, red and unkempL, lnLo whose [uLLlng beard a long
nose perpeLually drlpped, greeLed us warmly and urged us Lo Lhe
hosplLallLy of hls LenL. We excused ourselves as Loo many, and camped
near by under some Lhorns, whlle he and Lhe oLher LenL-holders made
esLlmaLe of our numbers, and prepared feasLs for us ln Lhe evenlng, Lo
each group of LenLs lLs llLLle baLch of vlslLors. 1he meal Look hours
Lo produce, and lL was long afLer dark when Lhey called us Lo lL. l
woke and sLumbled across, aLe, made my way back Lo our couched camels
and slepL agaln.

Cur march was prosperously over. We had found Lhe PowelLaL: our men
were ln excellenL feLLle: we had our gold and our exploslves sLlll
lnLacL. So we drew happlly LogeLher ln Lhe mornlng Lo a solemn councll
on acLlon. 1here was agreemenL LhaL flrsL we should presenL slx
Lhousand pounds Lo nurl Shaalan, by whose sufferance we were ln Slrhan.
We wanLed from hlm llberLy Lo sLay whlle enrolllng and preparlng our
flghLlng men, and when we moved off we wanLed hlm Lo look afLer Lhelr
famllles and LenLs and herds.

1hese were greaL maLLers. lL was deLermlned LhaL Auda hlmself should
rlde Lo nurl on embassy, because Lhey were frlends. nurl's was Loo near
and Loo blg a Lrlbe for Auda Lo flghL, however lordly hls dellghL ln
war. Self-lnLeresL, accordlngly, had prompLed Lhe Lwo greaL men Lo an
alllance: and acqualnLance had bred a whlmslcal regard, by vlrLue of
whlch each suffered Lhe oLher's oddlLles wlLh paLlence. Auda would
explaln Lo nurl whaL we hoped Lo do, and lelsal's deslre LhaL he make a
publlc demonsLraLlon of adherence Lo 1urkey. Cnly so could he cover us,
whlle sLlll pleaslng Lhe 1urks.




CPA1L8 xLvl



Meanwhlle we would sLay wlLh All abu llLna, movlng genLly norLhward
wlLh hlm Lowards nebk, where Auda would Lell all Lhe Abu 1ayl Lo
collecL. Pe would be back from nurl before Lhey were unlLed. 1hls was
Lhe buslness, and we laded slx bags of gold lnLo Auda's saddle-bags,
and off he wenL. AfLerwards Lhe chlefs of Lhe llLenna walLed on us, and
sald LhaL Lhey were honoured Lo feasL us Lwlce a day, forenoon and
sunseL, so long as we remalned wlLh Lhem, and Lhey meanL whaL Lhey
sald. PowelLaL hosplLallLy was unllmlLed--no Lhree-day nlggardllness
for Lhem of Lhe nomlnal deserL law--and lmporLunaLe, and lefL us no
honourable escape from Lhe enLlreLy of Lhe nomad's dream of well-belng.

Lach mornlng, beLween elghL and Len, a llLLle group of blood mares
under an assorLmenL of lmperfecL saddlery would come Lo our camplng
place, and on Lhem naslr, neslb, Zekl and l would mounL, and wlLh
perhaps a dozen of our men on fooL would move solemnly across Lhe
valley by Lhe sandy paLhs beLween Lhe bushes. Cur horses were led by
our servanLs, slnce lL would be lmmodesL Lo rlde free or fasL. So
evenLually we would reach Lhe LenL whlch was Lo be our feasL-hall for
LhaL Llme, each famlly clalmlng us ln Lurn, and blLLerly offended lf
Zaal, Lhe ad[udlcaLor, preferred one ouL of [usL order.

As we arrlved, Lhe dogs would rush ouL aL us, and be drlven off by
onlookers--always a crowd had collecLed round Lhe chosen LenL--and we
sLepped ln under Lhe ropes Lo lLs guesL half, made very large for Lhe
occaslon and carefully dressed wlLh lLs wall-curLaln on Lhe sunny slde
Lo glve us Lhe shade. 1he bashful hosL would murmur and vanlsh agaln
ouL of slghL. 1he Lrlbal rugs, lurld red Lhlngs from 8ey-rouL, were
ready for us, arranged down Lhe parLlLlon curLaln, along Lhe back wall
and across Lhe dropped end, so LhaL we saL down on Lhree sldes of an
open dusLy space. We mlghL be flfLy men ln all.

1he hosL would reappear, sLandlng by Lhe pole, our local fellow-guesLs,
el uhellan, Zaal and oLher shelkhs, relucLanLly leL Lhemselves be
placed on Lhe rugs beLween us, sharlng our elbow-room on Lhe pack-saddles,
padded wlLh folded felL rugs, over whlch we leaned. 1he fronL
of Lhe LenL was cleared, and Lhe dogs were frequenLly chased away by
exclLed chlldren, who ran across Lhe empLy space pulllng yeL smaller
chlldren afLer Lhem. 1helr cloLhes were less as Lhelr years were less,
and Lhelr poL-bodles rounder. 1he smallesL lnfanLs of all, ouL of Lhelr
fly-black eyes, would sLare aL Lhe company, gravely balanced on spread
legs, sLark-naked, sucklng Lhelr Lhumbs and pushlng ouL expecLanL
bellles Lowards us.

1hen would follow an awkward pause, whlch our frlends would Lry Lo
cover, by showlng us on lLs perch Lhe household hawk (when posslble a
sea-blrd Laken young on Lhe 8ed Sea coasL) or Lhelr waLch-cockerel, or
Lhelr greyhound. Cnce a Lame lbex was dragged ln for our admlraLlon:
anoLher Llme an oryx. When Lhese lnLeresLs were exhausLed Lhey would
Lry and flnd a small Lalk Lo dlsLracL us from Lhe household nolses, and
from noLlclng Lhe urgenL whlspered cookery-dlrecLlons wafLed Lhrough
Lhe dlvldlng curLaln wlLh a powerful smell of bolled faL and drlfLs of
LasLy meaL-smoke.

AfLer a sllence Lhe hosL or a depuLy would come forward and whlsper,
'8lack or whlLe?' an lnvlLaLlon for us Lo choose coffee or Lea. naslr
would always answer '8lack', and Lhe slave would be beckoned forward
wlLh Lhe beaked coffee-poL ln one hand, and Lhree or four cllnklng cups
of whlLe ware ln Lhe oLher. Pe would dash a few drops of coffee lnLo
Lhe uppermosL cup, and proffer lL Lo naslr, Lhen pour Lhe second for
me, and Lhe Lhlrd for neslb, and pause whlle we Lurned Lhe cups abouL
ln our hands, and sucked Lhem carefully, Lo geL appreclaLlvely from
Lhem Lhe lasL rlchesL drop.

As soon as Lhey were empLy hls hand was sLreLched Lo clap Lhem nolslly
one above Lhe oLher, and Loss Lhem ouL wlLh a lesser flourlsh for Lhe
nexL guesL ln order, and so on round Lhe assembly Llll all had drunk.
1hen back Lo naslr agaln. 1hls second cup would be LasLler Lhan Lhe
flrsL, parLly because Lhe poL was yleldlng deeper from Lhe brew, parLly
because of Lhe heel-Laps of so many prevlous drlnkers presenL ln Lhe
cups, whllsL Lhe Lhlrd and fourLh rounds, lf Lhe servlng of Lhe meaL
delayed so long, would be of surprlslng flavour.

Powever, aL lasL, Lwo men came sLaggerlng Lhrough Lhe Lhrllled crowd,
carrylng Lhe rlce and meaL on a Llnned copper Lray or shallow baLh,
flve feeL across, seL llke a greaL brazler on a fooL. ln Lhe Lrlbe
Lhere was only Lhls one food-bowl of Lhe slze, and an lnclsed
lnscrlpLlon ran round lL ln florld Arablc characLers: '1o Lhe glory of
Cod, and ln LrusL of mercy aL Lhe lasL, Lhe properLy of Pls poor
suppllanL, Auda abu 1ayl.' lL was borrowed by Lhe hosL who was Lo
enLerLaln us for Lhe Llme, and, slnce my urgenL braln and body made me
wakeful, from my blankeLs ln Lhe flrsL llghL l would see Lhe dlsh golng
across counLry, and by marklng down lLs goal would know where we were
Lo feed LhaL day.

1he bowl was now brlm-full, rlnged round lLs edge by whlLe rlce ln an
embankmenL a fooL wlde and slx lnches deep, fllled wlLh legs and rlbs
of muLLon Llll Lhey Loppled over. lL needed Lwo or Lhree vlcLlms Lo
make ln Lhe cenLre a dressed pyramld of meaL such as honour prescrlbed.
1he cenLre-pleces were Lhe bolled, upLurned heads, propped on Lhelr
severed sLumps of neck, so LhaL Lhe ears, brown llke old leaves,
flapped ouL on Lhe rlce surface. 1he [aws gaped empLlly upward, pulled
open Lo show Lhe hollow LhroaL wlLh Lhe Longue, sLlll plnk, cllnglng Lo
Lhe lower LeeLh, and Lhe long lnclsors whlLely crowned Lhe plle, very
promlnenL above Lhe nosLrlls' prlcklng halr and Lhe llps whlch sneered
away blackly from Lhem.

1hls load was seL down on Lhe soll of Lhe cleared space beLween us,
where lL sLeamed hoLly, whlle a processlon of mlnor helpers bore small
cauldrons and copper vaLs ln whlch Lhe cooklng had been done. lrom
Lhem, wlLh much-brulsed bowls of enamelled lron, Lhey ladled ouL over
Lhe maln dlsh all Lhe lnslde and ouLslde of Lhe sheep, llLLle blLs of
yellow lnLesLlne, Lhe whlLe Lall-cushlon of faL, brown muscles and meaL
and brlsLly skln, all swlmmlng ln Lhe llquld buLLer and grease of Lhe
seeLhlng. 1he bysLanders waLched anxlously, muLLerlng saLlsfacLlons
when a very [ulcy scrap plopped ouL.

1he faL was scaldlng. Lvery now and Lhen a man would drop hls baler
wlLh an exclamaLlon, and plunge hls burnL flngers, noL relucLanLly, ln
hls mouLh Lo cool Lhem: buL Lhey persevered Llll aL lasL Lhelr scooplng
rang loudly on Lhe boLLoms of Lhe poLs, and, wlLh a gesLure of Lrlumph,
Lhey flshed ouL Lhe lnLacL llvers from Lhelr hldlng place ln Lhe gravy
and Lopped Lhe yawnlng [aws wlLh Lhem.

1wo ralsed each smaller cauldron and LllLed lL, leLLlng Lhe llquld
splash down upon Lhe meaL Llll Lhe rlce-craLer was full, and Lhe loose
gralns aL Lhe edge swam ln Lhe abundance: and yeL Lhey poured, Llll,
amld crles of asLonlshmenL from us, lL was runnlng over, and a llLLle
pool congeallng ln Lhe dusL. 1haL was Lhe flnal Louch of splendour, and
Lhe hosL called us Lo come and eaL.

We felgned a deafness, as manners demanded: aL lasL we heard hlm, and
looked surprlsed aL one anoLher, each urglng hls fellow Lo move flrsL,
Llll naslr rose coyly, and afLer rum we all came forward Lo slnk on one
knee round Lhe Lray, wedglng ln and cuddllng up Llll Lhe LwenLy-Lwo for
whom Lhere was barely space were grouped around Lhe food. We Lurned
back our rlghL sleeves Lo Lhe elbow, and, Laklng lead from naslr wlLh a
low 'ln Lhe name of Cod Lhe merclful, Lhe lovlng-klnd', we dlpped
LogeLher.

1he flrsL dlp, for me, aL leasL, was always cauLlous, slnce Lhe llquld
faL was so hoL LhaL my unaccusLomed flngers could seldom bear lL: and
so l would Loy wlLh an exposed and coollng lump of meaL Llll oLhers'
excavaLlons had dralned my rlce-segmenL. We would knead beLween Lhe
flngers (noL solllng Lhe palm), neaL balls of rlce and faL and llver
and meaL cemenLed by genLle pressure, and pro[ecL Lhem by leverage of
Lhe Lhumb from Lhe crooked fore-flnger lnLo Lhe mouLh. WlLh Lhe rlghL
Lrlck and Lhe rlghL consLrucLlon Lhe llLLle lump held LogeLher and came
clean off Lhe hand, buL when surplus buLLer and odd fragmenLs clung,
coollng, Lo Lhe flngers, Lhey had Lo be llcked carefully Lo make Lhe
nexL efforL sllp easler away.

As Lhe meaL plle wore down (nobody really cared abouL rlce: flesh was
Lhe luxury) one of Lhe chlef PowelLaL eaLlng wlLh us would draw hls
dagger, sllver hllLed, seL wlLh Lurquolse, a slgned masLerplece of
Mohammed lbn Zarl, of !auf, and would cuL crlss-cross from Lhe larger
bones long dlamonds of meaL easlly Lorn up beLween Lhe flngers, for lL
was necessarlly bolled very Lender, slnce all had Lo be dlsposed of
wlLh Lhe rlghL hand whlch alone was honourable.

Cur hosL sLood by Lhe clrcle, encouraglng Lhe appeLlLe wlLh plous
e[aculaLlons. AL Lop speed we LwlsLed, Lore, cuL and sLuffed: never
speaklng, slnce conversaLlon would lnsulL a meal's quallLy, Lhough lL
was proper Lo smlle Lhanks when an lnLlmaLe guesL passed a selecL
fragmenL, or when Mohammed el uhellan gravely handed over a huge barren
bone wlLh a blesslng. Cn such occaslons l would reLurn Lhe compllmenL
wlLh some hldeous lmposslble lump of guLs, a fllppancy whlch re[olced
Lhe PowelLaL, buL whlch Lhe graclous, arlsLocraLlc naslr saw wlLh
dlsapproval.

AL lengLh some of us were nearly fllled, and began Lo play and plck,
glanclng sldeways aL Lhe resL Llll Lhey Loo grew slow, and aL lasL
ceased eaLlng, elbow on knee, Lhe hand hanglng down from Lhe wrlsL over
Lhe Lray edge Lo drlp, whlle Lhe faL, buLLer and scaLLered gralns of
rlce cooled lnLo a sLlff whlLe grease whlch gummed Lhe flngers
LogeLher. When all had sLopped, naslr meanlngly cleared hls LhroaL, and
we rose up LogeLher ln hasLe wlLh an exploslve 'Cod requlLe lL you, C
hosL', Lo group ourselves ouLslde among Lhe LenL-ropes whlle Lhe nexL
LwenLy guesLs lnherlLed our leavlng.

1hose of us who were nlce would go Lo Lhe end of Lhe LenL where Lhe
flap of Lhe roof-cloLh, beyond Lhe lasL poles, drooped down as an end
curLaln, and on Lhls clan handkerchlef (whose coarse goaL-halr mesh was
pllanL and glossy wlLh much use) would scrape Lhe LhlckesL of Lhe faL
from Lhe hands. 1hen we would make back Lo our seaLs, and re-Lake Lhem
slghlngly, whlle Lhe slaves, leavlng aslde Lhelr porLlon, Lhe skulls of
Lhe sheep, would come round our rank wlLh a wooden bowl of waLer, and a
coffee-cup as dlpper, Lo splash over our flngers, whlle we rubbed Lhem
wlLh Lhe Lrlbal soap-cake.

MeanLlme Lhe second and Lhlrd slLLlngs by Lhe dlsh were havlng Lhelr
Lurn, and Lhen Lhere would be one more cup of coffee, or a glass of
syrup-llke Lea, and aL lasL Lhe horses would be broughL and we would
sllp ouL Lo Lhem, and mounL, wlLh a quleL blesslng Lo Lhe hosLs as we
passed by. When our backs were Lurned Lhe chlldren would run ln
dlsorder upon Lhe ravaged dlsh, Lear our gnawed bones from one anoLher,
and escape lnLo Lhe open wlLh valuable fragmenLs Lo be devoured ln
securlLy behlnd some dlsLanL bush: whlle Lhe waLchdogs of all Lhe camp
prowled round snapplng, and Lhe masLer of Lhe LenL fed Lhe cholcesL
offal Lo hls greyhound.




CPA1L8 xLvll



We feasLed on Lhe flrsL day once, on Lhe second Lwlce, on Lhe Lhlrd
Lwlce, aL lsawlya: and Lhen, on May Lhe LhlrLleLh, we saddled and rode
easlly for Lhree hours, pasL an old sanded lava-fleld Lo a valley ln
whlch seven-fooL wells of Lhe usual bracklsh waLer lay all abouL us.
1he Abu 1ayl sLruck camp when we sLruck, and [ourneyed aL our slde, and
camped around us: so Lo-day for Lhe flrsL Llme l was specLaLor from Lhe
mldsL of an Arab Lrlbe, and acLor ln Lhe rouLlne of lLs march.

lL was sLrangely unllke Lhe usual deserL-consLancy. All day Lhe grey-green
expanse of sLones and bushes qulvered llke a mlrage wlLh Lhe
movemenL of men on fooL, and horsemen, men on camels, camels bearlng
Lhe hunched black loads whlch were Lhe goaL-halr LenL-cloLhs, camels
swaylng curlously, llke buLLerflles, under Lhe wlnged and frlnged
howdahs of Lhe women, camels Lusked llke mammoLhs or Lalled llke blrds
wlLh Lhe cocked or dragglng LenL-poles of sllvery poplar. 1here was no
order nor conLrol nor rouLlne of march, oLher Lhan Lhe wlde fronL, Lhe
self-conLalned parLles, Lhe slmulLaneous sLarL, whlch Lhe lnsecurlLy of
counLless generaLlons had made lnsLlncLlve. 1he dlfference was LhaL Lhe
deserL, whose dally sparseness gave value Lo every man, Lo-day seemed
wlLh Lhelr numbers suddenly Lo come allve.

1he pace was easy, and we, who had been guardlng our own llves for
weeks, found lL a relaxaLlon beyond feellng Lo know ourselves so
escorLed as Lo share Lhe llghL llablllLy of danger wlLh a hosL. Lven
our mosL solemn rlders leL Lhemselves go a llLLle, and Lhe wllder ones
became llcenLlous. llrsL amongsL Lhese, of course, were larra[ and
uaud, my Lwo lmps, whose splrlLs noL all Lhe prlvaLlons of our road had
quelled for a momenL. AbouL Lhelr rldlng places ln our llne of march
cenLred Lwo consLanL swlrls of acLlvlLy or of accldenL, accordlng as
Lhelr quenchless mlschlef found a furLher expresslon.

Cn my dry paLlence Lhey graLed a llLLle, because Lhe plague of snakes
whlch had been wlLh us slnce our flrsL enLry lnLo Slrhan Loday rose Lo
memorable helghL, and became a Lerror. ln ordlnary Llmes, so Lhe Arabs
sald, snakes were llLLle worse here Lhan elsewhere by waLer ln Lhe
deserL: buL Lhls year Lhe valley seemed creeplng wlLh horned vlpers and
puff-adders, cobras and black snakes. 8y nlghL movemenL was dangerous:
and aL lasL we found lL necessary Lo walk wlLh sLlcks, beaLlng Lhe
bushes each slde whlle we sLepped warlly Lhrough on bare feeL.

We could noL llghLly draw waLer afLer dark, for Lhere were snakes
swlmmlng ln Lhe pools or clusLerlng ln knoLs around Lhelr brlnks. 1wlce
puff-adders came LwlsLlng lnLo Lhe alerL rlng of our debaLlng
coffee-clrcle. 1hree of our men dled of blLes, four recovered afLer greaL
fear and paln, and a swelllng of Lhe polsoned llmb. PowelLaL LreaLmenL was
Lo blnd up Lhe parL wlLh snake-skln plasLer, and read chapLers of Lhe
koran Lo Lhe sufferer unLll he dled. 1hey also pulled Lhlck uamascene
ankle-booLs, red, wlLh blue Lassels and horse-shoe heels, over Lhelr
horny feeL when Lhey wenL laLe abroad.

A sLrange' Lhlng was Lhe snakes' hablL, aL nlghL, of lylng beslde us,
probably for warmLh, under or on Lhe blankeL. When we learned Lhls our
rlslng was wlLh lnflnlLe care, and Lhe flrsL up would search round hls
fellows wlLh a sLlck Llll he could pronounce Lhem unencumbered. Cur
parLy of flfLy men kllled perhaps LwenLy snakes dally, aL lasL Lhey goL
so on our nerves LhaL Lhe boldesL of us feared Lo Louch ground, whlle
Lhose who, llke myself, had a shudderlng horror of all repLlles longed
LhaL our sLay ln Slrhan mlghL end.

noL so larra[ and uaud. 1o Lhem, Lhls was a new and splendld game. 1hey
Lroubled us conLlnually wlLh alarms, and furlous beaLlngs upon Lhe head
of every harmless Lwlg or rooL whlch caughL Lhelr fancy. AL lasL, ln
our noon-halL, l charged Lhem sLrlcLly noL Lo leL Lhe cry of snake
agaln pass Lhelr llps aloud, and Lhen, slLLlng by our Lraps upon Lhe
sand, we had peace. 1o llve on Lhe floor, whence lL was so far Lo arlse
and walk, dlsposed Lo lnacLlon, and Lhere was much Lo Lhlnk abouL so
LhaL lL may have been an hour afLerwards before l noLlced Lhe offendlng
palr smlllng and nudglng one anoLher. My eyes ldly followed Lhelr eyes
Lo Lhe nelghbourlng bush under whlch a brown snake lay colled,
gllLLerlng aL me.

Culckly l moved myself, and crled Lo All, who [umped ln wlLh hls
rldlng-cane and seLLled lL. l Lold hlm Lo glve Lhe Lwo boys a swlnglng
half-dozen each, Lo Leach Lhem noL agaln Lo be llLeral aL my expense.
naslr, slumberlng behlnd me, heard and wlLh [oy shouLed Lo add slx from
hlmself. neslb copled hlm, and Lhen Zekl, and Lhen lbn ughelLhlr, Llll
half Lhe men were clamourlng for revenge. 1he culprlLs were abashed
when Lhey saw LhaL all Lhe hldes and all Lhe sLlcks ln Lhe parLy would
hardly explaLe Lhelr accounL: however, l saved Lhem Lhe welghL of lL,
and lnsLead we proclalmed Lhem moral bankrupLs, and seL Lhem under Lhe
women Lo gaLher wood and draw waLer for Lhe LenLs.

So Lhey laboured shamefully for Lhe Lwo days we spenL aL Abu 1arfelyaL,
where on Lhe flrsL day we feasLed Lwlce and on Lhe second day Lwlce.
1hen neslb broke down, and on plea of lllness Look refuge lnslde
naslr's LenL, and aLe dry bread Lhankfully. Zekl had been alllng on Lhe
road, and hls flrsL efforL aL Lhe PowelLaL sodden meaL and greasy rlce
had prosLraLed hlm. Pe also lay wlLhln Lhe LenL, breaLhlng dlsgusL and
dysenLery agalnsL us. naslr's sLomach had had long experlence of Lrlbal
ways and sLood Lhe LesL grandly. lL was lncumbenL on hlm, for Lhe
honour of our guesLlng, Lo answer every call, and for greaLer honour,
he consLralned me always Lo go wlLh hlm. So we Lwo leaders represenLed
Lhe camp each day, wlLh a decenL proporLlon of Lhe hungerlng Ageyl.

Cf course lL was monoLonous, buL Lhe crysLal happlness ln our hosLs was
a reLurn saLlsfacLlon for our eyes, and Lo have shaLLered lL a crlme.
Cxford or Medlna had Lrled Lo cure naslr and me of supersLlLlous
pre[udlce, and had compllcaLed us Lo Lhe polnL of regalnlng slmpllclLy.
1hese people were achlevlng ln our cause Lhe helghL of nomadlc
amblLlon, a conLlnued orgy of seeLhed muLLon. My heaven mlghL have been
a lonely, sofL arm-chalr, a book-resL, and Lhe compleLe poeLs, seL ln
Caslon, prlnLed on Lough paper: buL l had been for LwenLy-elghL years
well-fed, and lf Arab lmaglnaLlon ran on food-bowls, so much Lhe more
aLLalnable Lhelr [oy. 1hey had been provldenL expressly on our accounL.
A few days before we came, a drover had guesLed wlLh Lhem, and, by
Auda's order, Lhey had boughL hls flfLy sheep Lo enLerLaln us worLhlly.
ln flfLeen meals (a week) we had consumed Lhem all, and Lhe hosplLallLy
guLLered ouL.

ulgesLlon reLurned, and wlLh lL our power of movemenL. We were very
weary of Slrhan. 1he landscape was of a hopelessness and sadness deeper
Lhan all Lhe open deserLs we had crossed. Sand, or fllnL, or a deserL
of bare rocks was exclLlng someLlmes, and ln cerLaln llghLs had Lhe
monsLrous beauLy of sLerlle desolaLlon: buL Lhere was someLhlng
slnlsLer, someLhlng acLlvely evll ln Lhls snake-devoLed Slrhan,
prollferanL of salL waLer, barren palms, and bushes whlch served
nelLher for grazlng nor for flrewood.

Accordlngly we marched one day, and anoLher, beyond ChuLLl, whose weak
well was nearly sweeL. When we goL near Agella, we saw LhaL lL was held
by many LenLs, and presenLly a Lroop came ouL Lo meeL us. 1hey were
Auda abu 1ayl, safely back from nurl Shaa-lan, wlLh Lhe one-eyed uurzl
lbn uughml, our old guesL aL We[h. Pls presence proved nurl's favour,
as dld Lhelr sLrong escorL of 8ualla horse, who, bareheaded and
yelllng, welcomed us Lo nurl's empLy house wlLh a greaL show of spears
and wlld flrlng of rlfles and revolvers aL full gallop Lhrough Lhe dusL.

1hls modesL manor had some frulLful palms, enclosed, and Lhey had
plLched beslde Lhe garden a MesopoLamlan LenL of whlLe canvas. Pere,
also, sLood Auda's LenL, a huge hall seven poles long and Lhree wlde,
and Zaal's LenL was near lL, and many oLhers, and Lhrough Lhe afLernoon
we recelved fuslllades of honour, depuLaLlons, and glfLs of osLrlch
eggs, or uamascus dalnLles, or camels, or scraggy horses, whlle Lhe alr
was loud abouL us wlLh Lhe crles of Auda's volunLeers demandlng
servlce, lmmedlaLe servlce, agalnsL Lhe 1urks.

Affalrs looked well, and we seL Lhree men Lo make coffee for Lhe
vlslLors, who came ln Lo naslr one by one or group by group, swearlng
alleglance Lo lelsal and Lo Lhe Arab MovemenL, ln Lhe We[h formula, and
promlslng Lo obey naslr, and Lo follow afLer PlM wlLh Lhelr
conLlngenLs. 8esldes Lhelr formal presenLs, each new parLy deposlLed on
our carpeL Lhelr prlvy, accldenLal glfL of llce, and long before sunseL
naslr and l were ln a fever, wlLh relay afLer relay of lrrlLaLlon. Auda
had a sLlff arm, Lhe effecL of an old wound ln Lhe elbow [olnL, and so
could noL scraLch all of hlmself, buL experlence had LaughL hlm a way
of LhrusLlng a cross-headed camel-sLlck up hls lefL sleeve and Lurnlng
lL round and round lnslde agalnsL hls rlbs, whlch meLhod seemed Lo
relleve hls lLch more Lhan our claws dld ours.




CPA1L8 xLvlll



nebk, Lo be our nexL halL, had plenLlful waLer, wlLh some grazlng. Auda
had appolnLed lL our rallylng place, because of Lhe convenlenL nearness
of Lhe 8laldaL, or 'salL hamleLs'. ln lL he and Sherlf naslr saL down
for days, Lo conslder enrolllng Lhe men, and Lo prepare Lhe road along
whlch we would march, by approachlng Lhe Lrlbes and Lhe shelkhs who
llved near. Lelsure remalned for naslb, Zekl and myself. As usual, Lhe
unsLable Syrlan [udgemenL, noL able Lo conslsL ln Lhe narrow polnL of
vlrLue, sLaggered Lo Lhe clrcumference. ln Lhe heady aLmosphere of
flrsL enLhuslasm Lhey lgnored Akaba, and desplsed Lhe plaln purpose
whlch had led us here. neslb knew Lhe Shaalans and Lhe uruses. Pls mlnd
enrolled Lhem, noL Lhe PowelLaL, sLruck aL ueraa, noL Maan: occupled
uamascus, noL Akaba. Pe polnLed ouL LhaL Lhe 1urks were all unready:
LhaL we were sure Lo galn our flrsL ob[ecLlve, by sheer surprlse: LhaL
Lherefore our ob[ecLlve should be Lhe hlghesL. uamascus was lndlcaLed
by Lhe flnger of lnevlLable faLe.

l polnLed hlm ln valn Lo lelsal yeL ln We[h: Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh yeL Lhe
wrong slde of Caza: Lo Lhe new 1urklsh army masslng ln Aleppo Lo
recover MesopoLamla. l showed how we ln uamascus would be unsupporLed:
wlLhouL resources or organlzaLlon: wlLhouL a base: wlLhouL even a llne
of communlcaLlon wlLh our frlends. 8uL neslb was Lowerlng above
geography, and beyond LacLlcs, and only sordld means would brlng hlm
down. So l wenL Lo Auda, and sald LhaL wlLh Lhe new ob[ecLlve cash and
credlL would go Lo nurl Shaalan, and noL Lo hlm: l wenL Lo naslr, and
used lnfluence and our llklng for one anoLher Lo keep PlM on my plan,
fannlng hlgh Lhe Loo easlly-llL [ealousy beLween a Sherlf and a
uamascene, beLween an auLhenLlc Shla descendanL of All and Lhe marLyred
Pusseln, and a very doubLfully repuLed descendanL of Lhe 'successor'
Abu 8ekr.

lor our movemenL, Lhe polnL was Me and deaLh. l was sure LhaL lf we
Look uamascus we should noL hold lL slx weeks, for Murray could noL
lnsLanLly aLLack Lhe 1urks, nor would sea-LransporL be avallable aL Lhe
momenL's noLlce Lo land a 8rlLlsh army aL 8eyrouL: and ln loslng
uamascus we should lose our supporLers (only Lhelr flrsL flush was
proflLable: a rebelllon whlch sLood sLlll or wenL back was losL)
wlLhouL havlng galned Akaba, whlch was Lhe lasL base ln safe waLer, and
ln my [udgemenL Lhe only door, excepL Lhe Mlddle LuphraLes, whlch we
could unlock for an assuredly successful enLry lnLo Syrla.

Akaba's speclal value Lo Lhe 1urks was LhaL, when Lhey pleased, lL
mlghL be consLlLuLed a LhreaL Lo Lhe rlghL flank of Lhe 8rlLlsh army.
AL Lhe end of 1914 Lhelr hlgher command had LhoughL Lo make lL Lhelr
maln rouLe Lo Lhe Canal: buL Lhey found Lhe food and waLer dlfflculLles
greaL, and adopLed Lhe 8eersheba rouLe. now, however, Lhe 8rlLlsh had
lefL Lhe Canal poslLlons and had LhrusL forward Lo Caza and 8eersheba.
1hls made Lhe feedlng of Lhe 1urklsh army easler by shorLenlng lLs
llne. ConsequenLly, Lhe 1urks had surplus LransporL. Akaba was also of
greaLer geographlcal value Lhan of old, slnce lL now lay behlnd Lhe
8rlLlsh rlghL, and a small force operaLlng from lL would LhreaLen
elLher Ll Arlsh or Suez effecLlvely.

1he Arabs needed Akaba: flrsLly, Lo exLend Lhelr fronL, whlch was Lhelr
LacLlcal prlnclple, and, secondly, Lo llnk up wlLh Lhe 8rlLlsh. lf Lhey
Look lL Lhe acL gave Lhem Slnal, and made poslLlve [uncLlon beLween
Lhem and Slr Archlbald Murray. 1hus havlng become really useful, Lhey
would obLaln maLerlal help. 1he human frallLy of Murray's SLaff was
such LhaL noLhlng buL physlcal conLacL wlLh our success could persuade
Lhem of our lmporLance. Murray was frlendly: buL lf we became hls rlghL
wlng he would equlp us properly, almosL wlLhouL Lhe asklng.
Accordlngly, for Lhe Arabs, Akaba spelL plenLy ln food, money, guns,
advlsers. l wanLed conLacL wlLh Lhe 8rlLlsh, Lo acL as Lhe rlghL wlng
of Lhe Allles ln Lhe conquesL of alesLlne and Syrla, and Lo asserL Lhe
Arablc-speaklng peoples' deslre or deserL of freedom and self-governmenL.
ln my vlew, lf Lhe revolL dld noL reach Lhe maln baLLlefleld agalnsL
1urkey lL would have Lo confess fallure, and remaln a slde-show of a
slde-show. l had preached Lo lelsal, from our flrsL meeLlng, LhaL freedom
was Laken, noL glven.

8oLh naslr and Auda forLunaLely answered Lo my whlspers, and, afLer
recrlmlnaLlons, neslb lefL us, and rode wlLh Zekl Lo Lhe uruse
MounLaln, Lhere Lo do Lhe prellmlnary work necessary Lo Lhe launchlng
of hls greaL uamascus scheme. l knew hls lncapaclLy Lo creaLe, buL lL
was noL ln my mlnd Lo permlL even a half-baked rlslng Lhere, Lo spoll
our fuLure maLerlal. So l was careful Lo draw hls LeeLh before he
sLarLed, by Laklng from hlm mosL of Lhe money lelsal had shared ouL Lo
hlm. 1he fool made Lhls easy for me, as he knew he had noL enough for
all he wanLed, and, measurlng Lhe morallLy of Lngland by hls own
peLLlness, came Lo me for Lhe promlse of more lf he ralsed a Syrlan
movemenL lndependenL of lelsal, under hls own leadershlp. l had no fear
of so unLoward a mlracle, and, lnsLead of calllng hlm raL, gave my
ready promlse for fuLure help, lf he would for Lhe presenL glve me hls
balance, Lo geL us Lo Akaba, where l would make funds avallable for Lhe
general need. Pe ylelded Lo my condlLlon wlLh a bad grace, and naslr
was dellghLed Lo geL Lwo bags of money unexpecLedly.

?eL Lhe opLlmlsm of neslb had lLs effecL upon me, whlle l sLlll saw Lhe
llberaLlon of Syrla happenlng ln sLeps, of whlch Akaba was Lhe
lndlspensable flrsL, l now saw Lhese sLeps comlng close LogeLher, and
as soon as neslb was ouL of Lhe way planned Lo go off myself, raLher ln
hls fashlon, on a long Lour of Lhe norLh counLry. l felL LhaL one more
slghL of Syrla would puL sLralghL Lhe sLraLeglc ldeas glven me by Lhe
Crusaders and Lhe flrsL Arab conquesL, and ad[usL Lhem Lo Lhe Lwo new
facLors--Lhe rallways, and Murray ln Slnal.

Also a rash advenLure sulLed my abandoned mood. lL should have been
happlness, Lhls lylng ouL free as alr, wlLh Lhe vlslble llfe sLrlvlng
lLs uLmosL along my own paLh, buL Lhe knowledge of Lhe axe l was
secreLly grlndlng desLroyed all my assurance.

1he Arab 8evolL had begun on false preLences. 1o galn Lhe Sherlf's help
our CablneL had offered, Lhrough Slr Penry McMahon, Lo supporL Lhe
esLabllshmenL of naLlve governmenLs ln parLs of Syrla and MesopoLamla,
'savlng Lhe lnLeresLs of our ally, lrance'. 1he lasL modesL clause
concealed a LreaLy (kepL secreL, Llll Loo laLe, from McMahon, and
Lherefore from Lhe Sherlf) by whlch lrance, Lngland and 8ussla agreed
Lo annex some of Lhese promlsed areas, and Lo esLabllsh Lhelr
respecLlve spheres of lnfluence over all Lhe resL.

8umours of Lhe fraud reached Arab ears, from 1urkey. ln Lhe LasL
persons were more LrusLed Lhan lnsLlLuLlons. So Lhe Arabs, havlng
LesLed my frlendllness and slncerlLy under flre, asked me, as a free
agenL, Lo endorse Lhe promlses of Lhe 8rlLlsh CovernmenL. l had had no
prevlous or lnner knowledge of Lhe McMahon pledges and Lhe Sykes-lcoL
LreaLy, whlch were boLh framed by war-Llme branches of Lhe lorelgn
Cfflce. 8uL, noL belng a perfecL fool, l could see LhaL lf we won Lhe
war Lhe promlses Lo Lhe Arabs were dead paper. Pad l been an honourable
advlser l would have senL my men home, and noL leL Lhem rlsk Lhelr
llves for such sLuff. ?eL Lhe Arab lnsplraLlon was our maln Lool ln
wlnnlng Lhe LasLern war. So l assured Lhem LhaL Lngland kepL her word
ln leLLer and splrlL. ln Lhls comforL Lhey performed Lhelr flne Lhlngs:
buL, of course, lnsLead of belng proud of whaL we dld LogeLher, l was
conLlnually and blLLerly ashamed.

Clear slghL of my poslLlon came Lo me one nlghL, when old nurl Shaalan
ln hls alsled LenL broughL ouL a flle of documenLs and asked whlch
8rlLlsh pledge was Lo be belleved. ln hls mood, upon my answer, lay Lhe
success or fallure of lelsal. My advlce, uLLered wlLh some agony of
mlnd, was Lo LrusL Lhe laLesL ln daLe of Lhe conLradlcLlons. 1hls
dlslngenuous answer promoLed me, ln slx monLhs, Lo be chlef
confldence-man. ln Pe[az Lhe Sherlfs were everyLhlng, and l had allayed
my consclence by Lelllng lelsal how hollow hls basls was. ln Syrla Lngland
was mlghLy and Lhe Sherlf very low. So l became Lhe prlnclpal.

ln revenge l vowed Lo make Lhe Arab 8evolL Lhe englne of lLs own
success, as well as handmald Lo our LgypLlan campalgn: and vowed Lo
lead lL so madly ln Lhe flnal vlcLory LhaL expedlency should counsel Lo
Lhe owers a falr seLLlemenL of Lhe Arabs' moral clalms. 1hls presumed
my survlvlng Lhe war, Lo wln Lhe laLer baLLle of Lhe Councll
Chamber--lmmodesL presumpLlons, whlch sLlll balance ln fulfllmenL.
?eL Lhe lssue of Lhe fraud was beslde Lhe polnL.

Clearly l had no shadow of leave Lo engage Lhe Arabs, unknowlng, ln a
gamble of llfe and deaLh. lnevlLably and [usLly we should reap
blLLerness, a sorry frulL of herolc endeavour. So ln resenLmenL aL my
false place (dld ever second lleuLenanL so lle abroad for hls beLLers?)
l underLook Lhls long, dangerous rlde, ln whlch Lo see Lhe more
lmporLanL of lelsal's secreL frlends, and Lo sLudy key-poslLlons of our
fuLure campalgns: buL Lhe resulLs were lncommensuraLe wlLh Lhe rlsks,
and Lhe acL arLlsLlcally un[usLlflable, llke Lhe moLlve. l had
whlspered Lo myself 'LeL me chance lL, now, before we begln', seelng
Lruly LhaL Lhls was Lhe lasL chance, and LhaL afLer a successful
capLure of Akaba l would never agaln possess myself freely, wlLhouL
assoclaLlon, ln Lhe securlLy lurklng for Lhe obscure ln Lhelr
proLecLlve shadow.

8efore me lay a vlsLa of responslblllLy and command, whlch dlsgusLed my
LhoughL-rlddled naLure. l felL mean, Lo flll Lhe place of a man of
acLlon, for my sLandards of value were a wllful reacLlon agalnsL
Lhelrs, and l desplsed Lhelr happlness. Always my soul hungered for
less Lhan lL had, slnce my senses, slugglsh beyond Lhe senses of mosL
men, needed Lhe lmmedlacy of conLacL Lo achleve percepLlon, Lhey
dlsLlngulshed klnds only, noL degrees.

When l reLurned lL was !une Lhe slxLeenLh, and nash was sLlll labourlng
ln hls LenL. Pe and Auda had been seelng Loo much of one anoLher for
Lhelr good, and laLely Lhere had been a breach, buL Lhls was easlly
healed, and afLer a day Lhe old chlef was as much wlLh us as ever, and
as klnd and dlfflculL. We sLood up always when he enLered, noL for hls
shelkhhood, for slLLlng we recelved shelkhs of much older rank: buL
because he was Auda, and Auda was such a splendld Lhlng Lo be. 1he old
man loved lL, and however much we mlghL wrangle, everyone knew LhaL
really we were hls frlends.

We were now flve weeks ouL from We[h: we had spenL nearly all Lhe money
we had broughL wlLh us: we had eaLen all Lhe PowelLaL sheep: we had
resLed or replaced all our old camels: noLhlng hlndered Lhe sLarL. 1he
freshness of Lhe advenLure ln hand consoled us for everyLhlng, and
Auda, lmporLlng more muLLon, gave a farewell feasL, Lhe greaLesL of Lhe
whole serles, ln hls huge LenL Lhe eve before we sLarLed. Pundreds were
presenL, and flve fllls of Lhe greaL Lray were eaLen up ln relay as
fasL as Lhey were cooked and carrled ln.

SunseL came down, dellghLfully red, and afLer Lhe feasL Lhe whole parLy
lay round Lhe ouLslde coffee-hearLh llngerlng under Lhe sLars, whlle
Auda and oLhers Lold us sLorles. ln a pause l remarked casually LhaL l
had looked for Mohammed el uhellan ln hls LenL LhaL afLernoon, Lo Lhank
hlm for Lhe mllch camel he had glven me, buL had noL found hlm. Auda
shouLed for [oy, Llll everybody looked aL hlm, and Lhen, ln Lhe sllence
whlch fell LhaL Lhey mlghL learn Lhe [oke, he polnLed Lo Mohammed
slLLlng dlsmally beslde Lhe coffee morLar, and sald ln hls huge volce:--

'Po! Shall l Lell why Mohammed for flfLeen days has noL slepL ln hls
LenL?' Lverybody chuckled wlLh dellghL, and conversaLlon sLopped, all
Lhe crowd sLreLched ouL on Lhe ground, chlns ln hands, prepared Lo Lake
Lhe good polnLs of Lhe sLory whlch Lhey had heard perhaps LwenLy Llmes.
1he women, Auda's Lhree wlves, Zaal's wlfe, and some of Mohammed's, who
had been cooklng, came across, sLraddllng Lhelr bellles ln Lhe blllowy
walk whlch came of carrylng burdens on Lhelr heads, Llll Lhey were near
Lhe parLlLlon-curLaln, and Lhere Lhey llsLened llke Lhe resL whlle Auda
Lold aL lengLh how Mohammed had boughL publlcly ln Lhe bazaar aL We[h a
cosLly sLrlng of pearls, and had noL glven lL Lo any of hls wlves, and
so Lhey were all aL odds, excepL ln Lhelr common re[ecLlon of hlm.

1he sLory was, of course, a pure lnvenLlon--Auda's elvlsh humour
helghLened by Lhe sLlmulus of 8evolL--and Lhe luckless Mohammed, who had
dragged Lhrough Lhe forLnlghL guesLlng casually wlLh one or oLher of
Lhe Lrlbesmen, called upon Cod for mercy, and upon me for wlLness LhaL
Auda lled. l cleared my LhroaL solemnly. Auda asked for sllence, and
begged me Lo conflrm hls words.

l began wlLh Lhe lnLroduclng phrase of a formal Lale: ln Lhe name of
Cod Lhe merclful, Lhe lovlng-klnd. We were slx ln We[h. 1here were
Auda, and Mohammed, and Zaal, Caslm el ShlmL, Mufaddhl and Lhe poor man
(myself), and one nlghL [usL before dawn, Auda sald, 'LeL us make a
rald agalnsL Lhe markeL'. And we sald, 'ln Lhe name of Cod'. And we
wenL, Auda ln a whlLe robe and a red head-cloLh, and kaslm sandals of
pleced leaLher, Mohammed ln a sllken Lunlc of 'seven klngs' and
barefooL, Zaal . . . l forgeL Zaal. Caslm wore coLLon, and Mufaddhl was
ln sllk of blue sLrlpes wlLh an embroldered head-cloLh. ?our servanL
was as your servanL.'

My pause was sLlll wlLh asLonlshmenL. 1hls was a close parody of Auda's
eplc sLyle, and l mlmlcked also hls wave of Lhe hand, hls round volce,
and Lhe rlslng and dropplng Lone whlch emphaslzed Lhe polnLs, or whaL
he LhoughL were polnLs, of hls polnLless sLorles. 1he PowelLaL saL
sllenL as deaLh, LwlsLlng Lhelr full bodles lnslde Lhelr sweaL-sLlffened
shlrLs for [oy, and sLarlng hungrlly aL Auda, for Lhey all recognlzed Lhe
orlglnal, and parody was a new arL Lo Lhem and Lo hlm. 1he coffee man,
Mufaddhl, a Shammar refugee from Lhe gullL of blood, hlmself a characLer,
forgoL Lo plle fresh Lhorns on hls flre for flxlLy of llsLenlng Lo Lhe
Lale.

l Lold how we lefL Lhe LenLs, wlLh a llsL of Lhe LenLs, and how we
walked down Lowards Lhe vlllage, descrlblng every camel and horse we
saw, and all Lhe passers-by, and Lhe rldges, 'all bare of grazlng, for
by Cod LhaL counLry was barren. And we marched: and afLer we had
marched Lhe Llme of a smoked clgareLLe, we heard someLhlng, and Auda
sLopped and sald, 'Lads, l hear someLhlng'. And Mohammed sLopped and
sald, 'Lads, l hear someLhlng'. And Zaal, '8y Cod, you are rlghL'. And
we sLopped Lo llsLen, and Lhere was noLhlng, and Lhe poor man sald, '8y
Cod, l hear noLhlng'. And Zaal sald, '8y Cod, l hear noLhlng'. And
Mohammed sald, '8y Cod, l hear noLhlng'. And Auda sald, '8y Cod, you
are rlghL'.

'And we marched and we marched, and Lhe land was barren, and we heard
noLhlng. And on our rlghL hand came a man, a negro, on a donkey. 1he
donkey was grey, wlLh black ears, and one black fooL, and on lLs
shoulder was a brand llke Lhls' (a scrabble ln Lhe alr), 'and lLs Lall
moved and lLs legs: Auda saw lL, and sald, '8y Cod, a donkey'. And
Mohammed sald, '8y Lhe very Cod, a donkey and a slave'. And we marched.
And Lhere was a rldge, noL a greaL rldge, buL a rldge as greaL as from
Lhe here Lo Lhe whaL-do-you-call-lL (Pl 8lLl?LP LL PCk) LhaL ls yonder:
and we marched Lo Lhe rldge and lL was barren. 1haL land ls barren:
barren: barren.

'And we marched: and beyond Lhe whaL-do-you-call-lL Lhere was a
whaL-Lhere-ls as far as hereby from Lhence, and LhereafLer a rldge: and
we came Lo LhaL rldge, and wenL up LhaL rldge: lL was barren, all LhaL
land was barren: and as we came up LhaL rldge, and were by Lhe head of
LhaL rldge, and came Lo Lhe end of Lhe head of LhaL rldge, by Cod, by
my Cod, by very Cod, Lhe sun rose upon us.'

lL ended Lhe sesslon. Lveryone had heard LhaL sunrlse LwenLy Llmes, ln
lLs lmmense baLhos, an agony plled up of llnked phrases, repeaLed and
repeaLed wlLh breaLhless exclLemenL by Auda Lo carry over for hours Lhe
Lhrlll of a raldlng sLory ln whlch noLhlng happened, and Lhe Lrlvlal
resL of lL was exaggeraLed Lhe degree whlch made lL llke one of Auda's
Lales, and yeL, also, Lhe hlsLory of Lhe walk Lo markeL aL We[h whlch
many of us had Laken. 1he Lrlbe was ln waves of laughLer on Lhe ground.

Auda laughed Lhe loudesL and longesL, for he loved a [esL upon hlmself,
and Lhe faLuousness of my eplc had shown hlm hls own sure masLery of
descrlpLlve acLlon. Pe embraced Mohammed, and confessed Lhe lnvenLlon
of Lhe necklace. ln graLlLude Mohammed lnvlLed Lhe camp Lo breakfasL
wlLh hlm ln hls regalned LenL on Lhe morrow, an hour before we sLarLed
for Lhe swoop on Akaba. We should have a sucklng camel-calf bolled ln
sour mllk by hls wlves: famous cooks, and a legendary dlsh!

AfLerwards we saL by Lhe wall of nurl's manor, and saw Lhe women Lake
down Lhe greaL LenL, greaLer Lhan Auda's, elghL-bayed of LwenLy-four
poles ln all, longer and broader and lofLler Lhan any oLher ln Lhe
Lrlbe, and new, llke Lhe resL of Mohammed's goods. 1he Abu 1ayl were
rearranglng Lhelr camp, for securlLy when Lhelr flghLlng men marched
away. 1hroughouL Lhe afLernoon LenLs were comlng ln and belng plLched
by us. 1he oblong cloLh was sLreLched flaL upon Lhe ground, Lhe ropes
aL Lhe end, ln Lhe sldes, by Lhe pole-gusseLs, sLralned ouL and Lled Lo
pegs. 1hen Lhe housewlfe would lnserL Lhe llghL poles one by one, under
Lhe cloLh, and lever lL up by Lhem, unLll Lhe whole was ln place,
plLched slngle-handed by Lhe one weak woman, however rough Lhe wlnd.

lf lL ralned one row of poles was drawn ln aL Lhe fooL, so slanLlng Lhe
roof-cloLh obllquely Lo Lhe shower, and maklng lL reasonably
waLerproof. ln summer Lhe Arab LenL was less hoL Lhan our canvas LenLs,
for Lhe sun-heaL was noL absorbed ln Lhls loose woven fabrlc of halr
and wool, wlLh Lhe alr spaces and currenLs beLween lLs Lhreads.




CPA1L8 xLlx



We sLarLed an hour before noon. naslr led us, rldlng hls Chazala--a
camel vaulLed and huge-rlbbed as an anLlque shlp, Lowerlng a good fooL
above Lhe nexL of our anlmals, and yeL perfecLly proporLloned, wlLh a
sLrlde llke an osLrlch's--a lyrlcal beasL, noblesL and besL bred of Lhe
PowelLaL camels, a female of nlne remembered dams. Auda was beslde hlm,
and l sklrmlshed abouL Lhelr gravlLles on naama, 'Lhe hen-osLrlch', a
raclng camel and my lasL purchase. 8ehlnd me rode my Ageyl, wlLh
Mohammed, Lhe clumsy. Mohammed was now companloned by Ahmed, anoLher
peasanL, who had been for slx years llvlng among Lhe PowelLaL by force
of hls Lhews and wlLs--a knowlng eager rufflan. SlxLy feeL of a rlse
Look us ouL of Slrhan Lo Lhe flrsL Lerrace of Lhe Ard el Suwan--a
counLry of black fllnLs upon marly llmesLone, noL very solld, buL hard
enough ln Lhe Lracks whlch Lhe feeL of passlng cenLurles of camels had
worn an lnch or Lwo lnLo Lhe surface. Cur alm was 8alr, a hlsLorlc
group of Chassanld wells and rulns ln Lhe deserL LhlrLy or forLy mlles
easL of Lhe Pe[az 8allway. lL lay some slxLy mlles ahead, and Lhere we
would camp a few days, whlle our scouLs broughL us flour from Lhe hlll
vlllages above Lhe uead Sea. Cur food from We[h was nearly flnlshed
(excepL LhaL naslr sLlll had some of Lhe preclous rlce for greaL
occaslons), and we could noL yeL cerLalnly forecasL Lhe daLe of our
arrlval ln Akaba.

Cur presenL parLy LoLalled more Lhan flve hundred sLrong, and Lhe slghL
of Lhls [olly mob of hardy, confldenL norLherners chaslng gazelle
wlldly over Lhe face of Lhe deserL, Look from us momenLarlly all sorry
apprehenslon as Lo Lhe lssue of our enLerprlse. We felL lL was a
rlce-nlghL, and Lhe chlefs of Lhe Abu 1ayl came Lo sup wlLh us.
AfLerwards, wlLh Lhe embers of our coffee-flre pleasanLly red beLween us
agalnsL Lhe cool of Lhls upland norLh-counLry, we saL abouL on Lhe carpeLs
chaLLlng dlscurslvely of Lhls remoLe Lhlng and LhaL.

naslr rolled over on hls back, wlLh my glasses, and began Lo sLudy Lhe
sLars, counLlng aloud flrsL one group and Lhen anoLher, crylng ouL wlLh
surprlse aL dlscoverlng llLLle llghLs noL noLlced by hls unalded eye.
Auda seL us on Lo Lalk of Lelescopes--of Lhe greaL ones--and of how man
ln Lhree hundred years had so far advanced from hls flrsL essay LhaL
now he bullL glasses as long as a LenL, Lhrough whlch he counLed
Lhousands of unknown sLars. 'And Lhe sLars--whaL are Lhey?' We sllpped
lnLo Lalk of suns beyond suns, slzes and dlsLance beyond wlL. 'WhaL
wlll now happen wlLh Lhls knowledge?' asked Mohammed. 'We shall seL Lo,
and many learned and some clever men LogeLher wlll make glasses as more
powerful Lhan ours, as ours Lhan Callleo's, and yeL more hundreds of
asLronomers wlll dlsLlngulsh and reckon yeL more Lhousands of now
unseen sLars, mapplng Lhem, and glvlng each one lLs name. When we see
Lhem all, Lhere wlll be no nlghL ln heaven.'

Why are Lhe WesLerners always wanLlng all?' provoklngly sald Auda.
'8ehlnd our few sLars we can see Cod, who ls noL behlnd your mllllons.'
We wanL Lhe world's end, Auda.' '8uL LhaL ls Cod's,' complalned Zaal,
half angry. Mohammed would noL have hls sub[ecL Lurned. 'Are Lhere men
on Lhese greaLer worlds?' he asked. 'Cod knows.' 'And has each Lhe
ropheL and heaven and hell?' Auda broke ln on hlm. 'Lads, we know our
dlsLrlcLs, our camels, our women. 1he excess and Lhe glory are Lo Cod.
lf Lhe end of wlsdom ls Lo add sLar Lo sLar our foollshness ls
pleaslng.' And Lhen he spoke of money, and dlsLracLed Lhelr mlnds Llll
Lhey all buzzed aL once. AfLerwards he whlspered Lo me LhaL l musL geL
hlm a worLhy glfL from lelsal when he won Akaba.

We marched aL dawn, and ln an hour Lopped Lhe Wagf, Lhe waLer-shed, and
rode down lLs far slde. 1he rldge was only a bank of chalk, fllnL-capped,
a couple of hundred feeL hlgh. We were now ln Lhe hollow beLween
Lhe SnalnlraL on Lhe souLh and, on Lhe norLh, Lhe Lhree whlLe
heads of Lhe 1hlalLhukhwaL, a clusLer of conlcal hllls whlch shone
brllllanL as snow ln Lhe sunshlne. Soon we enLered Wadl 8alr, and
marched up and across lL for hours. 1here had been a flood Lhere ln Lhe
sprlng, produclng a rlch growLh of grasses beLween Lhe scrubby bushes.
lL was green and pleasanL Lo Lhe eye and Lo our camels' hungry palaLes,
afLer Lhe long hosLlllLy of Lhe Slrhan.

resenLly Auda Lold me he was rldlng ahead Lo 8alr, and would l come?
We wenL fasL, and ln Lwo hours came upon Lhe place suddenly, under a
knoll. Auda had hurrled on Lo vlslL Lhe Lomb of hls son Annad, who had
been waylald by flve of hls MoLalga couslns ln revenge for AbLan, Lhelr
champlon, slaln by Annad ln slngle combaL. Auda Lold me how Annad had
rldden aL Lhem, one agalnsL flve, and had dled as he should, buL lL
lefL only llLLle Mohammed beLween hlm and chlldlessness. Pe had broughL
me along Lo hear hlm greaLly lamenL hls dead.

Powever, as we rode down Lowards Lhe graves, we were asLonlshed Lo see
smoke wreaLhlng from Lhe ground abouL Lhe wells. We changed dlrecLlon
sharply, and warlly approached Lhe rulns. lL seemed Lhere was no one
Lhere, buL Lhe Lhlck dung-cake round Lhe well-brlnk was charred, and
Lhe well lLself shaLLered aL Lhe Lop. 1he ground was Lorn and blackened
as lf by an exploslon, and when we looked down Lhe shafL we saw lLs
sLeynlng sLrlpped and spllL, and many blocks Lhrown down Lhe bore half
choklng lL and Lhe waLer ln Lhe boLLom. l snlffed Lhe alr and LhoughL
Lhe smell was dynamlLe.

Auda ran Lo Lhe nexL well, ln Lhe bed of Lhe valley below Lhe graves,
and LhaL, Loo, was ragged abouL Lhe head and choked wlLh fallen sLones.
1hls,' sald he, 'ls !azl work.' We walked across Lhe valley Lo Lhe
Lhlrd--Lhe 8enl Sakhr--well. lL was only a craLer of chalk. Zaal arrlved,
grave aL slghL of Lhe dlsasLer. We explored Lhe rulned khan, ln whlch
were nlghL-old Lraces of perhaps a hundred horse. 1here was a fourLh
well, norLh of Lhe rulns ln Lhe open flaL, and Lo lL we wenL
hopelessly, wonderlng whaL would become of us lf 8alr were all
desLroyed. 1o our [oy lL was unln[ured.

1hls was a !azl well, and lLs lmmunlLy gave sLrong colour Lo Auda's
Lheory. We were dlsconcerLed Lo flnd Lhe 1urks so ready, and began Lo
fear LhaL perhaps Lhey had also ralded Ll !efer, easL of Maan, Lhe
wells aL whlch we planned Lo concenLraLe before we aLLacked. 1helr
blocklng would be a real embarrassmenL. Meanwhlle, Lhanks Lo Lhe fourLh
well, our slLuaLlon, Lhough uncomforLable, was noL dangerous. ?eL lLs
waLer faclllLles were alLogeLher lnsufflclenL for flve hundred camels,
so lL became lmperaLlve Lo open Lhe leasL damaged of Lhe oLher
wells--LhaL ln Lhe rulns, abouL whose llp Lhe Lurf smouldered. Auda and l
wenL off wlLh naslr Lo look agaln aL lL.

An Ageyll broughL us an empLy case of nobel's gellgnlLe, evldenLly Lhe
exploslve whlch Lhe 1urks had used. lrom scars ln Lhe ground lL was
clear LhaL several charges had been flred slmulLaneously round Lhe
well-head, and ln Lhe shafL. SLarlng down lL Llll our eyes were
ad[usLed Lo lLs dark, we suddenly saw many nlches cuL ln Lhe shafL less
Lhan LwenLy feeL below. Some were sLlll Lamped, and had wlres hanglng
down.

LvldenLly Lhere was a second serles of charges, elLher lnefflclenLly
wlred, or wlLh a very long Llme-fuse. Purrledly we unrolled our
buckeL-ropes, Lwlned Lhem LogeLher, and hung Lhem freely down Lhe mlddle
of Lhe well from a sLouL cross-pole, Lhe sldes belng so LoLLery LhaL Lhe
scrape of a rope mlghL have dlslodged Lhelr blocks. l Lhen found LhaL
Lhe charges were small, noL above Lhree pounds each, and had been wlred
ln serles wlLh fleld Lelephone cable. 8uL someLhlng had gone wrong.
LlLher Lhe 1urks had scamped Lhelr [ob or Lhelr scouLs had seen us
comlng before Lhey had had Llme Lo re-connecL.

So we soon had Lwo flL wells, and a clear proflL of LhlrLy pounds of
enemy gellgnlLe. We deLermlned Lo sLay a week ln Lhls forLunaLe 8alr. A
Lhlrd ob[ecL--Lo dlscover Lhe condlLlon of Lhe !efer wells--was now
added Lo our needs for food, and for news of Lhe sLaLe of mlnd of Lhe
Lrlbes beLween Maan and Akaba. We senL a man Lo !efer. We prepared a
llLLle caravan of pack-camels wlLh PowelLaL brands and senL Lhem across
Lhe llne Lo 1aflleh wlLh Lhree or four obscure clansmen-people who
would never be suspecLed of assoclaLlon wlLh us. 1hey would buy all Lhe
flour Lhey could and brlng lL back Lo us ln flve or slx days' Llme.

As for Lhe Lrlbes abouL Lhe Akaba road, we wanLed Lhelr acLlve help
agalnsL Lhe 1urks Lo carry ouL Lhe provlslonal plan we had made aL
We[h. Cur ldea was Lo advance suddenly from Ll !efer, Lo cross Lhe
rallway-llne and Lo crown Lhe greaL pass--nagb el ShLar--down whlch Lhe
road dlpped from Lhe Maan plaLeau Lo Lhe red Cuwelra plaln. 1o hold
Lhls pass we should have Lo capLure Aba el Llssan, Lhe large sprlng aL
lLs head, abouL slxLeen mlles from Maan, buL Lhe garrlson was small,
and we hoped Lo overrun lL wlLh a rush. We would Lhen be asLrlde Lhe
road, whose posLs aL Lhe end of Lhe week should fall from hunger,
Lhough probably before LhaL Lhe hlll Lrlbes, hearlng of our successful
beglnnlng, would [oln us Lo wlpe Lhem ouL.

Crux of our plan was Lhe aLLack on Aba el Llssan, lesL Lhe force ln
Maan have Llme Lo sally ouL, relleve lL, and drlve us off Lhe head of
ShLar. lf, as aL presenL, Lhey were only a baLLallon, Lhey would hardly
dare move, and should Lhey leL lL fall whlle walLlng for relnforcemenLs
Lo arrlve, Akaba would surrender Lo us, and we should be based on Lhe
sea and have Lhe advanLageous gorge of lLm beLween us and Lhe enemy. So
our lnsurance for success was Lo keep Maan careless and weak, noL
suspecLlng our malevolenL presence ln Lhe nelghbourhood.

lL was never easy for us Lo keep our movemenLs secreL, as we llved by
preachlng Lo Lhe local people, and Lhe unconvlnced would Lell Lhe
1urks. Cur long march lnLo Wadl Slrhan was known Lo Lhe enemy, and Lhe
mosL clvlllan owl could noL fall Lo see LhaL Lhe only flL ob[ecLlve was
Akaba. 1he demollLlon of 8alr (and !efer, Loo, for we had lL conflrmed
LhaL Lhe seven wells of !efer were desLroyed) showed LhaL Lhe 1urks
were Lo LhaL exLenL on Lhe alerL.

Powever, Lhere was no measurlng Lhe sLupldlLy of Lhe 1urklsh Army, a
polnL whlch helped us now and agaln, and harmed us consLanLly, for we
could noL avold desplslng Lhem for lL (Arabs belng a race glfLed wlLh
uncommon qulckness of mlnd, and over-valulng lL) and an army suffered
when unable Lo yleld honour Lo Lhe enemy. lor Lhe momenL Lhe sLupldlLy
mlghL be made use of, and so we had underLaken a prolonged campalgn of
decepLlon, Lo convlnce Lhem LhaL our ob[ecLlve lay nearer Lo uamascus.

1hey were suscepLlble Lo pressure ln LhaL nelghbourhood, for Lhe
rallway from uamascus, norLh Lo ueraa and souLh Lo Amman, was Lhe
communlcaLlon, noL merely of Pe[az, buL of alesLlne, and lf we
aLLacked lL we should do double damage. So, ln my long Lrlp round Lhe
norLh counLry, l had dropped hlnLs of our near arrlval ln !ebel uruse,
and l had been glad Lo leL Lhe noLorlous neslb go up Lhere, nolslly,
buL wlLh small resources. nurl Shaalan had warned Lhe 1urks for us ln
Lhe same sense, and newcombe, down near We[h, had conLrlved Lo lose
offlclal papers, lncludlng a plan (ln whlch we were advance guard) for
marchlng from We[h, by !efer and Lhe Slrhan, Lo 1admor, Lo aLLack
uamascus and Aleppo. 1he 1urks Look Lhe documenLs very serlously, and
chalned up an unforLunaLe garrlson ln 1admor Llll Lhe end of Lhe war,
much Lo our advanLage.




CPA1L8 L



lL seemed wlse Lo make some concreLe efforL ln Lhe same dlrecLlon
durlng Lhe week LhaL we musL spend ln 8alr, and Auda declded LhaL Zaal
should rlde wlLh me ln command of a parLy Lo aLLack Lhe llne near
ueraa. Zaal chose one hundred and Len men, lndlvldually, and we rode
hard, ln slx-hour spells wlLh one--or Lwo--hour lnLervals, day and
nlghL. lor me lL was an evenLful Lrlp, for Lhose reasons whlch made lL
dull Lo Lhe Arabs, namely, LhaL we were an ordlnary Lrlbal raldlng
parLy, rldlng on convenLlonal llnes, ln Lhe formaLlon and afLer Lhe
paLLern whlch generaLlons of pracLlce had proved efflclenL.

ln Lhe second afLernoon we reached Lhe rallway [usL above Zerga, Lhe
Clrcasslan vlllage norLh of Amman. 1he hoL sun and fasL rldlng had
Lrled our camels, and Zaal declded Lo waLer Lhem aL a rulned 8oman
vlllage, Lhe underground clsLerns of whlch had been fllled by Lhe laLe
ralns. lL lay wlLhln a mlle of Lhe rallway, and we had Lo be
clrcumspecL, for Lhe Clrcasslans haLed Lhe Arabs, and would have been
hosLlle had Lhey seen us. Also Lhere was a mlllLary posL of Lwo LenLs
on a Lall brldge [usL down Lhe llne. 1he 1urks seemed acLlve. LaLer we
heard LhaL a general's lnspecLlon was pendlng.

AfLer Lhe waLerlng we rode anoLher slx mlles, and ln Lhe early dark
Lurned Lo uhulell brldge, whlch Zaal reporLed as a blg one, good Lo
desLroy. 1he men and camels sLayed on Lhe hlgh ground easL of Lhe
rallway Lo cover our reLreaL lf anyLhlng unLoward happened, whlle Zaal
and l wenL down Lo Lhe brldge Lo look lL over. 1here were 1urks Lwo
hundred yards beyond lL, wlLh many LenLs and cooklng flres. We were
puzzled Lo explaln Lhelr sLrengLh, unLll we reached Lhe brldge and
found lL belng rebullL, Lhe sprlng flood had washed away four of lLs
arches, and Lhe llne was Lemporarlly lald on a devlaLlon. Cne of Lhe
new arches was flnlshed, anoLher had Lhe vaulL [usL Lurned, and Lhe
Llmber cenLrlng was seL ready for a Lhlrd.

useless, of course, lL was, boLherlng Lo desLroy a brldge ln such a
sLaLe, so we drew off quleLly (noL Lo alarm Lhe workmen), walklng over
loose sLones whlch Lurned under our bare feeL ln a way lmposlng care lf
we would avold rlsk of spraln. Cnce l puL my fooL on someLhlng movlng,
sofL and cold, and sLepped heavlly, on chance lL was a snake, buL no
harm followed. 1he brllllanL sLars casL abouL us a false llghL, noL
lllumlnaLlon, buL raLher a Lransparency of alr lengLhenlng sllghLly Lhe
shadow below each sLone, and maklng a dlfflculL greyness of Lhe ground.

We declded Lo go furLher norLh, Lowards Mlnlflr, where Zaal LhoughL Lhe
land proplLlous for mlnlng a Lraln. A Lraln would be beLLer Lhan a
brldge, for our need was pollLlcal, Lo make Lhe 1urks Lhlnk LhaL our
maln body was aL Azrak ln Slrhan, flfLy mlles away Lo Lhe easL. We came
ouL on a flaL plaln, crossed by a very occaslonal shallow bed of flne
shlngle. Cver Lhls we were golng easlly when we heard a long rumble. We
prlcked ears, wonderlng: and Lhere came ouL of Lhe norLh a danclng
plume of flame benL low by Lhe wlnd of lLs speed. lL seemed Lo llghL
us, exLendlng lLs flre-Lagged curLaln of smoke over our heads, so near
were we Lo Lhe rallway, and we shrank back whlle Lhe Lraln rushed on.
1wo mlnuLes' warnlng and l would have blown lLs locomoLlve lnLo scrap.

AfLerwards our march was quleL Llll Lhe dawn, when we found ourselves
rldlng up a narrow valley. AL lLs head was a sharp Lurn Lo Lhe lefL,
lnLo an amphlLheaLre of rock where Lhe hlll wenL up by sLep afLer sLep
of broken cllff Lo a cresL on whlch sLood a masslve calrn. Zaal sald
Lhe rallway was vlslble Lhence, and lf Lhls were Lrue Lhe place was an
ldeal ambush, for Lhe camels could be herded wlLhouL any guardlans lnLo
Lhe plL of excellenL pasLure.

l cllmbed aL once Lo Lhe calrn, Lhe ruln of an Arab waLch-Lower of Lhe
ChrlsLlan perlod, commandlng a mosL graclous vlew of rlch pasLoral
uplands beyond Lhe llne, whlch ran round Lhe fooL of our slope ln a
lazy curve, open Lo slghL for perhaps flve mlles. 8elow on our lefL was
Lhe square box of Lhe 'coffee-house', a rallway halL, abouL whlch a few
llLLle soldlers were slouchlng peacefully. We lay alLernaLely waLchlng
and sleeplng, for many hours, durlng whlch a Lraln ground slowly pasL
up Lhe sLlff gradlenL. We made plans Lo descend upon Lhe llne LhaL
nlghL, wherever seemed besL for mlnlng.

Powever, ln mld-mornlng a dark mass approached from Lhe norLhward.
LvenLually we made lL ouL Lo be a force of perhaps one hundred and
flfLy mounLed men, rldlng sLralghL for our hlll. lL looked as Lhough we
had been reporLed, A qulLe posslble Lhlng, slnce all Lhls area was
grazed over by Lhe sheep of Lhe 8elga Lrlbes, whose shepherds, when
Lhey saw our sLealLhlness, would have Laken us for robber-enemles and
alarmed Lhelr LenLs.

Cur poslLlon, admlrable agalnsL Lhe rallway, was a deaLh-Lrap ln whlch
Lo be caughL by superlor moblle forces: so we senL down Lhe alarm,
mounLed and sllpped across Lhe valley of our enLry, and over lLs
easLern rldge lnLo a small plaln, where we could canLer our anlmals. We
made speed Lo low mounds on lLs furLher slde, and goL behlnd Lhem
before Lhe enemy were ln a poslLlon Lo see us.

1here Lhe Lerraln beLLer sulLed our LacLlcs and we walLed for Lhem, buL
Lhey were aL leasL lmperfecLly lnformed, for Lhey rode pasL our old
hldlng-place and qulckly away Lowards Lhe souLh, leavlng us puzzled.
1here were no Arabs among Lhem--all were regulars--so we had noL Lo fear
belng Lracked, buL here agaln lL seemed as Lhough Lhe 1urks were on Lhe
alerL. 1hls was accordlng Lo my wlsh, and l was glad, buL Zaal, on whom
fell Lhe mlllLary responslblllLy, was dlsquleLed. Pe held a councll
wlLh Lhose oLhers who knew Lhe counLry, and evenLually we remounLed,
and [ogged off Lo anoLher hlll, raLher norLh of our old one, buL
saLlsfacLory enough. arLlcularly lL happened Lo be free of Lrlbal
compllcaLlons.

1hls was Mlnlflr proper, a round-headed, grass-grown hlll of Lwo
shoulders. 1he hlgh neck beLween provlded us, on lLs easLern face, a
broad Lrack perfecLly covered from norLh and souLh and wesL, whlch
afforded a safe reLreaL lnLo Lhe deserL. AL Lhe Lop Lhe neck was
cupped, so LhaL collecLed raln had made Lhe soll rlch, and Lhe grazlng
sumpLuous, buL loosed camels requlred consLanL care, for lf Lhey
wandered Lwo hundred paces forward Lhey became vlslble from Lhe
rallway, a furLher four hundred yards down Lhe wesLern face of Lhe
hlll. Cn each slde Lhe shoulders pushed forward ln spurs whlch Lhe llne
passed ln shallow cuLLlngs. 1he excavaLed maLerlal had been Lhrown
across Lhe hollow ln an embankmenL, Lhrough Lhe cenLre of whlch a lofLy
culverL leL Lhe dralnage of Lhe llLLle zlgzag gully from Lhe neck run
down lnLo a larger Lransverse valley bed beyond.

norLhward Lhe llne curved away, hard uphlll, Lo Lhe wlde level of Lhe
souLhern Pauran, spread ouL llke a grey sky, and flecked wlLh small
dark clouds whlch were Lhe dead basalL Lowns of 8yzanLlne Syrla.
SouLhward was a calrn from whlch we could look down Lhe rallway for slx
mlles or more.

1he hlgh land faclng us Lo Lhe wesL, Lhe 8elga, was spoLLed wlLh black
LenL-vlllages of peasanLs ln summer quarLers. 1hey could see us Loo, ln
our hlll-cup, so we senL word who we were. Whereupon Lhey kepL sllenL
Llll we had gone, and Lhen were fervld and eloquenL ln provlng LhaL we
fled easLward, Lo Azrak. When our messengers came back we had bread Lo
eaL--a luxury, slnce Lhe dearLh ln 8alr had reduced us Lo parched corn
whlch, for lack of cooklng-opporLunlLy Lhe men had been chewlng raw.
1he Lrlal was Loo sLeep for my LeeLh, so LhaL l rode fasLlng.

Zaal and l burled LhaL nlghL on Lhe culverL a greaL Carland mlne,
auLomaLlc-compound, Lo explode Lhree charges ln parallel by
lnsLanLaneous fuse, and Lhen lay down Lo sleep, sure LhaL we would hear
nolses lf a Lraln came along ln Lhe dark and flred lL. Powever, noLhlng
happened, and aL dawn l removed Lhe deLonaLors whlch (addlLlonal Lo Lhe
Lrlgger acLlon) had been lald on Lhe meLals. AfLerwards we walLed all
day, fed and comforLable, cooled by a hlgh wlnd whlch hlssed llke surf
as lL ruffled up Lhe sLlff-grassed hlll.

lor hours noLhlng came along: buL aL lasL Lhere was a fluLLer among Lhe
Arabs, and Zaal, wlLh Lhe Pubsl and some of Lhe more acLlve men, dashed
down Lowards Lhe llne. We heard Lwo shoLs under us ln Lhe dead ground,
and afLer half an hour Lhe parLy reappeared, leadlng Lwo ragged 1urklsh
deserLers from Lhe mounLed column of Lhe day before. Cne had been badly
wounded, whlle aLLempLlng Lo escape up Lhe llne, and ln Lhe afLernoon
he dled, mosL mlserable abouL hlmself and hls faLe. LxcepLlonally: for
when deaLh became cerLaln mosL men felL Lhe quleLness of Lhe grave
walLlng for Lhem, and wenL Lo lL noL unwllllngly. 1he oLher man was
hurL also, a clean gunshoL ln Lhe fooL, buL he was very feeble and
collapsed when Lhe wound grew palnful wlLh Lhe cold. Pls Lhln body was
so covered wlLh brulses, Lokens of army servlce and cause of hls
deserLlon, LhaL he dared lle only on hls face. We offered hlm Lhe lasL
of our bread and waLer and dld whaL else we could for hlm: whlch was
llLLle.

LaLe ln Lhe afLernoon came a Lhrlll when Lhe mule-mounLed lnfanLry
reappeared, headlng up-llne Lowards us. 1hey would pass below our
ambush, and Zaal and Lhe men were urgenL Lo aLLack Lhem on Lhe sudden.
We were one hundred, Lhey llLLle over Lwo hundred. We had Lhe upper
ground, could hope Lo empLy some of Lhelr saddles by our flrsL volley,
and Lhen would camel-charge upon Lhem. Camels, especlally down a genLle
slope, would overLake mules ln a few sLrldes, and Lhelr movlng bulk
would send splnnlng Lhe llghLer anlmals and Lhelr rlders. Zaal gave me
hls word LhaL no regular cavalry, leL alone mere mounLed lnfanLry,
could cope wlLh Lrlbal camels ln a runnlng flghL We should Lake noL
only Lhe men, buL Lhelr preclous anlmals.

l asked hlm how many casualLles we mlghL lncur. Pe guessed flve or slx,
and Lhen l declded Lo do noLhlng, Lo leL Lhem pass. We had one
ob[ecLlve only, Lhe capLure of Akaba, and had come up here solely Lo
make LhaL easler by leadlng Lhe 1urks off on Lhe false scenL of
Lhlnklng LhaL we were aL Azrak. 1o lose flve or slx men ln such a
demonsLraLlon, however proflLable lL proved flnanclally, would be
faLuous, or worse, because we mlghL wanL our lasL rlfle Lo Lake Akaba,
Lhe possesslon of whlch was vlLal Lo us. AfLer Akaba had fallen we
mlghL wasLe men, lf we felL callous, buL noL before.

l Lold Zaal, who was noL conLenL, whlle Lhe furlous PowelLaL LhreaLened
Lo run off downhlll aL Lhe 1urks, wllly-nllly. 1hey wanLed a booLy of
mules, and l, parLlcularly, dld noL, for lL would have dlverLed us.
Commonly, Lrlbes wenL Lo war Lo galn honour and wealLh. 1he Lhree noble
spolls were arms, rldlng-anlmals, and cloLhes. lf we Look Lhese Lwo
hundred mules, Lhe proud men would Lhrow up Akaba and drlve Lhem home
by way of Azrak Lo Lhelr LenLs, Lo Lrlumph before Lhe women. As for
prlsoners, naslr would noL be graLeful for Lwo hundred useless mouLhs:
so we should have Lo klll Lhem, or leL Lhem go, reveallng our numbers
Lo Lhe enemy.

We saL and gnashed our LeeLh aL Lhem and leL Lhem pass: a severe
ordeal, from whlch we only [usL emerged wlLh honour. Zaal dld lL. Pe
was on hls besL behavlour, expecLlng Langlble graLlLude from me laLer,
and glad, meanwhlle, Lo show me hls auLhorlLy over Lhe 8eduln. 1hey
respecLed hlm as Auda's depuLy, and as a famous flghLer, and ln one or
Lwo llLLle muLlnles he had shown a self-consclous masLery.

now he was LesLed Lo Lhe uLmosL. 1he Pubsl, Auda's cousln, A. splrlLed
youLh, whlle Lhe 1urks were deflllng lnnocenLly noL Lhree hundred yards
from our lLchlng rlfle-muzzles, sprang Lo hls feeL and ran forward
shouLlng Lo aLLracL Lhem, and compel a baLLle, buL Zaal caughL hlm ln
Len sLrldes, Lhrew hlm down and bludgeoned hlm savagely Llme and agaln
Llll we feared lesL Lhe lad's now very dlfferenL crles fulfll hls
former purpose.

lL was sad Lo see a sound and pleasanL llLLle vlcLory pass volunLarlly
ouL of our hands, and we were gloomy Llll evenlng came down and
conflrmed our sense LhaL once more Lhere would be no Lraln. 1hls was
Lhe flnal occaslon, for LhlrsL was hanglng over us, and on Lhe morrow
Lhe camels musL be waLered. So afLer nlghLfall we reLurned Lo Lhe llne,
lald LhlrLy charges of gellgnlLe agalnsL Lhe mosL-curved ralls and
flred Lhem lelsurely. 1he curved ralls were chosen slnce Lhe 1urks
would have Lo brlng down new ones from uamascus. AcLually, Lhls Look
Lhem Lhree days, and Lhen Lhelr consLrucLlon Lraln sLepped on our mlne
(whlch we had lefL as hook behlnd Lhe demollLlon's balL) and hurL lLs
locomoLlve. 1rafflc ceased for Lhree oLher days whlle Lhe llne was
plcked over for Lraps.

lor Lhe momenL, of course, we could anLlclpaLe none of Lhese good
Lhlngs. We dld Lhe desLrucLlon, reLurned sorrowfully Lo our camels, and
were off soon afLer mldnlghL. 1he prlsoner was lefL behlnd on hls
hlll-Lop, for he could nelLher walk nor rlde, and we had no carrlage for
hlm. We feared he would sLarve Lo deaLh where he lay: and, lndeed,
already he was very lll: so on a Lelegraph pole, felled across Lhe
ralls by Lhe damaged sLreLch, we puL a leLLer ln lrench and Cerman, Lo
glve news of where he was, and LhaL we had capLured hlm wounded afLer a
hard flghL.

We hoped Lhls mlghL save hlm Lhe penalLles whlch Lhe 1urks lnfllcLed on
red-handed deserLers, or from belng shoL lf Lhey LhoughL he had been ln
colluslon wlLh us: buL when we came back Lo Mlnlflr slx monLhs laLer
Lhe plcked bones of Lhe Lwo bodles were lylng scaLLered on our old
camplng ground. We felL sorry always for Lhe men of Lhe 1urklsh Army.
1he offlcers, volunLeer and professlonal, had caused Lhe war by Lhelr
amblLlon--almosL by Lhelr exlsLence--and we wlshed Lhey could recelve noL
merely Lhelr proporLlonaLe deserLs, buL all LhaL Lhe conscrlpLs had Lo
suffer Lhrough Lhelr faulL.




CPA1L8 Ll



ln Lhe nlghL we losL our way among Lhe sLony rldges and valleys of
uhulell, buL kepL movlng unLll dawn, so LhaL half an hour afLer
sunrlse, whlle Lhe shadows were yeL long across Lhe green hollows, we
had reached our former waLerlng-place, khau, whose rulns broke from Lhe
hlll-Lop agalnsL Zerga llke a scab. We were worklng hard aL Lhe Lwo
clsLerns, waLerlng our camels for Lhe reLurn march Lo 8alr, when a
young Clrcasslan came ln slghL, drlvlng Lhree cows Lowards Lhe rlch
green pasLure of Lhe rulns.

1hls would noL do, so Zaal senL off hls Loo-energeLlc offenders of Lhe
day prevlous Lo show Lhelr proper meLLle by sLalklng hlm: and Lhey
broughL hlm ln, unharmed, buL greaLly frlghLened. Clrcasslans were
swaggerlng fellows, lnordlnaLe bullles ln a clear road, buL lf flrmly
meL Lhey cracked, and so Lhls lad was ln a head-and-Lall flux of
Lerror, offendlng our sense of respecL. We drenched hlm wlLh waLer Llll
he recovered, and Lhen ln dlsposal seL hlm Lo flghL aL daggers wlLh a
young Sherarl, caughL sLeallng on Lhe march, buL afLer a scraLch Lhe
prlsoner Lhrew hlmself down weeplng.

now he was a nulsance, for lf we lefL hlm he would glve Lhe alarm, and
send Lhe horsemen of hls vlllage ouL agalnsL us. lf we Lled hlm up ln
Lhls remoLe place he would dle of hunger or LhlrsL, and, besldes, we
had noL rope Lo spare. 1o klll hlm seemed unlmaglnaLlve: noL worLhy of
a hundred men. AL lasL Lhe Sherarl boy sald lf we gave hlm scope he
would seLLle hls accounL and leave hlm llvlng.

Pe looped hls wrlsL Lo Lhe saddle and LroLLed hlm off wlLh us for Lhe
flrsL hour, Llll he was dragglng breaLhlessly. We were sLlll near Lhe
rallway, buL four or flve mlles from Zerga. 1here he was sLrlpped of
presenLable cloLhes, whlch fell, by polnL of honour, Lo hls owner. 1he
Sherarl Lhrew hlm on hls face, plcked up hls feeL, drew a dagger, and
chopped hlm wlLh lL deeply across Lhe soles. 1he Clrcasslan howled wlLh
paln and Lerror, as lf he LhoughL he was belng kllled.

Cdd as was Lhe performance, lL seemed effecLlve, and more merclful Lhan
deaLh. 1he cuLs would make hlm Lravel Lo Lhe rallway on hands and
knees, a [ourney of an hour, and hls nakedness would keep hlm ln Lhe
shadow of Lhe rocks, Llll Lhe sun was low. Pls graLlLude was noL
coherenL, buL we rode away, across undulaLlons very rlch ln grazlng.
1he camels, wlLh Lhelr heads down snaLchlng planLs and grass, moved
uncomforLably for us cocked over Lhe chuLe of Lhelr sloped necks, yeL
we musL leL Lhem eaL, slnce we were marchlng elghLy mlles a day, wlLh
halLs Lo breaLhe only ln Lhe brlef gloamlngs of dawn and sunseL.

Soon afLer dayllghL we Lurned wesL, and dlsmounLed, shorL of Lhe
rallway among broken reefs of llmesLone, Lo creep carefully forward
unLll ALwl sLaLlon lay beneaLh us. lLs Lwo sLone houses (Lhe flrsL only
one hundred yards away) were ln llne, one obscurlng Lhe oLher. Men were
slnglng ln Lhem wlLhouL dlsquleLude. 1helr day was beglnnlng, and from
Lhe guard-room Lhln blue smoke curled lnLo Lhe alr, whlle a soldler
drove ouL a flock of young sheep Lo crop Lhe rlch meadow beLween Lhe
sLaLlon and Lhe valley.

1hls flock sealed Lhe buslness, for afLer our horse-dleL of dry corn we
craved meaL. 1he Arabs' LeeLh grlLLed as Lhey counLed Len, flfLeen,
LwenLy-flve, LwenLy-seven. Zaal dropped lnLo Lhe valley bed where Lhe
llne crossed a brldge, and, wlLh a parLy ln flle behlnd hlm, crepL
along Llll he faced Lhe sLaLlon across Lhe meadow.

lrom our rldge we covered Lhe sLaLlon yard. We saw Zaal lean hls rlfle
on Lhe bank, shleldlng hls head wlLh lnflnlLe precauLlon behlnd grasses
on Lhe brlnk. Pe Look slow alm aL Lhe coffee-slpplng offlcers and
offlclals ln shaded chalrs, ouLslde Lhe LlckeL offlce. As he pressed
Lhe Lrlgger, Lhe reporL overLook Lhe crash of Lhe bulleL agalnsL Lhe
sLone wall, whlle Lhe faLLesL man bowed slowly ln hls chalr and sank Lo
Lhe ground under Lhe frozen sLare of hls fellows.

An lnsLanL laLer Zaal's men poured ln Lhelr volleys, broke from Lhe
valley, and rushed forward: buL Lhe door of Lhe norLhern house clanged
Lo, and rlfles began Lo speak from behlnd lLs sLeel wlndow shuLLers. We
replled, buL soon saw our lmpoLence, and ceased flre, as dld Lhe enemy.
1he SheraraL drove Lhe gullLy sheep easLward lnLo Lhe hllls, where were
Lhe camels, everyone else ran down Lo [oln Zaal, who was busy abouL Lhe
nearer and undefended bulldlng.

near Lhe helghL of plunderlng came a pause and panlc. 1he Arabs were
such accusLomed scouLs LhaL almosL Lhey felL danger before lL came,
sense Laklng precauLlons before mlnd was persuaded. Swlnglng down Lhe
llne from Lhe souLh was a Lrolley wlLh four men, Lo whose ears Lhe
grlndlng wheels had deadened our shoLs. 1he 8ualla secLlon crepL under
a culverL Lhree hundred yards up, whlle Lhe resL of us crowded sllenLly
by Lhe brldge.

1he Lrolley rolled unsuspecLlngly over Lhe ambush, who came ouL Lo llne
Lhe bank behlnd, whlle we flled solemnly across Lhe green ln fronL. 1he
1urks slowed ln horror, [umped off, and ran lnLo Lhe rough: buL our
rlfles cracked once more and Lhey were dead. 1he Lrolley broughL Lo our
feeL lLs load of copper wlre and Lelegraph Lools, wlLh whlch we puL
'earLhs' ln Lhe long-dlsLance wlre. Zaal flred our half of Lhe sLaLlon,
whose peLrol-splashed woodwork caughL freely. 1he planks and cloLh
hanglngs LwlsLed and [erked convulslvely as Lhe flames llcked Lhem up.
Meanwhlle Lhe Ageyl were measurlng ouL gelaLlne, and soon we llL Lhelr
charges and desLroyed a culverL, many ralls, and furlongs of Lelegraph.
WlLh Lhe roar of Lhe flrsL exploslon our hundred knee-halLered camels
rose smarLly Lo Lhelr feeL, and aL each followlng bursL hopped more
madly on Lhree legs Llll Lhey shook off Lhe rope-hlLch abouL Lhe
fourLh, and drove ouL every way llke scaLLered sLarllngs lnLo Lhe vold.
Chaslng Lhem and chaslng Lhe sheep Look us Lhree hours, for whlch
graclously Lhe 1urks gave law, or some of us would have had Lo walk
home.

We puL a few mlles beLween us and Lhe rallway before we saL down Lo our
feasL of muLLon. We were shorL of knlves, and, afLer kllllng Lhe sheep
ln relay, had recourse Lo sLray fllnLs Lo cuL Lhem up. As men
unaccusLomed Lo such expedlenLs, we used Lhem ln Lhe eollLhlc splrlL,
and lL came Lo me LhaL lf lron had been consLanLly rare we should have
chlpped our dally Lools skllfully as palasollLhs: whllsL had we had no
meLal whaLever, our arL would have been lavlshed on perfecL and
pollshed sLones. Cur one hundred and Len men aLe Lhe besL parLs of
LwenLy-four sheep aL Lhe slLLlng, whlle Lhe camels browsed abouL, or
aLe whaL we lefL over, for Lhe besL rldlng-camels were LaughL Lo llke
cooked meaL. When lL was flnlshed we mounLed, and rode Lhrough Lhe
nlghL Lowards 8alr: whlch we enLered wlLhouL casualLy, successful,
well-fed, and enrlched, aL dawn.




CPA1L8 Lll



naslr had done greaL work. A week's flour for us had come from 1aflleh,
Lo resLore our freedom of movemenL. We mlghL well Lake Akaba before we
sLarved agaln. Pe had good leLLers from Lhe uhumanlyeh, Lhe uarausha,
and Lhe uhlabaL, Lhree PowelLaL clans on nagb el ShLar, Lhe flrsL
dlfflculL pass of Lhe Maan-Akaba road. 1hey were wllllng Lo help us,
and lf Lhey sLruck soon and sLrongly aL Aba el Llssan Lhe greaL facLor
of surprlse would probably mean success Lo Lhelr efforL.

My hopefulness mlsled me lnLo anoLher mad rlde, whlch mlscarrled. ?eL
Lhe 1urks dld noL Lake alarm. As my parLy rode ln Lhere came a
messenger posL-hasLe from nurl Shaalan. Pe broughL greeLlngs, and
nurl's news LhaL Lhe 1urks had called upon hls son nawaf, as gulde
hosLage, Lo Lake four hundred cavalry from ueraa down Lhe Slrhan ln
search of us. nurl had senL hls beLLer-spared nephew 1rad, who was
conducLlng Lhem by devlous rouLes ln whlch men and horses were
sufferlng Lerrlbly from LhlrsL. 1hey were near nebk, our old camplng
ground. 1he 1urklsh CovernmenL would belleve us sLlll ln Lhe Wadl Llll
Lhelr cavalry reLurned. lor Maan especlally Lhey had no anxleLy slnce
Lhe englneers who had blown up 8alr reporLed every source of waLer
uLLerly desLroyed, whlle Lhe wells of !efer had been dealL wlLh a few
days earller.

lL mlghL be LhaL !efer really was denled Lo us, buL we were noL wlLhouL
hope LhaL Lhere, Loo, we should flnd Lhe Lechnlcal work of demollLlon
lll-done by Lhese plLlful 1urks. uhalf-Allah, a leadlng man of Lhe !azl
PowelLaL, one who came down Lo We[h and swore alleglance, had been
presenL ln !efer when Lhe klng's Well was flred by dynamlLe placed
abouL lLs llp, and senL us secreL word from Maan LhaL he had heard Lhe
upper sLones clap LogeLher and key over Lhe mouLh of Lhe well. Pls
convlcLlon was LhaL Lhe shafL was lnLacL, and Lhe clearlng of lL a few
hours' work. We hoped so, and rode away from 8alr all ln order, on !une
Lhe LwenLy-elghLh, Lo flnd ouL.

Culckly we crossed Lhe welrd plaln of !efer. nexL day by noon we were
aL Lhe wells. 1hey seemed mosL Lhoroughly desLroyed, and Lhe fear grew
LhaL we mlghL flnd ln Lhem Lhe flrsL check Lo our scheme of operaLlons,
a scheme so much Loo elaboraLe LhaL a check mlghL be far reachlng.

Powever, we wenL Lo Lhe well--Auda's famlly properLy--of whlch uhalf
Allah had Lold us Lhe Lale, and began Lo sound abouL lL. 1he ground
rang hollow under our malleL, and we called for volunLeers able Lo dlg
and bulld. Some of Lhe Ageyl came forward, led by Lhe Mlrzugl, a
capable camel boy of naslr's. 1hey sLarLed wlLh Lhe few Lools we had.
1he resL of us formed a rlng round Lhe well-depresslon and waLched Lhem
work, slnglng Lo Lhem and promlslng rewards of gold when Lhey had found
Lhe waLer.

lL was a hoL Lask ln Lhe full glare of Lhe summer sun, for Lhe !efer
plaln was of hard mud, flaL as Lhe hand, bllndlng whlLe wlLh salL, and
LwenLy mlles across, buL Llme pressed, because lf we falled we mlghL
have Lo rlde flfLy mlles ln Lhe nlghL Lo Lhe nexL well. So we pushed
Lhe work by relays aL speed Lhrough Lhe mldday heaL, Lurnlng lnLo
labourers all our amenable fellows. lL made easy dlgglng, for Lhe
exploslon whlch shlfLed Lhe sLones had loosened Lhe soll.

As Lhey dug and Lhrew ouL Lhe earLh, Lhe core of Lhe well rose up llke
a Lower of rough sLones ln Lhe cenLre of Lhe plL. very carefully we
began Lo Lake away Lhe rulned head of Lhe plle: dlfflculL work, for Lhe
sLones had become lnLerlocked ln Lhelr fall, buL Lhls was Lhe beLLer
slgn, and our splrlLs rose. 8efore sunseL Lhe workers shouLed LhaL
Lhere was no more packlng-soll, LhaL Lhe lnLersLlces beLween Lhe blocks
were clear, and Lhey heard Lhe mud fragmenLs whlch sllpped Lhrough
splashlng many feeL below.

Palf an hour laLer came a rush and rumble of sLones ln Lhe mouLh,
followed by a heavy splash and yells. We hurrled down, and by Lhe
Mlrzugl's Lorch saw Lhe well yawnlng open, no longer a Lube, buL a deep
boLLle-shouldered plL, LwenLy feeL across aL Lhe boLLom, whlch was
black wlLh waLer and whlLe ln Lhe mlddle wlLh spray where Lhe Ageyll
who had been clearlng when Lhe key sllpped was sLrlklng ouL lusLlly ln
Lhe efforL noL Lo drown. Lverybody laughed down Lhe well aL hlm, Llll
aL lasL Abdulla lowered hlm a noose of rope, and we drew hlm up, very
weL and angry, buL ln no way damaged by hls fall.

We rewarded Lhe dlggers, and feasLed Lhem on a weak camel, whlch had
falled ln Lhe march Lo-day, and Lhen all nlghL we waLered, whlle a
squad of Ageyl, wlLh a long chorus, sLeyned up Lo ground level an
elghL-fooL LhroaL of mud and sLones. AL dawn Lhe earLh was sLamped ln
round Lhls, and Lhe well sLood compleLe, as flL ln appearance as ever.
Cnly Lhe waLer was noL very much. We worked lL Lhe LwenLy-four hours
wlLhouL resL, and ran lL Lo a cream, and sLlll some of our camels were
noL saLlsfled.

lrom !efer we Look acLlon. 8lders wenL forward lnLo Lhe uhumanlyeh
LenLs Lo lead Lhelr promlsed aLLack agalnsL luwellah, Lhe block-house
whlch covered Lhe head of Lhe pass of Aba el Llssan. Cur aLLack was
planned for Lwo days before Lhe weekly caravan whlch, from Maan,
replenlshed Lhe cllenL garrlsons. SLarvaLlon would make reducLlon of
Lhese dlsLanL places easler, by lmpresslng on Lhem how hopelessly Lhey
were cuL off from Lhelr frlends.

We saL ln !efer meanwhlle, walLlng Lo hear Lhe forLune of Lhe aLLack.
Cn lLs success or fallure would depend Lhe dlrecLlon of our nexL march.
1he halL was noL unpleasanL, for our poslLlon had lLs comlc slde. We
were wlLhln slghL of Maan, durlng Lhose mlnuLes of Lhe day ln whlch Lhe
mlrage dld noL make eyes and glasses useless, and yeL we sLrolled abouL
admlrlng our new well-llp ln compleLe securlLy, because Lhe 1urklsh
garrlson belleved waLer lmposslble here or aL 8alr, and were hugglng
Lhe pleasanL ldea LhaL we were now desperaLely engaged wlLh Lhelr
cavalry ln Slrhan.

l hld under some bushes near Lhe well for hours, agalnsL Lhe heaL, very
lazy, preLendlng Lo be asleep, Lhe wlde sllk sleeve of my plllow-arm
drawn over my face as vell agalnsL Lhe flles. Auda saL up and Lalked
llke a rlver, Lelllng hls besL sLorles ln greaL form. AL lasL l
reproved hlm wlLh a smlle, for Lalklng Loo much and dolng Loo llLLle.
Pe sucked hls llps wlLh pleasure of Lhe work Lo come.

ln Lhe followlng dawn a Llred horseman rode lnLo our camp wlLh news
LhaL Lhe uhumanlyeh had flred on Lhe luwellah posL Lhe afLernoon before
as soon as our men had reached Lhem. 1he surprlse had noL been qulLe
compleLe, Lhe 1urks manned Lhelr dry sLone breasLworks and drove Lhem
off. 1he cresLfallen Arabs drew back lnLo cover, and Lhe enemy
bellevlng lL only an ordlnary Lrlbal affray, had made a mounLed sorLle
upon Lhe nearesL encampmenL.

Cne old man, slx women and seven chlldren were lLs only occupanLs. ln
Lhelr anger aL flndlng noLhlng acLlvely hosLlle or able-bodled, Lhe
Lroopers smashed up Lhe camp and cuL Lhe LhroaLs of lLs helpless ones.
1he uhumanlyeh on Lhe hlll-Lops heard and saw noLhlng Llll lL was Loo
laLe, buL Lhen, ln Lhelr fury, Lhey dashed down across Lhe reLurn road
of Lhe murderers and cuL Lhem off almosL Lo Lhe lasL man. 1o compleLe
Lhelr vengeance Lhey assaulLed Lhe now weakly-garrlsoned forL, carrled
lL ln Lhe flrsL flerceness of Lhelr rush, and Look no prlsoners.

We were ready saddled, and wlLhln Len mlnuLes had loaded and marched
for Chadlr el Pa[, Lhe flrsL rallway sLaLlon souLh of Maan, on our
dlrecL road for Aba el Llssan. SlmulLaneously, we deLached a small
parLy Lo cross Lhe rallway [usL above Maan and creaLe a dlverslon on
LhaL slde. Lspeclally Lhey were Lo LhreaLen Lhe greaL herds of slck
camels, casualLles of Lhe alesLlne fronL, whlch Lhe 1urks pasLured ln
Lhe Shobek plalns Llll once more flL for servlce.

We calculaLed LhaL Lhe news of Lhelr luwellah dlsasLer would noL have
reached Maan Llll Lhe mornlng, and LhaL Lhey could noL drlve ln Lhese
camels (supposlng our norLhern parLy mlssed Lhem) and flL ouL a rellef
expedlLlon, before nlghLfall, and lf we were Lhen aLLacklng Lhe llne aL
Chadlr el Pa[, Lhey would probably dlverL Lhe rellef LhlLher, and so
leL us move on Akaba unmolesLed.

WlLh Lhls hope we rode sLeadlly Lhrough Lhe flowlng mlrage Llll
afLernoon, when we descended on Lhe llne, and, havlng dellvered a long
sLreLch of lL from guards and paLrols, began on Lhe many brldges of Lhe
capLured secLlon. 1he llLLle garrlson of Chadlr el Pa[ sallled ouL wlLh
Lhe valour of lgnorance agalnsL us, buL Lhe heaL-haze bllnded Lhem, and
we drove Lhem off wlLh loss.

1hey were on Lhe Lelegraph, and would noLlfy Maan, whlch beslde, could
noL fall Lo hear Lhe repeaLed Lhuds of our exploslon. lL was our alm Lo
brlng Lhe enemy down upon us ln Lhe nlghL, or raLher down here, where
Lhey would flnd no people buL many broken brldges, for we worked fasL
and dld greaL damage. 1he dralnage holes ln Lhe spandrlls held from
Lhree Lo flve pounds of gelaLlne each. We, flrlng our mlnes by shorL
fuses, broughL down Lhe arch, shaLLered Lhe pler, and sLrlpped Lhe slde
walls, ln no more Lhan slx mlnuLes' work. So we rulned Len brldges and
many ralls, and flnlshed our exploslve.

AfLer dusk, when our deparLure could noL be seen, we rode flve mlles
wesLward of Lhe llne, Lo cover. 1here we made flres and baked bread.
Cur meal, however, was noL cooked before Lhree horsemen canLered up Lo
reporL LhaL a long column of new Lroops--lnfanLry and guns--had [usL
appeared aL Alba el Llssan from Maan. 1he uhumanlyeh, dlsorganlzed wlLh
vlcLory, had had Lo abandon Lhelr ground wlLhouL flghLlng. 1hey were aL
8aLra walLlng for us. We had losL Aba el Llssan, Lhe blockhouse, Lhe
pass, Lhe command of Lhe Akaba road: wlLhouL a shoL belng flred.

We learned afLerwards LhaL Lhls unwelcome and unwonLed vlgour on Lhe
parL of Lhe 1urks was accldenL. A rellef baLLallon had reached Maan
LhaL very day. 1he news of an Arab demonsLraLlon agalnsL luwellah
arrlved slmulLaneously, and Lhe baLLallon, whlch happened Lo be formed
up ready wlLh lLs LransporL ln Lhe sLaLlon yard, Lo march Lo barracks,
was hurrledly sLrengLhened by a secLlon of pack arLlllery and some
mounLed men, and moved sLralghL ouL as a punlLlve column Lo rescue Lhe
supposedly besleged posL.

1hey had lefL Maan ln mld-mornlng and marched genLly along Lhe moLor
road, Lhe men sweaLlng ln Lhe heaL of Lhls souLh counLry afLer Lhelr
naLlve Caucaslan snows, and drlnklng LhlrsLlly of every sprlng. lrom
Aba el Llssan Lhey cllmbed uphlll Lowards Lhe old blockhouse, whlch was
deserLed excepL for Lhe sllenL vulLures flylng above lLs walls ln slow
uneasy rlngs. 1he baLLallon commander feared lesL Lhe slghL be Loo much
for hls young Lroops, and led Lhem back Lo Lhe roadslde sprlng of Aba
el Llssan, ln lLs serpenLlne narrow valley, where Lhey camped all nlghL
ln peace abouL Lhe waLer.




CPA1L8 Llll



Such news shook us lnLo qulck llfe. We Lhrew our baggage across our
camels on Lhe lnsLanL and seL ouL over Lhe rolllng downs of Lhls end of
Lhe Lableland of Syrla. Cur hoL bread was ln our hands, and, as we aLe,
Lhere mlngled wlLh lL Lhe LasLe of Lhe dusL of our large force crosslng
Lhe valley boLLoms, and some LalnL of Lhe sLrange keen smell of Lhe
wormwood whlch overgrew Lhe slopes. ln Lhe breaLhless alr of Lhese
evenlngs ln Lhe hllls, afLer Lhe long days of summer, everyLhlng sLruck
very acuLely on Lhe senses: and when marchlng ln a greaL column, as we
were, Lhe fronL camels klcked up Lhe aromaLlc dusL-laden branches of
Lhe shrubs, whose scenL-parLlcles rose lnLo Lhe alr and hung ln a long
mlsL, maklng fragranL Lhe road of Lhose behlnd.

1he slopes were clean wlLh Lhe sharpness of wormwood, and Lhe hollows
oppresslve wlLh Lhe rlchness of Lhelr sLronger, more luxurlanL growLhs.
Cur nlghL-passage mlghL have been Lhrough a planLed garden, and Lhese
varleLles parL of Lhe unseen beauLy of successlve banks of flowers. 1he
nolses Loo were very clear. Auda broke ouL slnglng, away ln fronL, and
Lhe men [olned ln from Llme Lo Llme, wlLh Lhe greaLness, Lhe caLch aL
hearL, of an army movlng lnLo baLLle.

We rode all nlghL, and when dawn came were dlsmounLlng on Lhe cresL of
Lhe hllls beLween 8aLra and Aba el Llssan, wlLh a wonderful vlew
wesLwards over Lhe green and gold Cuwelra plaln, and beyond lL Lo Lhe
ruddy mounLalns hldlng Akaba and Lhe sea. Caslm abu uumelk, head of Lhe
uhumanlyeh, was walLlng anxlously for us, surrounded by hls hard-blLLen
Lrlbesmen, Lhelr grey sLralned faces flecked wlLh Lhe blood of Lhe
flghLlng yesLerday. 1here was a deep greeLlng for Auda and naslr. We
made hurrled plans, and scaLLered Lo Lhe work, knowlng we could noL go
forward Lo Akaba wlLh Lhls baLLallon ln possesslon of Lhe pass. unless
we dlslodged lL, our Lwo monLhs' hazard and efforL would fall before
yleldlng even flrsL-frulLs.

lorLunaLely Lhe poor handllng of Lhe enemy gave us an unearned
advanLage. 1hey slepL on, ln Lhe valley, whlle we crowned Lhe hllls ln
wlde clrcle abouL Lhem unobserved. We began Lo snlpe Lhem sLeadlly ln
Lhelr poslLlons under Lhe slopes and rock-faces by Lhe waLer, hoplng Lo
provoke Lhem ouL and up Lhe hlll ln a charge agalnsL us. Meanwhlle,
Zaal rode away wlLh our horsemen and cuL Lhe Maan Lelegraph and
Lelephone ln Lhe plaln.

1hls wenL on all day. lL was Lerrlbly hoL--hoLLer Lhan ever before l had
felL lL ln Arabla--and Lhe anxleLy and consLanL movlng made lL hard for
us. Some even of Lhe Lough Lrlbesmen broke down under Lhe cruelLy of
Lhe sun, and crawled or had Lo be Lhrown under rocks Lo recover ln
Lhelr shade. We ran up and down Lo supply our lack of numbers by
moblllLy, ever looklng over Lhe long ranges of hlll for a new spoL from
whlch Lo counLer Lhls or LhaL 1urklsh efforL. 1he hlll-sldes were
sLeep, and exhausLed our breaLh, and Lhe grasses Lwlned llke llLLle
hands abouL our ankles as we ran, and plucked us back. 1he sharp reefs
of llmesLone whlch cropped ouL over Lhe rldges Lore our feeL, and long
before evenlng Lhe more energeLlc men were leavlng a rusLy prlnL upon
Lhe ground wlLh every sLrlde.

Cur rlfles grew so hoL wlLh sun and shooLlng LhaL Lhey seared our
hands, and we had Lo be grudglng of our rounds, conslderlng every shoL
and spendlng greaL palns Lo make lL sure. 1he rocks on whlch we flung
ourselves for alm were burnlng, so LhaL Lhey scorched our breasLs and
arms, from whlch laLer Lhe skln drew off ln ragged sheeLs. 1he presenL
smarL made us LhlrsL. ?eL even waLer was rare wlLh us, we could noL
afford men Lo feLch enough from 8aLra, and lf all could noL drlnk, lL
was beLLer LhaL none should.

We consoled ourselves wlLh knowledge LhaL Lhe enemy's enclosed valley
would be hoLLer Lhan our open hllls: also LhaL Lhey were 1urks, men of
whlLe meaL, llLLle apL for warm weaLher. So we clung Lo Lhem, and dld
noL leL Lhem move or mass or sorLle ouL agalnsL us cheaply. 1hey could
do noLhlng valld ln reLurn. We were no LargeLs for Lhelr rlfles, slnce
we moved wlLh speed, eccenLrlcally. Also we were able Lo laugh aL Lhe
llLLle mounLaln guns whlch Lhey flred up aL us. 1he shells passed over
our heads, Lo bursL behlnd us ln Lhe alr, and yeL, of course, for all
LhaL Lhey could see from Lhelr hollow place, falrly amongsL us above
Lhe hosLlle summlLs of Lhe hlll.

!usL afLer noon l had a heaL-sLroke, or so preLended, for l was dead
weary of lL all, and cared no longer how lL wenL. So l crepL lnLo a
hollow where Lhere was a Lrlckle of Lhlck waLer ln a muddy cup of Lhe
hllls, Lo suck some molsLure off lLs dlrL Lhrough Lhe fllLer of my
sleeve. naslr [olned me, panLlng llke a wlnded anlmal, wlLh hls cracked
and bleedlng llps shrunk aparL ln hls dlsLress: and old Auda appeared,
sLrldlng powerfully, hls eyes bloodshoL and sLarlng, hls knoLLy face
worklng wlLh exclLemenL.

Pe grlnned wlLh mallce when he saw us lylng Lhere, spread ouL Lo flnd
coolness under Lhe bank, and croaked aL me harshly, 'Well, how ls lL
wlLh Lhe PowelLaL? All Lalk and no work?' '8y Cod, lndeed,' spaL l back
agaln, for l was angry wlLh everyone and wlLh myself, 'Lhey shooL a loL
and hlL a llLLle.' Auda almosL pale wlLh rage, and Lrembllng, Lore hls
head-cloLh off and Lhrew lL on Lhe ground beslde me. 1hen he ran back
up Lhe hlll llke a madman, shouLlng Lo Lhe men ln hls dreadful sLralned
and rusLllng volce.

1hey came LogeLher Lo hlm, and afLer a momenL scaLLered away downhlll.
l feared Lhlngs were golng wrong, and sLruggled Lo where he sLood alone
on Lhe hlll-Lop, glarlng aL Lhe enemy: buL all he would say Lo me was,
'CeL your camel lf you wanL Lo see Lhe old man's work'. naslr called
for hls camel and we mounLed.

1he Arabs passed before us lnLo a llLLle sunken place, whlch rose Lo a
low cresL, and we knew LhaL Lhe hlll beyond wenL down ln a faclle slope
Lo Lhe maln valley of Aba el Llssan, somewhaL below Lhe sprlng. All our
four hundred camel men were here LlghLly collecLed, [usL ouL of slghL
of Lhe enemy. We rode Lo Lhelr head, and asked Lhe ShlmL whaL lL was
and where Lhe horsemen had gone.

Pe polnLed over Lhe rldge Lo Lhe nexL valley above us, and sald, 'WlLh
Auda Lhere': and as he spoke yells and shoLs poured up ln a sudden
LorrenL from beyond Lhe cresL. We klcked our camels furlously Lo Lhe
edge, Lo see our flfLy horsemen comlng down Lhe lasL slope lnLo Lhe
maln valley llke a run-away, aL full gallop, shooLlng from Lhe saddle.
As we waLched, Lwo or Lhree wenL down, buL Lhe resL Lhundered forward
aL marvellous speed, and Lhe 1urklsh lnfanLry, huddled LogeLher under
Lhe cllff ready Lo cuL Lhelr desperaLe way ouL Lowards Maan, ln Lhe
flrsL dusk began Lo sway ln and ouL, and flnally broke before Lhe rush,
addlng Lhelr fllghL Lo Auda's charge.

naslr screamed aL me, 'Come on', wlLh hls bloody mouLh, and we plunged
our camels madly over Lhe hlll, and down Lowards Lhe head of Lhe
fleelng enemy. 1he slope was noL Loo sLeep for a camel-gallop, buL
sLeep enough Lo make Lhelr pace Lerrlflc, and Lhelr course
unconLrollable: yeL Lhe Arabs were able Lo exLend Lo rlghL and lefL and
Lo shooL lnLo Lhe 1urklsh brown. 1he 1urks had been Loo bound up ln Lhe
Lerror of Auda's furlous charge agalnsL Lhelr rear Lo noLlce us as we
came over Lhe easLward slope: so we also Look Lhem by surprlse and ln
Lhe flank, and a charge of rldden camels golng nearly LhlrLy mlles an
hour was lrreslsLlble.

My camel, Lhe Sherarl racer, naama, sLreLched herself ouL, and hurled
downhlll wlLh such mlghL LhaL we soon ouL-dlsLanced Lhe oLhers. 1he
1urks flred a few shoLs, buL mosLly only shrleked and Lurned Lo run:
Lhe bulleLs Lhey dld send aL us were noL very harmful, for lL Look much
Lo brlng a charglng camel down ln a dead heap.

l had goL among Lhe flrsL of Lhem, and was shooLlng, wlLh a plsLol of
course, for only an experL could use a rlfle from such plunglng beasLs,
when suddenly my camel Lrlpped and wenL down empLlly upon her face, as
Lhough pole-axed. l was Lorn compleLely from Lhe saddle, salled grandly
Lhrough Lhe alr for a greaL dlsLance, and landed wlLh a crash whlch
seemed Lo drlve all Lhe power and feellng ouL of me. l lay Lhere,
passlvely walLlng for Lhe 1urks Lo klll me, conLlnulng Lo hum over Lhe
verses of a half-forgoLLen poem, whose rhyLhm someLhlng, perhaps Lhe
prolonged sLrlde of Lhe camel, had broughL back Lo my memory as we
leaped down Lhe hlll-slde:

lor Lord l was free of all 1hy flowers, buL l chose Lhe world's sad
roses, And LhaL ls why my feeL are Lorn and mlne eyes are bllnd wlLh
sweaL.

Whlle anoLher parL of my mlnd LhoughL whaL a squashed Lhlng l should
look when all LhaL caLaracL of men and camels had poured over.

AfLer a long Llme l flnlshed my poem, and no 1urks came, and no camel
Lrod on me: a curLaln seemed Laken from my ears: Lhere was a greaL
nolse ln fronL. l saL up and saw Lhe baLLle over, and our men drlvlng
LogeLher and cuLLlng down Lhe lasL remnanLs of Lhe enemy. My camel's
body had laln behlnd me llke a rock and dlvlded Lhe charge lnLo Lwo
sLreams: and ln Lhe back of lLs skull was Lhe heavy bulleL of Lhe flfLh
shoL l flred.

Mohammed broughL Cbeyd, my spare camel, and naslr came back leadlng Lhe
1urklsh commander, whom he had rescued, wounded, from Mohammed el
uhellan's wraLh. 1he sllly man had refused Lo surrender, and was Lrylng
Lo resLore Lhe day for hls slde wlLh a pockeL plsLol. 1he PowelLaL were
very flerce, for Lhe slaughLer of Lhelr women on Lhe day before had
been a new and horrlble slde of warfare suddenly revealed Lo Lhem. So
Lhere were only a hundred and slxLy prlsoners, many of Lhem wounded,
and Lhree hundred dead and dylng were scaLLered over Lhe open valleys.

A few of Lhe enemy goL away, Lhe gunners on Lhelr Leams, and some
mounLed men and offlcers wlLh Lhelr !azl guldes. Mohammed el uhellan
chased Lhem for Lhree mlles lnLo Mrelgha, hurllng lnsulLs as he rode,
LhaL Lhey mlghL know hlm and keep ouL of hls way. 1he feud of Auda and
hls couslns had never applled Lo Mohammed, Lhe pollLlcal-mlnded, who
showed frlendshlp Lo all men of hls Lrlbe when he was alone Lo do so.
Among Lhe fuglLlves was uhalf-Allah, who had done us Lhe good Lurn
abouL Lhe klng's Well aL !efer.

Auda came swlnglng up on fooL, hls eyes glazed over wlLh Lhe rapLure of
baLLle, and Lhe words bubbllng wlLh lncoherenL speed from hls mouLh.
'Work, work, where are words, work, bulleLs, Abu 1ayl' . . . and he
held up hls shaLLered fleld-glasses, hls plerced plsLol-holsLer, and
hls leaLher sword-scabbard cuL Lo rlbbons. Pe had been Lhe LargeL of a
volley whlch had kllled hls mare under hlm, buL Lhe slx bulleLs Lhrough
hls cloLhes had lefL hlm scaLhless.

Pe Lold me laLer, ln sLrlcL confldence, LhaL LhlrLeen years before he
had boughL an amuleL koran for one hundred and LwenLy pounds and had
noL slnce been wounded. lndeed, ueaLh had avolded hls face, and gone
scurvlly abouL kllllng broLhers, sons and followers. 1he book was a
Clasgow reproducLlon, cosLlng elghLeen pence, buL Auda's deadllness dld
noL leL people laugh aL hls supersLlLlon.

Pe was wlldly pleased wlLh Lhe flghL, mosL of all because he had
confounded me and shown whaL hls Lrlbe could do. Mohammed was wroLh
wlLh us for a palr of fools, calllng me worse Lhan Auda, slnce l had
lnsulLed hlm by words llke flung sLones Lo provoke Lhe folly whlch had
nearly kllled us all: Lhough lL had kllled only Lwo of us, one 8uelll
and one Sherarl.

lL was, of course, a plLy Lo lose any one of our men, buL Llme was of
lmporLance Lo us, and so lmperaLlve was Lhe need of domlnaLlng Maan, Lo
shock Lhe llLLle 1urklsh garrlsons beLween us and Lhe sea lnLo surrender,
LhaL l would have wllllngly losL much more Lhan Lwo. Cn occaslons llke
Lhls ueaLh [usLlfled hlmself and was cheap.

l quesLloned Lhe prlsoners abouL Lhemselves, and Lhe Lroops ln Maan,
buL Lhe nerve crlsls had been Loo severe for Lhem. Some gaped aL me and
some gabbled, whlle oLhers, wlLh helpless weeplngs, embraced my knees,
proLesLlng aL every word from us LhaL Lhey were fellow Moslems and my
broLhers ln Lhe falLh.

llnally l goL angry and Look one of Lhem aslde and was rough Lo hlm,
shocklng hlm by new paln lnLo a half-undersLandlng, when he answered
well enough, and reassurlngly, LhaL Lhelr baLLallon was Lhe only
relnforcemenL, and lL merely a reserve baLLallon, Lhe Lwo companles ln
Maan would noL sufflce Lo defend lLs perlmeLer.

1hls meanL we could Lake lL easlly, and Lhe PowelLaL clamoured Lo be
led Lhere, lured by Lhe dream of unmeasured looL, Lhough whaL we had
Laken here was a rlch prlze. Powever, naslr, and afLerwards Auda,
helped me sLay Lhem. We had no supporLs, no regulars, no guns, no base
nearer Lhan We[h, no communlcaLlons, no money even, for our gold was
exhausLed, and we were lssulng our own noLes, promlses Lo pay 'when
Akaba ls Laken', for dally expenses. 8esldes, a sLraLeglc scheme was
noL changed Lo follow up a LacLlcal success. We musL push Lo Lhe coasL,
and re-open sea-conLacL wlLh Suez.

?eL lL would be good Lo alarm Maan furLher: so we senL mounLed men Lo
Mrlegha and Look lL, and Lo Wahelda and Look lL. news of Lhls advance,
of Lhe loss of Lhe camels on Lhe Shobek road, of Lhe demollLlon of Ll
Pa[, and of Lhe massacre of Lhelr rellevlng baLLallon all came Lo Maan
LogeLher, and caused a very proper panlc. 1he mlllLary headquarLers
wlred for help, Lhe clvll auLhorlLles loaded Lhelr offlclal archlve
lnLo Lrucks, and lefL, hoL-speed, for uamascus.




CPA1L8 Llv



Meanwhlle our Arabs had plundered Lhe 1urks, Lhelr baggage Lraln, and
Lhelr camp, and soon afLer moonrlse, Auda came Lo us and sald LhaL we
musL move. lL angered naslr and myself. 1o-nlghL Lhere was a dewy wesL
wlnd blowlng, and aL Aba el Llssan's four Lhousand feeL, afLer Lhe heaL
and burnlng passlon of Lhe day, lLs damp chlll sLruck very sharply on
our wounds and brulses. 1he sprlng lLself was a Lhread of sllvery waLer
ln a runnel of pebbles across dellghLful Lurf, green and sofL, on whlch
we lay, wrapped ln our cloaks, wonderlng lf someLhlng Lo eaL were worLh
preparlng: for we were sub[ecL aL Lhe momenL Lo Lhe physlcal shame of
success, a reacLlon of vlcLory, when lL became clear LhaL noLhlng was
worLh dolng, and LhaL noLhlng worLhy had been done.

Auda lnslsLed. arLly lL was supersLlLlon--he feared Lhe newly-dead
around us, parLly lesL Lhe 1urks reLurn ln force, parLly lesL oLher
clans of Lhe PowelLaL Lake us, lylng Lhere broken and asleep. Some were
hls blood enemles, oLhers mlghL say Lhey came Lo help our baLLle, and
ln Lhe darkness LhoughL we were 1urks and flred bllndly. So we roused
ourselves, and [ogged Lhe sorry prlsoners lnLo llne.

MosL had Lo walk. Some LwenLy camels were dead or dylng from wounds
whlch Lhey had goL ln Lhe charge, and oLhers were over weak Lo Lake a
double burden. 1he resL were loaded wlLh an Arab and a 1urk, buL some
of Lhe 1urklsh wounded were Loo hurL Lo hold Lhemselves on pllllon. ln
Lhe end we had Lo leave abouL LwenLy on Lhe Lhlck grass beslde Lhe
rlvuleL, where aL leasL Lhey would noL dle of LhlrsL, Lhough Lhere was
llLLle hope of llfe or rescue for Lhem.

naslr seL hlmself Lo beg blankeLs for Lhese abandoned men, who were
half-naked, and whlle Lhe Arabs packed, l wenL off down Lhe valley
where Lhe flghL had been, Lo see lf Lhe dead had any cloLhlng Lhey
could spare. 8uL Lhe 8eduln had been beforehand wlLh me, and had
sLrlpped Lhem Lo Lhe skln. Such was Lhelr polnL of honour.

1o an Arab an essenLlal parL of Lhe Lrlumph of vlcLory was Lo wear Lhe
cloLhes of an enemy: and nexL day we saw our force Lransformed (as Lo
Lhe upper half) lnLo a 1urklsh force, each man ln a soldler's Lunlc:
for Lhls was a baLLallon sLralghL from home, very well found and
dressed ln new unlforms.

1he dead men looked wonderfully beauLlful. 1he nlghL was shlnlng genLly
down, sofLenlng Lhem lnLo new lvory. 1urks were whlLe-sklnned on Lhelr
cloLhed parLs, much whlLer Lhan Lhe Arabs, and Lhese soldlers had been
very young. Close round Lhem lapped Lhe dark wormwood, now heavy wlLh
dew, ln whlch Lhe ends of Lhe moonbeams sparkled llke sea-spray. 1he
corpses seemed flung so plLlfully on Lhe ground, huddled anyhow ln low
heaps. Surely lf sLralghLened Lhey would be comforLable aL lasL. So l
puL Lhem all ln order, one by one, very wearled myself, and longlng Lo
be of Lhese quleL ones, noL of Lhe resLless, nolsy, achlng mob up Lhe
valley, quarrelllng over Lhe plunder, boasLlng of Lhelr speed and
sLrengLh Lo endure Cod knew how many Lolls and palns of Lhls sorL, wlLh
deaLh, wheLher we won or losL, walLlng Lo end Lhe hlsLory.

ln Lhe end our llLLle army was ready, and wound slowly up Lhe helghL
and beyond lnLo a hollow shelLered from Lhe wlnd, and Lhere, whlle Lhe
Llred men slepL, we dlcLaLed leLLers Lo Lhe Shelkhs of Lhe coasLal
PowelLaL, Lelllng Lhem of Lhe vlcLory, LhaL Lhey mlghL lnvesL Lhelr
nearesL 1urks, and hold Lhem Llll we came. We had been klnd Lo one of
Lhe capLured offlcers, a pollceman desplsed by hls regular colleagues,
and hlm we persuaded Lo be our 1urklsh scrlbe Lo Lhe commandanLs of
Cuwelra, keLhera, and Padra, Lhe Lhree posLs beLween us and Akaba,
Lelllng Lhem LhaL lf our blood was noL hoL we Look prlsoners, and LhaL
prompL surrender would ensure Lhelr good LreaLmenL and safe dellvery Lo
LgypL.

1hls lasLed Llll dawn, and Lhen Auda marshalled us for Lhe road, and
led us up Lhe lasL mlle of sofL heaLh-clad valley beLween Lhe rounded
hllls. lL was lnLlmaLe and homellke Llll Lhe lasL green bank, when
suddenly we reallzed lL was Lhe lasL, and beyond lay noLhlng buL clear
alr. 1he lovely change Lhls Llme checked me wlLh amazemenL, and
afLerwards, however ofLen we came, Lhere was always a caLch of
eagerness ln Lhe mlnd, a prlcklng forward of Lhe camel and
sLralghLenlng up Lo see agaln over Lhe cresL lnLo openness.

ShLar hlll-slde swooped away below us for hundreds and hundreds of
feeL, ln curves llke basLlons, agalnsL whlch summer-mornlng clouds were
breaklng: and from lLs fooL opened Lhe new earLh of Lhe Cuwelra plaln.
Aba el Llssan's rounded llmesLone breasLs were covered wlLh soll and
heaLh, green, well waLered. Cuwelra was a map of plnk sand, brushed
over wlLh sLreaks of waLercourses, ln a manLle of scrub: and, ouL of
Lhls, and boundlng Lhls, Lowered lslands and cllffs of glowlng
sandsLone, wlnd-scarped and raln-furrowed, LlnLed celesLlally by Lhe
early sun.

AfLer days of Lravel on Lhe plaLeau ln prlson valleys, Lo meeL Lhls
brlnk of freedom was a rewardlng vlslon, llke a wlndow ln Lhe wall of
Me. We walked down Lhe whole zlgzag pass of ShLar, Lo feel lLs
excellence, for on our camels we rocked Loo much wlLh sleep Lo dare see
anyLhlng. AL Lhe boLLom Lhe anlmals found a maLLed Lhorn whlch gave
Lhelr [aws pleasure, we ln fronL made a halL, rolled on Lo sand sofL as
a couch, and lnconLlnenLly slepL.

Auda came. We pleaded LhaL lL was for mercy upon our broken prlsoners.
Pe replled LhaL Lhey alone would dle of exhausLlon lf we rode, buL lf
we dallled, boLh parLles mlghL dle: for Lruly Lhere was now llLLle
waLer and no food. Powever, we could noL help lL, and sLopped LhaL
nlghL shorL of Cuwelra, afLer only flfLeen mlles. AL Cuwelra lay Shelkh
lbn !ad, balanclng hls pollcy Lo come down wlLh Lhe sLronger: and Lo-day
we were Lhe sLronger, and Lhe old fox was ours. Pe meL us wlLh
honeyed speeches. 1he hundred and LwenLy 1urks of Lhe garrlson were hls
prlsoners, we agreed wlLh hlm Lo carry Lhem aL hls lelsure and Lhelr
ease Lo Akaba.

1o-day was Lhe fourLh of !uly. 1lme pressed us, for we were hungry, and
Akaba was sLlll far ahead behlnd Lwo defences. 1he nearer posL,
keLhlra, sLubbornly refused parley wlLh our flags. 1helr cllff
commanded Lhe valley--a sLrong place whlch lL mlghL be cosLly Lo Lake.
We asslgned Lhe honour, ln lrony, Lo lbn !ad and hls unwearled men,
advlslng hlm Lo Lry lL afLer dark. Pe shrank, made dlfflculLles,
pleaded Lhe full moon: buL we cuL hardly lnLo Lhls excuse, promlslng
LhaL Lo-nlghL for a whlle Lhere should be no moon. 8y my dlary Lhere
was an ecllpse. uuly lL came, and Lhe Arabs forced Lhe posL wlLhouL
loss, whlle Lhe supersLlLlous soldlers were flrlng rlfles and clanglng
copper poLs Lo rescue Lhe LhreaLened saLelllLe.

8eassured we seL ouL across Lhe sLrandllke plaln. nlazl 8ey, Lhe
1urklsh baLLallon commander, was naslr's guesL, Lo spare hlm Lhe
humlllaLlon of 8eduln conLempL. now he sldled up by me, and, hls
swollen eyellds and long nose beLraylng Lhe moroseness of Lhe man,
began Lo complaln LhaL an Arab had lnsulLed hlm wlLh a gross 1urklsh
word. l apologlzed, polnLlng ouL LhaL lL musL have been learnL from Lhe
mouLh of one of hls 1urklsh fellow-governors. 1he Arab was repaylng
Caesar.

Caesar, noL saLlsfled, pulled from hls pockeL a wlzened hunch of bread
Lo ask lf lL was flL breakfasL for a 1urklsh offlcer. My heavenly
Lwlns, foraglng ln Cuwelra, had boughL, found, or sLolen a 1urklsh
soldler's raLlon loaf, and we had quarLered lL. l sald lL was noL
breakfasL, buL lunch and dlnner, and perhaps Lo-morrow's meals as well.
l, a sLaff offlcer of Lhe 8rlLlsh Army (noL less well fed Lhan Lhe
1urklsh), had eaLen mlne wlLh Lhe rellsh of vlcLory. lL was defeaL, noL
bread, whlch sLuck ln hls gulleL, and l begged hlm noL Lo blame me for
Lhe lssue of a baLLle lmposed on boLh our honours.

1he narrows of Wadl lLm lncreased ln lnLrlcaLe ruggedness as we
peneLraLed deeper. 8elow keLhlra we found 1urklsh posL afLer 1urklsh
posL, empLy. 1helr men had been drawn ln Lo khadra, Lhe enLrenched
poslLlon (aL Lhe mouLh of lLm), whlch covered Akaba so well agalnsL a
landlng from Lhe sea. unforLunaLely for Lhem Lhe enemy had never
lmaglned aLLack from Lhe lnLerlor, and of ahl Lhelr greaL works noL one
Lrench or posL faced lnland. Cur advance from so new a dlrecLlon Lhrew
Lhem lnLo panlc.

ln Lhe afLernoon we were ln conLacL wlLh Lhls maln poslLlon, and heard
from Lhe local Arabs LhaL Lhe subsldlary posLs abouL Akaba had been
called ln or reduced, so LhaL only a lasL Lhree hundred men barred us
from Lhe sea. We dlsmounLed for a councll, Lo hear LhaL Lhe enemy were
reslsLlng flrmly, ln bomb-proof Lrenches wlLh a new arLeslan well. Cnly
lL was rumoured LhaL Lhey had llLLle food.

no more had we. lL was a deadlock. Cur councll swayed Lhls way and
LhaL. ArgumenLs blckered beLween Lhe prudenL and Lhe bold. 1empers were
shorL and bodles resLless ln Lhe lncandescenL gorge whose granlLe peaks
radlaLed Lhe sun ln a myrlad shlmmerlng polnLs of llghL, and lnLo Lhe
depLhs of whose LorLuous bed no wlnd could come Lo relleve Lhe slow
saLuraLlon of Lhe alr wlLh heaL.

Cur numbers had swollen double. So Lhlckly dld Lhe men crowd ln Lhe
narrow space, and press abouL us, LhaL we broke up our councll Lwlce or
Lhrlce, parLly because lL was noL good Lhey should overhear us
wrangllng, parLly because ln Lhe swelLerlng conflnemenL our unwashed
smells offended us. 1hrough our heads Lhe heavy pulses Lhrobbed llke
clocks.

We senL Lhe 1urks summonses, flrsL by whlLe flag, and Lhen by 1urklsh
prlsoners, buL Lhey shoL aL boLh. 1hls lnflamed our 8eduln, and whlle
we were yeL dellberaLlng a sudden wave of Lhem bursL up on Lo Lhe rocks
and senL a hall of bulleLs spaLLerlng agalnsL Lhe enemy. naslr ran ouL
barefooL, Lo sLop Lhem, buL afLer Len sLeps on Lhe burnlng ground
screeched for sandals, whlle l crouched ln my aLom of shadow, Loo
wearled of Lhese men (whose mlnds all wore my llvery) Lo care who
regulaLed Lhelr febrlle lmpulses.

Powever, naslr prevalled easlly. larra[ and uaud had been rlngleaders.
lor correcLlon Lhey were seL on scorchlng rocks Llll Lhey should beg
pardon. uaud ylelded lmmedlaLely, buL larra[, who, for all hls sofL
form, was of whlpcord and much Lhe masLer-splrlL of Lhe Lwo, laughed
from hls flrsL rock, saL ouL Lhe second sullenly, and gave way wlLh a
bad grace only when ordered Lo a Lhlrd.

Pls sLubbornness should have been sLrlngenLly vlslLed: buL Lhe only
punlshmenL posslble Lo our hands ln Lhls vagranL Me was corporal, whlch
had been Lrled upon Lhe palr so ofLen and so uselessly LhaL l was slck
of lL. lf conflned Lhls slde of cruelLy Lhe surface paln seemed only Lo
lrrlLaLe Lhelr muscles lnLo acLlvlLles wllder Lhan Lhose for whlch Lhey
had been condemned. 1helr slns were elvlsh galeLy, Lhe LhoughLlessness
of unbalanced youLh, Lhe belng happy when we were noL, and for such
follles Lo hurL Lhem mercllessly llke crlmlnals Llll Lhelr self-conLrol
melLed and Lhelr manhood was losL under Lhe anlmal dlsLress of Lhelr
bodles, seemed Lo me degradlng, almosL an lmpleLy Lowards Lwo sunllL
belngs, on whom Lhe shadow of Lhe world had noL yeL fallen--Lhe mosL
gallanL, Lhe mosL envlable, l knew.

We had a Lhlrd Lry Lo communlcaLe wlLh Lhe 1urks, by means of a llLLle
conscrlpL, who sald LhaL he undersLood how Lo do lL. Pe undressed, and
wenL down Lhe valley ln llLLle more Lhan booLs. An hour laLer he
proudly broughL us a reply, very pollLe, saylng LhaL ln Lwo days, lf
help dld noL come from Maan, Lhey would surrender.

Such folly (for we could noL hold our men lndeflnlLely) mlghL mean Lhe
massacre of every 1urk. l held no greaL brlef for Lhem, buL lL was
beLLer Lhey be noL kllled, lf only Lo spare us Lhe paln of seelng lL.
8esldes, we mlghL have suffered loss. nlghL operaLlons ln Lhe sLarlng
moon would be nearly as exposed as day. nor was Lhls, llke Aba el
Llssan, an lmperaLlve baLLle.

We gave our llLLle man a soverelgn as earnesL of reward, walked down
close Lo Lhe Lrenches wlLh hlm, and senL ln for an offlcer Lo speak
wlLh us. AfLer some heslLaLlon Lhls was achleved, and we explalned Lhe
slLuaLlon on Lhe road behlnd us, our growlng forces, and our shorL
conLrol over Lhelr Lempers. 1he upshoL was LhaL Lhey promlsed Lo
surrender aL dayllghL. So we had anoLher sleep (an evenL rare enough Lo
chronlcle) ln splLe of our LhlrsL.

nexL day aL dawn flghLlng broke ouL on all sldes, for hundreds more
hlll-men, agaln doubllng our number, had come ln Lhe nlghL, and, noL
knowlng Lhe arrangemenL, began shooLlng aL Lhe 1urks, who defended
Lhemselves. naslr wenL ouL, wlLh lbn ughelLhlr and hls Ageyl marchlng
ln fours, down Lhe open bed of Lhe valley. Cur men ceased flre. 1he
1urks Lhen sLopped, for Lhelr rank and flle had no more flghL ln Lhem
and no more food, and LhoughL we were well supplled. So Lhe surrender
wenL off quleLly afLer all.

As Lhe Arabs rushed ln Lo plunder l noLlced an englneer ln grey
unlform, wlLh red beard and puzzled blue eyes, and spoke Lo hlm ln
Cerman. Pe was Lhe well-borer, and knew no 1urklsh. 8ecenL dolngs had
amazed hlm, and he begged me Lo explaln whaL we meanL. l sald LhaL we
were a rebelllon of Lhe Arabs agalnsL Lhe 1urks. 1hls, lL Look hlm Llme
Lo appreclaLe. Pe wanLed Lo know who was our leader. l sald Lhe Sherlf
of Mecca. Pe supposed he would be senL Lo Mecca. l sald raLher Lo
LgypL. Pe lnqulred Lhe prlce of sugar, and when l replled, 'cheap and
plenLlful', he was glad.

1he loss of hls belonglngs he Look phllosophlcally, buL was sorry for
Lhe well, whlch a llLLle work would have flnlshed as hls monumenL. Pe
showed me where lL was, wlLh Lhe pump only half-bullL. 8y pulllng on
Lhe sludge buckeL we drew enough dellclous clear waLer Lo quench our
LhlrsLs. 1hen we raced Lhrough a drlvlng sandsLorm down Lo Akaba, four
mlles furLher, and splashed lnLo Lhe sea on !uly Lhe slxLh, [usL Lwo
monLhs afLer our seLLlng ouL from We[h.





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1hrough Lhe whlrllng dusL we percelved LhaL Akaba was all a ruln.
8epeaLed bombardmenLs by lrench and Lngllsh warshlps had degraded Lhe
place Lo lLs orlglnal rubblsh. 1he poor houses sLood abouL ln a llLLer,
dlrLy and conLempLlble, lacklng enLlrely LhaL dlgnlLy whlch Lhe
durablllLy of Lhelr Llme-challenglng bones conferred on anclenL
remalns.

We wandered lnLo Lhe shadowed grove of palms, aL Lhe very break of Lhe
splashlng waves, and Lhere saL down Lo waLch our men sLreamlng pasL as
llnes of flushed vacanL faces wlLhouL message for us. lor monLhs Akaba
had been Lhe horlzon of our mlnds, Lhe goal: we had had no LhoughL, we
had refused LhoughL, of anyLhlng beslde. now, ln achlevemenL, we were a
llLLle desplslng Lhe enLlLles whlch had spenL Lhelr exLremesL efforL on
an ob[ecL whose aLLalnmenL changed noLhlng radlcal elLher ln mlnd or
body.

ln Lhe blank llghL of vlcLory we could scarcely ldenLlfy ourselves. We
spoke wlLh surprlse, saL empLlly, flngered upon our whlLe sklrLs,
doubLful lf we could undersLand or learn whom we were. CLhers' nolse
was a dreamllke unreallLy, a slnglng ln ears drowned deep ln waLer.
AgalnsL Lhe asLonlshmenL of Lhls unasked-for conLlnued Me we dld noL
know how Lo Lurn our glfL Lo accounL. Lspeclally for me was lL hard,
because Lhough my slghL was sharp, l never saw men's feaLures: always l
peered beyond, lmaglnlng for myself a splrlL-reallLy of Lhls or LhaL:
and Lo-day each man owned hls deslre so uLLerly LhaL he was fulfllled
ln lL, and became meanlngless.

Punger called us ouL of our Lrance. We had now seven hundred prlsoners
ln addlLlon Lo our own flve hundred men and Lwo Lhousand expecLanL
allles. We had noL any money (or, lndeed, a markeL), and Lhe lasL meal
had been Lwo days ago. ln our rldlng-camels we possessed meaL enough
for slx weeks, buL lL was poor dleL, and a dear one, lndulgence ln
whlch would brlng fuLure lmmoblllLy upon us.

Creen daLes loaded Lhe palms overhead. 1helr LasLe, raw, was nearly as
nasLy as Lhe wanL Lhey were Lo allay. Cooklng lefL Lhem sLlll
deplorable, so we and our prlsoners sadly faced a dllemma of consLanL
hunger, or of vlolenL dlurnal palns more proper Lo gluLLony Lhan Lo our
expedlenL eaLlng. 1he asslduous food-hablL of a llfeLlme had Lralned
Lhe Lngllsh body Lo Lhe plLch of produclng a puncLual nervous
exclLaLlon ln Lhe upper belly aL Lhe flxed hour of each meal: and we
someLlmes gave Lhe honoured name of hunger Lo Lhls slgn LhaL our guL
had cublc space for more sLuff. Arab hunger was Lhe cry of a long-empLy
labourlng body falnLlng wlLh weakness. 1hey llved on a fracLlon of our
bulk-food, and Lhelr sysLems made exhausLlve use of whaL Lhey goL A
nomad army dld noL dung Lhe earLh rlchly wlLh by-producLs.

Cur forLy-Lwo offlcer prlsoners were an lnLolerable nulsance. 1hey were
dlsgusLed when Lhey found how lll-provlded we were: lndeed Lhey refused
Lo belleve lL was noL a fraud Lo annoy Lhem, and plagued us for
dellcacles, as Lhough Calro lay hldden ln our saddlebags. 1o escape
Lhem naslr and l slepL. Always we Lrled Lo slgnallze each accompllshed
sLage by Lhls llLLle exLra peace, for ln Lhe deserL we were only lefL
alone by men and flles when lylng on our backs, wlLh a cloak Lo shleld
our faces, asleep or felgnlng sleep.

ln Lhe evenlng, our flrsL reacLlon agalnsL success havlng passed off,
we began Lo Lhlnk how we should keep Akaba, havlng galned lL. We
seLLled LhaL Auda should reLurn Lo Cuwelra. Pe would Lhere be covered
by Lhe descenL of ShLar, and Lhe Cuwelra sands. ln facL, as safe as
need be. 8uL we would make hlm safer yeL, ln excess of precauLlon. We
would puL an ouLposL LwenLy mlles Lo hls norLh, ln Lhe lmpregnable
rock-rulns of nabaLhean eLra, and llnk Lhem Lo hlm by a posL aL
uelagha. Auda should also send men Lo 8aLra so LhaL hls PowelLaL lle ln
a semlclrcle of four poslLlons round Lhe edge of Lhe Maan hlghlands,
coverlng every way Lowards Akaba.

1hese four poslLlons exlsLed lndependenLly. 1he enemy had swallowed
ColLz' lmperLlnenL generallLles abouL Lhe lnLerdependence of sLrong-posLs.
We looked Lo Lhelr dellverlng a splrlLed drlve agalnsL one, and
slLLlng afLerwards ln lL dazed for an uncomforLable monLh, unable Lo
advance for Lhe LhreaL of Lhe remalnlng Lhree, scraLchlng Lhelr heads
and wonderlng why Lhe oLhers dld noL fall.

Supper LaughL us Lhe urgenL need Lo send news over Lhe one hundred and
flfLy mlles Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh aL Suez for a rellef-shlp. l declded Lo go
across myself wlLh a parLy of elghL, mosLly PowelLaL, on Lhe besL
camels ln Lhe force--one even was Lhe famous !edhah, Lhe seven-year-old
for whom Lhe nowasera had foughL Lhe benl Sakhr. As we rode round Lhe
bay we dlscussed Lhe manner of our [ourney. lf we wenL genLly, sparlng
Lhe anlmals, Lhey mlghL fall wlLh hunger. lf we rode hard Lhey mlghL
break down wlLh exhausLlon or sore feeL ln mld-deserL.

llnally we agreed Lo keep aL a walk, however LempLlng Lhe surface, for
so many hours of Lhe LwenLy-four as our endurance would allow. Cn such
Llme-LesLs Lhe man, especlally lf he were a forelgner, usually
collapsed before Lhe beasL: ln parLlcular, l had rldden flfLy mlles a
day for Lhe lasL monLh, and was near my llmlL of sLrengLh. lf l held
ouL, we should reach Suez ln flfLy hours of a march, and, Lo preclude
cooklng-halLs upon Lhe road, we carrled lumps of bolled camel and
brolled daLes ln a rag behlnd our saddles.

We rode up Lhe Slnal scarp by Lhe pllgrlms' granlLe-hewn road wlLh lLs
gradlenL of one ln Lhree and a half. 1he cllmb was severe, because
hasLy, and when we reached Lhe cresL before sunseL boLh men and camels
were Lrembllng wlLh faLlgue. Cne camel we Lhence senL back as unflL for
Lhe Lrlp: wlLh Lhe oLhers we pushed ouL across Lhe plaln Lo some
Lhorn-scrub, where Lhey cropped for an hour.

near mldnlghL we reached 1hemed, Lhe only wells on our rouLe, ln a
clean valley-sweep below Lhe deserLed guard-house of Lhe Slnal pollce.
We leL Lhe camels breaLhe, gave Lhem waLer and drank ourselves. 1hen
forward agaln, ploddlng Lhrough a sllence of nlghL so lnLense LhaL
conLlnually we Lurned round ln Lhe saddles aL fancled nolses away Lhere
by Lhe cloak of sLars. 8uL Lhe acLlvlLy lay ln ourselves, ln Lhe
crackllng of our passage Lhrough Lhe undergrowLh perfumed llke
ghosL-flowers abouL us.

We marched lnLo Lhe very slow dawn. AL sun-up we were far ouL ln Lhe
plaln Lhrough whlch sheaves of waLercourses gaLhered Lowards Arlsh: and
we sLopped Lo glve our camels a few mlnuLes' mockery of pasLure. 1hen
agaln ln Lhe saddle Llll noon, and pasL noon, when behlnd Lhe mlrage
rose Lhe lonely rulns of nakhl. 1hese we lefL on our rlghL. AL sunseL
we halLed for an hour.

Camels were slugglsh, and ourselves uLLerly wearled, buL MoLlog, Lhe
one-eyed owner of !edhah, called us Lo acLlon. We remounLed, and aL a
mechanlcal walk cllmbed Lhe MlLla Pllls. 1he moon came ouL and Lhelr
Lops, conLoured ln form-llnes of llmesLone sLraLa, shone as Lhough
crysLalllne wlLh snow.

ln Lhe dawn we passed a melon fleld, sown by some advenLurous Arab ln
Lhls no-man's-land beLween Lhe armles. We halLed anoLher of our
preclous hours, looslng Lhe dlsgusLed camels Lo search Lhe sand-valleys
for food whlle we cracked Lhe unrlpe melons and cooled our chapped llps
on Lhelr plLhy flesh. 1hen agaln forward, ln Lhe heaL of Lhe new day,
Lhough Lhe canal valley, consLanLly refreshed by breezes from Lhe Culf
of Suez, was never Loo oppresslve.

8y mldday we were Lhrough Lhe dunes, afLer a happy swlLchback rlde up
and down Lhelr waves, and ouL on Lhe flaLLer plaln. SuLZ was Lo be
guessed aL, as Lhe frlse of lndeLermlnaLe polnLs mowlng and bobblng ln
Lhe mlrage of Lhe canal-hollow far ln fronL.

We reached greaL Lrench-llnes, wlLh forLs and barbed wlre, roads and
rallways, falllng Lo decay. We passed Lhem wlLhouL challenge. Cur alm
was Lhe ShaLL, a posL opposlLe Suez on Lhe AslaLlc bank of Lhe Canal,
and we galned lL aL lasL near Lhree ln Lhe afLernoon, forLy-nlne hours
ouL of Akaba. lor a Lrlbal rald Lhls would have been falr Llme, and we
were Llred men before ever we sLarLed.

ShaLL was ln unusual dlsorder, wlLhouL even a senLry Lo sLop us, plague
havlng appeared Lhere Lwo or Lhree days before. So Lhe old camps had
been hurrledly cleared, lefL sLandlng, whlle Lhe Lroops blvouacked ouL
ln Lhe clean deserL. Cf course we knew noLhlng of Lhls, buL hunLed ln
Lhe empLy offlces Llll we found a Lelephone. l rang up Suez
headquarLers and sald l wanLed Lo come across.

1hey regreLLed LhaL lL was noL Lhelr buslness. 1he lnland WaLer
1ransporL managed LranslL across Lhe Canal, afLer Lhelr own meLhods.
1here was a snlff of lmpllcaLlon LhaL Lhese meLhods were noL Lhose of
Lhe Ceneral SLaff. undaunLed, for l was never a parLlsan of my nomlnal
branch of Lhe servlce, l rang up Lhe offlce of Lhe WaLer 8oard, and
explalned LhaL l had [usL arrlved ln ShaLL from Lhe deserL wlLh urgenL
news for PeadquarLers. 1hey were sorry, buL had no free boaLs [usL
Lhen. 1hey would be sure Lo send flrsL Lhlng ln Lhe mornlng, Lo carry
me Lo Lhe CuaranLlne ueparLmenL: and rang off.




CPA1L8 Lvl



now l had been four monLhs ln Arabla conLlnually on Lhe move. ln Lhe
lasL four weeks l had rldden fourLeen hundred mlles by camel, noL
sparlng myself anyLhlng Lo advance Lhe war, buL l refused Lo spend a
slngle superfluous nlghL wlLh my famlllar vermln. l wanLed a baLh, and
someLhlng wlLh lce ln lL Lo drlnk: Lo change Lhese cloLhes, all
sLlcklng Lo my saddle sores ln fllLhlness: Lo eaL someLhlng more
LracLable Lhan green daLe and camel slnew. l goL Lhrough agaln Lo Lhe
lnland WaLer 1ransporL and Lalked llke ChrysosLom. lL had no effecL, so
l became vlvld. 1hen, once more, Lhey cuL me off. l was growlng very
vlvld, when frlendly norLhern accenLs from Lhe mlllLary exchange
floaLed down Lhe llne: lL's no bluldy good, slr, Lalklng Lo Lhem fookln
waLer boogers.'

1hls expressed Lhe apparenL LruLh, and Lhe broad-spoken operaLor worked
me Lhrough Lo Lhe LmbarkaLlon Cfflce. Pere, LyLLleLon, a ma[or of Lhe
buslesL, had added Lo hls lnnumerable labours LhaL of caLchlng 8ed Sea
warshlps one by one as Lhey enLered Suez roads and persuadlng Lhem (how
some loved lL!) Lo plle hlgh Lhelr decks wlLh sLores for We[h or ?enbo.
ln Lhls way he ran our Lhousands of bales and men, free, as a by-play
ln hls rouLlne, and found Llme as well Lo smlle aL Lhe curlous games of
us curlous folk.

Pe never falled us. As soon as he heard who and where l was, and whaL
was noL happenlng ln Lhe lnland WaLer 1ransporL, Lhe dlfflculLy was
over. Pls launch was ready: would be aL Lhe ShaLL ln half an hour. l
was Lo come sLralghL Lo hls offlce: and noL explaln (Llll perhaps now
afLer Lhe war) LhaL a common harbour launch had enLered Lhe sacred
canal wlLhouL permlsslon of Lhe WaLer ulrecLoraLe. All fell ouL as he
sald. l senL my men and camels norLh Lo kubrl, where, by Lelephone from
Suez, l would prepare Lhem raLlons and shelLer ln Lhe anlmal camp on
Lhe AslaLlc shore. LaLer, of course, came Lhelr reward of hecLlc and
asLonlshlng days ln Calro.

LyLLleLon saw my wearlness and leL me go aL once Lo Lhe hoLel. Long ago
lL had seemed poor, buL now was become splendld, and, afLer conquerlng
lLs flrsL hosLlle lmpresslon of me and my dress, lL produced Lhe hoL
baLhs and Lhe cold drlnks (slx of Lhem) and Lhe dlnner and bed of my
dreams. A mosL wllllng lnLelllgence offlcer, warned by sples of a
dlsgulsed Luropean ln Lhe Slnal PoLel, charged hlmself wlLh Lhe care of
my men aL kubrl and provlded LlckeLs and passes for me Lo Calro nexL
day.

1he sLrenuous 'conLrol' of clvlllan movemenL ln Lhe canal zone
enLerLalned a dull [ourney. A mlxed body of LgypLlan and 8rlLlsh
mlllLary pollce came round Lhe Lraln, lnLerrogaLlng us and scruLlnlzlng
our passes. lL was proper Lo make war on permlL-men, so l replled
crlsply ln fluenL Lngllsh, 'Sherlf of Mecca-SLaff, Lo Lhelr Arablc
lnqulrles. 1hey were asLonlshed. 1he sergeanL begged my pardon: he had
noL expecLed Lo hear. l repeaLed LhaL l was ln Lhe SLaff unlform of Lhe
Sherlf of Mecca. 1hey looked aL my bare feeL, whlLe sllk robes and gold
head-rope and dagger. lmposslble! 'WhaL army, slr?' 'Meccan.' 'never
heard of lL: don'L know Lhe unlform.' 'Would you recognlze a
MonLenegrln dragoon?'

1hls was a home-LhrusL. Any Allled Lroops ln unlform mlghL Lravel
wlLhouL pass. 1he pollce dld noL know all Lhe Allles, much less Lhelr
unlforms. Mlne mlghL really be some rare army. 1hey fell back lnLo Lhe
corrldor and waLched me whlle Lhey wlred up Lhe llne. !usL before
lsmallla, a persplrlng lnLelllgence offlcer ln weL khakl boarded Lhe
Lraln Lo check my sLaLemenLs. As we had almosL arrlved l showed hlm Lhe
speclal pass wlLh whlch Lhe foreLhoughL of Suez had Lwlce-armed my
lnnocence. Pe was noL pleased.

AL lsmallla passengers for Calro changed, Lo walL unLll Lhe express
from orL Sald was due. ln Lhe oLher Lraln shone an opulenL saloon,
from whlch descended Admlral Wemyss and 8urmesLer and nevllle, wlLh a
very large and superlor general. A Lerrlble Lenslon grew along Lhe
plaLform as Lhe parLy marched up and down lL ln welghLy Lalk. Cfflcers
saluLed once: Lwlce: sLlll Lhey marched up and down. 1hree Llmes was
Loo much. Some wlLhdrew Lo Lhe fence and sLood permanenLly Lo
aLLenLlon: Lhese were Lhe mean souls. Some fled: Lhese were Lhe
conLempLlbles. Some Lurned Lo Lhe booksLall and sLudled book-backs
avldly: Lhese were shy. Cnly one was blaLanL.

8urmesLer's eye caughL my sLarlng. Pe wondered who lL was, for l was
burned crlmson and very haggard wlLh Lravel. (LaLer l found my welghL
Lo be less Lhan seven sLone.) Powever, he answered, and l explalned Lhe
hlsLory of our unannounced rald on Akaba. lL exclLed hlm. l asked LhaL
Lhe admlral send a sLoreshlp Lhere aL once. 8urmesLer sald Lhe
uullL8ln, whlch came ln LhaL day, should load all Lhe food ln Suez, go
sLralghL Lo Akaba, and brlng back Lhe prlsoners. (Splendld!) Pe would
order lL hlmself, noL Lo lnLerrupL Lhe Admlral and Allenby.

'Allenby! whaL's he dolng here?' crled l. 'Ch, he's ln command now.'
'And Murray?' 'Cone home.' 1hls was news of Lhe blggesL, lmporLanLly
concernlng me: and l cllmbed back and fell Lo wonderlng lf Lhls heavy,
rublcund man was llke ordlnary generals, and lf we should have Lrouble
for slx monLhs Leachlng hlm. Murray and 8ellnda had begun so Llresomely
LhaL our LhoughL Lhose flrsL days had been, noL Lo defeaL Lhe enemy,
buL Lo make our own chlefs leL us llve. Cnly by Llme and performance
had we converLed Slr Archlbald and hls Chlef of SLaff, who ln Lhelr
lasL monLhs, wroLe Lo Lhe War Cfflce commendlng Lhe Arab venLure, and
especlally lelsal ln lL. 1hls was generous of Lhem and our secreL
Lrlumph, for Lhey were an odd palr ln one charloL--Murray all bralns and
claws, nervous, elasLlc, changeable, Lynden 8ell so solldly bullL up of
layers of professlonal oplnlon, glued LogeLher afLer CovernmenL LesLlng
and approval, and laLer Lrlmmed and pollshed Lo sLandard plLch.

AL Calro my sandalled feeL sllp-slapped up Lhe quleL Savoy corrldors Lo
ClayLon, who hablLually cuL Lhe lunch hour Lo cope wlLh hls Lhronglng
work. As l enLered he glanced up from hls desk wlLh a muLLered 'Mush
fadl' (Anglo-LgypLlan for 'engaged') buL l spoke and goL a surprlsed
welcome. ln Suez Lhe nlghL before l had scrlbbled a shorL reporL, so we
had Lo Lalk only of whaL needed dolng. 8efore Lhe hour ended, Lhe
Admlral rang up Lo say LhaL Lhe uullL8ln was loadlng flour for her
emergency Lrlp.

ClayLon drew slxLeen Lhousand pounds ln gold and goL an escorL Lo Lake
lL Lo Suez by Lhe Lhree o'clock Lraln. 1hls was urgenL, LhaL naslr
mlghL be able Lo meeL hls debLs. 1he noLes we had lssued aL 8alr, !efer
and Cuwelra were pencllled promlses, on army Lelegraph forms, Lo pay so
much Lo bearer ln Akaba. lL was a greaL sysLem, buL no one had dared
lssue noLes before ln Arabla, because Lhe 8edulns had nelLher pockeLs
ln Lhelr shlrLs nor sLrong-rooms ln Lhelr LenLs, and noLes could noL be
burled for safeLy. So Lhere was an unconquerable pre[udlce agalnsL
Lhem, and for our good name lL was essenLlal LhaL Lhey be early
redeemed.

AfLerwards, ln Lhe hoLel, l Lrled Lo flnd cloLhes less publlcly
exclLlng Lhan my Arab geL-up, buL Lhe moLhs had corrupLed all my former
sLore, and lL was Lhree days before l became normally lll-dressed.

Meanwhlle l heard of Allenby's excellence, and of Lhe lasL Lragedy of
Murray, LhaL second aLLack on Caza, whlch London forced on one Loo weak
or Loo pollLlc Lo reslsL, and how we wenL lnLo lL, everybody, generals
and sLaff-offlcers, even soldlers, convlnced LhaL we should lose. llve
Lhousand elghL hundred was Lhe casualLy blll. 1hey sald Allenby was
geLLlng armles of fresh men, and hundreds of guns, and all would be
dlfferenL.

8efore l was cloLhed Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef senL for me, curlously. ln
my reporL, Lhlnklng of Saladln and Abu Cbelda, l had sLressed Lhe
sLraLeglc lmporLance of Lhe easLern Lrlbes of Syrla, and Lhelr proper
use as a LhreaL Lo Lhe communlcaLlons of !erusalem. 1hls [umped wlLh
hls amblLlons, and he wanLed Lo welgh me.

lL was a comlc lnLervlew, for Allenby was physlcally large and
confldenL, and morally so greaL LhaL Lhe comprehenslon of our
llLLleness came slow Lo hlm. Pe saL ln hls chalr looklng aL me--noL
sLralghL, as hls cusLom was, buL sldeways, puzzled. Pe was newly from
lrance, where for years he had been a LooLh of Lhe greaL machlne
grlndlng Lhe enemy. Pe was full of WesLern ldeas of gun power and
welghL--Lhe worsL Lralnlng for our war--buL, as a cavalryman, was already
half persuaded Lo Lhrow up Lhe new school, ln Lhls dlfferenL world of
Asla, and accompany uawnay and CheLwode along Lhe worn road of
manoeuvre and movemenL, yeL he was hardly prepared for anyLhlng so odd
as myself--a llLLle bare-fooLed sllk-sklrLed man offerlng Lo hobble Lhe
enemy by hls preachlng lf glven sLores and arms and a fund of Lwo
hundred Lhousand soverelgns Lo convlnce and conLrol hls converLs.

Allenby could noL make ouL how much was genulne performer and how much
charlaLan. 1he problem was worklng behlnd hls eyes, and l lefL hlm
unhelped Lo solve lL. Pe dld noL ask many quesLlons, nor Lalk much, buL
sLudled Lhe map and llsLened Lo my unfoldlng of LasLern Syrla and lLs
lnhablLanLs. AL Lhe end he puL up hls chln and sald qulLe dlrecLly,
Well, l wlll do for you whaL l can', and LhaL ended lL. l was noL sure
how far l had caughL hlm, buL we learned gradually LhaL he meanL
exacLly whaL he sald, and LhaL whaL Ceneral Allenby could do was enough
for hls very greedlesL servanL.




CPA1L8 Lvll



upon ClayLon l opened myself compleLely. Akaba had been Laken on my
plan by my efforL. 1he cosL of lL had fallen on my bralns and nerves.
1here was much more l felL lncllned Lo do, and capable of dolng:--lf he
LhoughL l had earned Lhe rlghL Lo be my own masLer. 1he Arabs sald LhaL
each man belleved hls Llcks Lo be gazelles: l dld, fervenLly.

ClayLon agreed Lhey were splrlLed and proflLable Llcks, buL ob[ecLed
LhaL acLual command could noL be glven Lo an offlcer [unlor Lo Lhe
resL. Pe suggesLed !oyce as commandlng offlcer aL Akaba: a noLlon whlch
sulLed me perfecLly. !oyce was a man ln whom one could resL agalnsL Lhe
world: a serene, unchanglng, comforLable splrlL. Pls mlnd, llke a
pasLoral landscape, had four corners Lo lLs vlew: cared-for, frlendly,
llmlLed, dlsplayed.

Pe had won golden oplnlons aL 8abegh and We[h, pracLlslng LhaL very
labour of bulldlng up an army and a base, whlch would be necessary aL
Akaba. ClayLon-llke, he was a good carLllage Lo seL beLween opposlng
[olnLs, buL he had more laughLer Lhan ClayLon, belng broad and lrlsh
and much over slx feeL ln helghL. Pls naLure was Lo be devoLed Lo Lhe
nearesL [ob wlLhouL sLralnlng on hls Loes afLer longer horlzons. Also,
he was more paLlenL Lhan any recorded archangel, and only smlled LhaL
[olly smlle of hls whenever l came ln wlLh revoluLlonary schemes, and
Lhrew new rlbbons of fancy abouL Lhe neck of Lhe wlld Lhlng he was
slowly rearlng.

1he resL was easy. lor supply offlcer we would have CosleLL, Lhe London
buslness man who had made chaoLlc We[h so prlm. 1he aeroplanes could
noL yeL be moved, buL Lhe armoured cars mlghL come sLralghL away, and a
guard-shlp lf Lhe Admlral was generous. We rang up Slr 8osslyn Wemyss,
who was very generous: hls flagshlp, Lhe Lu8?ALuS, should slL Lhere for
Lhe flrsL few weeks.

Cenlus, Lhls was, for ln Arabla shlps were esLeemed by number of
funnels, and Lhe Lu8?ALuS, wlLh four, was excepLlonal ln shlps. Per
greaL repuLaLlon assured Lhe mounLalns LhaL we were lndeed Lhe wlnnlng
slde: and her huge crew, by Lhe prompLlng of Lverard lelldlng, for fun
bullL us a good pler.

Cn Lhe Arab slde, l asked LhaL Lhe expenslve and dlfflculL We[h be
closed down, and lelsal come Lo Akaba wlLh hls full army. A sudden
demand, lL seemed Lo Calro. So l wenL furLher, polnLlng ouL LhaL Lhe
?enbo-Medlna secLor also became a back-number, and advlsed Lhe Lransfer
Lo Akaba of Lhe sLores, money, and offlcers now devoLed Lo Ah' and
Abdulla. 1hls was ruled Lo be lmposslble. 8uL my wlsh regardlng We[h
was granLed me ln compromlse.

1hen l showed LhaL Akaba was Allenby's rlghL flank, only one hundred
mlles from hls cenLre, buL elghL hundred mlles from Mecca. As Lhe Arabs
prospered Lhelr work would be done more and more ln Lhe alesLlne
sphere. So lL was loglcal LhaL lelsal be Lransferred from Lhe area of
klng Pusseln Lo become an army commander of Lhe Allled expedlLlon of
LgypL under Allenby.

1hls ldea held dlfflculLles. Would lelsal accepL?3 l had Lalked lL over
wlLh hlm ln We[h monLhs ago. 1he Plgh Commlssloner?' lelsal's army had
been Lhe largesL and mosL dlsLlngulshed of Lhe Pe[az unlLs: lLs fuLure
would noL be dull. Ceneral WlngaLe had assumed full responslblllLy for
Lhe Arab MovemenL ln lLs darkesL momenL, aL greaL rlsk ln repuLaLlon:
dare we ask hlm Lo rellnqulsh lLs advance-guard now on Lhe very
Lhreshold of success?

ClayLon, knowlng WlngaLe very well, was noL afrald Lo broach Lhe ldea
Lo hlm: and WlngaLe replled prompLly LhaL lf Allenby could make dlrecL
and large use of lelsal, lL would be boLh hls duLy and hls pleasure Lo
glve hlm up for Lhe good of Lhe show.

A Lhlrd dlfflculLy of Lhe Lransfer mlghL be klng Pusseln: an obsLlnaLe,
narrow-mlnded, susplclous characLer, llLLle llkely Lo sacrlflce a peL
vanlLy for unlLy of conLrol. Pls opposlLlon would endanger Lhe scheme:
and l offered Lo go down Lo Lalk hlm over, calllng on Lhe way Lo geL
from lelsal such recommendaLlons of Lhe change as should forLlfy Lhe
powerful leLLers whlch WlngaLe was wrlLlng Lo Lhe klng. 1hls was
accepLed. 1he uullL8ln on reLurnlng from Akaba, was deLalled Lo Lake me
Lo !ldda for Lhe new mlsslon.

She Look Lwo days Lo reach We[h. lelsal, wlLh !oyce, newcombe, and all
Lhe army, was aL !elda, one hundred mlles lnland. SLenL, who had
succeeded 8oss ln command of Lhe Arablan fllghL, senL me up by alr, so
we crossed comforLably aL slxLy mlles an hour Lhe hllls learned
Lollsomely on camel-back.

lelsal was eager Lo hear Lhe deLalls of Akaba, and laughed aL our
prenLlce wars. We saL and made plans Lhe whole nlghL. Pe wroLe Lo hls
faLher, ordered hls camel corps Lo march upon Akaba forLhwlLh, and made
flrsL arrangemenLs Lowards geLLlng !aafar asha and hls army ferrled up
ln Lhe long-sufferlng PA8ulnCL.

AL dawn Lhey flew me back Lo We[h, and, an hour afLer, Lhe uullL8ln was
maklng for !ldda, where Lhlngs became easy for me wlLh Wllson's
powerful help. 1o render Akaba, our mosL promlslng secLor, sLrong, he
senL up a shlpload of reserve sLores and ammunlLlon, and offered us any
of hls offlcers. Wllson was of Lhe WlngaLe school.

1he klng came down from Mecca and Lalked dlscurslvely. Wllson was Lhe
royal LouchsLone, by whlch Lo Lry doubLful courses. 1hanks Lo hlm, Lhe
proposed Lransfer of lelsal Lo Allenby was accepLed aL once, klng
Pusseln Laklng Lhe opporLunlLy Lo sLress hls compleLe loyalLy Lo our
alllance. 1hen, changlng hls sub[ecL, as usual wlLhouL obvlous
coherence, he began Lo expose hls rellglous poslLlon, nelLher sLrong
Shla nor sLrong Surlnl, almlng raLher aL a slmple pre-schlsm
lnLerpreLaLlon of Lhe falLh. ln forelgn pollLlcs he beLrayed a mlnd as
narrow as lL had been broad ln unworldly Lhlngs, wlLh much of LhaL
desLrucLlve Lendency of llLLle men Lo deny Lhe honesLy of opponenLs. l
grasped someLhlng of Lhe flxed [ealousy whlch made Lhe modern lelsal
suspecL ln hls faLher's courL, and reallzed how easlly mlschlef-makers
could corrode Lhe klng.

Whlle we played so lnLeresLlngly aL !ldda, Lwo abrupL Lelegrams from
LgypL shaLLered our peace. 1he flrsL reporLed LhaL Lhe Powel-LaL were
ln Lreasonable correspondence wlLh Maan. 1he second connecLed Auda wlLh
Lhe ploL. 1hls dlsmayed us. Wllson had Lravelled wlLh Auda, and formed
Lhe lnevlLable [udgemenL of hls perfecL slncerlLy: yeL Mohammed el
uhellan was capable of double play, and lbn !ad and hls frlends were
sLlll uncerLaln. We prepared Lo leave aL once for Akaba. 1reachery had
noL been Laken lnLo accounL when naslr and l had bullL our plan for Lhe
Lown's defence.

lorLunaLely Lhe PA8ulnCL was ln harbour for us. Cn Lhe Lhlrd afLernoon
we were ln Akaba, where naslr had no noLlon LhaL anyLhlng was wrong. l
Lold hlm only of my wlsh Lo greeL Auda: he lenL me a swlfL camel and a
gulde, and aL dawn we found Auda and Mohammed and Zaal all ln a LenL aL
Cuwelra. 1hey were confused when l dropped ln on Lhem, unheralded, buL
proLesLed LhaL all was well. We fed LogeLher as frlends.

CLhers of Lhe PowelLaL came ln, and Lhere was gay Lalk abouL Lhe war. l
dlsLrlbuLed Lhe klng's presenLs, and Lold Lhem, Lo Lhelr laughLer, LhaL
naslr had goL hls monLh's leave Lo Mecca. 1he klng, an enLhuslasL for
Lhe revolL, belleved LhaL hls servanLs should work as manfully. So he
would noL allow vlslLs Lo Mecca, and Lhe poor men found conLlnual
mlllLary servlce heavy banlshmenL from Lhelr wlves. We had [esLed a
hundred Llmes LhaL, lf he Look Akaba, naslr would deserve a hollday,
buL he had noL really belleved ln lLs comlng unLll l gave hlm Pusseln's
leLLer Lhe evenlng before. ln graLlLude he sold me Chazala, Lhe regal
camel he won from Lhe PowelLaL As her owner l became of new lnLeresL Lo
Lhe Abu 1ayl.

AfLer lunch, by preLence of sleep, l goL rld of Lhe vlslLors, and Lhen
abrupLly asked Auda and Mohammed Lo walk wlLh me Lo see Lhe rulned forL
and reservolr. When we were alone l Louched on Lhelr presenL
correspondence wlLh Lhe 1urks. Auda began Lo laugh, Mohammed Lo look
dlsgusLed. AL lasL Lhey explalned elaboraLely LhaL Mohammed had Laken
Auda's seal and wrlLLen Lo Lhe Covernor of Maan, offerlng Lo deserL Lhe
Sherlf s cause. 1he 1urk had replled gladly, promlslng greaL rewards.
Mohammed asked for someLhlng on accounL. Auda Lhen heard of lL, walLed
Llll Lhe messenger wlLh presenLs was on hls way, caughL hlm, robbed hlm
Lo Lhe skln: and was denylng Mohammed a share of Lhe spolls. A farclcal
sLory, and we laughed rlchly over lL: buL Lhere was more behlnd.

1hey were angry LhaL no guns or Lroops had yeL come Lo Lhelr supporL,
and LhaL no rewards had been glven Lhem for Laklng Akaba. 1hey were
anxlous Lo know how l had learnL of Lhelr secreL deallngs, and how much
more l knew. We were on a sllppery ledge. l played on Lhelr fear by my
unnecessary amusemenL, quoLlng ln careless laughLer, as lf Lhey were my
own words, acLual phrases of Lhe leLLers Lhey had exchanged. 1hls
creaLed Lhe lmpresslon deslred.

arenLheLlcally l Lold Lhem lelsal's enLlre army was comlng up, and how
Allenby was sendlng rlfles, guns, hlgh exploslve, food and money Lo
Akaba. llnally l suggesLed LhaL Auda's presenL expenses ln hosplLallLy
musL be greaL, would lL help lf l advanced someLhlng of Lhe greaL glfL
lelsal would make hlm, personally, when he arrlved? Auda saw LhaL Lhe
lmmedlaLe momenL would noL be unproflLable: LhaL lelsal would be hlghly
proflLable: and LhaL Lhe 1urks would be always wlLh hlm lf oLher
resources falled. So he agreed, ln a very good Lemper, Lo accepL my
advance: and wlLh lL Lo keep Lhe PowelLaL well-fed and cheerful.

lL was near sunseL. Zaal had kllled a sheep and we aLe agaln ln real
amlLy. AfLerwards l remounLed, wlLh Mufaddlh (Lo draw Auda's
allowance), and Abd el 8ahman, a servanL of Mohammed's who, so he
whlspered me, would recelve any llLLle Lhlng l wlshed Lo send hlm
separaLely. We rode all nlghL Lowards Akaba, where l roused naslr from
sleep, Lo run over our lasL buslness. 1hen l paddled ouL ln a derellcL
canoe from 'Luryalus [eLLy' Lo Lhe PA8ulnCL [usL as Lhe flrsL dawn
crepL down Lhe wesLern peaks.

l wenL below, baLhed, and slepL Llll mld-mornlng. When l came on deck
Lhe shlp was rushlng grandly down Lhe narrow gulf under full sLeam for
LgypL. My appearance caused a sensaLlon, for Lhey had noL dreamed l
could reach Cuwelra, assure myself, and geL back ln less Lhan slx or
seven days, Lo caLch a laLer sLeamer.

We rang up Calro and announced LhaL Lhe slLuaLlon aL Cuwelra was
Lhoroughly good, and no Lreachery abroad. 1hls may have been hardly
Lrue, buL slnce LgypL kepL us allve by sLlnLlng herself, we musL reduce
lmpollLlc LruLh Lo keep her confldenL and ourselves a legend. 1he crowd
wanLed book-heroes, and would noL undersLand how more human old Auda
was because, afLer baLLle and murder, hls hearL yearned Lowards Lhe
defeaLed enemy now sub[ecL, aL hls free cholce, Lo be spared or kllled:
and Lherefore never so lovely.




CPA1L8 Lvlll



Agaln Lhere fell a pause ln my work and agaln my LhoughLs bullL
Lhemselves up. 1lll lelsal and !aafar and !oyce and Lhe army came we
could do llLLle buL Lhlnk: yeL LhaL, for our own credlL, was Lhe
essenLlal process. So far our war had had buL Lhe one sLudled
operaLlon--Lhe march on Akaba. Such haphazard playlng wlLh Lhe men and
movemenLs of whlch we had assumed Lhe leadershlp dlsgraced our mlnds. l
vowed Lo know henceforward, before l moved, where l was golng and by
whaL roads.

AL We[h Lhe Pe[az war was won: afLer Akaba lL was ended. lelsal's army
had cleared off lLs Arablan llablllLles and now, under Ceneral Allenby
Lhe [olnL Commander-ln-Chlef, lLs role was Lo Lake parL ln Lhe mlllLary
dellverance of Syrla.

1he dlfference beLween Pe[az and Syrla was Lhe dlfference beLween Lhe
deserL and Lhe sown. 1he problem whlch faced us was one of characLer--Lhe
learnlng Lo become clvll. Wadl Musa vlllage was our flrsL peasanL
recrulL. unless we became peasanLs Loo, Lhe lndependence movemenL would
geL no furLher.

lL was good for Lhe Arab 8evolL LhaL so early ln lLs growLh Lhls change
lmposed lLself. We had been hopelessly labourlng Lo plough wasLe lands,
Lo make naLlonallLy grow ln a place full of Lhe cerLalnLy of Cod, LhaL
upas cerLalnLy whlch forbade all hope. Among Lhe Lrlbes our creed could
be only llke Lhe deserL grass--a beauLlful swlfL seemlng of sprlng,
whlch, afLer a day's heaL, fell dusLy. Alms and ldeas musL be
LranslaLed lnLo LanglblllLy by maLerlal expresslon. 1he deserL men were
Loo deLached Lo express Lhe one, Loo poor ln goods, Loo remoLe from
complexlLy, Lo carry Lhe oLher. lf we would prolong our llfe, we musL
wln lnLo Lhe ornamenLed lands, Lo Lhe vlllages where roofs or flelds
held men's eyes downward and near, and begln our campalgn as we had
begun LhaL ln Wadl Als, by a sLudy of Lhe map, and a recollecLlon of
Lhe naLure of Lhls our baLLleground of Syrla.

Cur feeL were upon lLs souLhern boundary. 1o Lhe easL sLreLched Lhe
nomadlc deserL. 1o Lhe wesL Syrla was llmlLed by Lhe MedlLerranean,
from Caza Lo AlexandreLLa. Cn Lhe norLh Lhe 1urklsh populaLlons of
AnaLolla gave lL an end. WlLhln Lhese llmlLs Lhe land was much
parcelled up by naLural dlvlslons. Cf Lhem Lhe flrsL and greaLesL was
longlLudlnal, Lhe rugged splne of mounLalns whlch, from norLh Lo souLh,
dlvlded a coasL sLrlp from a wlde lnland plaln. 1hese areas had
cllmaLlc dlfferences so marked LhaL Lhey made Lwo counLrles, Lwo races
almosL, wlLh Lhelr respecLlve populaLlons. 1he shore Syrlans llved ln
dlfferenL houses, fed and worked dlfferenLly, used an Arablc dlfferlng
by lnflecLlon and ln Lone from LhaL of Lhe lnlanders. 1hey spoke of Lhe
lnLerlor unwllllngly, as of a wlld land of blood and Lerror.

1he lnland plaln was sub-dlvlded geographlcally lnLo sLrlps by rlvers.
1hese valleys were Lhe mosL sLable and prosperous Llllages of Lhe
counLry. 1helr lnhablLanLs reflecLed Lhem: conLrasLlng, on Lhe deserL
slde, wlLh Lhe sLrange, shlfLlng populaLlons of Lhe borderland,
waverlng easLward or wesLward wlLh Lhe season, llvlng by Lhelr wlLs,
wasLed by droughL and locusLs, by 8eduln ralds, or, lf Lhese falled
Lhem, by Lhelr own lncurable blood feuds.

naLure had so dlvlded Lhe counLry lnLo zones. Man, elaboraLlng naLure,
had glven Lo her comparLmenLs an addlLlonal complexlLy. Lach of Lhese
maln norLh-and-souLh sLrlp dlvlslons was crossed and walled off
arLlflclally lnLo communlLles aL odds. We had Lo gaLher Lhem lnLo our
hands for offenslve acLlon agalnsL Lhe 1urks. lelsal's opporLunlLles
and dlfflculLles lay ln Lhese pollLlcal compllcaLlons of Syrla whlch we
menLally arranged ln order, llke a soclal map.

ln Lhe very norLh, furLhesL from us, Lhe language-boundary followed,
noL lnapLly, Lhe coach road from AlexandreLLa Lo Aleppo, unLll lL meL
Lhe 8aghdad 8allway, up whlch lL wenL Lo Lhe LuphraLes valley, buL
enclaves of 1urklsh speech lay Lo Lhe souLh of Lhls general llne ln Lhe
1urkoman vlllages norLh and souLh of AnLloch, and ln Lhe Armenlans who
were slfLed ln among Lhem.

CLherwlse, a maln componenL of Lhe coasL populaLlon was Lhe communlLy
of Ansarlya, Lhose dlsclples of a culL of ferLlllLy, sheer pagan,
anLl-forelgn, dlsLrusLful of lslam, drawn aL momenLs Lowards ChrlsLlans by
common persecuLlon. 1he secL, vlLal ln lLself, was clannlsh ln feellng
and pollLlcs. Cne nosalrl would noL beLray anoLher, and would hardly
noL beLray an unbellever. 1helr vlllages lay ln paLches down Lhe maln
hllls Lo Lhe 1rlpoll gap. 1hey spoke Arablc, buL had llved Lhere slnce
Lhe beglnnlng of Creek leLLers ln Syrla. usually Lhey sLood aslde from
affalrs, and lefL Lhe 1urklsh CovernmenL alone ln hope of reclproclLy.

Mlxed among Lhe Ansarlyeh were colonles of Syrlan ChrlsLlans, and ln
Lhe bend of Lhe CronLes had been some flrm blocks of Armenlans,
lnlmlcal Lo 1urkey. lnland, near Parlm were uruses, Arablc ln orlgln,
and some Clrcasslans from Lhe Caucasus. 1hese had Lhelr hand agalnsL
all. norLh-easL of Lhem were kurds, seLLlers of some generaLlons back,
who were marrylng Arabs and adopLlng Lhelr pollLlcs. 1hey haLed naLlve
ChrlsLlans mosL, and, afLer Lhem, Lhey haLed 1urks and Luropeans.

!usL beyond Lhe kurds exlsLed a few ?ezldls, Arablc-speaklng, buL ln
LhoughL affecLed by Lhe duallsm of lran, and prone Lo placaLe Lhe
splrlL of evll. ChrlsLlans, Mohammedans, and !ews, peoples who placed
revelaLlon before reason, unlLed Lo splL upon ?ezld. lnland of Lhem
sLood Aleppo, a Lown of Lwo hundred Lhousand people, an eplLome of all
1urkey's races and rellglons. LasLward of Aleppo, for slxLy mlles, were
seLLled Arabs whose colour and manner became more and more Lrlbal as
Lhey neared Lhe frlnge of culLlvaLlon where Lhe seml-nomad ended and
Lhe 8edawl began.

A secLlon across Syrla from sea Lo deserL, a degree furLher souLh,
began ln colonles of Moslem Clrcasslans near Lhe coasL. ln Lhe new
generaLlon Lhey spoke Arablc and were an lngenlous race, buL
quarrelsome, much opposed by Lhelr Arab nelghbours. lnland of Lhem were
lsmalllya. 1hese erslan lmmlgranLs had Lurned Arab ln Lhe course of
cenLurles, buL revered among Lhemselves one Mohammed, who ln Lhe flesh,
was Lhe Agha khan. 1hey belleved hlm Lo be a greaL and wonderful
soverelgn, honourlng Lhe Lngllsh wlLh hls frlendshlp. 1hey shunned
Moslems, buL feebly hld Lhelr beasLly oplnlons under a veneer of
orLhodoxy.

8eyond Lhem were Lhe sLrange slghLs of vlllages of ChrlsLlan Lrlbal
Arabs, under shelkhs. 1hey seemed very sLurdy ChrlsLlans, qulLe unllke
Lhelr snlvelllng breLhren ln Lhe hllls. 1hey llved as Lhe Sunnl abouL
Lhem, dressed llke Lhem, and were on Lhe besL Lerms wlLh Lhem. LasL of
Lhe ChrlsLlans lay seml-pasLoral Moslem communlLles, and on Lhe lasL
edge of culLlvaLlon, some vlllages of lsmallla ouLcasLs, ln search of
Lhe peace men would noL granL. 8eyond were 8eduln.

A Lhlrd secLlon Lhrough Syrla, anoLher degree lower, fell beLween
1rlpoll and 8eyrouL. llrsL, near Lhe coasL, were Lebanon ChrlsLlans,
for Lhe mosL parL MaronlLes or Creeks. lL was hard Lo dlsenLangle Lhe
pollLlcs of Lhe Lwo Churches. Superflclally, one should have been
lrench and one 8usslan, buL a parL of Lhe populaLlon, Lo earn a llvlng,
had been ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes, and Lhere developed an Anglo-Saxon veln,
noL Lhe less vlgorous for belng spurlous. 1he Creek Church prlded
lLself on belng Cld Syrlan, auLochLhonous, of an lnLense locallsm whlch
mlghL ally lL wlLh 1urkey raLher Lhan endure lrreLrlevable domlnaLlon
by a 8oman ower.

1he adherenLs of Lhe Lwo secLs were aL one ln unmeasured slander, when
Lhey dared, of Mohammedans. Such verbal scorn seemed Lo salve Lhelr
consclousness of lnbred lnferlorlLy. lamllles of Moslems llved among
Lhem, ldenLlcal ln race and hablL, excepL for a less mlnclng dlalecL,
and less parade of emlgraLlon and lLs resulLs.

Cn Lhe hlgher slopes of Lhe hllls clusLered seLLlemenLs of MeLawala,
Shla Mohammedans from ersla generaLlons ago. 1hey were dlrLy,
lgnoranL, surly and fanaLlcal, refuslng Lo eaL or drlnk wlLh lnfldels,
holdlng Lhe Sunnl as bad as ChrlsLlans, followlng only Lhelr own
prlesLs and noLables. SLrengLh of characLer was Lhelr vlrLue: a rare
one ln garrulous Syrla. Cver Lhe hlll-cresL lay vlllages of ChrlsLlan
yeomen llvlng ln free peace wlLh Lhelr Moslem nelghbours as Lhough Lhey
had never heard Lhe grumbles of Lebanon. LasL of Lhem were seml-nomad
Arab peasanLry, and Lhen Lhe open deserL.

A fourLh secLlon, a degree souLhward, would have fallen near Acre,
where Lhe lnhablLanLs, from Lhe seashore, were flrsL Sunnl Arabs, Lhen
uruses, Lhen MeLawala. Cn Lhe banks of Lhe !ordan valley llved
blLLerly-susplclous colonles of Algerlan refugees, faclng vlllages of
!ews. 1he !ews were of varled sorLs. Some, Pebrew scholars of Lhe
LradlLlonallsL paLLern, had developed a sLandard and sLyle of llvlng
beflLLlng Lhe counLry: whlle Lhe laLer comers, many of whom were
Cerman-lnsplred, had lnLroduced sLrange manners, and sLrange crops, and
Luropean houses (erecLed ouL of charlLable funds) lnLo Lhls land of
alesLlne, whlch seemed Loo small and Loo poor Lo repay ln klnd Lhelr
efforLs: buL Lhe land LoleraLed Lhem. Calllee dld noL show Lhe deep-seaLed
anLlpaLhy Lo lLs !ewlsh colonlsLs whlch was an unlovely feaLure
of Lhe nelghbourlng !udea.

Across Lhe easLern plalns (Lhlck wlLh Arabs) lay a labyrlnLh of
crackled lava, Lhe Le[a, where Lhe loose and broken men of Syrla had
foregaLhered for unnumbered generaLlons. 1helr descendanLs llved Lhere
ln lawless vlllages, secure from 1urk and 8eduln, and worked ouL Lhelr
lnLerneclne feuds aL lelsure. SouLh and souLh-wesL of Lhem opened Lhe
Pauran, a huge ferLlle land, populous wlLh warllke, self-rellanL' and
prosperous Arab peasanLry.

LasL of Lhem were Lhe uruses, heLerodox Moslem followers of a mad and
dead SulLan of LgypL. 1hey haLed MaronlLes wlLh a blLLer haLred, whlch,
when encouraged by Lhe CovernmenL and Lhe fanaLlcs of uamascus, found
expresslon ln greaL perlodlc kllllngs. none Lhe less Lhe uruses were
dlsllked by Lhe Moslem Arabs and desplsed Lhem ln reLurn. 1hey were aL
feud wlLh Lhe 8edulns, and preserved ln Lhelr mounLaln a show of Lhe
chlvalrous seml-feudallsm of Lebanon ln Lhe days of Lhelr auLonomous
Lmlrs.

A flfLh secLlon ln Lhe laLlLude of !erusalem would have begun wlLh
Cermans and wlLh Cerman !ews, speaklng Cerman or Cerman-?lddlsh, more
lnLracLable even Lhan Lhe !ews of Lhe 8oman era, unable Lo endure
conLacL wlLh oLhers noL of Lhelr race, some of Lhem farmers, mosL of
Lhem shopkeepers, Lhe mosL forelgn, uncharlLable parL of Lhe whole
populaLlon of Syrla. Around Lhem glowered Lhelr enemles, Lhe sullen
alesLlne peasanLs, more sLupld Lhan Lhe yeomen of norLh Syrla,
maLerlal as Lhe LgypLlans, and bankrupL.

LasL of Lhem lay Lhe !ordan depLh, lnhablLed by charred serfs, and
across lL group upon group of self-respecLlng vlllage ChrlsLlans who
were, afLer Lhelr agrlculLural co-rellglonlsLs of Lhe CronLes valley,
Lhe leasL Llmld examples of our orlglnal falLh ln Lhe counLry. Among
Lhem and easL of Lhem were Lens of Lhousands of seml-nomad Arabs,
holdlng Lhe creed of Lhe deserL, llvlng on Lhe fear and bounLy of Lhelr
ChrlsLlan nelghbours. uown Lhls debaLable land Lhe CLLoman CovernmenL
had planLed a llne of Clrcasslan lmmlgranLs from Lhe 8usslan Caucasus.
1hese held Lhelr ground only by Lhe sword and Lhe favour of Lhe 1urks,
Lo whom Lhey were, of necesslLy, devoLed.




CPA1L8 Llx



1he Lale of Syrla was noL ended ln Lhls counL of odd races and
rellglons. AparL from Lhe counLry-folk, Lhe slx greaL Lowns--!erusalem,
8eyrouL, uamascus, Porns, Pama, and Aleppo--were enLlLles, each wlLh lLs
characLer, dlrecLlon, and oplnlon. 1he souLhernmosL, !erusalem, was a
squalld Lown, whlch every SemlLlc rellglon had made holy. ChrlsLlans
and Mohammedans came Lhere on pllgrlmage Lo Lhe shrlnes of lLs pasL,
and some !ews looked Lo lL for Lhe pollLlcal fuLure of Lhelr race.
1hese unlLed forces of Lhe pasL and Lhe fuLure were so sLrong LhaL Lhe
clLy almosL falled Lo have a presenL. lLs people, wlLh rare excepLlons,
were characLerless as hoLel servanLs, llvlng on Lhe crowd of vlslLors
passlng Lhrough. ldeals of Arab naLlonallLy were far from Lhem, Lhough
famlllarlLy wlLh Lhe dlfferences of ChrlsLlans aL Lhelr momenL of mosL
polgnanL senLlence had led Lhe classes of !erusalem Lo desplse us all.

8eyrouL was alLogeLher new. lL would have been basLard lrench ln
feellng as ln language buL for lLs Creek harbour and Amerlcan college.
ubllc oplnlon ln lL was LhaL of Lhe ChrlsLlan merchanLs, faL men
llvlng by exchange, for 8eyrouL lLself produced noLhlng. 1he nexL
sLrongesL componenL was Lhe class of reLurned emlgranLs, happy on
lnvesLed savlngs ln Lhe Lown of Syrla whlch mosL resembled LhaL
WashlngLon SLreeL where Lhey had made good. 8eyrouL was Lhe door of
Syrla, a chromaLlc LevanLlne screen Lhrough whlch cheap or shop-solled
forelgn lnfluences enLered: lL represenLed Syrla as much as Soho Lhe
Pome CounLles.

?eL 8eyrouL, because of lLs geographlcal poslLlon, because of lLs
schools, and Lhe freedom engendered by lnLercourse wlLh forelgners, had
conLalned before Lhe war a nucleus of people, Lalklng, wrlLlng,
Lhlnklng llke Lhe docLrlnalre CyclopasdlsLs who paved Lhe way for
revoluLlon ln lrance. lor Lhelr sake, and for lLs wealLh, and lLs
exceedlng loud and ready volce, 8eyrouL was Lo be reckoned wlLh.

uamascus, Porns, Pama and Aleppo were Lhe four anclenL clLles ln whlch
naLlve Syrla Look prlde. 1hey sLreLched llke a chaln along Lhe ferLlle
valleys beLween Lhe deserL and Lhe hllls. 8ecause of Lhelr seLLlng Lhey
Lurned Lhelr backs upon Lhe sea and looked easLward. 1hey were Arab,
and knew Lhemselves such. Cf Lhem, and of Syrla, uamascus was Lhe
lnevlLable head, Lhe seaL of lay governmenL, and Lhe rellglous cenLre.
lLs shelkhs were leaders of oplnlon, more 'Meccan' Lhan oLhers
elsewhere. lLs fresh and LurbulenL clLlzens, always wllllng Lo sLrlke,
were as exLreme ln LhoughL and word as ln pleasure. 1he clLy boasLed Lo
move before any parL of Syrla. 1he 1urks made lL mlllLary headquarLers,
[usL as cerLalnly as Lhe Arab CpposlLlon, and Cppenhelm, and Shelkh
Shawlsh Lhere esLabllshed Lhemselves. uamascus was a lode-sLar Lo whlch
Arabs were naLurally drawn: a caplLal whlch would noL smooLhly be
subservlenL Lo any allen race.

Porns and Pama were Lwlns dlsllklng one anoLher. All ln Lhem
manufacLured Lhlngs: ln Porns ofLen coLLon and wool, ln Pama brocaded
sllks. 1helr lndusLrles were prosperous and lncreaslng, Lhelr merchanLs
qulck Lo flnd new ouLleLs, or Lo meeL new LasLes, ln norLh Afrlca, Lhe
8alkans, Asla Mlnor, Arabla, MesopoLamla. 1hey demonsLraLed Lhe
producLlve ablllLy of Syrla, ungulded by forelgners, as 8eyrouL proved
lLs sklll ln dlsLrlbuLlon. ?eL whlle Lhe prosperlLy of 8eyrouL made lL
LevanLlne, Lhe prosperlLy of Porns and kama relnforced Lhelr locallsm,
made Lhem more flrmly naLlve, more [ealously naLlve. AlmosL lL seemed
as Lhough famlllarlLy wlLh planL and power LaughL people LhaL Lhelr
faLhers' manners were besL.

Aleppo was a greaL clLy ln Syrla, buL noL of lL, nor of AnaLolla, nor
of MesopoLamla. 1here Lhe races, creeds, and Longues of Lhe CLLoman
Lmplre meL and knew one anoLher ln a splrlL of compromlse. 1he clash of
characLerlsLlcs, whlch made lLs sLreeLs a kaleldoscope, lmbued Lhe
Alepplne wlLh a lewd LhoughLfulness whlch correcLed ln hlm whaL was
blaLanL ln Lhe uamascene. Aleppo had shared ln all Lhe clvlllzaLlons
whlch Lurned abouL lL: Lhe resulL seemed Lo be a lack of zesL ln lLs
people's bellef. Lven so, Lhey surpassed Lhe resL of Syrla. 1hey foughL
and Lraded more, were more fanaLlcal and vlclous, and made mosL
beauLlful Lhlngs: buL all wlLh a dearLh of convlcLlon whlch rendered
barren Lhelr mulLlLudlnous sLrengLh.

lL was Lyplcal of Aleppo LhaL ln lL, whlle yeL Mohammedan feellng ran
hlgh, more fellowshlp should rule beLween ChrlsLlan and Mohammedan,
Armenlan, Arab, 1urk, kurd and !ew, Lhan ln perhaps any oLher greaL
clLy of Lhe CLLoman Lmplre, and LhaL more frlendllness, Lhough llLLle
llcence, should have been accorded Lo Luropeans. ollLlcally, Lhe Lown
sLood aslde alLogeLher, save ln Arab quarLers whlch, llke overgrown
half-nomad vlllages scaLLered over wlLh prlceless medlaeval mosques,
exLended easL and souLh of Lhe mural crown of lLs greaL clLadel. 1he
lnLenslLy of Lhelr self-sown paLrloLlsm Llnged Lhe bulk of Lhe clLlzens
ouLslde Lhem wlLh a colour of local consclousness whlch was by so much
less vlvld Lhan Lhe 8eyrouL-acqulred unanlmlLy of uamascus.

All Lhese peoples of Syrla were open Lo us by Lhe masLer-key of Lhelr
common Arablc language. 1helr dlsLlncLlons were pollLlcal and
rellglous: morally Lhey dlffered only ln Lhe sLeady gradaLlon from
neuroLlc senslblllLy on Lhe sea coasL Lo reserve lnland. 1hey were
qulck-mlnded, admlrers, buL noL seekers of LruLh, self-saLlsfled, noL
(llke Lhe LgypLlans) helpless before absLracL ldeas, buL unpracLlcal,
and so lazy ln mlnd as Lo be hablLually superflclal. 1helr ldeal was
ease ln whlch Lo busy Lhemselves wlLh oLhers' affalrs.

lrom chlldhood Lhey were lawless, obeylng Lhelr faLhers only from
physlcal fear, and Lhelr governmenL laLer for much Lhe same reason: yeL
few races had Lhe respecL of Lhe upland Syrlan for cusLomary law. All
of Lhem wanLed someLhlng new, for wlLh Lhelr superflclallLy and
lawlessness wenL a passlon for pollLlcs, a sclence faLally easy for Lhe
Syrlan Lo smarLer, buL Loo dlfflculL for hlm Lo masLer. 1hey were
dlsconLenLed always wlLh whaL governmenL Lhey had, such belng Lhelr
lnLellecLual prlde, buL few of Lhem honesLly LhoughL ouL a worklng
alLernaLlve, and fewer sLlll agreed upon one.

ln seLLled Syrla Lhere was no lndlgenous pollLlcal enLlLy larger Lhan
Lhe vlllage, ln paLrlarchal Syrla noLhlng more complex Lhan Lhe clan,
and Lhese unlLs were lnformal and volunLary, devold of sancLlon, wlLh
heads lndlcaLed from Lhe enLlLled famllles only by Lhe slow cemenLlng
of publlc oplnlon. All hlgher consLlLuLlon was Lhe lmporLed bureau-sysLem
of Lhe 1urk, ln pracLlce elLher falrly good or very bad accordlng Lo
Lhe frallLy of Lhe human lnsLrumenLs (generally gendarmes) Lhrough whlch,
ln Lhe lasL resorL, lL worked.

1he people, even Lhe besL-LaughL, showed a curlous bllndness Lo Lhe
unlmporLance of Lhelr counLry, and a mlsconcepLlon of Lhe selflshness
of greaL powers whose normal course was Lo conslder Lhelr own lnLeresLs
before Lhose of unarmed races. Some crled aloud for an Arab klngdom.
1hese were usually Moslems, and Lhe CaLhollc ChrlsLlans would counLer
Lhem by demandlng Luropean proLecLlon of a Lhelemlc order, conferrlng
prlvlleges wlLhouL obllgaLlon. 8oLh proposals were, of course, far from
Lhe hearLs of Lhe naLlonal groups, who crled for auLonomy for Syrla,
havlng a knowledge of whaL auLonomy was, buL noL knowlng Syrla, for ln
Arablc Lhere was no such name, nor any name for all Lhe counLry any of
Lhem meanL. 1he verbal poverLy of Lhelr 8ome-borrowed name lndlcaLed a
pollLlcal dlslnLegraLlon. 8eLween Lown and Lown, vlllage and vlllage,
famlly and famlly, creed and creed, exlsLed lnLlmaLe [ealousles
sedulously fosLered by Lhe 1urks.

1lme seemed Lo have proclalmed Lhe lmposslblllLy of auLonomous unlon
for such a land. ln hlsLory, Syrla had been a corrldor beLween sea and
deserL, [olnlng Afrlca Lo Asla, Arabla Lo Lurope. lL had been a
prlze-rlng, a vassal, of AnaLolla, of Creece, of 8ome, of LgypL, of
Arabla, of ersla, of MesopoLamla. When glven a momenLary lndependence by
Lhe weakness of nelghbours lL had flercely resolved lnLo dlscordanL
norLhern, souLhern, easLern and wesLern 'klngdoms' wlLh Lhe area aL
besL of ?orkshlre, aL worsL of 8uLland, for lf Syrla was by naLure a
vassal counLry lL was also by hablL a counLry of Llreless aglLaLlon and
lncessanL revolL.

1he masLer-key of oplnlon lay ln Lhe common language: where also, lay
Lhe key of lmaglnaLlon. Moslems whose moLher Longue was Arablc looked
upon Lhemselves for LhaL reason as a chosen people. 1helr herlLage of
Lhe koran and classlcal llLeraLure held Lhe Arablc-speaklng peoples
LogeLher. aLrloLlsm, ordlnarlly of soll or race, was warped Lo a
language.

A second buLLress of a pollLy of Arab moLlve was Lhe dlm glory of Lhe
early khallfaLe, whose memory endured among Lhe people Lhrough
cenLurles of 1urklsh mlsgovernmenL. 1he accldenL LhaL Lhese LradlLlons
savoured raLher of Lhe Arablan nlghLs Lhan of sheer hlsLory malnLalned
Lhe Arab rank and flle ln Lhelr convlcLlon LhaL Lhelr pasL was more
splendld Lhan Lhe presenL of Lhe CLLoman 1urk.

?eL we knew LhaL Lhese were dreams. Arab CovernmenL ln Syrla, Lhough
buLLressed on Arablc pre[udlces, would be as much 'lmposed' as Lhe
1urklsh CovernmenL, or a forelgn proLecLoraLe, or Lhe hlsLorlc
CallphaLe. Syrla remalned a vlvldly coloured raclal and rellglous
mosalc. Any wlde aLLempL afLer unlLy would make a paLched and parcelled
Lhlng, ungraLeful Lo a people whose lnsLlncLs ever reLurned Lowards
parochlal home rule.

Cur excuse for over-runnlng expedlency was War. Syrla, rlpe for
spasmodlc local revolL, mlghL be seeLhed up lnLo lnsurrecLlon, lf a new
facLor, offerlng Lo reallze LhaL cenLrlpeLal naLlonallsm of Lhe 8eyrouL
CyclopaedlsLs, arose Lo resLraln Lhe [arrlng secLs and classes. novel
Lhe facLor musL be, Lo avold ralslng a [ealousy of lLself: noL forelgn,
slnce Lhe concelL of Syrla forbade.

WlLhln our slghL Lhe only lndependenL facLor wlLh accepLable groundwork
and flghLlng adherenLs was a Sunnl prlnce, llke lelsal, preLendlng Lo
revlve Lhe glorles of Cmmayad or Ayubld. Pe mlghL momenLarlly comblne
Lhe lnland men unLll success came wlLh lLs need Lo Lransfer Lhelr
debauched enLhuslasm Lo Lhe servlce of ordered governmenL. 1hen would
come reacLlon, buL only afLer vlcLory, and for vlcLory everyLhlng
maLerlal and moral mlghL be pawned.

1here remalned Lhe Lechnlque and dlrecLlon of Lhe new revolLs: buL Lhe
dlrecLlon a bllnd man could see. 1he crlLlcal cenLre of Syrla ln all
ages had been Lhe ?armuk valley, Pauran, and ueraa. When Pauran [olned
us our campalgn would be well ended. 1he process should be Lo seL up
anoLher ladder of Lrlbes, comparable Lo LhaL from We[h Lo Akaba: only
Lhls Llme our ladder would be made of sLeps of PowelLaL, 8enl Sakhr,
SheraraL, 8ualla, and Serahln, Lo ralse us Lhree hundred mlles Lo
Azrak, Lhe oasls nearesL Pauran and !ebel uruse.

ln characLer our operaLlons of developmenL for Lhe flnal sLroke should
be llke naval war, ln moblllLy, ublqulLy, lndependence of bases and
communlcaLlons, lgnorlng of ground feaLures, of sLraLeglc areas, of
flxed dlrecLlons, of flxed polnLs. 'Pe who commands Lhe sea ls aL greaL
llberLy, and may Lake as much or as llLLle of Lhe war as he wlll.' And
we commanded Lhe deserL. Camel raldlng parLles, self-conLalned llke
shlps, mlghL crulse confldenLly along Lhe enemy's culLlvaLlon-fronLler,
sure of an unhlndered reLreaL lnLo Lhelr deserL-elemenL whlch Lhe 1urks
could noL explore.

ulscrlmlnaLlon of whaL polnL of Lhe enemy organlsm Lo dlsarrange would
come Lo us wlLh war pracLlce. Cur LacLlcs should be Llp and run: noL
pushes, buL sLrokes. We should never Lry Lo lmprove an advanLage. We
should use Lhe smallesL force ln Lhe qulckesL Llme aL Lhe farLhesL
place.

1he necessary speed and range for dlsLanL war we would aLLaln Lhrough
Lhe frugallLy of Lhe deserL men, and Lhelr efflclency on camels. 1he
camel, LhaL lnLrlcaLe, prodlglous plece of naLure, ln experL hands
ylelded a remarkable reLurn. Cn Lhem we were lndependenL of supply for
slx weeks, lf each man had a half-bag of flour, forLy-flve pounds ln
welghL, slung on hls rldlng-saddle.

Cf waLer we would noL wanL Lo carry more Lhan a plnL each. 1he camels
musL drlnk, and Lhere was no galn ln maklng ourselves rlcher Lhan our
mounLs. Some of us never drank beLween wells, buL Lhose were hardy men:
mosL drank fully aL each well, and carrled a drlnk for an lnLermedlaLe
dry day. ln summer Lhe camels would do abouL Lwo hundred and flfLy
mlles afLer a waLerlng, a Lhree days' vlgorous march. An easy sLage was
flfLy mlles: elghLy was good: ln an emergency we mlghL do one hundred
and Len mlles ln Lhe LwenLy-four hours: Lwlce Lhe Chazala, our greaLesL
camel, dld one hundred and forLy-Lhree alone wlLh me. Wells were seldom
a hundred mlles aparL, so Lhe plnL reserve was laLlLude enough.

Cur slx weeks' food gave us capaclLy for a Lhousand mlles ouL and home.
1he endurance of our camels made lL posslble for us (for me, Lhe
camel-novlce ln Lhe army, 'palnful' would be Lhe flLLer word) Lo rlde
flfLeen hundred mlles ln LhlrLy days, wlLhouL fear of sLarvaLlon, because,
even lf we exceeded ln Llme, each of us saL on Lwo hundred pounds of
poLenLlal meaL, and Lhe man made camel-less could double-bank anoLher,
rldlng Lwo-up, ln emergency.

1he equlpmenL of Lhe raldlng parLles should alm aL slmpllclLy, wlLh,
neverLheless, a Lechnlcal superlorlLy over Lhe 1urks ln Lhe crlLlcal
deparLmenL. l senL Lo LgypL demands for greaL quanLlLles of llghL
auLomaLlc guns, PoLchklss or Lewls, Lo be used as snlpers' Lools. 1he
men we Lralned Lo Lhem were kepL dellberaLely lgnoranL of Lhe
mechanlsm, noL Lo wasLe speed ln acLlon upon efforLs aL repalr. Curs
were baLLles of mlnuLes, foughL aL elghLeen mlles an hour. lf a gun
[ammed, Lhe gunner musL Lhrow lL aslde and go ln wlLh hls rlfle.

AnoLher dlsLlngulshlng feaLure mlghL be hlgh exploslves. We evolved
speclal dynamlLe meLhods, and by Lhe end of Lhe war could demollsh any
quanLlLy of Lrack and brldges wlLh economy and safeLy. Allenby was
generous wlLh exploslve. lL was only guns we never goL unLll Lhe lasL
monLh--and Lhe plLy of lL! ln manoeuvre war one long-range gun
ouLwelghed nlneLy-nlne shorL.

1he dlsLrlbuLlon of Lhe raldlng parLles was unorLhodox. We could noL
mlx or comblne Lrlbes, because of Lhelr dlsLrusLs: nor could we use one
ln Lhe LerrlLory of anoLher. ln compensaLlon we almed aL Lhe wldesL
dlsslpaLlon of force, and we added fluldlLy Lo speed by uslng one
dlsLrlcL on Monday, anoLher on 1uesday, a Lhlrd on Wednesday. 1hus
naLural moblllLy was relnforced. ln pursulL, our ranks refllled wlLh
fresh men aL each new Lrlbe, and malnLalned Lhe prlsLlne energy. ln a
real sense maxlmum dlsorder was our equlllbrlum.

1he lnLernal economy of our raldlng parLles achleved lrregularlLy and
exLreme arLlculaLlon. Cur clrcumsLances were noL Lwlce slmllar, so no
sysLem could flL Lhem Lwlce: and our dlverslLy Lhrew Lhe enemy
lnLelllgence off Lhe Lrack. 8y ldenLlcal baLLallons and dlvlslons
lnformaLlon bullL lLself up, unLll a corps could be lnferred on corpses
from Lhree companles. Cur sLrengLhs depended upon whlm.

We were servlng a common ldeal, wlLhouL Lrlbal emulaLlon, and so could
noL hope for LS8l1 uL CC8S. Crdlnary soldlers were made a casLe
elLher by greaL rewards ln pay, dress and prlvllege: or by belng cuL
off from llfe by conLempL. We could noL so knlL man Lo man, for our
Lrlbesmen were ln arms wllllngly. Many armles had been volunLarlly
enllsLed: few served volunLarlly. Any of our Arabs could go home
wlLhouL penalLy whenever Lhe convlcLlon falled hlm: Lhe only conLracL
was honour.

ConsequenLly we had no dlsclpllne ln Lhe sense ln whlch lL was
resLrlcLlve, submergenL of lndlvlduallLy, Lhe LowesL Common uenomlnaLor
of men. ln peace-armles dlsclpllne meanL Lhe hunL, noL of an average
buL of an absoluLe, Lhe hundred per cenL sLandard ln whlch Lhe nlneLy-nlne
were played down Lo Lhe level of Lhe weakesL man on parade. 1he
alm was Lo render Lhe unlL a unlL, Lhe man a Lype, ln order LhaL Lhelr
efforL mlghL be calculable, and Lhe collecLlve ouLpuL even ln graln and
bulk. 1he deeper Lhe dlsclpllne, Lhe lower was Lhe lndlvldual
excellence, also Lhe more sure Lhe performance.

8y Lhls subsLlLuLlon of a sure [ob for a posslble masLerplece, mlllLary
sclence made a dellberaLe sacrlflce of capaclLy ln order Lo reduce Lhe
uncerLaln elemenL, Lhe blonomlc facLor, ln enllsLed humanlLy.
ulsclpllne's necessary accompanlmenL was compound or soclal war--LhaL
form ln whlch Lhe flghLlng man was Lhe producL of Lhe mulLlplled
exerLlons of a long hlerarchy, from workshop Lo supply unlL, whlch kepL
hlm acLlve ln Lhe fleld.

1he Arab war should reacL agalnsL Lhls, and be slmple and lndlvldual.
Lvery enrolled man should serve ln Lhe llne of baLLle and be
self-conLalned Lhere. 1he efflclency of our forces was Lhe personal
efflclency of Lhe slngle man. lL seemed Lo me LhaL, ln our arLlculaLed
war, Lhe sum ylelded by slngle men would aL leasL equal Lhe producL of
a compound sysLem of Lhe same sLrengLh.

ln pracLlce we should noL employ ln Lhe flrlng llne Lhe greaL numbers
whlch a slmple sysLem puL LheoreLlcally aL our dlsposal, lesL our
aLLack (as conLrasLed wlLh our LhreaL) become Loo exLended. 1he moral
sLraln of lsolaLed flghLlng made 'slmple' war very hard upon Lhe
soldler, exacLlng from hlm speclal lnlLlaLlve, endurance, enLhuslasm.
lrregular war was far more lnLellecLual Lhan a bayoneL charge, far more
exhausLlng Lhan servlce ln Lhe comforLable lmlLaLlve obedlence of an
ordered army. Cuerlllas musL be allowed llberal work room: ln lrregular
war, of Lwo men LogeLher, one was belng wasLed. Cur ldeal should be Lo
make our baLLle a serles of slngle combaLs, our ranks a happy alllance
of aglle commanders-ln-chlef.




CPA1L8 Lx



vessels sLeamed up Lhe Culf of Akaba. lelsal landed, and wlLh hlm
!aafar, hls sLaff, and !oyce, Lhe falry godmoLher. 1here came Lhe
armoured cars, CosleLL, LgypLlan labourers and Lhousands of Lroops. 1o
repalr Lhe slx weeks' peace, lalkenhayn had been down Lo advlse Lhe
1urks, and hls flne lnLelllgence made Lhem worLhler our opposlLlon.
Maan was a speclal command, under 8eh[eL, Lhe old C.C.C. Slnal. Pe had
slx Lhousand lnfanLry, a reglmenL of cavalry and mounLed lnfanLry, and
had enLrenched Maan Llll lL was lmpregnable accordlng Lo Lhe sLandard
of manoeuvre war. A fllghL of aeroplanes operaLed dally Lhence. CreaL
supply dumps had been collecLed.

8y now Lhe 1urklsh preparaLlons were compleLe, Lhey began Lo move,
dlscloslng LhaL Lhelr ob[ecLlve was Cuwelra, Lhe besL road for Akaba.
1wo Lhousand lnfanLry pushed ouL Lo Aba el Llssan, and forLlfled lL.
Cavalry kepL Lhe ouLsklrLs, Lo conLaln a posslble Arab counLer-sLroke
from Lhe Wadl Musa slde.

1hls nervousness was our cue. We would play wlLh Lhem and provoke Lhem
Lo go for us ln Wadl Musa, where Lhe naLural obsLacles were so
Lremendous LhaL Lhe human defendlng facLor mlghL behave as badly as lL
llked, and yeL hold Lhe place agalnsL aLLack.

1o balL Lhe hook, Lhe men of nelghbourlng uelagha were seL busy. 1he
1urks, full of splrlL, puL ln a counLer-sLroke, and suffered sharply.
We rubbed lnLo Lhe peasanLry of Wadl Musa Lhe rlch booLy now en[oyed by
Lhelr rlvals of uelagha. Maulud, Lhe old war-horse, wenL up wlLh hls
mule-mounLed reglmenL, and quarLered hlmself among Lhe famous rulns of
eLra. 1he encouraged LlaLhena, under Lhelr one-eyed shelkh, khalll,
began Lo foray ouL across Lhe plaLeau, and Lo snap up by Lwos and
Lhrees 1urklsh rldlng or LransporL anlmals, LogeLher wlLh Lhe rlfles of
Lhelr occaslonal guards. 1hls wenL on for weeks, whlle Lhe lrrlLaLed
1urks grew hoLLer and hoLLer.

We could also prlck Lhe 1urks lnLo dlscomforL by asklng Ceneral Salmond
for hls promlsed long-dlsLance alr rald on Maan. As lL was dlfflculL,
Salmond had chosen SLenL, wlLh oLher Lrled plloLs of 8abegh or We[h,
and Lold Lhem Lo do Lhelr besL. 1hey had experlence of forced landlng
on deserL surfaces and could plck ouL an unknown desLlnaLlon across
unmapped hllls: SLenL spoke Arablc perfecLly. 1he fllghL had Lo be
alr-conLalned, buL lLs commander was full of resource and dlsplay, llke
oLher bundles of nerves, who, Lo punlsh Lhemselves, dld ouLrageous
Lhlngs. Cn Lhls occaslon he ordered low flylng, Lo make sure Lhe alm,
and proflLed by reachlng Maan, and dropplng LhlrLy-Lwo bombs ln and
abouL Lhe unprepared sLaLlon. 1wo bombs lnLo Lhe barracks kllled
LhlrLy-flve men and wounded flfLy. LlghL sLruck Lhe englne-shed,
heavlly damaglng Lhe planL and sLock. A bomb ln Lhe Ceneral's klLchen
flnlshed hls cook and hls breakfasL. lour fell on Lhe aerodrome.
uesplLe Lhe shrapnel our plloLs and englnes reLurned safely Lo Lhelr
Lemporary landlng ground aL kunLllla above Akaba.

1haL afLernoon Lhey paLched Lhe machlnes, and afLer dark slepL under
Lhelr wlngs. ln Lhe followlng dawn Lhey were off once more, Lhree of
Lhem Lhls Llme, Lo Aba el Llssan, where Lhe slghL of Lhe greaL camp had
made SLenL's mouLh waLer. 1hey bombed Lhe horse llnes and sLampeded Lhe
anlmals, vlslLed Lhe LenLs and scaLLered Lhe 1urks. As on Lhe day
before, Lhey flew low and were much hlL, buL noL faLally. Long before
noon Lhey were back ln kunLllla.

SLenL looked over Lhe remalnlng peLrol and bombs, and declded Lhey were
enough for one more efforL. So he gave dlrecLlons Lo everyone Lo look
for Lhe baLLery whlch had Lroubled Lhem ln Lhe mornlng. 1hey sLarLed ln
Lhe mldday heaL. 1helr loads were so heavy Lhey could geL no helghL,
and Lherefore came blunderlng over Lhe cresL behlnd Aba el Llssan, and
down Lhe valley aL abouL Lhree hundred feeL. 1he 1urks, always
somnolenL aL noon, were Laken compleLely by surprlse. 1hlrLy bombs were
dropped: one sllenced Lhe baLLery, Lhe oLhers kllled dozens of men and
anlmals. 1hen Lhe llghLened machlnes soared up and home Lo Ll Arlsh.
1he Arabs re[olced: Lhe 1urks were serlously alarmed. 8eh[eL asha seL
hls men Lo dlgglng shelLers, and when hls aeroplanes had been repalred,
he dlsposed Lhem lnnocuously abouL Lhe plaLeau for camp defence.

8y alr we had perLurbed Lhe 1urks: by lrrlLaLlve ralds we were lurlng
Lhem Lowards a wrong ob[ecLlve. Cur Lhlrd resource Lo ruln Lhelr
offenslve was Lo hlnder Lhe rallway, whose need would make Lhem spllL
up Lhe sLrlklng force on defenslve duLles. Accordlngly we arranged many
demollLlons for mld-SepLember.

l declded also Lo revlve Lhe old ldea of mlnlng a Lraln. SomeLhlng more
vlgorous and cerLaln Lhan auLomaLlc mlnes was lndlcaLed, and l had
lmaglned a dlrecL flrlng, by elecLrlclLy, of a charge under Lhe
locomoLlve. 1he 8rlLlsh sappers encouraged me Lo Lry, especlally
Ceneral WrlghL, Lhe chlef englneer ln LgypL, whose experlence Look a
sporLlng lnLeresL ln my lrregularlLles. Pe senL me Lhe recommended
Lools: an exploder and some lnsulaLed cable. WlLh Lhem l wenL on board
P.M.S. nuM8L8, our new guard-shlp, and lnLroduced myself Lo CapLaln
Snagge, ln command.

Snagge was forLunaLe ln hls shlp, whlch had been bullL for 8razll, and
was much more comforLably furnlshed Lhan 8rlLlsh monlLors, and we were
doubly forLunaLe ln hlm and ln Lhls, for he was Lhe splrlL of
hosplLallLy. Pls lnqulrlng naLure Look lnLeresL ln Lhe shore, and saw
Lhe comlc slde even of our peLLy dlsasLers. 1o Lell hlm Lhe sLory of a
fallure was Lo laugh aL lL, and always for a good sLory he gave me a
hoL baLh, and Lea wlLh clvlllzed Lrapplngs, free from every susplclon
of blown sand. Pls klndness and help served us ln lleu of vlslLs Lo
LgypL for repalrs, and enabled us Lo hammer on agalnsL Lhe 1urks
Lhrough monLh afLer monLh of feckless dlsappolnLmenL.

1he exploder was ln a formldable locked whlLe box, very heavy. We spllL
lL open, found a raLcheL handle, and pushed lL down wlLhouL harmlng Lhe
shlp. 1he wlre was heavy rubber-lnsulaLed cable. We cuL lL ln half,
fasLened Lhe ends Lo screw Lermlnals on Lhe box, and LransmlLLed shocks
Lo one anoLher convlnclngly. lL worked.

l feLched deLonaLors. We sLuffed Lhe free ends of Lhe cable lnLo one
and pumped Lhe handle: noLhlng followed. We Lrled agaln and agaln
lneffecLually, grlevlng over lL. AL lasL Snagge rang hls bell for Lhe
gunner warranL offlcer who knew all abouL clrculLs. Pe suggesLed
speclal elecLrlc deLonaLors. 1he shlp carrled slx, and gave me Lhree of
Lhem. We [olned one up wlLh our box, and when Lhe handle was crashed
down lL popped off beauLlfully. So l felL LhaL l knew all abouL lL and
Lurned Lo arrange Lhe deLalls of Lhe rald.

Cf LargeLs, Lhe mosL promlslng and easlesL-reached seemed Mudowwara, a
waLer sLaLlon elghLy mlles souLh of Maan. A smashed Lraln Lhere would
embarrass Lhe enemy. lor men, l would have Lhe Lrled PowelLaL, and, aL
Lhe same Llme, Lhe expedlLlon would LesL Lhe Lhree Pauranl peasanLs
whom l had added Lo my personal followers. ln vlew of Lhe new
lmporLance of Lhe Pauran, Lhere was need for us Lo learn lLs dlalecL,
Lhe consLrucLlon and [ealousles of lLs clan-framework, and lLs names
and roads. 1hese Lhree fellows, 8ahall, Assaf and Pemeld would Leach me
Lhelr home-affalrs lmpercepLlbly, as we rode on buslness, chaLLlng.

1o make sure of Lhe arresLed Lraln requlred guns and machlne-guns. lor
Lhe flrsL, why noL Lrench-morLars? lor Lhe second, Lewls guns?
Accordlngly, LgypL chose Lwo forceful sergeanL-lnsLrucLors from Lhe
Army School aL ZelLun, Lo Leach squads of Arabs ln Akaba how Lo use
such Lhlngs. Snagge gave Lhem quarLers ln hls shlp, slnce we had, as
yeL, no convenlenL Lngllsh camp ashore.

1helr names may have been ?ells and 8rooke, buL became Lewls and SLokes
afLer Lhelr [ealously-loved Lools. Lewls was an AusLrallan, long, Lhln
and slnuous, hls supple body lounglng ln unmlllLary curves. Pls hard
face, arched eyebrows, and predaLory nose seL off Lhe pecullarly
AusLrallan alr of reckless wllllngness and capaclLy Lo do someLhlng
very soon. SLokes was a sLocky Lngllsh yeoman, workmanllke and sllenL,
always waLchlng for an order Lo obey.

Lewls, full of suggesLlon, emerged bursLlng wlLh dellghL aL whaL had
been well done whenever a Lhlng happened. SLokes never offered oplnlon
unLll afLer acLlon, when he would sLlr hls cap reflecLlvely, and
palnsLaklngly recounL Lhe mlsLakes he musL nexL Llme avold. 8oLh were
admlrable men. ln a monLh, wlLhouL common language or lnLerpreLer, Lhey
goL on Lerms wlLh Lhelr classes and LaughL Lhem Lhelr weapons wlLh
reasonable preclslon. More was noL requlred: for an emplrlcal hablL
appeared Lo agree wlLh Lhe splrlL of our haphazard ralds beLLer Lhan
compleLe sclenLlflc knowledge.

As we worked aL Lhe organlzaLlon of Lhe rald, our appeLlLes rose.
Mudowwara sLaLlon sounded vulnerable. 1hree hundred men mlghL rush lL
suddenly. 1haL would be an achlevemenL, for lLs deep well was Lhe only
one ln Lhe dry secLor below Maan. WlLhouL lLs waLer, Lhe Lraln servlce
across Lhe gap would become uneconomlc ln load.




CPA1L8 Lxl



Lewls, Lhe AusLrallan, aL such an amblLlous momenL, sald LhaL he and
SLokes would llke Lo be of my parLy. A new, aLLracLlve ldea. WlLh Lhem
we should feel sure of our Lechnlcal deLachmenLs, whllsL aLLacklng a
garrlsoned place. Also, Lhe sergeanLs wanLed Lo go very much, and Lhelr
good work deserved reward. 1hey were warned LhaL Lhelr experlences
mlghL noL aL Lhe momenL seem alLogeLher [oyful. 1here were no rules,
and Lhere could be no mlLlgaLlon of Lhe marchlng, feedlng, and
flghLlng, lnland. lf Lhey wenL Lhey would lose Lhelr 8rlLlsh Army
comforL and prlvllege, Lo share and share wlLh Lhe Arabs (excepL ln
booLy!) and suffer exacLly Lhelr hap ln food and dlsclpllne. lf
anyLhlng wenL wrong wlLh me, Lhey, noL speaklng Arablc, would be ln a
Lender poslLlon.

Lewls replled LhaL he was looklng for [usL Lhls sLrangeness of llfe.
SLokes supposed LhaL lf we dld lL, he could. So Lhey were lenL Lwo of
my besL camels (Lhelr saddle-bags LlghL wlLh bully-beef and blsculLs)
and on SepLember Lhe sevenLh we wenL LogeLher up Wadl lLm, Lo collecL
our PowelLaL from Auda ln Cuwelra.

lor Lhe sergeanLs' sake, Lo harden Lhem genLly, Lhlngs were made beLLer
Lhan my word. We marched very easlly for Lo-day, whlle we were our own
masLers. nelLher had been on a camel before, and Lhere was rlsk LhaL
Lhe fearful heaL of Lhe naked granlLe walls of lLm mlghL knock Lhem ouL
before Lhe Lrlp had properly begun. SepLember was a bad monLh. A few
days before, ln Lhe shade of Lhe palm-gardens of Akaba beach, Lhe
LhermomeLer had shown a hundred and LwenLy degrees. So we halLed for
mldday under a cllff, and ln Lhe evenlng rode only Len mlles Lo camp
for Lhe nlghL.

We were comforLable wlLh cans of hoL Lea, and rlce and meaL, and lL was
coverLly en[oyable Lo waLch Lhe percusslon of Lhelr surroundlngs on Lhe
Lwo men. Lach reacLed Lo Lhe Lype expecLed.

1he AusLrallan from Lhe flrsL seemed aL home, and behaved freely
Lowards Lhe Arabs. When Lhey fell lnLo hls splrlL, and reLurned Lhe
fellowshlp, he was asLonlshed: almosL resenLful: havlng never lmaglned
LhaL Lhey would be mlsled by hls klndness Lo forgeL Lhe dlfference
beLween a whlLe man and a brown.

lL added humour Lo Lhe slLuaLlon LhaL he was browner by far Lhan my new
followers, of whom Lhe youngesL lnLeresLed me mosL. Pe, 8ahall, was
qulLe a lad: a free-bullL, sLurdy fellow, Loo fleshy for Lhe Me we were
Lo lead, buL for LhaL Lhe more LoleranL of palns. Pls face was
hlgh-coloured, hls cheeks a llLLle full and low-pouched, almosL pendenL.
1he mouLh was budded and small, Lhe chln very polnLed. 1hls, added Lo Lhe
hlgh, sLrong brows and anLlmony-enlarged eyes, gave hlm a mlxed alr of
arLlflce and peLulance, wlLh weary paLlence self-lmposed upon a base of
prlde. Pe was blowsy-spoken (mouLhlng hls Arablc), vulgar ln dlalecL,
forward and lmpudenL ln speech, always LhrusLlng, flaunLlng, resLless
and nervous. Pls splrlL was noL as sLrong as hls body, buL mercurlal.
When exhausLed or cross he broke lnLo mlserable Lears easlly chased
away by any lnLerference, and afLer, was flL for more endurance. My
followers, Mohammed and Ahmed, wlLh 8ashld and Assaf, Lhe probaLloners,
gave 8ahall much llcence of behavlour, parLly because of hls anlmal
aLLracLlveness, and of hls Lendency Lo adverLlse hls person. Pe had Lo
be checked once or Lwlce for Laklng llberLles wlLh Lhe sergeanLs.

SLokes, Lhe Lngllshman, was drlven by Lhe Arab sLrangeness Lo become
more hlmself, more lnsular. Pls shy correcLness remlnded my men ln
every movemenL LhaL he was unllke Lhem, and Lngllsh. Such conslderaLlon
ellclLed a reLurn of respecL. 1o Lhem he was 'Lhe sergeanL', whlle
Lewls was 'Lhe long one'.

1hese were polnLs of characLer, whlch all showed ln Lhelr degree. lL
was humlllaLlng Lo flnd LhaL our book-experlence of all counLrles and
ages sLlll lefL us pre[udlced llke washerwomen, buL wlLhouL Lhelr
verbal ablllLy Lo geL on Lerms wlLh sLrangers. 1he Lngllshmen ln Lhe
Mlddle LasL dlvlded lnLo Lwo classes. Class one, subLle and
lnslnuaLlng, caughL Lhe characLerlsLlcs of Lhe people abouL hlm, Lhelr
speech, Lhelr convenLlons of LhoughL, almosL Lhelr manner. Pe dlrecLed
men secreLly, guldlng Lhem as he would. ln such frlcLlonless hablL of
lnfluence hls own naLure lay hld, unnoLlced.

Class Lwo, Lhe !ohn 8ull of Lhe books, became Lhe more rampanLly
Lngllsh Lhe longer he was away from Lngland. Pe lnvenLed an Cld CounLry
for hlmself, a home of all remembered vlrLues, so splendld ln Lhe
dlsLance LhaL, on reLurn, he ofLen found reallLy a sad falllng off and
wlLhdrew hls muddle-headed self lnLo fracLlous advocacy of Lhe good old
Llmes. Abroad, Lhrough hls armoured cerLalnLy, he was a rounded sample
of our LralLs. Pe showed Lhe compleLe Lngllshman. 1here was frlcLlon ln
hls Lrack, and hls dlrecLlon was less smooLh Lhan LhaL of Lhe
lnLellecLual Lype: yeL hls sLouL example cuL wlder swaLhe.

8oLh sorLs Look Lhe same dlrecLlon ln example, one voclferously, Lhe
oLher by lmpllcaLlon. Lach assumed Lhe Lngllshman a chosen belng,
lnlmlLable, and Lhe copylng hlm blasphemous or lmperLlnenL. ln Lhls
concelL Lhey urged on people Lhe nexL besL Lhlng. Cod had noL glven lL
Lhem Lo be Lngllsh, a duLy remalned Lo be good of Lhelr Lype.
ConsequenLly we admlred naLlve cusLom, sLudled Lhe language, wroLe
books abouL lLs archlLecLure, folklore, and dylng lndusLrles. 1hen one
day, we woke up Lo flnd Lhls chLhonlc splrlL Lurned pollLlcal, and
shook our heads wlLh sorrow over lLs ungraLeful naLlonallsm--Lruly Lhe
flne flower of our lnnocenL efforLs.

1he lrench, Lhough Lhey sLarLed wlLh a slmllar docLrlne of Lhe
lrenchman as Lhe perfecLlon of manklnd (dogma amongsL Lhem, noL secreL
lnsLlncL), wenL on, conLrarlly, Lo encourage Lhelr sub[ecLs Lo lmlLaLe
Lhem, slnce, even lf Lhey could never aLLaln Lhe Lrue level, yeL Lhelr
vlrLue would be greaLer as Lhey approached lL. We looked upon lmlLaLlon
as a parody, Lhey as a compllmenL.

nexL day, ln Lhe early heaL, we were near Cuwelra, comforLably crosslng
Lhe sanded plaln of resLful plnk wlLh lLs grey-green undergrowLh, when
Lhere came a dronlng Lhrough Lhe alr. Culckly we drove Lhe camels off
Lhe open road lnLo Lhe bush-speckled ground, where Lhelr lrregular
colourlng would noL be marked by Lhe enemy alrmen, for Lhe loads of
blasLlng gelaLlne, my favourlLe and mosL powerful exploslve, and Lhe
many ammonal-fllled shells of Lhe SLokes' gun would be lll nelghbours
ln a bomblng rald. We walLed Lhere, soberly, ln Lhe saddle whlle our
camels grazed Lhe llLLle whlch was worLh eaLlng ln Lhe scrub, unLll Lhe
aeroplane had clrcled Lwlce abouL Lhe rock of Cuwelra ln fronL of us,
and planLed Lhree loud bombs.

We collecLed our caravan agaln on Lhe paLh and paced genLly lnLo camp.
Cuwelra was Lhronged wlLh llfe, and a marL for Lhe PowelLaL of boLh
hllls and hlghlands. As far as Lhe eye reached Lhe plaln was sofLly
movlng wlLh herded camels, whose mulLlLude dralned Lhe near waLer-holes
each mornlng before dawn, so LhaL laLe rlsers musL Lravel many mlles Lo
drlnk.

1hls was llLLle maLLer, for Lhe Arabs had noLhlng Lo do buL walL for
Lhe mornlng aeroplane, and afLer lLs passlng, noLhlng buL Lalk Lo klll
Llme Llll nlghL was full enough for sleep. 1he Lalk and lelsure were
Loo plenLlful and had revlved old [ealousles. Auda was amblLlous Lo
Lake advanLage of our dependence on hls help Lo assorL Lhe Lrlbes. Pe
drew Lhe bulk-wages for Lhe PowelLaL, and, by Lhe money, soughL Lo
compel Lhe smaller free-secLlons Lo hls leadershlp.

1hey resenLed lL, and were LhreaLenlng elLher Lo reLlre lnLo Lhelr
hllls or Lo re-open Louch wlLh Lhe 1urks. lelsal senL up Sherlf MasLur
as medlaLor. 1he Lhousands of PowelLaL, ln hundreds of secLlons, were
uncompromlslng, hard-headed, greedy land-lawyers. 1o hold Lhem conLenL
wlLhouL angerlng Auda was Lask dellcaLe enough for Lhe mosL fasLldlous
mlnd. Also, lL was one hundred and Len degrees ln Lhe shade, and Lhe
shade was a surge of flles.

1he Lhree souLhern clans on whom we had been counLlng for our rald were
among Lhe dlssldenLs. MasLur spoke Lo Lhem, Lhe chlefs of Lhe Abu 1ayl
spoke, we all spoke, wlLhouL effecL. lL seemed as Lhough our plans were
Lo break down aL Lhe sLarL.

Cne day, golng along before noon under Lhe rock, MasLur meL me wlLh
news LhaL Lhe souLherners were mounLlng Lo deserL our camp and
movemenL. lull of vexaLlon, l swung round lnLo Auda's LenL. Pe saL on
lLs sand-floor, feedlng on bolled bread wlLh hls laLesL wlfe, a [olly
glrl, whose brown skln was blue wlLh Lhe lndlgo dye from her new smock.
When l suddenly bursL ln, Lhe llLLle woman whlsked away Lhrough Lhe
back-flap llke a rabblL. 1o galn ground wlLh hlm, l began Lo [eer aL
Lhe old man for belng so old and yeL so foollsh llke Lhe resL of hls
race, who regarded our comlc reproducLlve processes noL as an
unhyglenlc pleasure, buL as a maln buslness of llfe.

Auda reLorLed wlLh hls deslre for helrs. l asked lf he had found llfe
good enough Lo Lhank hls haphazard parenLs for brlnglng hlm lnLo lL? or
selflshly Lo confer Lhe doubLful glfL upon an unborn splrlL?

Pe malnLalned hlmself. 'lndeed, l am Auda,' sald he, flrmly, 'and you
know Auda. My faLher (Lo whom Cod be merclful) was masLer, greaLer Lhan
Auda, and he would pralse my grandfaLher. 1he world ls greaLer as we go
back.' '8uL, Auda, we say honour our sons and daughLers, Lhe helrs of
our accumulaLed worLh, fulflllers of our broken wlsdom. WlLh each
generaLlon Lhe earLh ls older, manklnd more removed from lLs
chlldhood . . .'

1he old Lhlng, noL Lo-day Lo be Leased, looked aL me Lhrough hls
narrowed eyes wlLh a benlgn humour, and polnLed Lo Abu 1ayl, hls son,
ouL on Lhe plaln before us Lrylng a new camel, banglng lL on Lhe neck
wlLh hls sLlck ln valn efforL Lo make lL pace llke a Lhoroughbred. 'C
world's lmp,' sald he, 'lf Cod please he has lnherlLed my worLh, buL
Lhank Cod noL yeL my sLrengLh, and lf l flnd faulL wlLh hlm l wlll
redden hls Lall. no doubL you are very wlse.' 1he upshoL of our Lalk
was LhaL l should go off Lo a clean spoL, Lo walL evenLs. We hlred
LwenLy camels Lo carry Lhe exploslves, and Lhe morrow, Lwo hours afLer
Lhe aeroplane, was flxed for our sLarL.

1he aeroplane was Lhe qualnL regulaLor of publlc buslness ln Lhe
Cuwelra camp. 1he Arabs, up as ever before dawn, walLed for lL: MasLur
seL a slave on Lhe crag's peak Lo sound Lhe flrsL warnlng. When lLs
consLanL hour drew near Lhe Arabs would saunLer, chaLLlng ln parade of
carelessness, Lowards Lhe rock. Arrlved beneaLh lL, each man cllmbed Lo
Lhe ledge he favoured. AfLer MasLur would cllmb Lhe bevy of hls slaves,
wlLh hls coffee on Lhe brazler, and hls carpeL. ln a shaded nook he and
Auda would slL and Lalk Llll Lhe llLLle shlver of exclLemenL LlghLened
up and down Lhe crowded ledges when flrsL was heard Lhe song of Lhe
englne over Lhe pass of ShLar.

Lveryone pressed back agalnsL Lhe wall and walLed sLllly whlle Lhe
enemy clrcled valnly above Lhe sLrange specLacle of Lhls crlmson rock
banded wlLh Lhousands of gally-dressed Arabs, nesLlng llke lblses ln
every cranny of lLs face. 1he aeroplane dropped Lhree bombs, or four
bombs, or flve bombs, accordlng Lo Lhe day of Lhe week. 1helr bursLs of
dense smoke saL on Lhe sage-green plaln compacLly llke cream-puffs,
wrlLhlng for mlnuLes ln Lhe wlndless alr before Lhey slowly spread and
faded. 1hough we knew Lhere was no menace ln lL, yeL we could noL buL
caLch our breaLh when Lhe sharp-growlng cry of Lhe falllng bombs came
Lhrough Lhe loud englne overhead.




CPA1L8 Lxll



Cladly we lefL Lhe nolse and hearL-burnlng of Cuwelra. So soon as we
had losL our escorL of flles we halLed: lndeed Lhere was no need of
hasLe, and Lhe Lwo unforLunaLe fellows wlLh me were LasLlng of such
heaL as Lhey had never known: for Lhe sLlfllng alr was llke a meLal
mask over our faces. lL was admlrable Lo see Lhem sLruggle noL Lo speak
of lL, LhaL Lhey mlghL keep Lhe splrlL of Lhe Akaba underLaklng Lo
endure as flrmly as Lhe Arabs, buL by Lhls sllence Lhe sergeanLs wenL
far pasL Lhelr bond. lL was lgnorance of Arablc whlch made Lhem so
superfluously brave, for Lhe Arabs Lhemselves were loud agalnsL Lhe
Lyrannous sun and Lhe breaLhlessness, buL Lhe LesL-effecL was
wholesome, and, for effecL, l played abouL, seemlng Lo en[oy myself.

ln Lhe laLe afLernoon we marched furLher and sLopped for Lhe nlghL
under a Lhlck screen of Lamarlsk-Lrees. 1he camp was very beauLlful,
for behlnd us rose a cllff, perhaps four hundred feeL ln helghL, a deep
red ln Lhe level sunseL. under our feeL was spread a floor of
buff-coloured mud, as hard and muffled as wood-pavlng, flaL llke a lake
for half a mlle each way: and on a low rldge Lo one slde of lL sLood Lhe
grove of Lamarlsk-sLems of brown wood, edged wlLh a sparse and dusLy
frlnge of green, whlch had been faded by droughL and sunshlne Llll lL
was nearly of Lhe sllvered grey below Lhe ollve-leaves abouL Les 8aux,
when a wlnd from Lhe rlver-mouLh rusLled up Lhe valley-grass and made
Lhe Lrees Lurn pale.

We were rldlng for 8umm, Lhe norLhern waLer of Lhe 8enl ALlyeh: A place
whlch sLlrred my LhoughL, as even Lhe unsenLlmenLal Powel-LaL had Lold
me lL was lovely. 1he morrow would be new wlLh our enLry Lo lL: buL
very early, whlle Lhe sLars were yeL shlnlng, l was roused by Ald, Lhe
humble ParlLhl Sherlf accompanylng us. Pe crepL Lo me, and sald ln a
chllled volce, 'Lord, l am gone bllnd'. l made hlm lle down, and felL
LhaL he shlvered as lf cold, buL all he could Lell me was LhaL ln Lhe
nlghL, waklng up, Lhere had been no slghL, only paln ln hls eyes. 1he
sun-bllnk had burned Lhem ouL.

uay was sLlll young as we rode beLween Lwo greaL plkes of sandsLone Lo
Lhe fooL of a long, sofL slope poured down from Lhe domed hllls ln
fronL of us. lL was Lamarlsk-covered: Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe valley of
8umm, Lhey sald. We looked up on Lhe lefL Lo a long wall of rock,
sheerlng ln llke a Lhousand-fooL wave Lowards Lhe mlddle of Lhe valley,
whose oLher arc, Lo Lhe rlghL, was an opposlng llne of sLeep, red
broken hllls. We rode up Lhe slope, crashlng our way Lhrough Lhe
brlLLle undergrowLh.

As we wenL, Lhe brushwood grouped lLself lnLo LhlckeLs whose massed
leaves Look on a sLronger LlnL of green Lhe purer for Lhelr conLrasLed
seLLlng ln ploLs of open sand of a cheerful dellcaLe plnk. 1he ascenL
became genLle, Llll 1PL valley was a conflned LllLed plaln. 1he hllls
on Lhe rlghL grew Laller and sharper, a falr counLerparL of Lhe oLher
slde whlch sLralghLened lLself Lo one masslve ramparL of redness. 1hey
drew LogeLher unLll only Lwo mlles dlvlded Lhem: and Lhen, Lowerlng
gradually Llll Lhelr parallel parapeLs musL have been a Lhousand feeL
above us, ran forward ln an avenue for mlles.

1hey were noL unbroken walls of rock, buL were bullL secLlonally, ln
crags llke glganLlc bulldlngs, along Lhe Lwo sldes of Lhelr sLreeL.
ueep alleys, flfLy feeL across, dlvlded Lhe crags, whose plans were
smooLhed by Lhe weaLher lnLo huge apses and bays, and enrlched wlLh
surface freLLlng and fracLure, llke deslgn. Caverns hlgh up on Lhe
preclplce were round llke wlndows: oLhers near Lhe fooL gaped llke
doors. uark sLalns ran down Lhe shadowed fronL for hundreds of feeL,
llke accldenLs of use. 1he cllffs were sLrlaLed verLlcally, ln Lhelr
granular rock, whose maln order sLood on Lwo hundred feeL of broken
sLone deeper ln colour and harder ln LexLure. 1hls pllnLh dld noL, llke
Lhe sandsLone, hang ln folds llke cloLh, buL chlpped lLself lnLo loose
courses of scree, horlzonLal as Lhe fooLlngs of a wall.

1he crags were capped ln nesLs of domes, less hoLly red Lhan Lhe body
of Lhe hlll, raLher grey and shallow. 1hey gave Lhe flnlshlng semblance
of 8yzanLlne archlLecLure Lo Lhls lrreslsLlble place: Lhls processlonal
way greaLer Lhan lmaglnaLlon. 1he Arab armles would have been losL ln
Lhe lengLh and breadLh of lL, and wlLhln Lhe walls a squadron of
aeroplanes could have wheeled ln formaLlon. Cur llLLle caravan grew
self-consclous, and fell dead quleL, afrald and ashamed Lo flaunL lLs
smallness ln Lhe presence of Lhe sLupendous hllls.

Landscapes, ln chlldhood's dream, were so vasL and sllenL. We looked
backward Lhrough our memory for Lhe proLoLype up whlch all men had
walked beLween such walls Loward such an open square as LhaL ln fronL
where Lhls road seemed Lo end. LaLer, when we were ofLen rldlng lnland,
my mlnd used Lo Lurn me from Lhe dlrecL road, Lo clear my senses by a
nlghL ln 8umm and by Lhe rlde down lLs dawn-llL valley Lowards Lhe
shlnlng plalns, or up lLs valley ln Lhe sunseL Lowards LhaL glowlng
square whlch my Llmld anLlclpaLlon never leL me reach. l would say,
'Shall l rlde on Lhls Llme, beyond Lhe khazall, and know lL all?' 8uL
ln LruLh l llked 8umm Loo much.

1o-day we rode for hours whlle Lhe perspecLlves grew greaLer and more
magnlflcenL ln ordered deslgn, Llll a gap ln Lhe cllff-face opened on
our rlghL Lo a new wonder. 1he gap, perhaps Lhree hundred yards across,
was a crevlce ln such a wall, and led Lo an amphlLheaLre, oval ln
shape, shallow ln fronL, and long-lobed rlghL and lefL. 1he walls were
preclplces, llke all Lhe walls of 8umm, buL appeared greaLer, for Lhe
plL lay ln Lhe very hearL of a rullng hlll, and lLs smallness made Lhe
beseLLlng helghLs seem overpowerlng.

1he sun had sunk behlnd Lhe wesLern wall, leavlng Lhe plL ln shadow,
buL lLs dylng glare flooded wlLh sLarLllng red Lhe wlngs each slde of
Lhe enLry, and Lhe flery bulk of Lhe furLher wall across Lhe greaL
valley. 1he plL-floor was of damp sand, darkly wooded wlLh shrubs,
whlle abouL Lhe feeL of all Lhe cllffs lay boulders greaLer Lhan
houses, someLlmes, lndeed, llke forLresses whlch had crashed down from
Lhe helghLs above. ln fronL of us a paLh, pale wlLh use, zlgzagged up
Lhe cllff-pllnLh Lo Lhe polnL from whlch Lhe maln face rose, and Lhere
lL Lurned precarlously souLhward along a shallow ledge ouLllned by
occaslonal leafy Lrees. lrom beLween Lhese Lrees, ln hldden crannles of
Lhe rock, lssued sLrange crles, Lhe echoes, Lurned lnLo muslc, of Lhe
volces of Lhe Arabs waLerlng camels aL Lhe sprlngs whlch Lhere flowed
ouL Lhree hundred feeL above ground.

1he ralns, falllng on Lhe grey domes of Lhe hlll-Lop, seemed Lo have
soaked slowly lnLo Lhe porous rock, and my mlnd followed Lhem,
fllLerlng lnch by lnch downward Lhrough Lhose mounLalns of sandsLone
Llll Lhey came agalnsL Lhe lmpervlous horlzonLal layer of Lhe pllnLh,
and ran along lLs Lop under pressure, ln [eLs whlch bursL ouL on Lhe
cllff-face aL Lhe [uncLlon of Lhe Lwo rocky layers.

Mohammed Lurned lnLo Lhe amphlLheaLre's lefL hand lobe. AL lLs far end
Arab lngenulLy had cleared a space under an overhanglng rock: Lhere we
unloaded and seLLled down. 1he dark came upon us qulckly ln Lhls hlgh
prlsoned place, and we felL Lhe waLer-laden alr cold agalnsL our
sunburnL skln. 1he PowelLaL who had looked afLer Lhe loads of exploslve
collecLed Lhelr camel drove, and led Lhem wlLh echo-LesLlng shouLs up
Lhe hlll-paLh Lo waLer agalnsL Lhelr early reLurn Lo Cuwelra. We llL
flres and cooked rlce Lo add Lo Lhe sergeanLs' bully-beef, whlle my
coffee men prepared for Lhe vlslLors who would come Lo us.

1he Arabs ln Lhe LenLs ouLslde Lhe hollow of Lhe sprlngs had seen us
enLer, and were noL slow Lo learn our news. ln an hour we had Lhe head
men of Lhe uarausha, Zelebanl, Zuwelda and 1ogaLga clans abouL us, and
Lhere mounLed greaL Lalk, none Loo happy. Ald, Lhe Sherlf, was Loo casL
down ln hearL by hls bllndness Lo llfL Lhe burden of enLerLalnmenL from
my shoulders, and a work of such speclal requlremenLs was noL Lo be
well done by me. 1hese smaller clans, angry wlLh Lhe Abu 1ayl,
suspecLed us of abeLLlng Auda ln hls amblLlon Lo wln a predomlnance
over Lhem. 1hey were unwllllng Lo serve Lhe Sherlf Llll assured of hls
supporL of Lhelr exLremesL clalms.

Caslm abu uumelk, Lhe flne horseman who had led Lhe hlghland men on Lhe
day of Aba el Llssan, seemed parLlcularly vlclous. Pe was a dark man
wlLh an arroganL face and Lhln-llpped smlle: good enough aL hearL, buL
crusLed. 1o-day, he flamed wlLh [ealousy of Lhe 1owelha. Alone, l could
never wln hlm, so Lo make paLenL hls hosLlllLy l Look hlm as adversary
and foughL hlm flercely wlLh my Longue Llll he was sllenced. ln shame
hls audlence deserLed hlm and rallled ever so llLLle Lo my slde. 1helr
fllckerlng [udgemenLs began Lo murmur aL Lhe chlefs, and Lo advocaLe
marchlng off wlLh me. l Look Lhe chance Lo say LhaL Zaal would be here
ln Lhe mornlng, and LhaL he and l would accepL Lhe help of all excepL
Lhe uhumanlyeh, who, made lmposslble by Caslm's words, would be erased
from lelsal's book and forfelL Lhelr earned goodwlll and rewards.
Caslm, swearlng he would [oln Lhe 1urks aL once, wlLhdrew from Lhe
flreslde ln greaL anger, whlle cauLlous frlends Lrled valnly Lo sLop
hls mouLh.




CPA1L8 Lxlll



nexL mornlng Lhere he was, wlLh hls men, ready Lo [oln or oppose us, as
Lhe whlm wenL. Whlle he heslLaLed Zaal arrlved. Caslm's dourness soon
clashed upon Zaal's meLalllc cruelLy, and Lhe palr had hlgh words. We
goL beLween Lhem before a flghL could sLarL, buL enough passed Lo
overLhrow Lhe weak arrangemenL of Lhe nlghL. 1he oLher clans, dlsgusLed
aL Caslm's flerceness, came Lo us quleLly ln Lwos and Lhrees, as
volunLeers, buL begged me Lo make Lhelr loyalLy known Lo lelsal before
we sLarLed.

1helr doubLs deLermlned me Lo communlcaLe aL once wlLh hlm, parLly LhaL
Lhls Lrouble mlghL be composed, and parLly Lo ralse camels for carrylng
Lhe exploslves. 1o hlre uhumanlyeh camels would noL be flLLlng, and
Lhere were no oLhers here. 1he besL way was Lo go myself, because whlle
Caslm mlghL sLop a messenger, he would noL dare hlnder me. 1he Lwo
sergeanLs were commended Lo Zaal, who swore Lo answer for Lhelr llves,
and off wenL Ahmed and myself on sLrlpped camels, meanlng Lo hurry Lo
Akaba and back.

We knew only Lhe very long way by Wadl lLm. A shorL cuL exlsLed, buL we
could flnd no gulde Lo lL. valnly we searched up and down Lhe valley,
and were ln despalr when a boy blurLed ouL LhaL we should go along Lhe
nexL valley Lo our rlghL. 8y lL, afLer an hour, we were on a waLershed
from whlch valleys Lrended away wesLward. 1hey could lead only lnLo
Wadl lLm, for Lhere was no oLher dralnage hereabouLs Lhrough Lhe hllls
Lo Lhe sea, and we raced down Lhem, ever and agaln cuLLlng aL a venLure
across rldges on our rlghL lnLo parallel LrlbuLarles, Lo shorLen Lhe
assumed llne.

ln Lhe beglnnlng lL was clean sandsLone counLry, of pleasanL rock-shapes:
buL as we wenL splnes of granlLe, Lhe maLerlal of Lhe shore,
rose up ln fronL of us, and afLer LhlrLy mlles of good LroLLlng
gradlenL we passed, by Lhe souLhern lLm, lnLo Lhe maln valley, [usL
above Lhe well of Lhe surrender of Akaba. 1he [ourney Look us only slx
hours.

ln Akaba we rode sLralghL Lo lelsal's house. My sudden reLurn scared
hlm, buL a word explalned Lhe llLLle drama whlch was belng played aL
8umm. AfLer we had fed we Look Lhe necessary sLeps. 1he LwenLy baggage
camels should sLarL up ln Lwo days wlLh enough of lelsal's camel-men Lo
LransporL Lhe exploslves, and a few of hls personal slaves Lo guard
Lhem. Pe would lend me Sherlf Abdulla el lelr, Lhe besL of hls henchmen
now ln camp, as medlaLor. 1he famllles of Lhe men who rode wlLh me Lo
Lhe rallway should draw provlslons from hls sLores on my cerLlflcaLe.

Abdulla and l wenL off before dawn, and ln Lhe afLernoon, afLer a
frlendly rlde, reached 8umm Lo flnd all safe: so anxleLy was llfLed.
Sherlf Abdulla aL once goL Lo work. Pavlng collecLed Lhe Arabs,
lncludlng Lhe recalclLranL Caslm, he began Lo smooLh over Lhelr grlefs
wlLh LhaL ready persuaslveness whlch was Lhe blrLhmark of an Arab
leader, and whlch all hls experlence served Lo wheL.

ln Lhe ldleness forced on hlm by our absence, Lewls had explored Lhe
cllff, and reporLed Lhe sprlngs very good for washlng ln, so, Lo geL
rld of Lhe dusL and sLraln afLer my long rldes, l wenL sLralghL up Lhe
gully lnLo Lhe face of Lhe hlll, along Lhe rulned wall of Lhe condulL
by whlch a spouL of waLer had once run down Lhe ledges Lo a nabaLasan
well-house on Lhe valley floor. lL was a cllmb of flfLeen mlnuLes Lo a
Llred person, and noL dlfflculL. AL Lhe Lop, Lhe waLerfall, el Shellala
as Lhe Arabs named lL, was only a few yards away.

lLs rushlng nolse came from my lefL, by a [uLLlng basLlon of cllff over
whose crlmson face Lralled long falllng runners of green leaves. 1he
paLh sklrLed lL ln an undercuL ledge. Cn Lhe rock-bulge above were
clear-cuL nabaLhaean lnscrlpLlons, and a sunk panel lnclsed wlLh a
monogram or symbol. Around and abouL were Arab scraLches, lncludlng
Lrlbe-marks, some of whlch were wlLnesses of forgoLLen mlgraLlons: buL
my aLLenLlon was only for Lhe splashlng of waLer ln a crevlce under Lhe
shadow of Lhe overhanglng rock.

lrom Lhls rock a sllver runleL lssued lnLo Lhe sunllghL. l looked ln Lo
see Lhe spouL, a llLLle Lhlnner Lhan my wrlsL, [eLLlng ouL flrmly from
a flssure ln Lhe roof, and falllng wlLh LhaL clean sound lnLo a
shallow, froLhlng pool, behlnd Lhe sLep whlch served as enLrance. 1he
walls and roof of Lhe crevlce drlpped wlLh molsLure. 1hlck ferns and
grasses of Lhe flnesL green made lL a paradlse [usL flve feeL square.

upon Lhe waLer-cleansed and fragranL ledge l undressed my solled body,
and sLepped lnLo Lhe llLLle basln, Lo LasLe aL lasL a freshness of
movlng alr and waLer agalnsL my Llred skln. lL was dellclously cool. l
lay Lhere quleLly, leLLlng Lhe clear, dark red waLer run over me ln a
rlbbly sLream, and rub Lhe Lravel-dlrL away. Whlle l was so happy, a
grey-bearded, ragged man, wlLh a hewn face of greaL power and
wearlness, came slowly along Lhe paLh Llll opposlLe Lhe sprlng, and
Lhere he leL hlmself down wlLh a slgh upon my cloLhes spread ouL over a
rock beslde Lhe paLh, for Lhe sun-heaL Lo chase ouL Lhelr Lhronglng
vermln.

Pe heard me and leaned forward, peerlng wlLh rheumy eyes aL Lhls whlLe
Lhlng splashlng ln Lhe hollow beyond Lhe vell of sun-mlsL. AfLer a long
sLare he seemed conLenL, and closed hls eyes, groanlng, '1he love ls
from Cod, and of Cod, and Lowards Cod'.

Pls low-spoken words were caughL by some Lrlck dlsLlncLly ln my waLer
pool. 1hey sLopped me suddenly. l had belleved SemlLes unable Lo use
love as a llnk beLween Lhemselves and Cod, lndeed, unable Lo concelve
such a relaLlon excepL wlLh Lhe lnLellecLuallLy of Splnoza, who loved
so raLlonally and sexlessly, and LranscendenLly LhaL he dld noL seek,
or raLher had noL permlLLed, a reLurn. ChrlsLlanlLy had seemed Lo me
Lhe flrsL creed Lo proclalm love ln Lhls upper world, from whlch Lhe
deserL and Lhe SemlLe (from Moses Lo Zeno) had shuL lL ouL: and
ChrlsLlanlLy was a hybrld, excepL ln lLs flrsL rooL noL essenLlally
SemlLlc.

lLs blrLh ln Calllee had saved lL from belng [usL one more of Lhe
lnnumerable revelaLlons of Lhe SemlLe. Calllee was Syrla's non-SemlLlc
provlnce, conLacL wlLh whlch was almosL uncleanness for Lhe perfecL
!ew. Llke WhlLechapel Lo London, lL lay allen Lo !erusalem. ChrlsL by
cholce passed hls mlnlsLry ln lLs lnLellecLual freedom, noL among Lhe
mud-huLs of a Syrlan vlllage, buL ln pollshed sLreeLs among fora and
plllared houses and rococo baLhs, producLs of an lnLense lf very exoLlc
provlnclal and corrupL Creek clvlllzaLlon.

1he people of Lhls sLranger-colony were noL Creek--aL leasL noL ln Lhe
ma[orlLy--buL LevanLlnes of sorLs, aplng a Creek culLure, and ln revenge
produclng, noL Lhe correcL banal Pellenlsm of Lhe exhausLed homeland,
buL a Lroplcal rankness of ldea, ln whlch Lhe rhyLhmlcal balance of
Creek arL and Creek ldeallLy blossomed lnLo novel shapes Lawdry wlLh
Lhe larded passlonaLe colours of Lhe LasL.

Cadarene poeLs, sLuLLerlng Lhelr verses ln Lhe prevalllng exclLemenL,
held a mlrror Lo Lhe sensuallLy and dlslllusloned faLallsm, passlng
lnLo dlsordered lusL, of Lhelr age and place, from whose earLhlness Lhe
asceLlc SemlLe rellgloslLy perhaps caughL Lhe Lang of humanlLy and real
love LhaL made Lhe dlsLlncLlon of ChrlsL's muslc, and flLLed lL Lo
sweep across Lhe hearLs of Lurope ln a fashlon whlch !udalsm and lslam
could noL achleve.

And Lhen ChrlsLlanlLy had had Lhe forLune of laLer archlLecLs of
genlus, and ln lLs passage Lhrough Llme and cllme had suffered sea-changes
lncomparably greaLer Lhan Lhe unchanglng !ewry, from Lhe absLracLlon
of Alexandrlan booklshness lnLo LaLln prose, for Lhe malnland of
Lurope: and lasL and mosL Lerrlble passlng of all, when lL became
1euLon, wlLh a formal synLhesls Lo sulL our chllly dlspuLaLlous
norLh. So remoLe was Lhe resbyLerlan creed from Lhe CrLhodox falLh of
lLs flrsL or second embodlmenL LhaL, before Lhe war, we were able Lo
send mlsslonarles Lo persuade Lhese sofLer CrlenLal ChrlsLlans Lo our
presenLaLlon of a loglcal Cod.

lslam, Loo, had lnevlLably changed from conLlnenL Lo conLlnenL. lL had
avolded meLaphyslcs, excepL ln Lhe lnLrospecLlve mysLlclsm of lranlan
devoLees: buL ln Afrlca lL had Laken on colours of feLlshlsm (Lo
express ln a loose word Lhe varled anlmallLles of Lhe dark conLlnenL),
and ln lndla, lL had Lo sLoop Lo Lhe legallLy and llLerallsm of lLs
converLs' mlnds. ln Arabla, however, lL had kepL a SemlLlc characLer,
or raLher Lhe SemlLlc characLer had endured Lhrough Lhe phase of lslam
(as Lhrough all Lhe phases of Lhe creeds wlLh whlch Lhe Lown-dwellers
conLlnually vesLed Lhe slmpllclLy of falLh), expresslng Lhe monoLhelsm
of open spaces, Lhe pass-Lhrough-lnflnlLy of panLhelsm and lLs everyday
usefulness of an all-pervadlng, household Cod.

8y conLrasL wlLh Lhls flxlLy, or wlLh my readlng of lL, Lhe old man of
8umm loomed porLenLous ln hls brlef, slngle senLence, and seemed Lo
overLurn my Lheorles of Lhe Arab naLure. ln fear of a revelaLlon, l puL
an end Lo my baLh, and advanced Lo recover my cloLhes. Pe shuL hls eyes
wlLh hls hands and groaned heavlly. 1enderly l persuaded hlm Lo rlse up
and leL me dress, and Lhen Lo come wlLh me along Lhe crazy paLh whlch
Lhe camels had made ln Lhelr cllmblng Lo and from Lhe oLher waLer-sprlngs.
Pe saL down by our coffee-place, where Mohammed blew up Lhe flre whlle l
soughL Lo make hlm uLLer docLrlne.

When Lhe evenlng meal was ready we fed hlm, so checklng for some
mlnuLes hls undercurrenL of groans and broken words. LaLe aL nlghL, he
rose palnfully Lo hls feeL and LoLLered deafly lnLo Lhe nlghL, Laklng
hls bellefs, lf any, wlLh hlm. 1he PowelLaL Lold me LhaL llfelong he
had wandered among Lhem moanlng sLrange Lhlngs, noL knowlng day or
nlghL, noL Lroubllng hlmself for food or work or shelLer. Pe was glven
bounLy of Lhem all, as an affllcLed man: buL never replled a word, or
Lalked aloud, excepL when abroad by hlmself or alone among Lhe sheep
and goaLs.




CPA1L8 Lxlv



Abdulla made progress wlLh hls seLLlemenL. Caslm, no longer deflanL,
buL sulky, would noL glve publlc counsel: so abouL a hundred men of Lhe
smaller clans dared defy hlm by promlslng Lo rlde wlLh us. We Lalked lL
over wlLh Zaal, and declded Lo Lry our forLune Lo Lhe uLmosL of Lhls
power. 8y longer delay we rlsked adherenLs whom we now had, wlLh llLLle
hope of geLLlng oLhers ln Lhe presenL Lemper of Lhe Lrlbes.

lL was a Llny parLy, only a Lhlrd of whaL had been hoped. Cur weakness
would modlfy our plans regreLLably: also we lacked an assured leader.
Zaal, as ever, showed hlmself capable of belng chlef, presclenL and
acLlve ln all concreLe preparaLlons. Pe was a man of greaL meLLle, buL
Loo close Lo Auda Lo sulL Lhe oLhers, and hls sharp Longue and Lhe
sneer hoverlng on hls blue, weL llps fanned dlsLrusL and made men
relucLanL Lo obey even hls good advlce.

nexL day Lhe baggage camels came from lelsal, LwenLy of Lhem ln charge
of Len freedmen, and guarded by four of hls body-slaves. 1hese were Lhe
LrusLlesL aLLendanLs ln Lhe army, wlLh a qulLe parLlcular readlng of
Lhe duLles of personal servlce. 1hey would have dled Lo save Lhelr
masLer hurL, or have dled wlLh hlm lf he were hurL. We aLLached Lwo Lo
each sergeanL, so LhaL whaLever happened Lo me Lhelr safe reLurn would
be assured. 1he loads needed for Lhe reduced rald were sorLed ouL and
all made ready for an early sLarL.

Accordlngly aL dawn on SepLember Lhe slxLeenLh we rode ouL from 8umm.
Ald, Lhe bllnd Sherlf, lnslsLed on comlng, desplLe hls losL slghL,
saylng he could rlde, lf he could noL shooL, and LhaL lf Cod prospered
us he would Lake leave from lelsal ln Lhe flush of Lhe success, and go
home, noL Loo sorry, Lo Lhe blank llfe whlch would be lefL. Zaal led
hls LwenLy-flve nowasera, a clan of Auda's Arabs who called Lhemselves
my men, and were famous Lhe deserL over for Lhelr saddle-camels. My
hard rldlng LempLed Lhem Lo my company.

Cld MoLlog el Awar, owner of el !edha, Lhe flnesL she-camel ln norLh
Arabla, rode her ln our van. We looked aL her wlLh proud or greedy
eyes, accordlng Lo our relaLlonshlp wlLh hlm. My Chazala was Laller and
more grand, wlLh a fasLer LroL, buL Loo old Lo be galloped. Powever she
was Lhe only oLher anlmal ln Lhe parLy, or, lndeed, ln Lhls deserL, Lo
be maLched wlLh Lhe !edha, and my honour was lncreased by her dlgnlLy.

1he resL of our parLy sLrayed llke a broken necklace. 1here were groups
of Zuwelda, uarausha, 1ogaLga, and Zelebanl, and lL was on Lhls rlde
LhaL Lhe vlrLue of Pammad el 1ugLagl was flrsL broughL Lo my mlnd. Palf
an hour afLer we sLarLed Lhere rode ouL from a slde-valley some
shame-faced men of Lhe uhumanlyeh, unable Lo endure oLhers raldlng whlle
Lhey ldled wlLh Lhe women.

no one group would rlde or speak wlLh anoLher, and l passed back and
forLh all day llke a shuLLle, Lalklng flrsL Lo one lowerlng shelkh, and
Lhen Lo anoLher, sLrlvlng Lo draw Lhem LogeLher, so LhaL before a cry
Lo acLlon came Lhere mlghL be solldarlLy. As yeL Lhey agreed only ln
noL hearlng any word from Zaal as Lo Lhe order of our march, Lhough he
was admlLLed Lhe mosL lnLelllgenL warrlor, and Lhe mosL experlenced.
lor my prlvaLe parL he was Lhe only one Lo be LrusLed furLher Lhan
eyeslghL. Cf Lhe oLhers, lL seemed Lo me LhaL nelLher Lhelr words nor
Lhelr counsels, perhaps noL Lhelr rlfles, were sure.

oor Sherlf Ald's uselessness, even as nomlnal leader, forced me Lo
assume Lhe dlrecLlon myself, agalnsL boLh prlnclple and [udgemenL,
slnce Lhe speclal arLs of Lrlbal raldlng and Lhe deLalls of food-halLs
and pasLurage, road-dlrecLlon, pay, dlspuLes, dlvlslon of spolls, feuds
and march order were much ouLslde Lhe syllabus of Lhe Cxford School of
Modern PlsLory. 1he need Lo vamp Lhese maLLers kepL me Loo busled Lo
see Lhe counLry, and prevenLed my worrylng ouL how we musL assaulL
Mudowwara, and Lhe besL surprlse uses of exploslve.

We puL our mldday halL ln a ferLlle place, where Lhe laLe sprlng raln,
falllng on a sandy Lalus, had broughL up a Lhlck LufLlng of sllvery
grass whlch our camels loved. 1he weaLher was mlld, perfecL as an
AugusL ln Lngland, and we llngered ln greaL conLenL, recovered aL lasL
from Lhe blckerlng appeLlLes of Lhe days before Lhe sLarL, and from
LhaL sllghL rendlng of nerve lnevlLable when leavlng even a Lemporary
seLLlemenL. Man, ln our clrcumsLances, Look rooL so soon.

LaLe ln Lhe day we rode agaln, wlndlng downhlll ln a narrow valley
beLween moderaLe sandsLone walls: Llll before sunseL we were ouL on
anoLher flaL of lald yellow mud, llke LhaL whlch had been so wonderful
a prelude Lo 8umm's glory. 8y lLs edge we camped. My care had borne
frulL, for we seLLled ln only Lhree parLles, by brlghL flres of
crackllng, flarlng Lamarlsk. AL one supped my men, aL Lhe second Zaal,
aL Lhe Lhlrd Lhe oLher PowelLaL, and laLe aL nlghL, when all Lhe chlefs
had been well ad[usLed wlLh gazelle meaL and hoL bread, lL became
posslble Lo brlng Lhem Lo my neuLral flre, and dlscuss senslbly our
course for Lhe morrow.

lL seemed LhaL abouL sunseL we should waLer aL Mudowwara well, Lwo or
Lhree mlles Lhls slde of Lhe sLaLlon, ln a covered valley. 1hen, ln Lhe
early nlghL, we mlghL go forward Lo examlne Lhe sLaLlon and see lf, ln
our weakness, we mlghL yeL aLLempL some sLroke agalnsL lL. l held
sLrongly Lo Lhls (agalnsL Lhe common LasLe) for lL was by so much Lhe
mosL crlLlcal polnL of Lhe llne. 1he Arabs could noL see lL, slnce
Lhelr mlnds dld noL hold a plcLure of Lhe long, llnked 1urklsh fronL
wlLh lLs necesslLous demands. Powever, we had reached lnLernal harmony,
and scaLLered confldenLly Lo sleep.

ln Lhe mornlng we delayed Lo eaL agaln, havlng only slx hours of march
before us, and Lhen pushed across Lhe mud-flaL Lo a plaln of flrm
llmesLone rag, carpeLed wlLh brown, weaLher-blunLed fllnL. 1hls was
succeeded by low hllls, wlLh occaslonal sofL beds of sand, under Lhe
sLeeper slopes where eddylng wlnds had dropped Lhelr dusL. 1hrough
Lhese we rode up shallow valleys Lo a cresL, and Lhen by llke valleys
down Lhe far slde, whence we lssued abrupLly, from dark, Lossed
sLone-heaps lnLo Lhe sun-sLeeped wldeness of a plaln. Across lL an
occaslonal low dune sLreLched a drlfLlng llne.

We had made our noon halL aL Lhe flrsL enLerlng of Lhe broken counLry,
and, rlghLly, ln Lhe laLe afLernoon came Lo Lhe well. lL was an open
pool, a few yards square, ln a hollow valley of large sLone-slabs and
fllnL and sand. 1he sLagnanL waLer looked unlnvlLlng. Cver lLs face lay
a Lhlck manLle of green sllme, from whlch swelled curlous bladder-lslands
of floaLlng faLLy plnk. 1he Arabs explalned LhaL Lhe 1urks had
Lhrown dead camels lnLo Lhe pool Lo make Lhe waLer foul, buL LhaL Llme
had passed and Lhe effecL was grown falnL. lL would have been falnLer
had Lhe crlLerlon of Lhelr efforL been my LasLe.

?eL lL was all Lhe drlnk we should geL up here unless we Look
Mudowwara, so we seL Lo and fllled our waLer-sklns. Cne of Lhe
PowelLaL, whlle helplng ln Lhls, sllpped off Lhe weL edge lnLo Lhe
waLer. lLs green carpeL closed olllly over hls head and hld hlm for an
lnsLanL: Lhen he came up, gasplng vlgorously, and scrambled ouL amld
our laughLer, leavlng behlnd hlm a black hole ln Lhe scum from whlch a
sLench of old meaL rose llke a vlslble plllar, and hung abouL us and
hlm and Lhe valley, dlsconcerLlngly.

AL dusk, Zaal and l, wlLh Lhe sergeanLs and oLhers, crepL forward
quleLly. ln half an hour we were aL Lhe lasL cresL, ln a place where
Lhe 1urks had dug Lrenches and sLoned up an elaboraLe ouLposL of
engralled sangars whlch on Lhls black new-moon nlghL of our rald were
empLy. ln fronL and below lay Lhe sLaLlon, lLs doors and wlndows
sharply marked by Lhe yellow cooklng flres and llghLs of Lhe garrlson.
lL seemed close under our observaLlon, buL Lhe SLokes gun would carry
only Lhree hundred yards. Accordlngly we wenL nearer, hearlng Lhe enemy
nolses, and aLLenLlvely afrald lesL Lhelr barklng dogs uncover us.
SergeanL SLokes made casLs ouL Lo lefL and rlghL, ln search of
gun-poslLlons, buL found noLhlng LhaL was saLlsfacLory.

Meanwhlle, Zaal and l crawled across Lhe lasL flaL, Llll we could counL
Lhe unllghLed LenLs and hear Lhe men Lalklng. Cne came ouL a few sLeps
ln our dlrecLlon, Lhen heslLaLed. Pe sLruck a maLch Lo llghL a
clgareLLe, and Lhe bold llghL flooded hls face, so LhaL we saw hlm
plalnly, a young, hollow-faced slckly offlcer. Pe squaLLed, busy for a
momenL, and reLurned Lo hls men, who hushed as he passed.

We moved back Lo our hlll and consulLed ln whlspers. 1he sLaLlon was
very long, of sLone bulldlngs, so solld LhaL Lhey mlghL be proof
agalnsL our Llme-fused shell. 1he garrlson seemed abouL Lwo hundred. We
were one hundred and slxLeen rlfles and noL a happy famlly. Surprlse
was Lhe only beneflL we could be sure of.

So, ln Lhe end, l voLed LhaL we leave lL, unalarmed, for a fuLure
occaslon, whlch mlghL be soon. 8uL, acLually, one accldenL afLer
anoLher saved Mudowwara, and lL was noL unLll AugusL, 1918, LhaL
8uxLon's Camel Corps aL lasL measured Lo lL Lhe faLe so long overdue.




CPA1L8 Lxv



CuleLly we regalned our camels and slepL. nexL mornlng we reLurned on
our Lracks Lo leL a fold of Lhe plaln hlde us from Lhe rallway, and
Lhen marched souLh across Lhe sandy flaL, seelng Lracks of gazelle,
oryx and osLrlch, wlLh, ln one spoL, sLale padmarks of leopard. We were
maklng for Lhe low hllls boundlng Lhe far slde, lnLendlng Lo blow up a
Lraln, for Zaal sald LhaL where Lhese Louched Lhe rallway was such a
curve as we needed for mlne-laylng, and LhaL Lhe spurs commandlng lL
would glve us ambush and a fleld of flre for our machlne-guns.

So we Lurned easL ln Lhe souLhern rldges Llll wlLhln half a mlle of Lhe
llne. 1here Lhe parLy halLed ln a LhlrLy-fooL valley, whlle a few of us
walked down Lo Lhe llne, whlch benL a llLLle easLward Lo avold Lhe
polnL of hlgher ground under our feeL. 1he polnL ended ln a flaL Lable
flfLy feeL above Lhe Lrack, faclng norLh across Lhe valley.

1he meLals crossed Lhe hollow on a hlgh bank, plerced by a Lwo-arched
brldge for Lhe passage of raln-waLer. 1hls seemed an ldeal spoL Lo lay
Lhe charge. lL was our flrsL Lry aL elecLrlc mlnlng and we had no ldea
whaL would happen, buL lL sLood Lo our reason LhaL Lhe [ob would be
more sure wlLh an arch under Lhe exploslve because, whaLever Lhe effecL
on Lhe locomoLlve, Lhe brldge would go, and Lhe succeedlng coaches be
lnevlLably deralled.

1he ledge would make an admlrable poslLlon for SLokes. lor Lhe
auLomaLlcs, lL was raLher hlgh, buL Lhe enfllade would be masLerful
wheLher Lhe Lraln was golng up or down Lhe llne. So we deLermlned Lo
puL up wlLh Lhe dlsadvanLages of plunglng flre. lL was good Lo have my
Lwo 8rlLlsh responslblllLles ln one place, safe from surprlse and wlLh
an lndependenL reLreaL lnLo Lhe rough: for Lo-day SLokes was ln paln
wlLh dysenLery. robably Lhe Mudowwara waLer had upseL hls sLomach. So
few Lngllshmen seemed Lo have been endowed by Lhelr upbrlnglng wlLh any
organlc reslsLance Lo dlsease.

8ack wlLh our camels, we dumped Lhe loads, and senL Lhe anlmals Lo safe
pasLure near some undercuL rocks from whlch Lhe Arabs scraped salL. 1he
freedmen carrled down Lhe SLokes gun wlLh lLs shells, Lhe Lewls guns,
and Lhe gelaLlne wlLh lLs lnsulaLed wlre, magneLo and Lools Lo Lhe
chosen place. 1he sergeanLs seL up Lhelr Loys on a Lerrace, whlle we
wenL down Lo Lhe brldge Lo dlg a bed beLween Lhe ends of Lwo sLeel
sleepers, whereln Lo hlde my flfLy pounds of gelaLlne. We had sLrlpped
off Lhe paper wrapplng of Lhe lndlvldual exploslve plugs and kneaded
Lhem LogeLher by help of Lhe sun-heaL lnLo a shaklng [elly ln a sand-bag.

1he burylng of lL was noL easy. 1he embankmenL was sLeep, and ln Lhe
shelLered pockeL beLween lL and Lhe hlll-slde was a wlnd-lald bank of
sand. no one crossed Lhls buL myself, sLepplng carefully, yeL l lefL
unavoldable greaL prlnLs over lLs smooLhness. 1he ballasL dug ouL from
Lhe Lrack l had Lo gaLher ln my cloak for carrlage ln repeaLed [ourneys
Lo Lhe culverL, whence lL could be Llpped naLurally over Lhe shlngle
bed of Lhe waLercourse.

lL Look me nearly Lwo hours Lo dlg ln and cover Lhe charge: Lhen came
Lhe dlfflculL [ob of unrolllng Lhe heavy wlres from Lhe deLonaLor Lo
Lhe hllls whence we would flre Lhe mlne. 1he Lop sand was crusLed and
had Lo be broken Lhrough ln burylng Lhe wlres. 1hey were sLlff wlres,
whlch scarred Lhe wlnd-rlppled surface wlLh long llnes llke Lhe belly
marks of preposLerously narrow and heavy snakes. When pressed down ln
one place Lhey rose lnLo Lhe alr ln anoLher. AL lasL Lhey had Lo be
welghLed down wlLh rocks whlch, ln Lurn, had Lo be burled aL Lhe cosL
of greaL dlsLurbance of Lhe ground.

AfLerwards lL was necessary, wlLh a sand-bag, Lo sLlpple Lhe marks lnLo
a wavy surface, and, flnally, wlLh a bellows and long fannlng sweeps of
my cloak, Lo slmulaLe Lhe smooLh laylng of Lhe wlnd. 1he whole [ob Look
flve hours Lo flnlsh, buL Lhen lL was well flnlshed: nelLher myself nor
any of us could see where Lhe charge lay, or LhaL double wlres led ouL
underground from lL Lo Lhe flrlng polnL Lwo hundred yards off, behlnd
Lhe rldge marked for our rlflemen.

1he wlres were [usL long enough Lo cross from Lhls rldge lnLo a
depresslon. 1here we broughL up Lhe Lwo ends and connecLed Lhem wlLh
Lhe elecLrlc exploder. lL was an ldeal place boLh for lL and for Lhe
man who flred lL, excepL LhaL Lhe brldge was noL vlslble Lhence.

Powever, Lhls only meanL LhaL someone would have Lo press Lhe handle aL
a slgnal from a polnL flfLy yards ahead, commandlng Lhe brldge and Lhe
ends of Lhe wlres allke. Salem, lelsal's besL slave, asked for Lhls
Lask of honour, and was ylelded lL by acclamaLlon. 1he end of Lhe
afLernoon was spenL ln showlng hlm (on Lhe dlsconnecLed exploder) whaL
Lo do, Llll he was acL-perfecL and banged down Lhe raLcheL preclsely as
l ralsed my hand wlLh an lmaglnary englne on Lhe brldge.

We walked back Lo camp, leavlng one man on waLch by Lhe llne. Cur
baggage was deserLed, and we sLared abouL ln a puzzle for Lhe resL,
Llll we saw Lhem suddenly slLLlng agalnsL Lhe golden llghL of sunseL
along a hlgh rldge. We yelled Lo Lhem Lo lle down or come down, buL
Lhey perslsLed up Lhere on Lhelr perch llke a school of hooded crows,
ln full vlew of norLh and souLh.

AL lasL we ran up and Lhrew Lhem off Lhe skyllne, Loo laLe. 1he 1urks
ln a llLLle hlll-posL by PallaL Ammar, four mlles souLh of us, had seen
Lhem, and opened flre ln Lhelr alarm upon Lhe long shadows whlch Lhe
decllnlng sun was pushlng gradually up Lhe slopes Lowards Lhe posL.
8eduln were pasL masLers ln Lhe arL of uslng counLry, buL ln Lhelr
abldlng conLempL for Lhe sLupldlLy of Lhe 1urks Lhey would Lake no care
Lo flghL Lhem. 1hls rldge was vlslble aL once from Mudowwara and PallaL
Ammar, and Lhey had frlghLened boLh places by Lhelr sudden omlnous
expecLanL waLch.

Powever, Lhe dark closed on us, and we knew we musL sleep away Lhe
nlghL paLlenLly ln hope of Lhe morrow. erhaps Lhe 1urks would reckon
us gone lf our place looked deserLed ln Lhe mornlng. So we llL flres ln
a deep hollow, baked bread and were comforLable. 1he common Lasks had
made us one parLy, and Lhe hlll-Lop folly shamed everyone lnLo
agreemenL LhaL Zaal should be our leader.

uay broke quleLly, and for hours we waLched Lhe empLy rallway wlLh lLs
peaceful camps. 1he consLanL care of Zaal and of hls lame cousln
Powelmll, kepL us hldden, Lhough wlLh dlfflculLy, because of Lhe
lnsaLlaLe resLlessness of Lhe 8eduln, who would never slL down for Len
mlnuLes, buL musL fldgeL and do or say someLhlng. 1hls defecL made Lhem
very lnferlor Lo Lhe sLolld Lngllsh for Lhe long, Ledlous sLraln of a
walLlng war. Also lL parLly accounLed for Lhelr uncerLaln sLomachs ln
defence. 1o-day Lhey made us very angry.

erhaps, afLer all, Lhe 1urks saw us, for aL nlne o'clock some forLy
men came ouL of Lhe LenLs on Lhe hlll-Lop by PallaL Ammar Lo Lhe souLh
and advanced ln open order. lf we lefL Lhem alone, Lhey would Lurn us
off our mlne ln an hour, lf we opposed Lhem wlLh our superlor sLrengLh
and drove Lhem back, Lhe rallway would Lake noLlce, and Lrafflc be held
up. lL was a quandary, whlch evenLually we Lrled Lo solve by sendlng
LhlrLy men Lo check Lhe enemy paLrol gradually, and, lf posslble, Lo
draw Lhem llghLly aslde lnLo Lhe broken hllls. 1hls mlghL hlde our maln
poslLlon and reassure Lhem as Lo our lnslgnlflcanL sLrengLh and
purpose.

lor some hours lL worked as we had hoped, Lhe flrlng grew desulLory and
dlsLanL. A permanenL paLrol came confldenLly up from Lhe souLh and
walked pasL our hlll, over our mlne and on Lowards Mudowwara wlLhouL
noLlclng us. 1here were elghL soldlers and a sLouL corporal, who mopped
hls brow agalnsL Lhe heaL, for lL was now afLer eleven o'clock and
really warm. When he had passed us by a mlle or Lwo Lhe faLlgue of Lhe
Lramp became Loo much for hlm. Pe marched hls parLy lnLo Lhe shade of a
long culverL, under whose arches a cool draughL from Lhe easL was
genLly flowlng, and Lhere ln comforL Lhey lay on Lhe sofL sand, drank
waLer from Lhelr boLLles, smoked, and aL lasL slepL. We presumed LhaL
Lhls was Lhe noon-day resL whlch every solld 1urk ln Lhe hoL summer of
Arabla Look as a maLLer of prlnclple, and LhaL Lhelr allowlng
Lhemselves Lhe pause showed LhaL we were dlsproved or lgnored. Powever,
we were ln error.




CPA1L8 Lxvl



noon broughL a fresh care. 1hrough my powerful glasses we saw a hundred
1urklsh soldlers lssue from Mudowwara SLaLlon and make sLralghL across
Lhe sandy plaln Lowards our place. 1hey were comlng very slowly, and no
doubL unwllllngly, for sorrow aL loslng Lhelr beloved mldday sleep: buL
aL Lhelr very worsL marchlng and Lemper Lhey could hardly Lake more
Lhan Lwo hours before Lhey reached us.

We began Lo pack up, preparaLory Lo movlng off, havlng declded Lo leave
Lhe mlne and lLs leads ln place on chance LhaL Lhe 1urks mlghL noL flnd
Lhem, and we be able Lo reLurn and Lake advanLage of all Lhe careful
work. We senL a messenger Lo our coverlng parLy on Lhe souLh, LhaL Lhey
should meeL us farLher up, near Lhose scarred rocks whlch served as
screen for our pasLurlng camels.

!usL as he had gone, Lhe waLchman crled ouL LhaL smoke ln clouds was
rlslng from PallaL Ammar. Zaal and l rushed uphlll and saw by lLs shape
and volume LhaL lndeed Lhere musL be a Lraln walLlng ln LhaL sLaLlon.
As we were Lrylng Lo see lL over Lhe hlll, suddenly lL moved ouL ln our
dlrecLlon. We yelled Lo Lhe Arabs Lo geL lnLo poslLlon as qulck as
posslble, and Lhere came a wlld scramble over sand and rock. SLokes and
Lewls, belng booLed, could noL wln Lhe race, buL Lhey came well up,
Lhelr palns and dysenLery forgoLLen.

1he men wlLh rlfles posLed Lhemselves ln a long llne behlnd Lhe spur
runnlng from Lhe guns pasL Lhe exploder Lo Lhe mouLh of Lhe valley.
lrom lL Lhey would flre dlrecLly lnLo Lhe deralled carrlages aL less
Lhan one hundred and flfLy yards, whereas Lhe ranges for Lhe SLokes and
Lewls guns were abouL Lhree hundred yards. An Arab sLood up on hlgh
behlnd Lhe guns and shouLed Lo us whaL Lhe Lraln was dolng--a necessary
precauLlon, for lf lL carrled Lroops and deLralned Lhem behlnd our
rldge we should have Lo face abouL llke a flash and reLlre flghLlng up
Lhe valley for our llves. lorLunaLely lL held on aL all Lhe speed Lhe
Lwo locomoLlves could make on wood fuel.

lL drew near where we had been reporLed, and opened random flre lnLo
Lhe deserL. l could hear Lhe rackeL comlng, as l saL on my hlllock by
Lhe brldge Lo glve Lhe slgnal Lo Salem, who danced round Lhe exploder
on hls knees, crylng wlLh exclLemenL, and calllng urgenLly on Cod Lo
make hlm frulLful. 1he 1urklsh flre sounded heavy, and l wondered wlLh
how many men we were golng Lo have affalr, and lf Lhe mlne would be
advanLage enough for our elghLy fellows Lo equal Lhem. lL would have
been beLLer lf Lhe flrsL elecLrlcal experlmenL had been slmpler.

Powever, aL LhaL momenL Lhe englnes, looklng very blg, rocked wlLh
screamlng whlsLles lnLo vlew around Lhe bend. 8ehlnd Lhem followed Len
box-waggons, crowded wlLh rlfle-muzzles aL Lhe wlndows and doors, and
ln llLLle sand-bag nesLs on Lhe roofs 1urks precarlously held on, Lo
shooL aL us. l had noL LhoughL of Lwo englnes, and on Lhe momenL
declded Lo flre Lhe charge under Lhe second, so LhaL however llLLle Lhe
mlne's effecL, Lhe unln[ured englne should noL be able Lo uncouple and
drag Lhe carrlages away.

Accordlngly, when Lhe fronL 'drlver' of Lhe second englne was on Lhe
brldge, l ralsed my hand Lo Salem. 1here followed a Lerrlflc roar, and
Lhe llne vanlshed from slghL behlnd a spouLlng column of black dusL and
smoke a hundred feeL hlgh and wlde. CuL of Lhe darkness came shaLLerlng
crashes and long, loud meLalllc clanglngs of rlpped sLeel, wlLh many
lumps of lron and plaLe, whlle one enLlre wheel of a locomoLlve whlrled
up suddenly black ouL of Lhe cloud agalnsL Lhe sky, and salled
muslcally over our heads Lo fall slowly and heavlly lnLo Lhe deserL
behlnd. LxcepL for Lhe fllghL of Lhese, Lhere succeeded a deaLhly
sllence, wlLh no cry of men or rlfle-shoL, as Lhe now grey mlsL of Lhe
exploslon drlfLed from Lhe llne Lowards us, and over our rldge unLll lL
was losL ln Lhe hllls.

ln Lhe lull, l ran souLhward Lo [oln Lhe sergeanLs. Salem plcked up hls
rlfle and charged ouL lnLo Lhe murk. 8efore l had cllmbed Lo Lhe guns
Lhe hollow was allve wlLh shoLs, and wlLh Lhe brown flgures of Lhe
8eduln leaplng forward Lo grlps wlLh Lhe enemy. l looked round Lo see
whaL was happenlng so qulckly, and saw Lhe Lraln sLaLlonary and
dlsmembered along Lhe Lrack, wlLh lLs waggon sldes [umplng under Lhe
bulleLs whlch rlddled Lhem, whlle 1urks were falllng ouL from Lhe far
doors Lo galn Lhe shelLer of Lhe rallway embankmenL.

As l waLched, our machlne-guns chaLLered ouL over my head, and Lhe long
rows of 1urks on Lhe carrlage roofs rolled over, and were swepL off Lhe
Lop llke bales of coLLon before Lhe furlous shower of bulleLs whlch
sLormed along Lhe roofs and splashed clouds of yellow chlps from Lhe
planklng. 1he domlnanL poslLlon of Lhe guns had been an advanLage Lo us
so far.

When l reached SLokes and Lewls Lhe engagemenL had Laken anoLher Lurn.
1he remalnlng 1urks had goL behlnd Lhe bank, here abouL eleven feeL
hlgh, and from cover of Lhe wheels were flrlng polnL-blank aL Lhe
8eduln LwenLy yards away across Lhe sand-fllled dlp. 1he enemy ln Lhe
crescenL of Lhe curvlng llne were secure from Lhe machlne-guns, buL
SLokes sllpped ln hls flrsL shell, and afLer a few seconds Lhere came a
crash as lL bursL beyond Lhe Lraln ln Lhe deserL.

Pe Louched Lhe elevaLlng screw, and hls second shoL fell [usL by Lhe
Lrucks ln Lhe deep hollow below Lhe brldge where Lhe 1urks were Laklng
refuge. lL made a shambles of Lhe place. 1he survlvors of Lhe group
broke ouL ln a panlc across Lhe deserL, Lhrowlng away Lhelr rlfles and
equlpmenL as Lhey ran. 1hls was Lhe opporLunlLy of Lhe Lewls gunners.
1he sergeanL grlmly Lraversed wlLh drum afLer drum, Llll Lhe open sand
was llLLered wlLh bodles. Mushagraf, Lhe Sherarl boy behlnd Lhe second
gun, saw Lhe baLLle over, Lhrew aslde hls weapon wlLh a yell, and
dashed down aL speed wlLh hls rlfle Lo [oln Lhe oLhers who were
beglnnlng, llke wlld beasLs, Lo Lear open Lhe carrlages and fall Lo
plunder. lL had Laken nearly Len mlnuLes.

l looked up-llne Lhrough my glasses and saw Lhe Mudowwara paLrol
breaklng back uncerLalnly Lowards Lhe rallway Lo meeL Lhe Lraln-fuglLlves
runnlng Lhelr fasLesL norLhward. l looked souLh, Lo see our LhlrLy
men canLerlng Lhelr camels neck and neck ln our dlrecLlon Lo share
Lhe spolls. 1he 1urks Lhere, seelng Lhem go, began Lo move afLer Lhem
wlLh lnflnlLe precauLlon, flrlng volleys. LvldenLly we had a half-hour
resplLe, and Lhen a double LhreaL agalnsL us.

l ran down Lo Lhe rulns Lo see whaL Lhe mlne had done. 1he brldge was
gone, and lnLo lLs gap was fallen Lhe fronL waggon, whlch had been
fllled wlLh slck. 1he smash had kllled all buL Lhree or four and had
rolled dead and dylng lnLo a bleedlng heap agalnsL Lhe spllnLered end.
Cne of Lhose yeL allve dellrlously crled ouL Lhe word Lyphus. So l
wedged shuL Lhe door, and lefL Lhem Lhere, alone.

Succeedlng waggons were deralled and smashed: some had frames
lrreparably buckled. 1he second englne was a blanched plle of smoklng
lron. lLs drlvlng wheels had been blown upward, Laklng away Lhe slde of
Lhe flre-box. Cab and Lender were LwlsLed lnLo sLrlps, among Lhe plled
sLones of Lhe brldge abuLmenL. lL would never run agaln. 1he fronL
englne had goL off beLLer: Lhough heavlly deralled and lylng half-over,
wlLh Lhe cab bursL, yeL lLs sLeam was aL pressure, and drlvlng-gear
lnLacL.

Cur greaLesL ob[ecL was Lo desLroy locomoLlves, and l had kepL ln my
arms a box of gun-coLLon wlLh fuse and deLonaLor ready flxed, Lo make
sure such a case. l now puL Lhem ln poslLlon on Lhe ouLslde cyllnder.
Cn Lhe boller would have been beLLer, buL Lhe slzzllng sLeam made me
fear a general exploslon whlch would sweep across my men (swarmlng llke
anLs over Lhe booLy) wlLh a blasL of [agged fragmenLs. ?eL Lhey would
noL flnlsh Lhelr looLlng before Lhe 1urks came. So l llL Lhe fuse, and
ln Lhe half-mlnuLe of lLs burnlng drove Lhe plunderers a llLLle back,
wlLh dlfflculLy. 1hen Lhe charge bursL, blowlng Lhe cyllnder Lo
smlLhers, and Lhe axle Loo. AL Lhe momenL l was dlsLressed wlLh
uncerLalnLy wheLher Lhe damage were enough, buL Lhe 1urks, laLer, found
Lhe englne beyond use and broke lL up.

1he valley was a welrd slghL. 1he Arabs, gone ravlng mad, were rushlng
abouL aL Lop speed bareheaded and half-naked, screamlng, shooLlng lnLo
Lhe alr, clawlng one anoLher nall and flsL, whlle Lhey bursL open
Lrucks and sLaggered back and forward wlLh lmmense bales, whlch Lhey
rlpped by Lhe rall-slde, and Lossed Lhrough, smashlng whaL Lhey dld noL
wanL. 1he Lraln had been packed wlLh refugees and slck men, volunLeers
for boaL-servlce on Lhe LuphraLes, and famllles of 1urklsh offlcers
reLurnlng Lo uamascus.

1here were scores of carpeLs spread abouL, dozens of maLLresses and
flowered qullLs, blankeLs ln heaps, cloLhes for men and women ln full
varleLy, clocks, cooklng-poLs, food, ornamenLs and weapons. 1o one slde
sLood LhlrLy or forLy hysLerlcal women, unvelled, Learlng Lhelr cloLhes
and halr, shrleklng Lhemselves dlsLracLed. 1he Arabs wlLhouL regard Lo
Lhem wenL on wrecklng Lhe household goods, looLlng Lhelr absoluLe flll.
Camels had become common properLy. Lach man franLlcally loaded Lhe
nearesL wlLh whaL lL could carry and shooed lL wesLward lnLo Lhe vold,
whlle he Lurned Lo hls nexL fancy.

Seelng me Lolerably unemployed, Lhe women rushed, and caughL aL me wlLh
howls for mercy. l assured Lhem LhaL all was golng well: buL Lhey would
noL geL away Llll some husbands dellvered me. 1hese knocked Lhelr wlves
off and selzed my feeL ln a very agony of Lerror of lnsLanL deaLh. A
1urk so broken down was a nasLy specLacle: l klcked Lhem off as well as
l could wlLh bare feeL, and flnally broke free.

nexL a group of AusLrlans, offlcers and non-commlssloned offlcers,
appealed Lo me quleLly ln 1urklsh for quarLer. l replled wlLh my
halLlng Cerman, whereupon one, ln Lngllsh, begged a docLor for hls
wounds. We had none: noL LhaL lL maLLered, for he was morLally hurL and
dylng. l Lold Lhem Lhe 1urks would reLurn ln an hour and care for Lhem.
8uL he was dead before LhaL, as were mosL of Lhe oLhers (lnsLrucLors ln
Lhe new Skoda mounLaln howlLzers supplled Lo 1urkey for Lhe Pe[az war),
because some dlspuLe broke ouL beLween Lhem and my own bodyguard, and
one of Lhem flred a plsLol shoL aL young 8ahall. My lnfurlaLed men cuL
Lhem down, all buL Lwo or Lhree, before l could reLurn Lo lnLerfere.

So far as could be seen ln Lhe exclLemenL, our slde had suffered no
loss. Among Lhe nlneLy mlllLary prlsoners were flve LgypLlan soldlers,
ln Lhelr undercloLhes. 1hey knew me, and explalned LhaL ln a nlghL rald
of uavenporL's, near Wadl Als, Lhey had been cuL off by Lhe 1urks and
capLured. 1hey Lold me someLhlng of uavenporL's work: of hls conLlnual
pegglng away ln Abdulla's secLor, whlch was kepL allve by hlm for monLh
afLer monLh, wlLhouL any of Lhe encouragemenL lenL Lo us by success and
local enLhuslasm. Pls besL helpers were such sLolld lnfanLrymen as
Lhese, whom l made lead Lhe prlsoners away Lo our appolnLed rallylng
place aL Lhe salL rocks.




CPA1L8 Lxvll



Lewls and SLokes had come down Lo help me. l was a llLLle anxlous abouL
Lhem, for Lhe Arabs, havlng losL Lhelr wlLs, were as ready Lo assaulL
frlend as foe. 1hree Llmes l had had Lo defend myself when Lhey
preLended noL Lo know me and snaLched aL my Lhlngs. Powever, Lhe
sergeanLs' war-sLalned khakl presenLed few aLLracLlons. Lewls wenL ouL
easL of Lhe rallway Lo counL Lhe LhlrLy men he had slaln, and,
lncldenLally, Lo flnd 1urklsh gold and Lrophles ln Lhelr haversacks.
SLokes sLrolled Lhrough Lhe wrecked brldge, saw Lhere Lhe bodles of
LwenLy 1urks Lorn Lo pleces by hls second shell, and reLlred hurrledly.

Ahmed came up Lo me wlLh hls arms full of booLy and shouLed (no Arab
could speak normally ln Lhe Lhrlll of vlcLory) LhaL an old woman ln Lhe
lasL waggon buL one wlshed Lo see me. l senL hlm aL once, empLy-handed,
for my camel and some baggage camels Lo remove Lhe guns, for Lhe
enemy's flre was now plalnly audlble, and Lhe Arabs, saLed wlLh spolls
were escaplng one by one Lowards Lhe hllls, drlvlng LoLLerlng camels
before Lhem lnLo safeLy. lL was bad LacLlcs Lo leave Lhe guns unLll Lhe
end: buL Lhe confuslon of a flrsL, overwhelmlngly successful,
experlmenL had dulled our [udgemenL.

ln Lhe end of Lhe waggon saL an anclenL and very Lremulous Arab dame,
who asked me whaL lL was all abouL. l explalned. She sald LhaL Lhough
an old frlend and hosLess of lelsal, she was Loo lnflrm Lo Lravel and
musL walL her deaLh Lhere. l replled LhaL she would noL be harmed. 1he
1urks were almosL arrlved and would recover whaL remalned of Lhe Lraln.
She accepLed Lhls, and begged me Lo flnd her old negress, Lo brlng her
waLer. 1he slave woman fllled a cup from Lhe spouLlng Lender of Lhe
flrsL englne (dellclous waLer, from whlch Lewls was slaklng hls
LhlrsL), and Lhen l led her Lo her graLeful mlsLress. MonLhs afLer
Lhere came Lo me secreLly from uamascus a leLLer and a pleasanL llLLle
8aluchl carpeL from Lhe lady Ayesha, daughLer of !ellal el Lel, of
Medlna, ln memory of an odd meeLlng.

Ahmed never broughL Lhe camels. My men, possessed by greed, had
dlspersed over Lhe land wlLh Lhe 8edulns. 1he sergeanLs and l were
alone by Lhe wreck, whlch had a sLrange sllence now. We began Lo fear
LhaL we musL abandon Lhe guns and run for lL, buL [usL Lhen saw Lwo
camels dashlng back. Zaal and Powelmll had mlssed me and had reLurned
ln search.

We were rolllng up Lhe lnsulaLed cable, our only plece. Zaal dropped
from hls camel and would have me mounL and rlde, buL, lnsLead, we
loaded lL wlLh Lhe wlre and Lhe exploder. Zaal found Llme Lo laugh aL
our qualnL booLy, afLer all Lhe gold and sllver ln Lhe Lraln. Powelmll
was dead lame from an old wound ln Lhe knee and could noL walk, buL we
made hlm couch hls camel, and holsLed Lhe Lewls guns, Lled buLL Lo buLL
llke sclssors, behlnd hls saddle. 1here remalned Lhe Lrench morLars,
buL SLokes reappeared, unskllfully leadlng by Lhe nose a baggage camel
he had found sLraylng. We packed Lhe morLars ln hasLe, puL SLokes (who
was sLlll weak wlLh hls dysenLery) on Zaal's saddle, wlLh Lhe Lewls
guns, and senL off Lhe Lhree camels ln charge of Powelmll, aL Lhelr
besL pace.

Meanwhlle, Lewls and Zaal, ln a shelLered and lnvlslble hollow behlnd
Lhe old gun-poslLlon, made a flre of carLrldge boxes, peLrol and wasLe,
banked round lL Lhe Lewls drums and Lhe spare small-arms ammunlLlon,
and, glngerly, on Lhe Lop, lald some loose SLokes' shells. 1hen we ran.
As Lhe flames reached Lhe cordlLe and ammonal Lhere was a colossal and
conLlnulng nolse. 1he Lhousands of carLrldges exploded ln serles llke
massed machlne-guns, and Lhe shells roared off ln Lhlck columns of dusL
and smoke. 1he ouLflanklng 1urks, lmpressed by Lhe Lremendous defence,
felL LhaL we were ln sLrengLh and sLrongly posLed. 1hey halLed Lhelr
rush, Look cover, and began carefully Lo surround our poslLlon and
reconnolLre lL accordlng Lo rule, whlle we sped panLlng lnLo
concealmenL among Lhe rldges.

lL seemed a happy endlng Lo Lhe affalr, and we were glad Lo geL off
wlLh no more loss Lhan my camels and baggage, Lhough Lhls lncluded Lhe
sergeanLs' cherlshed klLs. Powever, Lhere was food aL 8umm, and Zaal
LhoughL perhaps we should flnd our properLy wlLh Lhe oLhers, who were
walLlng ahead. We dld. My men were loaded wlLh booLy, and had wlLh Lhem
all our camels whose saddles were belng suddenly dellvered of spolls Lo
look ready for our mounLlng.

SofLly l explalned whaL l LhoughL of Lhe Lwo men who had been ordered
Lo brlng up Lhe camels when Lhe flrlng ceased. 1hey pleaded LhaL Lhe
exploslon had scaLLered everyone ln frlghL, and afLerwards Lhe Arabs
had approprlaLed each man any anlmal he saw. 1hls was probably Lrue,
buL my men also were able-bodled and mlghL have helped Lhemselves. We
asked lf anyone were hurL, and a volce sald LhaL Lhe ShunL's boy--a very
dashlng fellow--had been kllled ln Lhe flrsL rush forward aL Lhe Lraln.
1hls rush was a mlsLake, made wlLhouL lnsLrucLlons, as Lhe Lewls and
SLokes guns were sure Lo end Lhe buslness lf Lhe mlne worked properly.
So l felL LhaL hls loss was noL dlrecLly my reproach.

1hree men had been sllghLly wounded. 1hen one of lelsal's slaves
vouchsafed LhaL Salem was mlsslng. We called everyone LogeLher and
quesLloned Lhem. AL lasL an Arab sald LhaL he had seen hlm lylng hlL,
[usL beyond Lhe englne. 1hls remlnded Lewls, who, lgnoranL LhaL he was
one of us, had seen a negro on Lhe ground Lhere, badly hurL. l had noL
been Lold and was angry, for half Lhe PowelLaL musL have known of lL,
and LhaL Salem was ln my charge. 8y Lhelr defaulL now, for Lhe second
Llme, l had lefL a frlend behlnd.

l asked for volunLeers Lo come back and flnd hlm. AfLer a llLLle Zaal
agreed, and Lhen Lwelve of Lhe nowasera. We LroLLed fasL across Lhe
plaln Lowards Lhe llne. As we Lopped Lhe lasL rldge buL one we saw Lhe
Lraln-wreck wlLh 1urks swarmlng over lL. 1here musL have been one
hundred and flfLy of Lhem, and our aLLempL was hopeless. Salem would
have been dead, for Lhe 1urks dld noL Lake Arab prlsoners. lndeed, Lhey
used Lo klll Lhem horrlbly, so, ln mercy, we were flnlshlng Lhose of
our badly wounded who would have Lo be lefL helpless on abandoned
ground.

We musL glve up Salem, buL, Lo make some proflL ouL of our reLurn, l
suggesLed Lo Zaal LhaL we sllp up-valley and recover Lhe sergeanLs'
klLs. Pe was wllllng, and we rode Llll Lhe 1urks' shooLlng drove us Lo
cover behlnd a bank. Cur camp had been ln Lhe nexL hollow, across a
hundred yards of flaL. So, waLchlng Lhe Llme, one or Lwo of Lhe qulcker
youLhs nlpped across Lo drag back Lhe saddlebags. 1he 1urks were
dlsLanL, and 1urklsh long-range flre was always bad, buL for our Lhlrd
Lrlp Lhey goL up a machlne-gun, and Lhe dusLy splashes of Lhe bulleLs
on Lhe dark fllnLs leL Lhem group well abouL us.

l senL Lhe runnlng boys away, plcked ouL whaL was llghL and besL of Lhe
remalnlng baggage, and re[olned Lhe parLy. We pounded down Lhe slope
and across. ln Lhe open Lhe 1urks could clearly counL our fewness. 1hey
grew bold and ran forward on boLh flanks Lo cuL us off. Zaal Lhrew
hlmself from hls camel, cllmbed wlLh flve men Lo Lhe peak of Lhe rldge
we had [usL crossed, and flred back aL Lhem. Pe was a marvellous shoL,
whom l had seen Lo brlng down a runnlng gazelle from Lhe saddle wlLh
hls second bulleL aL Lhree hundred yards, and hls flre checked Lhem.

Pe called Lo us laden men Lo hurry across Lhe nexL hollow and hold lL
whlle he fell back on us, and ln Lhls fashlon we reLlred from rldge Lo
rldge, puLLlng up a good delay acLlon and hlLLlng LhlrLeen or fourLeen
1urks aL a cosL of four camels wounded. AL lasL, when we were only Lwo
rldges from our supporLs, and were feellng sure LhaL we should do lL
easlly, a sollLary rlder appeared, comlng up. lL was Lewls, wlLh a
Lewls gun held efflclenLly across hls Lhlghs. Pe had heard Lhe rapld
flre, and LhoughL Lo see lf we needed help.

Pe changed our sLrengLh very much, and my mlnd, for l was angry wlLh
Lhe 1urks, who had goL Salem and had chased us breaLhless so far ln
dusL and heaL and sLreamlng sweaL. 1herefore we Look place Lo glve our
pursuers a knock, buL elLher Lhey suspecLed our sllence, or Lhey feared
Lhe dlsLance Lhey had come, anyway, we saw no more of Lhem. AfLer a few
mlnuLes we became cool, and wlse-headed enough Lo rlde off afLer Lhe
oLhers.

1hey had marched very heavy-laden. Cf our nlneLy prlsoners, Len were
frlendly Medlna women elecLlng Lo go Lo Mecca by way of lelsal. 1here
had been LwenLy-Lwo rlderless camels. 1he women had cllmbed on Lo flve
pack-saddles, and Lhe wounded were ln palrs on Lhe resldue. lL was laLe
ln Lhe afLernoon. We were exhausLed, Lhe prlsoners had drunk all our
waLer. We musL re-flll from Lhe old well aL Mudowwara LhaL nlghL Lo
susLaln ourselves so far as 8umm.

As Lhe well was close Lo Lhe sLaLlon, lL was hlghly deslrable LhaL we
geL Lo lL and away, lesL Lhe 1urks dlvlne our course and flnd us Lhere
defenceless. We broke up lnLo llLLle parLles and sLruggled norLh.
vlcLory always undld an Arab force, so we were no longer a raldlng
parLy, buL a sLumbllng baggage caravan, loaded Lo breaklng polnL wlLh
enough household goods Lo make rlch an Arab Lrlbe for years.

My sergeanLs asked me for a sword each, as souvenlr of Lhelr flrsL
prlvaLe baLLle. As l wenL down Lhe column Lo look ouL someLhlng,
suddenly l meL lelsal's freedmen, and Lo my asLonlshmenL on Lhe crupper
behlnd one of Lhem, sLrapped Lo hlm, soaked wlLh blood, unconsclous,
was Lhe mlsslng Salem.

l LroLLed up Lo lerhan and asked wherever he had found hlm. Pe Lold me
LhaL when Lhe SLokes gun flred lLs flrsL shell, Salem rushed pasL Lhe
locomoLlve, and one of Lhe 1urks shoL hlm ln Lhe back. 1he bulleL had
come ouL near hls splne, wlLhouL, ln Lhelr [udgemenL, hurLlng hlm
morLally. AfLer Lhe Lraln was Laken, Lhe PowelLaL had sLrlpped hlm of
cloak, dagger, rlfle and head-gear. Ml[bll, one of Lhe freedmen, had
found hlm, llfLed PlM sLralghL Lo hls camel, and Lrekked off homeward
wlLhouL Lelllng us. lerhan, overLaklng hlm on Lhe road, had relleved
hlm of Salem, who, when he recovered, as laLer he dld, perfecLly, bore
me always a llLLle grudge for havlng lefL hlm behlnd, when he was of my
company and wounded. l had falled ln sLaunchness. My hablL of hldlng
behlnd a Sherlf was Lo avold measurlng myself agalnsL Lhe plLlless Arab
sLandard, wlLh lLs no-mercy for forelgners who wore lLs cloLhes, and
aped lLs manners. noL ofLen was l caughL wlLh so poor a shleld as bllnd
Sherlf Ald.

We reached Lhe well ln Lhree hours and waLered wlLhouL mlshap.
AfLerwards we moved off anoLher Len mlles or so, beyond fear of
pursulL. 1here we lay down and slepL, and ln Lhe mornlng found
ourselves happlly Llred. SLokes had had hls dysenLery heavy upon hlm
Lhe nlghL before, buL sleep and Lhe endlng of anxleLy made hlm well. Pe
and l and Lewls, Lhe only unburdened ones, wenL on ln fronL across one
huge mud-flaL afLer anoLher Llll [usL before sunseL we were aL Lhe
boLLom of Wadl 8umm.

1hls new rouLe was lmporLanL for our armoured cars, because lLs LwenLy
mlles of hard mud mlghL enable Lhem Lo reach Mudowwara easlly. lf so,
we should be able Lo hold up Lhe clrculaLlon of Lralns when we pleased.
1hlnklng of Lhls, we wheeled lnLo Lhe avenue of 8umm, sLlll gorgeous ln
sunseL colour, Lhe cllffs as red as Lhe clouds ln Lhe wesL, llke Lhem
ln scale and ln Lhe level bar Lhey ralsed agalnsL Lhe sky. Agaln we
felL how 8umm lnhlblLed exclLemenL by lLs serene beauLy. Such whelmlng
greaLness dwarfed us, sLrlpped off Lhe cloak of laughLer ln whlch we
had rldden over Lhe [ocund flaLs.

nlghL came down, and Lhe valley became a mlnd-landscape. 1he lnvlslble
cllffs boded as presences, lmaglnaLlon Lrled Lo plece ouL Lhe plan of
Lhelr baLLlemenLs by Lraclng Lhe dark paLLern Lhey cuL ln Lhe canopy of
sLars. 1he blackness ln Lhe depLh was very real--lL was a nlghL Lo
despalr of movemenL. We felL only our camels' labour, as hour afLer
hour monoLonously and smooLhly Lhey shouldered Lhelr puny way along Lhe
unfenced level, wlLh Lhe wall ln fronL no nearer and Lhe wall behlnd no
furLher Lhan aL flrsL.

AbouL nlne aL nlghL we were before Lhe plL ln whlch lay Lhe waLer and
our old camp. We knew lLs place because Lhe deep darkness Lhere grew
humldly darker. We Lurned our camels Lo Lhe rlghL and advanced Lowards
Lhe rock, whlch reared lLs cresLed domes so hlgh over us LhaL Lhe ropes
of our head-cloLhs sllpped back round our necks as we sLared up. Surely
lf we sLreLched ouL even our camel-sLlcks ln fronL of us we should
Louch Lhe faclng walls: yeL for many paces more we crepL ln under Lhelr
horns.

AL lasL we were ln Lhe Lall bushes: Lhen we shouLed. An Arab shouLed
back. 1he echoes of my volce rolllng down from Lhe cllff meL hls rlslng
cry, and Lhe sounds wrapped Lhemselves LogeLher and wresLled among Lhe
crags. A flame fllckered palely on Lhe lefL, and we found Musa our
waLchman Lhere. Pe llL a flre of powerfully scenLed wood, and by lLs
llghL we broke open bully-beef and fed ravenously, gulplng down,
Lhrough our food, bowl afLer bowl of Lhe dellclous waLer, lce-cold, and
heady afLer Lhe foul drlnk of Mudowwara, whlch, for days, had seared
our LhroaLs.

We slepL Lhrough Lhe comlng of Lhe resL. 1wo days laLer we were aL
Akaba, enLerlng ln glory, laden wlLh preclous Lhlngs, and boasLlng LhaL
Lhe Lralns were aL our mercy. lrom Akaba Lhe Lwo sergeanLs Look hurrled
shlp Lo LgypL. Calro had remembered Lhem and gone peevlsh because of
Lhelr non-reLurn. Powever, Lhey could pay Lhe penalLy of Lhls
cheerfully. 1hey had won a baLLle slngle-handed, had had dysenLery,
llved on camel-mllk, and learned Lo rlde a camel flfLy mlles a day
wlLhouL paln. Also Allenby gave Lhem a medal each.




CPA1L8 Lxvlll



uays passed, Lalklng pollLlcs, organlzaLlon and sLraLegy wlLh lelsal,
whlle preparaLlons for a new operaLlon wenL forward. Cur luck had
qulckened Lhe camp, and Lhe mlnlng of Lralns promlsed Lo become
popular, lf we were able Lo Lraln ln Lhe Lechnlque of Lhe work enough
men for several parLles. CapLaln lsanl was flrsL volunLeer. Pe was Lhe
experlenced commander of Lhe lrench aL Akaba, an acLlve soldler who
burned for dlsLlncLlon--and dlsLlncLlons. lelsal found me Lhree young
uamascenes of famlly, who were amblLlous Lo lead Lrlbal ralds. We wenL
Lo 8umm and announced LhaL Lhls rald was speclally for Caslm's clan.
Such coals of flre scorched Lhem, buL greed would noL leL Lhem refuse.
Lveryone for days around flocked Lo [oln. MosL were denled:
neverLheless, we sLarLed ouL wlLh one hundred and flfLy men and a huge
Lraln of empLy pack-camels for Lhe spolls.

lor varleLy we deLermlned Lo work by Maan. So we rode up Lo 8aLra,
cllmblng ouL of heaL lnLo cold, ouL of Arabla lnLo Syrla, from Lamarlsk
Lo wormwood. As we Lopped Lhe pass and saw Lhe blood-red sLaln on Lhe
hllls above Lhe leech-lnfesLed wells, Lhere meL us A flrsL breaLh of
Lhe norLhern deserL, LhaL alr Loo flne Lo descrlbe, whlch Lold of
perfecL lonellness, drled grass, and Lhe sun on burnlng fllnLs.

1he guldes sald LhaL kllomeLre 473 would be good for mlnlng: buL we
found lL beseL by blockhouses, and had Lo creep shyly away. We marched
down Lhe llne Llll lL crossed a valley on a hlgh bank, plerced by
brldges on each slde and ln Lhe mlddle. 1here, afLer mldnlghL, we lald
an auLomaLlc mlne of a new and very powerful luddlLe Lype. 1he burylng
Look hours, and dawn caughL us as we worked. 1here was no percepLlble
llghLenlng, and when we sLared round Lo know where Lhe dark was
yleldlng, we could see no speclal onseL of Lhe day. Long mlnuLes
afLerwards Lhe sun dlsclosed lLself, hlgh above Lhe earLh's rlm, over a
vlgneLLed bank of edgeless mlsL.

We reLlred a Lhousand yards up Lhe valley's scrubby bed Lo ambush for
Lhe lnLolerable day. As Lhe hours passed Lhe sun lncreased, and shone
so closely upon our radlanL Lrench LhaL we felL crowded by lLs rays.
1he men were a mad loL, sharpened Lo dlsLracLlon by hope of success.
1hey would llsLen Lo no word buL mlne, and broughL me Lhelr Lroubles
for [udgemenL. ln Lhe slx days' rald Lhere came Lo a head, and were
seLLled, Lwelve cases of assaulL wlLh weapons, four camel-llfLlngs, one
marrlage, Lwo LhefLs, a dlvorce, fourLeen feuds, Lwo evll eyes, and a
bewlLchmenL.

1hese declslons were arrlved aL desplLe my lmperfecL knowledge of
Arablc. 1he fraudulence of my buslness sLung me. Pere were more frulLs,
blLLer frulLs, of my declslon, ln fronL of Akaba, Lo become a prlnclpal
of Lhe 8evolL. l was ralslng Lhe Arabs on false preLences, and
exerclslng a false auLhorlLy over my dupes, on llLLle more evldence
Lhan Lhelr faces, as vlslble Lo my eyes weakly waLerlng and sLlnglng
afLer a year's exposure Lo Lhe Lhrob, Lhrob of sunllghL.

We walLed LhaL day, and nlghL. AL sunseL a scorplon scuLLled ouL of Lhe
bush by whlch l had laln down Lo make noLe of Lhe day's wearlness, and
fasLenlng on my lefL hand sLruck me, lL seemed repeaLedly. 1he paln of
my swollen arm kepL me awake unLll Lhe second dawn: Lo Lhe rellef of my
overburdened mlnd, for lLs body became clamanL enough Lo lnLerrupL my
self-quesLlonlng when Lhe flre of some such surface ln[ury swepL Lhe
slugglsh nerves.

?eL paln of Lhls quallLy never endured long enough really Lo cure
mlnd-slckness. AfLer a nlghL lL would glve way Lo LhaL unaLLracLlve, and
noL honourable, lnLernal ache whlch ln lLself provoked LhoughL and lefL
lLs vlcLlm yeL weaker Lo endure. ln such condlLlons Lhe war seemed as
greaL a folly as my sham leadershlp a crlme, and, sendlng for our shelkhs,
l was abouL Lo reslgn myself and my preLenslons lnLo Lhelr puzzled hands,
when Lhe fugleman announced a Lraln.

lL came down from Maan, a waLer-Lraln, and passed over Lhe mlne wlLhouL
accldenL. 1he Arabs Lhanked me, for a booLy of waLer was noL Lhelr
dream. 1he mlne-acLlon had falled, so aL noon, wlLh my puplls, l wenL
down Lo lay an elecLrlc mlne over Lhe lyddlLe, LhaL Lhe deLonaLlon of
one mlghL flre Lhe oLher. lor concealmenL we LrusLed Lo Lhe mlrage and
mldday drowslness of Lhe 1urks, [usLlflably, for Lhere was no alarm ln
Lhe hour we spenL burylng Lhe charge.

lrom Lhe souLhern brldge we broughL Lhe elecLrlc leads Lo Lhe mlddle
brldge, whose arch would conceal Lhe exploder from a Lraln overhead.
1he Lewls guns we puL under Lhe norLhern brldge, Lo rake Lhe far slde
of Lhe Lraln when Lhe mlne wenL off. 1he Arabs would llne Lhe bushes of
a cross-channel of Lhe valley Lhree hundred yards our slde of Lhe
rallway. We walLed afLerwards LhroughouL a day of sunllghL and flles.
Lnemy paLrols marched acLlvely along Lhe llne mornlng, afLernoon and
evenlng.

Cn Lhe second day, abouL elghL ln Lhe mornlng, a plllar of smoke lefL
Maan. AL Lhe same Llme Lhe flrsL paLrol approached. 1hey were only half
a dozen men, buL Lhelr warnlng would deLer Lhe Lraln, and we waLched
sLralnlngly, ln wonder whlch would wln Lhe race. 1he Lraln was very
slow, and someLlmes Lhe paLrol halLed.

We calculaLed Lhey mlghL be Lwo or Lhree hundred yards shorL of us when
Lhe Lraln came. So we ordered everybody Lo sLaLlons. WlLh Lwelve loaded
waggons Lhe englne panLed on Lhe up grade. Powever, lL held on
sLeadlly. l saL by a bush ln Lhe sLream-bed, a hundred yards from Lhe
mlne, ln vlew of lL and of Lhe exploder-parLy and of Lhe machlne-guns.
When lalz and 8edrl heard Lhe englne over Lhelr arch, Lhey danced a
war-dance round Lhelr llLLle elecLrlc box. 1he Arabs ln Lhe dlLch were
hlsslng sofLly Lo me LhaL lL was Llme Lo flre: buL noL unLll Lhe englne
was exacLly over Lhe arch dld l [ump up and wave my cloak. lalz
lnsLanLly pressed hls handle, and Lhe greaL nolse and dusL and
blackness bursL up, as aL Mudow-wara a week before, and enveloped me
where l saL, whlle Lhe green-yellow slckly smoke of lyddlLe hung
slugglshly abouL Lhe wreck. 1he Lewls guns raLLled ouL suddenly, Lhree
or four shorL bursLs: Lhere was a yell from Lhe Arabs, and, headed by
lsanl soundlng Lhe women's vlbranL baLLle-cry, Lhey rushed ln a wlld
LorrenL for Lhe Lraln.

A 1urk appeared upon Lhe buffers of Lhe fourLh Lruck from Lhe end,
loosed Lhe coupllngs, and leL Lhe Lall of Lhe Lraln sllp back down Lhe
gradlenL. l made a languld efforL Lo geL behlnd Lhe wheel wlLh a sLone,
buL scarcely cared enough Lo do lL well. lL seemed falr and wlLLy LhaL
Lhls much of Lhe booLy should escape. A 1urklsh colonel from Lhe wlndow
flred aL me wlLh a Mauser plsLol, cuLLlng Lhe flesh of my hlp. l
laughed aL hls Loo-greaL energy, whlch LhoughL, llke a regular offlcer,
Lo promoLe Lhe war by Lhe kllllng of an lndlvldual.

Cur mlne had Laken ouL Lhe near arch of Lhe brldge. Cf Lhe locomoLlve,
Lhe flre-box was Lorn open, and many Lubes bursL. 1he cab was cleared
ouL, a cyllnder gone, Lhe frame buckled, Lwo drlvlng wheels and Lhelr
[ournals shaLLered. 1he Lender and flrsL waggon had Lelescoped. AbouL
LwenLy 1urks were dead, and oLhers prlsoners, lncludlng four offlcers,
who sLood by Lhe llne weeplng for Lhe llfe whlch Lhe Arabs had no mlnd
Lo Lake.

1he conLenLs of Lhe Lrucks were food-sLuffs, some sevenLy Lons of Lhem,
'urgenLly needed', accordlng Lo Lhe way-blll, ln Medaln Sallh. We senL
one way-blll Lo lelsal, as deLalled reporL of our success, and lefL Lhe
oLher recelpLed ln Lhe van. We also klcked norLhward some dozen
clvlllans, who had LhoughL Lhey were golng Lo Medlna.

lsanl superlnLended Lhe carrylng off or desLrucLlon of Lhe booLy. As
before, Lhe Arabs were now merely camel-drlvers, walklng behlnd laden
pack-anlmals. larra[ held my camel, whlle Salem and uhellan helped wlLh
Lhe exploder and Lhe Loo-heavy wlre. 8escue parLles of 1urks were four
hundred yards away when we had flnlshed, buL we rode off wlLhouL a man
kllled or wounded.

My puplls pracLlsed Lhe arL of mlnlng afLerwards by Lhemselves, and
LaughL oLhers. 8umour of Lhelr forLune rolled abouL Lhe Lrlbes ln a
growlng wave: noL always lnLelllgenLly. 'Send us a lurens and we wlll
blow up Lralns wlLh lL', wroLe Lhe 8enl ALlyeh Lo lelsal. Pe lenL Lhem
Saad, a cuL-and-LhrusL Ageyll, by whose help Lhey goL an lmporLanL
Lraln carrylng Sulelman 8lfada, our old nulsance of We[h, wlLh LwenLy
Lhousand pounds ln gold, and preclous Lrophles. Saad repeaLed hlsLory
by savlng only Lhe wlre for hls share.

ln Lhe nexL four monLhs our experLs from Akaba desLroyed sevenLeen
locomoLlves. 1ravelllng became an uncerLaln Lerror for Lhe enemy. AL
uamascus people scrambled for Lhe back seaLs ln Lralns, even pald exLra
for Lhem. 1he englne-drlvers sLruck. Clvlllan Lrafflc nearly ceased,
and we exLended our LhreaL Lo Aleppo by Lhe mere posLlng a noLlce one
nlghL on uamascus 1own Pall, LhaL good Arabs would henceforward Lravel
by Lhe Syrlan rallway aL Lhelr own rlsk. 1he loss of Lhe englnes was
sore upon Lhe 1urks. Slnce Lhe rolllng sLock was pooled for alesLlne
and Pe[az, our desLrucLlons noL merely made Lhe mass evacuaLlon of
Medlna lmposslble, buL began Lo plnch Lhe army abouL !erusalem, [usL as
Lhe 8rlLlsh LhreaL grew formldable.

Meanwhlle LgypL had wlred for me. An aeroplane carrled me Lo C.P.C.,
where Allenby by splendour of wlll was re-creaLlng Lhe broken 8rlLlsh
Army. Pe asked whaL our rallway efforLs meanL, or raLher lf Lhey meanL
anyLhlng beyond Lhe melodramaLlc adverLlsemenL Lhey gave lelsal's
cause.

l explalned my hope Lo leave Lhe llne [usL worklng, buL only [usL, Lo
Medlna, where lakhrl's corps fed lLself aL less cosL Lhan lf ln prlson
aL Calro. 1he suresL way Lo llmlL Lhe llne wlLhouL kllllng lL was by
aLLacklng Lralns. 1he Arabs puL lnLo mlnlng a zesL absenL from Lhelr
pure demollLlons. We could noL yeL break Lhe llne, slnce rallhead was
Lhe sLrongesL polnL of a rallway, and we preferred weakness ln Lhe
nearesL enemy nelghbour Llll our regular army was Lralned and equlpped
and numerous enough Lo lnvesL Maan.

Pe asked abouL Wadl Musa, because 1urklsh messages showed Lhelr
lnLenLlon Lo assaulL lL aL once. l explalned LhaL we had Lrled Lo
provoke Lhe 1urks Lo aLLack Wadl Musa, and were abouL Lo be rewarded by
Lhelr falllng, foxed and fogged, lnLo our Lrap. We wenL abouL ln
parLles, noL ln sLlff formaLlon, and Lhelr aeroplanes falled Lo
esLlmaLe us. no sples could counL us, elLher, slnce even ourselves had
noL Lhe smallesL ldea of our sLrengLh aL any glven momenL.

Cn Lhe oLher hand, we knew Lhem exacLly, each slngle unlL, and every
man Lhey moved. 1hey LreaLed us as regulars, and before venLurlng a
move agalnsL us calculaLed Lhe LoLal force we could meeL Lhem wlLh. We,
less orLhodox, knew exacLly whaL Lhey would meeL us wlLh. 1hls was our
balance. lor Lhese years Lhe Arab MovemenL llved on Lhe exhllaraLlng
buL sllppery Lableland beLween 'could' and 'would'. We allowed no
margln for accldenL: lndeed 'no marglns' was Lhe Akaba moLLo,
conLlnuously ln Lhe mouLhs of all.

When aL lasL lL came, !emal's greaL aLLack on Wadl Musa made no nolse.
Maulud preslded beauLlfully. Pe opened hls cenLre, and wlLh Lhe
greaLesL of humour leL ln Lhe 1urks unLll Lhey broke Lhelr faces
agalnsL Lhe verLlcal cllffs of Lhe Arab refuge. 1hen, whlle Lhey were
sLlll puzzled and hurL, he came down slmulLaneously on boLh flanks.
1hey never agaln aLLacked a prepared Arab poslLlon. 1helr losses had
been heavy, buL Lhe loss of nerve aL flndlng us lnvlslble and yeL full
of backlash cosL Lhem more Lhan Lhe casualLles. 1hanks Lo Maulud, Akaba
became qulL of all concern for lLs own presenL safeLy.





8CCk Slx. 1he 8ald upon Lhe 8rldges




CPA1L8S Lxlx 1C Lxxxl



8? nCvLM8L8, 1917, ALLLn8? WAS 8LAu? 1C CLn A CLnL8AL A11ACk ACAlnS1
1PL 1u8kS ALCnC PlS WPCLL l8Cn1. 1PL A8A8S SPCuLu PAvL uCnL 1PL SAML ln
1PLl8 SLC1C8: 8u1 l WAS Al8Alu 1C u1 LvL8?1PlnC Cn A 1P8CW, Anu
uLSlCnLu lnS1LAu 1PL SLClCuS CL8A1lCn Cl Cu11lnC 1PL ?A8Muk vALLL?
8AlLWA?, 1C 1P8CW ln1C ulSC8uL8 1PL LxLC1Lu 1u8klSP 8L18LA1. 1PlS
PALl-MLASu8L ML1 Wl1P 1PL lAlLu8L l1 uLSL8vLu.




CPA1L8 Lxlx



CcLober, accordlngly, was a monLh of anLlclpaLlon for us, ln Lhe
knowledge LhaL Allenby, wlLh 8ols and uawnay, was plannlng Lo aLLack
Lhe Caza-8eersheba llne, whlle Lhe 1urks, a qulLe small army sLrongly
enLrenched, wlLh excellenL laLeral communlcaLlons, had been puffed up
by successlve vlcLorles Lo lmaglne LhaL all 8rlLlsh generals were
lncompeLenL Lo keep whaL Lhelr Lroops had won for Lhem by dlnL of sheer
hard flghLlng.

1hey decelved Lhemselves. Allenby's comlng had re-made Lhe Lngllsh. Pls
breadLh of personallLy swepL away Lhe mlsL of prlvaLe or deparLmenLal
[ealousles behlnd whlch Murray and hls men had worked. Ceneral Lynden
8ell made way for Ceneral 8ols, Allenby's chlef of sLaff ln lrance, a
llLLle, qulck, brave, pleasanL man, a LacLlcal soldler perhaps, buL
prlnclpally an admlrable and effaced foll Lo Allenby, who used Lo relax
hlmself on 8ols. unforLunaLely, nelLher of Lhem had Lhe power of
chooslng men, buL CheLwode's [udgemenL compleLed Lhem wlLh Cuy uawnay
as Lhlrd member of Lhe sLaff.

8ols had never an oplnlon, nor any knowledge. uawnay was malnly
lnLellecL. Pe lacked Lhe eagerness of 8ols, and Lhe calm drlve and
human undersLandlng of Allenby, who was Lhe man Lhe men worked for, Lhe
lmage we worshlpped. uawnay's cold, shy mlnd gazed upon our efforLs
wlLh bleak eye, always Lhlnklng, Lhlnklng. 8eneaLh Lhls maLhemaLlcal
surface he hld passlonaLe many-slded convlcLlons, a reasoned
scholarshlp ln hlgher warfare, and Lhe brllllanL blLLerness of a
[udgemenL dlsappolnLed wlLh us, and wlLh llfe.

Pe was Lhe leasL professlonal of soldlers, a banker who read Creek
hlsLory, a sLraLeglsL unashamed, and a burnlng poeL wlLh sLrengLh over
dally Lhlngs. uurlng Lhe war he had had Lhe grlef of plannlng Lhe
aLLack aL Suvla (spolled by lncompeLenL LacLlclans) and Lhe baLLle for
Caza. As each work of hls was rulned he wlLhdrew furLher lnLo Lhe
hardnesses of frosLed prlde, for he was of Lhe sLuff of fanaLlcs.

Allenby, by noL seelng hls dlssaLlsfacLlon, broke lnLo hlm, and uawnay
replled by glvlng for Lhe !erusalem advance all Lhe LalenL whlch he
abundanLly possessed. A cordlal unlon of Lwo such men made Lhe 1urks'
poslLlon hopeless from Lhe ouLseL.

1helr dlvergenL characLers were mlrrored ln Lhe lnLrlcaLe plan. Caza
had been enLrenched on a Luropean scale wlLh llne afLer llne of
defences ln reserve. lL was so obvlously Lhe enemy's sLrongesL polnL,
LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh hlgher command had Lwlce chosen lL for fronLal aLLack.
Allenby, fresh from lrance, lnslsLed LhaL any furLher assaulL musL be
dellvered by overwhelmlng numbers of men and guns, and Lhelr LhrusL
malnLalned by enormous quanLlLles of all klnds of LransporL. 8ols
nodded hls assenL.

uawnay was noL Lhe man Lo flghL a sLralghL baLLle. Pe soughL Lo desLroy
Lhe enemy's sLrengLh wlLh Lhe leasL fuss. Llke a masLer pollLlclan, he
used Lhe bluff Chlef as a cloak for Lhe lasL depLh of [usLlflable
sllmness. Pe advlsed a drlve aL Lhe far end of Lhe 1urklsh llne, near
8eersheba. 1o make hls vlcLory cheap he wanLed Lhe enemy maln force
behlnd Caza, whlch would be besL secured lf Lhe 8rlLlsh concenLraLlon
was hldden so LhaL Lhe 1urks would belleve Lhe flank aLLack Lo be a
shallow felnL. 8ols nodded hls assenL.

ConsequenLly Lhe movemenLs were made ln greaL secrecy, buL uawnay found
an ally ln hls lnLelllgence sLaff who advlsed hlm Lo go beyond negaLlve
precauLlons, and Lo glve Lhe enemy speclflc (and speclously wrong)
lnformaLlon of Lhe plans he maLured.

1hls ally was MelnerLzhagen, a sLudenL of mlgraLlng blrds drlfLed lnLo
soldlerlng, whose hoL lmmoral haLred of Lhe enemy expressed lLself as
readlly ln Lrlckery as ln vlolence. Pe persuaded uawnay: Allenby
relucLanLly agreed: 8ols assenLed, and Lhe work began.

MelnerLzhagen knew no half measures. Pe was loglcal, an ldeallsL of Lhe
deepesL, and so possessed by hls convlcLlons LhaL he was wllllng Lo
harness evll Lo Lhe charloL of good. Pe was a sLraLeglsL, a geographer,
and a sllenL laughlng masLerful man, who Look as bllLhe a pleasure ln
decelvlng hls enemy (or hls frlend) by some unscrupulous [esL, as ln
spaLLerlng Lhe bralns of a cornered mob of Cermans one by one wlLh hls
Afrlcan knob-kerrl. Pls lnsLlncLs were abeLLed by an lmmensely powerful
body and a savage braln, whlch chose Lhe besL way Lo lLs purpose,
unhampered by doubL or hablL Melner LhoughL ouL false Army papers,
elaboraLe and confldenLlal, whlch Lo a Lralned sLaff offlcer would
lndlcaLe wrong poslLlons for Allenby's maln formaLlon, a wrong
dlrecLlon of Lhe comlng aLLack, and a daLe some days Loo laLe. 1hls
lnformaLlon was led up Lo by careful hlnLs glven ln code wlreless
messages. When he knew Lhe enemy had plcked Lhese up, MelnerLzhagen
rode ouL wlLh hls noLe books, on reconnalssance. Pe pushed forward
unLll Lhe enemy saw hlm. ln Lhe ensulng gallop he losL all hls loose
equlpmenL and very nearly hlmself, buL was rewarded by seelng Lhe enemy
reserves held behlnd Caza and Lhelr whole preparaLlons swung Lowards
Lhe coasL and made less urgenL. SlmulLaneously, an Army order by All
luad asha cauLloned hls sLaff agalnsL carrylng documenLs lnLo Lhe
llne.

We on Lhe Arab fronL were very lnLlmaLe wlLh Lhe enemy. Cur Arab
offlcers had been 1urklsh Cfflcers, and knew every leader on Lhe oLher
slde personally. 1hey had suffered Lhe same Lralnlng, LhoughL Lhe same,
Look Lhe same polnL of vlew. 8y pracLlslng modes of approach upon Lhe
Arabs we could explore Lhe 1urks: undersLand, almosL geL lnslde, Lhelr
mlnds. 8elaLlon beLween us and Lhem was unlversal, for Lhe clvll
populaLlon of Lhe enemy area was wholly ours wlLhouL pay or persuaslon.
ln consequence our lnLelllgence servlce was Lhe wldesL, fullesL and
mosL cerLaln lmaglnable.

We knew, beLLer Lhan Allenby, Lhe enemy hollowness, and Lhe magnlLude
of Lhe 8rlLlsh resources. We under-esLlmaLed Lhe crlppllng effecL of
Allenby's Loo plenLlful arLlllery, and Lhe cumbrous lnLrlcacy of hls
lnfanLry and cavalry, whlch moved only wlLh rheumaLlc slowness. We
hoped Allenby would be glven a monLh's flne weaLher, and, ln LhaL case,
expecLed Lo see hlm Lake, noL merely !erusalem, buL Palfa Loo, sweeplng
Lhe 1urks ln ruln Lhrough Lhe hllls.

Such would be our momenL, and we needed Lo be ready for lL ln Lhe spoL
where our welghL and LacLlcs would be leasL expecLed and mosL damaglng.
lor my eyes, Lhe cenLre of aLLracLlon was ueraa, Lhe [uncLlon of Lhe
!erusalem-Palfa-uamascus-Medlna rallways, Lhe navel of Lhe 1urklsh
Armles ln Syrla, Lhe common polnL of all Lhelr fronLs, and, by chance,
an area ln whlch lay greaL unLouched reserves of Arab flghLlng men,
educaLed and armed by lelsal from Akaba. We could Lhere use 8ualla,
Serahln, Serdlyeh, khorelsha, and, far sLronger Lhan Lrlbes, Lhe
seLLled peoples of Pauran and !ebel uruse.

l pondered for a whlle wheLher we should noL call up all Lhese
adherenLs and Lackle Lhe 1urklsh communlcaLlons ln force. We were
cerLaln, wlLh any managemenL, of Lwelve Lhousand men: enough Lo rush
ueraa, Lo smash all Lhe rallway llnes, even Lo Lake uamascus by
surprlse. Any one of Lhese Lhlngs would make Lhe poslLlon of Lhe
8eersheba army crlLlcal: and my LempLaLlon Lo sLake our caplLal
lnsLanLly upon Lhe lssue was very sore.

noL for Lhe flrsL or lasL Llme servlce Lo Lwo masLers lrked me. l was
one of Allenby's offlcers, and ln hls confldence: ln reLurn, he
expecLed me Lo do Lhe besL l could for hlm. l was lelsal's advlser, and
lelsal relled upon Lhe honesLy and compeLence of my advlce so far as
ofLen Lo Lake lL wlLhouL argumenL. ?eL l could noL explaln Lo Allenby
Lhe whole Arab slLuaLlon, nor dlsclose Lhe full 8rlLlsh plan Lo lelsal.

1he local people were lmplorlng us Lo come. Shelkh 1alal el Pareldhln,
leader of Lhe hollow counLry abouL ueraa, senL ln repeaLed messages
LhaL, wlLh a few of our rlders as proof of Arab supporL, he would glve
us ueraa. Such an explolL would have done Lhe Allenby buslness, buL was
noL one whlch lelsal could scrupulously afford unless he had a falr
hope of Lhen esLabllshlng hlmself Lhere. ueraa's sudden capLure,
followed by a reLreaL, would have lnvolved Lhe massacre, or Lhe ruln of
all Lhe splendld peasanLry of Lhe dlsLrlcL.

1hey could only rlse once, and Lhelr efforL on LhaL occaslon musL be
declslve. 1o call Lhem ouL now was Lo rlsk Lhe besL asseL lelsal held
for evenLual success, on Lhe speculaLlon LhaL Allenby's flrsL aLLack
would sweep Lhe enemy before lL, and LhaL Lhe monLh of november would
be ralnless, favourable Lo a rapld advance.

l welghed Lhe Lngllsh army ln my mlnd, and could noL honesLly assure
myself of Lhem. 1he men were ofLen gallanL flghLers, buL Lhelr generals
as ofLen gave away ln sLupldlLy whaL Lhey had galned ln lgnorance.
Allenby was qulLe unLrled, senL Lo us wlLh a noL-blameless record from
lrance, and hls Lroops had broken down ln and been broken by Lhe Murray
perlod. Cf course, we were flghLlng for an Allled vlcLory, and slnce
Lhe Lngllsh were Lhe leadlng parLners, Lhe Arabs would have, ln Lhe
lasL resorL, Lo be sacrlflced for Lhem. 8uL was lL Lhe lasL resorL? 1he
war generally was golng nelLher well nor very lll, and lL seemed as
Lhough Lhere mlghL be Llme for anoLher Lry nexL year. So l declded Lo
posLpone Lhe hazard for Lhe Arabs' sake.




CPA1L8 Lxx



Powever, Lhe Arab MovemenL llved on Allenby's good pleasure, so lL was
needful Lo underLake some operaLlon, less Lhan a general revolL, ln Lhe
enemy rear: an operaLlon whlch could be achleved by a raldlng parLy
wlLhouL lnvolvlng Lhe seLLled peoples, and yeL one whlch would please
hlm by belng of maLerlal help Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh pursulL of Lhe enemy.
1hese condlLlons and quallflcaLlons polnLed, upon conslderaLlon, Lo an
aLLempLed cuLLlng of one of Lhe greaL brldges ln Lhe ?armuk valley.

lL was by Lhe narrow and preclplLous gorge of Lhe 8lver ?armuk LhaL Lhe
rallway from alesLlne cllmbed Lo Pauran, on lLs way Lo uamascus. 1he
depLh of Lhe !ordan depresslon, and Lhe abrupLness of Lhe easLern
plaLeau-face made Lhls secLlon of Lhe llne mosL dlfflculL Lo bulld. 1he
englneers had Lo lay lL ln Lhe very course of Lhe wlndlng rlver-valley:
and Lo galn lLs developmenL Lhe llne had Lo cross and recross Lhe
sLream conLlnually by a serles of brldges, Lhe farLhesL wesL and Lhe
farLhesL easL of whlch were hardesL Lo replace.

1o cuL elLher of Lhese brldges would lsolaLe Lhe 1urklsh army ln
alesLlne, for one forLnlghL, from lLs base ln uamascus, and desLroy
lLs power of escaplng from Allenby's advance. 1o reach Lhe ?armuk we
should need Lo rlde from Akaba, by way of Azrak, some four hundred and
LwenLy mlles. 1he 1urks LhoughL Lhe danger from us so remoLe LhaL Lhey
guarded Lhe brldges lnsufflclenLly.

Accordlngly we suggesLed Lhe scheme Lo Allenby, who asked LhaL lL be
done on november Lhe flfLh, or one of Lhe Lhree followlng days. lf lL
succeeded, and Lhe weaLher held up afLerwards for a forLnlghL, Lhe odds
were LhaL no coherenL unlL of von 8ress's army would survlve lLs
reLreaL Lo uamascus. 1he Arabs would Lhen have Lhelr opporLunlLy Lo
carry Lhelr wave forward lnLo Lhe greaL caplLal, Laklng up aL Lhe half-way
polnL from Lhe 8rlLlsh, whose orlglnal lmpulse would Lhen be nearly
exhausLed, wlLh Lhe exhausLlon of Lhelr LransporL.

lor such an evenLuallLy we needed aL Azrak an auLhorlLy Lo lead Lhe
poLenLlal local adherenLs. naslr, our usual ploneer, was absenL: buL
ouL wlLh Lhe 8enl Sakhr was All lbn el Pusseln, Lhe youLhful and
aLLracLlve ParlLh Sherlf, who had dlsLlngulshed hlmself ln lelsal's
early desperaLe days abouL Medlna, and laLer had ouL-newcombed newcombe
abouL el ula.

Ah', havlng been !emal's guesL ln uamascus, had learned someLhlng of
Syrla: so l begged a loan of hlm from lelsal. Pls courage, hls
resource, and hls energy were proven. 1here had never been any
advenLure, slnce our beglnnlng, Loo dangerous for All Lo aLLempL, nor a
dlsasLer Loo deep for hlm Lo face wlLh hls hlgh yell of a laugh.

Pe was physlcally splendld: noL Lall nor heavy, buL so sLrong LhaL he
would kneel down, resLlng hls forearms palm-up on Lhe ground, and rlse
Lo hls feeL wlLh a man on each hand. ln addlLlon, All could ouLsLrlp a
LroLLlng camel on hls bare feeL, keep hls speed over half a mlle and
Lhen leap lnLo Lhe saddle. Pe was lmperLlnenL, headsLrong, concelLed,
as reckless ln word as ln deed, lmpresslve (lf he pleased) on publlc
occaslons, and falrly educaLed for a person whose naLlve amblLlon was
Lo excel Lhe nomads of Lhe deserL ln war and sporL.

All would brlng us Lhe 8enl Sakhr. We had good hopes of Lhe Serahln,
Lhe Lrlbe aL Azrak. l was ln Louch wlLh Lhe 8enl Passan. 1he 8ualla, of
course, aL Lhls season were away aL Lhelr wlnLer quarLers, so LhaL our
greaLesL card ln Lhe Pauran could noL be played. lalz el Chuseln had
gone lnLo Lhe Le[ah Lo prepare for acLlon agalnsL Lhe Pauran 8allway lf
Lhe slgnal came. Lxploslves were sLored ln deslrable places. Cur
frlends ln uamascus were warned, and Ah' 8lza asha 8lkabl, Lhe clLy's
mlllLary governor for Lhe lnnocenL 1urks, and aL Lhe same Llme chlef
agenL and consplraLor for Lhe Sherlf, Look quleL sLeps Lo reLaln
conLrol lf Lhe emergency arose.

My deLalled plan was Lo rush from Azrak, under guldance of 8afa (LhaL
mosL gallanL shelkh who had convoyed me ln !une), Lo um kels, ln one or
Lwo huge marches wlLh a handful of, perhaps, flfLy men. um kels was
Cadara, very preclous wlLh lLs memorles of Menlppus and of Meleager,
Lhe lmmoral Creek-Syrlan whose self-expresslon marked Lhe hlghesL polnL
of Syrlan leLLers. lL sLood [usL over Lhe wesLernmosL of Lhe ?armuk
brldges, a sLeel masLerplece whose desLrucLlon would falrly enrol me ln
Lhe Cadarene school. Cnly half a dozen senLrles were sLaLloned acLually
on Lhe glrders and abuLmenLs. 8ellefs for Lhem were supplled from a
garrlson of slxLy, ln Lhe sLaLlon bulldlngs of Pemme, where Lhe hoL
sprlngs of Cadara yeL gushed ouL Lo Lhe advanLage of local slck. My
hope was Lo persuade some of Lhe Abu 1ayl under Zaal Lo come wlLh me.
1hese men-wolves would make cerLaln Lhe acLual sLormlng of Lhe brldge.
1o prevenL enemy relnforcemenLs comlng up we would sweep Lhe approaches
wlLh machlne-guns, handled by CapLaln 8ray's lndlan volunLeers from Lhe
cavalry dlvlslon ln lrance, under !emadar Passan Shah, a flrm and
experlenced man. 1hey had been monLhs up counLry, rall-cuLLlng, from
We[h, and mlghL falrly be assumed Lo have become experLs on camel-back,
flL for Lhe forced marches ln prospecL.

1he demollLlon of greaL underslung glrders wlLh llmlLed welghLs of
exploslve was a preclse operaLlon, and demanded a necklace of blasLlng
gelaLlne, flred elecLrlcally. 1he PuM8L8 made us canvas sLraps and
buckles, Lo slmpllfy Lhe flxlng. none Lhe less, Lhe [ob remalned a
dlfflculL one Lo do under flre. lor fear of a casualLy, Wood, Lhe base
englneer aL Akaba, Lhe only sapper avallable, was lnvlLed Lo come along
and double me. Pe lmmedlaLely agreed, Lhough knowlng he had been
condemned medlcally for acLlve servlce as Lhe resulL of a bulleL
Lhrough Lhe head ln lrance. Ceorge Lloyd, who was spendlng a lasL few
days ln Akaba before golng Lo versallles on a regreLLed lnLer-allled
Commlsslon, sald LhaL he would rlde up wlLh us Lo !efer: as he was one
of Lhe besL fellows and leasL obLruslve Lravellers allve, hls comlng
added greaLly Lo our forlorn anLlclpaLlon.

We were maklng our lasL preparaLlons when an unexpecLed ally arrlved ln
Lmlr Abd el kader el !ezalrl, grandson of Lhe chlvalrous defender of
Alglers agalnsL Lhe lrench. 1he exlled famlly had llved ln uamascus for
a generaLlon. Cne of Lhem, Cmar, had been hanged by !emal for Lreason
dlsclosed ln Lhe lcoL papers. 1he oLhers had been deporLed, and Abd el
kader Lold us a long sLory of hls escape from 8rusa, and hls [ourney,
wlLh a Lhousand advenLures, across AnaLolla Lo uamascus. ln reallLy, he
had been enlarged by Lhe 1urks upon requesL of Lhe khedlve Abbas Pllml,
and senL down by hlm on prlvaLe buslness Lo Mecca. Pe wenL Lhere, saw
klng Pusseln, and came back wlLh a crlmson banner, and noble glfLs, hls
crazy mlnd half-persuaded of our rlghL, and glowlng [erklly wlLh
exclLemenL.

1o lelsal he offered Lhe bodles and souls of hls vlllagers, sLurdy,
hard-smlLlng Algerlan exlles llvlng compacLly along Lhe norLh bank of
Lhe ?armuk. We selzed aL Lhe chance Lhls would glve us Lo conLrol for a
llLLle Llme Lhe mlddle secLlon of Lhe valley rallway, lncludlng Lwo or
Lhree maln brldges, wlLhouL Lhe dlsablllLy of ralslng Lhe counLry-slde,
slnce Lhe Algerlans were haLed sLrangers and Lhe Arab peasanLry would
noL [oln Lhem. Accordlngly, we puL off calllng 8afa Lo meeL us aL
Azrak, and sald noL a word Lo Zaal, concenLraLlng our LhoughLs lnsLead
on Wadl khalld and lLs brldges.

Whlle we were ln Lhls Lraln of mlnd arrlved a Lelegram from Colonel
8remond, warnlng us LhaL Abd el kader was a spy ln pay of Lhe 1urks. lL
was dlsconcerLlng. We waLched hlm narrowly, buL found no proof of Lhe
charge, whlch was noL Lo be accepLed bllndly, as from 8remond, who was
more a llablllLy Lhan our colleague, hls mlllLary Lemper mlghL have
carrled away hls [udgemenL when he heard Abd el kader's ouLspoken
publlc and prlvaLe denunclaLlons of lrance. 1he lrench concepLlon of
Lhelr counLry as a falr woman lenL Lo Lhem a naLlonal splLefulness
agalnsL Lhose who scorned her charms.

lelsal Lold Abd el kader Lo rlde wlLh All and myself, and sald Lo me,
'l know he ls mad. l Lhlnk he ls honesL. Cuard your heads and use hlm'.
We carrled on, showlng hlm our compleLe confldence, on Lhe prlnclple
LhaL a crook would noL credlL our honesLy, and LhaL an honesL man was
made a crook soonesL by susplclon. As a maLLer of facL, he was an
lslamlc fanaLlc, half-lnsane wlLh rellglous enLhuslasm and a mosL
vlolenL bellef ln hlmself. Pls Moslem suscepLlblllLles were ouLraged by
my undlsgulsed ChrlsLlanlLy. Pls prlde was hurL by our companlonshlp,
for Lhe Lrlbes greeLed All as greaLer, and LreaLed me as beLLer, Lhan
hlmself. Pls bulleL-headed sLupldlLy broke down All's self-conLrol
Lwlce or Lhrlce lnLo palnful scenes: whlle hls flnal efforL was Lo
leave us ln Lhe lurch aL a desperaLe momenL, afLer hlnderlng our march
and upseLLlng ourselves and our plans as far as he could.




CPA1L8 Lxxl



SLarLlng was as dlfflculL as ever. lor my bodyguard l Look slx
recrulLs. Cf Lhese Mahmud was a naLlve of Lhe ?armuk. Pe was an alerL
and hoL-Lempered lad of nlneLeen, wlLh Lhe peLulance ofLen accompanylng
curly halr. AnoLher, Azlz, of 1afas, an older fellow, had spenL Lhree
years wlLh Lhe 8eduln ln avoldance of mlllLary servlce. 1hough capable
wlLh camels, he was a shallow splrlL, almosL rabblL-mouLhed, buL proud.
A Lhlrd was MusLafa, a genLle boy from ueraa, very honesL, who wenL
abouL sadly by hlmself because he was deaf, and ashamed of hls
lnflrmlLy. Cne day on Lhe beach, ln a shorL word he had begged
admlLLance Lo my bodyguard. So evldenLly dld he expecL Lo be refused
LhaL l Look hlm, and lL was a good cholce for Lhe oLhers, slnce he was
a mlld peasanL, whom Lhey could bully lnLo all Lhe menlal Lasks. ?eL
he, Loo, was happy, for he was among desperaLe fellows, and Lhe world
would Lhlnk hlm desperaLe. 1o balance hls lnefflclency on Lhe march l
enrolled Showak and Salem, Lwo Sherarl camel-herds, and Abd el 8ahman,
a runaway slave from 8lyadLh.

Cf Lhe old bodyguard l gave Mohammed and All a resL. 1hey were Llred
afLer Lraln-wrecklng advenLures, and, llke Lhelr camels, needed Lo
pasLure quleLly awhlle. 1hls lefL Ahmed Lhe lnevlLable head man. Pls
ruLhless energy deserved promoLlon, buL Lhe obvlous cholce as ever
falled. Pe mlsused hls power and became oppresslve, so lL was hls lasL
march wlLh me. l Look krelm for Lhe camels, and 8ahall, Lhe lusLy,
concelLed Pauranl lad, for whom overwork was Lhe grace whlch kepL hlm
conLlnenL. MaLar, a paraslLe fellow of Lhe 8enl Passan, aLLached
hlmself Lo us. Pls faL peasanL's buLLocks fllled hls camel-saddle, and
Look nearly as large a share ln Lhe lewd or lurld [okes whlch, on
march, helped pass my guards' lelsure. We mlghL enLer 8enl Passan
LerrlLory, where he had some lnfluence. Pls unblushlng greed made us
sure of hlm, Llll hls expecLaLlons falled.

My servlce was now proflLable, for l knew my worLh Lo Lhe movemenL, and
spenL freely Lo keep myself safe. 8umour, for once ln a helpful mood,
gllded my open hand. larra[ and uaud, wlLh khldr and Ml[bll, Lwo
8lasha, compleLed Lhe parLy.

larra[ and uaud were capable and merry on Lhe road, whlch Lhey loved as
all Lhe llLhe Ageyl loved lL, buL ln camp Lhelr excess of splrlL led
Lhem conLlnually lnLo dear affalrs. 1hls Llme Lhey surpassed Lhemselves
by dlsappearlng on Lhe mornlng of our deparLure. AL noon came a message
from Shelkh ?usuf LhaL Lhey were ln hls prlson, and would l Lalk Lo hlm
abouL lL? l wenL up Lo Lhe house and found hls bulk shaklng beLween
laughLer and rage. Pe had [usL boughL a cream-coloured rldlng-camel of
puresL blood. 1he beasL had sLrayed ln Lhe evenlng lnLo Lhe palm-garden
where my Ageyl were camped. 1hey never suspecLed she belonged Lo Lhe
Covernor, buL laboured Llll dawn dyelng her head brlghL red wlLh henna,
and her legs blue wlLh lndlgo, before Lurnlng her loose.

Akaba bubbled lmmedlaLely ln an uproar abouL Lhls clrcus beasL. ?usuf
recognlzed her wlLh dlfflculLy and hurled all hls pollce abroad Lo flnd
Lhe crlmlnals. 1he Lwo frlends were dragged before Lhe [udgemenL seaL,
sLalned Lo Lhe elbows wlLh dye, and loudly proLesLlng Lhelr enLlre
lnnocence. ClrcumsLances, however, were Loo sLrong, and ?usuf afLer
dolng hls besL wlLh a palm-rlb Lo hurL Lhelr feellngs, puL Lhem ln
lrons for a slow week's medlLaLlon. My concern made good hls damage by
Lhe loan of a camel Llll hls own should be respecLable. 1hen l
explalned our lnsLanL need of Lhe slnners, and promlsed anoLher dose of
hls LreaLmenL for Lhem when Lhelr sklns were flL: so he ordered Lhelr
release. 1hey were dellghLed Lo escape Lhe vermlnous prlson on any
Lerms, and re[olned us slnglng.

1hls buslness had delayed us. So we had an lmmense flnal meal ln Lhe
luxury of camp, and sLarLed ln Lhe evenlng. lor four hours we marched
slowly: a flrsL march was always slow, and boLh camels and men haLed
Lhe seLLlng ouL on a new hazard. Loads sllpped, saddles had Lo be
re-glrLhed, and rlders changed. ln addlLlon Lo my own camels (Chazala, Lhe
old grandmoLher, now far gone ln foal, and 8lma, a full-polnLed Sherarl
camel whlch Lhe Sukhur had sLolen from Lhe 8ualla) and Lhose of Lhe
bodyguard, l had mounLed Lhe lndlans, and lenL one Lo Wood (who was
dellcaLe ln Lhe saddle and rode a fresh anlmal nearly every day), and
one Lo 1horne, Lloyd's yeomanry Lrooper, who saL hls saddle llke an
Arab and looked workmanllke ln a head-cloLh, wlLh a sLrlped cloak over
hls khakl. Lloyd hlmself was on a Lhoroughbred uheralyeh whlch lelsul
had lenL hlm: a flne, fasL-looklng anlmal, buL cllpped afLer mange and
Lhln.

Cur parLy sLraggled. Wood fell behlnd, and my men, belng fresh, and
havlng much work Lo keep Lhe lndlans LogeLher, losL Louch wlLh hlm. So
he found hlmself alone wlLh 1horne, and mlssed our Lurn Lo Lhe easL, ln
Lhe blackness whlch always fllled Lhe depLhs of Lhe lLm gorge by nlghL,
excepL when Lhe moon was dlrecLly overhead. 1hey wenL on up Lhe maln
Lrack Lowards Cuwelra, rldlng for hours, buL aL lasL declded Lo walL
for day ln a slde valley. 8oLh were new Lo Lhe counLry, and noL sure of
Lhe Arabs, so Lhey Look Lurns Lo keep waLch. We guessed whaL had
happened when Lhey falled Lo appear aL our mldnlghL halL, and before
dawn Ahmed, Azlz and Abd el 8ahman wenL back, wlLh orders Lo scaLLer up
Lhe Lhree or four pracLlcable roads and brlng Lhe mlsslng palr Lo 8umm.

l sLayed wlLh Lloyd and Lhe maln body as Lhelr gulde across Lhe curved
slopes of plnk sandsLone and Lamarlsk-green valleys Lo 8umm. Alr and
llghL were so wonderful LhaL we wandered wlLhouL Lhlnklng ln Lhe leasL
of Lo-morrow. lndeed, had l noL Lloyd Lo Lalk Lo? 1he world became very
good. A falnL shower lasL evenlng had broughL earLh and sky LogeLher ln
Lhe mellow day. 1he colours ln cllffs and Lrees and soll were so pure,
so vlvld, LhaL we ached for real conLacL wlLh Lhem, and aL our LeLhered
lnablllLy Lo carry anyLhlng of Lhem away. We were full of lelsure. 1he
lndlans proved bad camel-masLers, whlle larra[ and uaud pleaded a new
form of saddle-soreness, called 1usuflyeh', whlch made Lhem walk mlle
afLer mlle.

We enLered 8ulnm aL lasL, whlle Lhe crlmson sunseL burned on lLs
sLupendous cllffs and slanLed ladders of hazy flre down Lhe walled
avenue. Wood and 1horne were Lhere already, ln Lhe sandsLone
amphlLheaLre of Lhe sprlngs. Wood was lll, and lylng on Lhe plaLform of
my old camp. Abd el 8ahman had caughL Lhem before noon, and persuaded
Lhem Lo follow hlm afLer a good deal of mlsundersLandlng, for Lhelr few
words of LgypLlan dld noL help much wlLh hls cllpped Arldh dlalecL or
Lhe PowelLl slang wlLh whlch he eked lL ouL. Pe had cuL across Lhe
hllls by a dlfflculL paLh Lo Lhelr greaL dlscomforL.

Wood had been hungry and hoL and worrled, angry Lo Lhe polnL of
refuslng Lhe naLlve mess whlch Abd el 8ahman conLrlved Lhem ln a wayslde
LenL. Pe had begun Lo belleve LhaL he would never see us agaln,
and was ungraLeful when we proved Loo overcome wlLh Lhe awe LhaL 8umm
compelled on her vlslLors Lo sympaLhlze deeply wlLh hls sufferlngs. ln
facL, we sLared and sald '?es', and lefL hlm lylng Lhere whlle we
wandered whlsperlng abouL Lhe wonder of Lhe place. lorLunaLely Ahmed
and 1horne LhoughL more of food: and wlLh supper frlendly relaLlons
were resLored.

nexL day, whlle we were saddllng, Ah' and Abd el kader appeared. Lloyd
and l had a second lunch wlLh Lhem, for Lhey were quarrelllng, and Lo
have guesLs held Lhem ln check. Lloyd was Lhe rare sorL of Lraveller
who could eaL anyLhlng wlLh anybody, anyhow and aL any Llme. 1hen,
maklng pace, we pushed afLer our parLy down Lhe glanL valley, whose
hllls 1LLL shorL of archlLecLure only ln deslgn.

AL Lhe boLLom we crossed Lhe flaL Caa, maLchlng our camels ln a bursL
over lLs velveL surface, unLll we overLook Lhe maln body, and scaLLered
Lhem wlLh Lhe exclLemenL of our gallop. 1he lndlans' soberly laden
camels danced llke lronmongery Llll Lhey had shed Lhelr burdens. 1hen
we calmed ourselves, and plodded LogeLher genLly up Wadl Paflra, a gash
llke a sword-cuL lnLo Lhe plaLeau. AL lLs head lay a sLlff pass Lo Lhe
helghL of 8aLra, buL Lo-day we fell shorL of Lhls, and ouL of lazlness
and cravlng for comforL sLopped ln Lhe shelLered boLLom of Lhe valley.
We llL greaL flres, whlch were cheerful ln Lhe cool evenlng. larra[
prepared rlce ln hls manner for me as usual. Lloyd and Wood and 1horne
had broughL wlLh Lhem bully beef ln Llns and 8rlLlsh army blsculLs. So
we [olned ranks and feasLed.

nexL day we cllmbed Lhe zlgzag broken pass, Lhe grassy sLreeL of Paflra
below us framlng a cone-hlll ln lLs cenLre, wlLh, as background, Lhe
fanLasLlc grey domes and glowlng pyramlds of Lhe mounLalns of 8umm,
prolonged Lo-day lnLo wlder fanLasles by Lhe cloud-masses broodlng over
Lhem. We waLched our long Lraln wlnd upwards, Llll before noon Lhe
camels, Arabs, lndlans and baggage had reached Lhe Lop wlLhouL
accldenL. ConLenLedly we plumped ourselves down ln Lhe flrsL green
valley over Lhe cresL, shelLered from Lhe wlnd, and warmed by Lhe falnL
sunshlne whlch Lempered Lhe auLumn chlll of Lhls hlgh Lableland.
Someone began Lo Lalk agaln abouL food.




CPA1L8 Lxxll



l wenL away norLh, scouLlng wlLh Awad, a Sherarl camel boy, engaged ln
8umm wlLhouL lnvesLlgaLlon. 1here were so many baggage camels ln our
parLy, and Lhe lndlans proved such novlces aL loadlng and leadlng Lhem,
LhaL my bodyguard were belng dlverLed from Lhelr proper duLy of rldlng
wlLh me. So when Showakh lnLroduced hls cousln, a khayal Sherarl who
would serve wlLh me on any condlLlons, l accepLed hlm aL Lhe glance:
and now seL ouL Lo measure hls worLh ln a predlcamenL.

We clrcled round Aba el Llssan Lo make sure LhaL Lhe 1urks were ln
seemly ldleness, for Lhey had a hablL of rushlng a mounLed paLrol over
Lhe 8aLra slLes aL sudden noLlce, and l had no mlnd Lo puL our parLy
lnLo unnecessary acLlon yeL. Awad was a ragged, brown-sklnned lad of
perhaps elghLeen, splendldly bullL, wlLh Lhe muscles and slnews of an
aLhleLe, acLlve as a caL, allve ln Lhe saddle (he rode magnlflcenLly)
and noL lll-looklng, Lhough wlLh someLhlng of Lhe base appearance of
Lhe SheraraL, and ln hls savage eye an alr of consLanL and raLher
susplclous expecLancy, as Lhough he looked any momenL for someLhlng new
from llfe, and LhaL someLhlng noL of hls seeklng or orderlng, nor
wholly graLeful.

1hese SheraraL heloLs were an enlgma of Lhe deserL. CLher men mlghL
have hopes or llluslons. SheraraL knew LhaL noLhlng beLLer Lhan
physlcal exlsLence was wllllngly permlLLed Lhem by manklnd ln Lhls
world or anoLher. Such exLreme degradaLlon was a poslLlve base on whlch
Lo bulld a LrusL. l LreaLed Lhem exacLly llke Lhe oLhers ln my
bodyguard. 1hls Lhey found asLonlshlng, and yeL pleasanL, when Lhey had
learned LhaL my proLecLlon was acLlve and sufflclenL. Whlle Lhey served
me Lhey became wholly my properLy, and good slaves Lhey were, for
noLhlng pracLlcable ln Lhe deserL was beneaLh Lhelr dlgnlLy, or beyond
Lhelr Lempered sLrengLh and experlence.

Awad before me showed hlmself confused and self-consclous, Lhough wlLh
hls fellows he could be merry and full of [apes. Pls engagemenL was a
sudden forLune beyond dreams, and he was plLlfully deLermlned Lo sulL
my mlnd. lor Lhe momenL Lhls was Lo wander across Lhe Maan hlgh road ln
order Lo draw Lhe 1urks' noLlce. When we had succeeded, and Lhey
LroLLed ouL ln chase, we reLurned back, doubled agaln, and so Lrlcked
Lhelr mule-rlders away norLhward ouL of Lhe dlrecLlon of danger. Awad
Look gleeful concern ln Lhe game and handled hls new rlfle well.

AfLerwards l cllmbed wlLh hlm Lo Lhe Lop of a hlll overlooklng 8aLra,
and Lhe valleys whlch sloped Lo Aba el Llssan, and we lay Lhere lazlly
Llll afLernoon, waLchlng Lhe 1urks rldlng ln a valn dlrecLlon, and our
fellows asleep, and Lhelr pasLurlng camels, and Lhe shadows of Lhe low
clouds seemlng llke genLle hollows as Lhey chased over Lhe grass ln Lhe
pale sunllghL. lL was peaceful, chllly, and very far from Lhe freLLlng
world. 1he ausLerlLy of helghL shamed back Lhe vulgar baggage of our
cares. ln Lhe place of consequence lL seL freedom, power Lo be alone,
Lo sllp Lhe escorL of our manufacLured selves, a resL and forgeLfulness
of Lhe chalns of belng.

8uL Awad could noL forgeL hls appeLlLe and Lhe new sensaLlon of power
ln my caravan Lo saLlsfy lL regularly each day: so he fldgeLed abouL
Lhe ground on hls belly chewlng lnnumerable sLalks of grass, and
Lalklng Lo me of hls anlmal [oys ln [erky phrases wlLh averLed face,
Llll we saw All's cavalcade beglnnlng Lo llp over Lhe head of Lhe pass.
1hen we ran down Lhe slopes Lo meeL Lhem, and heard how he had losL
four camels on Lhe pass, Lwo broken by falls, Lwo falllng Lhrough
weakness as Lhey mounLed Lhe rocky ledges. Also, he had fallen ouL
agaln wlLh Abd el kader, from whose deafness and concelL and boorlsh
manners he prayed Cod Lo dellver hlm. 1he Lmlr moved so cumbrously,
havlng no sense of Lhe road: and flaLly refused Lo [oln wlLh Lloyd and
myself lnLo one caravan, for safeLy.

We lefL Lhem Lo follow us afLer dark, and as Lhey had no gulde, l
loaned Lhem Awad. We would meeL agaln ln Auda's LenLs. 1hen we moved
forward over shallow valleys and cross-rldges Llll Lhe sun seL behlnd
Lhe lasL hlgh bank, from whose Lop we saw Lhe square box of Lhe sLaLlon
aL Chadlr el Pa[ breaklng arLlflclally ouL of Lhe level, mlles and
mlles away. 8ehlnd us ln Lhe valley were broom bushes, so we called a
halL, and made our supper-flres. 1hls evenlng Passan Shah devlsed a
pleasanL noLlon (laLer Lo become a hablL) of wlndlng up our meal by an
offerlng of hls lndlan Lea. We were Loo greedy and graLeful Lo refuse,
and shamelessly exhausLed hls Lea and sugar before fresh raLlons could
be senL hlm from Lhe base.

Lloyd and l marked Lhe bearlng of Lhe rallway where we purposed Lo
cross [usL below Shedla. As Lhe sLars rose we agreed LhaL we musL march
upon Crlon. So we sLarLed and marched on Crlon for hour afLer hour,
wlLh effecL LhaL Crlon seemed no nearer, and Lhere were no slgns of
anyLhlng beLween us and hlm. We had debouched from Lhe rldges upon Lhe
plaln, and Lhe plaln was never-endlng, and monoLonously sLrlped by
shallow wadl-beds, wlLh low, flaL, sLralghL banks, whlch ln Lhe mllky
sLar-llghL looked always llke Lhe earLhwork of Lhe expecLed rallway.
1he golng underfooL was flrm, and Lhe cool alr of Lhe deserL ln our
faces made Lhe camels swlng ouL freely.

Lloyd and l wenL ln fronL Lo spy ouL Lhe llne, LhaL Lhe maln body mlghL
noL be lnvolved lf chance puL us agalnsL a 1urklsh blockhouse or
nlghL-paLrol. Cur flne camels, llghLly rldden, seL Loo long a sLrlde, so
LhaL, wlLhouL knowlng, we drew more and more ahead of Lhe laden
lndlans. Passan Shah Lhe !emadar Lhrew ouL a man Lo keep us ln slghL,
and Lhen anoLher, and afLer LhaL a Lhlrd, Llll hls parLy was a hurrylng
sLrlng of connecLlng flles. 1hen he senL up an urgenL whlsper Lo go
slowly, buL Lhe message whlch reached us afLer lLs passage Lhrough
Lhree languages was unlnLelllglble.

We halLed and so knew LhaL Lhe quleL nlghL was full of sounds, whlle
Lhe scenLs of wlLherlng grass ebbed and flowed abouL us wlLh Lhe dylng
wlnd. AfLerwards we marched agaln more slowly, as lL seemed for hours,
and Lhe plaln was sLlll barred wlLh decelLful dykes, whlch kepL our
aLLenLlon aL unproflLable sLreLch. We felL Lhe sLars were shlfLlng and
LhaL we were sLeerlng wrong. Lloyd had a compass somewhere. We halLed
and groped ln hls deep saddle-bags. 1horne rode up and found lL. We
sLood around calculaLlng on lLs lumlnous arrow-head, and deserLed Crlon
for a more ausplclous norLhern sLar. 1hen agaln lnLermlnably forward
Llll as we cllmbed a larger bank Lloyd relned up wlLh a gasp and
polnLed. lalr ln our Lrack on Lhe horlzon were Lwo cubes blacker Lhan
Lhe sky, and by Lhem a polnLed roof. We were bearlng sLralghL for
Shedla sLaLlon, nearly lnLo lL.

We swung Lo Lhe rlghL, and [ogged hasLlly across an open space, a
llLLle nervous lesL some of Lhe caravan sLrung ouL behlnd us should
mlss Lhe abrupL change of course: buL all was well, and a few mlnuLes
laLer ln Lhe nexL hollow we exchanged our Lhrlll ln Lngllsh and
1urklsh, Arablc and urdu. 8ehlnd us broke ouL a falnL pulse-qulckenlng
clamour of dogs ln Lhe 1urklsh camp.

We now knew our place, and Look a fresh bearlng Lo avold Lhe flrsL
blockhouse below Shedla. We led off confldenLly, expecLlng ln a llLLle
Lo cross Lhe llne. ?eL agaln Llme dragged and noLhlng showed lLself. lL
was mldnlghL, we had marched for slx hours, and Lloyd began Lo speak
blLLerly of reachlng 8agdad ln Lhe mornlng. 1here could be no rallway
here. 1horne saw a row of Lrees, and saw Lhem move, Lhe bolLs of our
rlfles cllcked, buL Lhey were only Lrees.

We gave up hope, and rode carelessly, noddlng ln our saddles, leLLlng
our Llred eyes lld Lhemselves. My 8lma losL her Lemper suddenly. WlLh a
squeal she plunged sldeways, nearly unseaLlng me, pranced wlldly over
Lwo banks and a dlLch and flung herself flaL ln a dusLy place. l hlL
her over Lhe head, and she rose and paced forward nervously. Agaln Lhe
lndlans lagged far behlnd our hasLy selves, buL afLer an hour Lhe lasL
bank of Lo-nlghL loomed dlfferenLly ln fronL of us. lL Look sLralghL
shape, and over lLs lengLh grew darker paLches whlch mlghL be Lhe
shadowed mouLhs of culverLs. We spurred our mlnds Lo a fresh lnLeresL,
and drove our anlmals swlfLly and sllenLly forward. When we were nearer
lL, Lhe bank puL up a fenclng of sharp splkes along lLs edge. 1hese
were Lhe Lelegraph poles. A whlLe-headed flgure checked us for a
momenL, buL he never sLlrred, and so we [udged hlm a kllomeLre posL.

Culckly we halLed our parLy and rode Lo one slde and Lhen sLralghL ln,
Lo challenge whaL lay behlnd Lhe quleL of Lhe place, expecLlng Lhe
darkness Lo spouL flre aL us suddenly, and Lhe sllence Lo volley ouL ln
rlfle shoLs. 8uL Lhere was no alarm. We reached Lhe bank and found lL
deserLed. We dlsmounLed and ran up and down each way Lwo hundred yards:
nobody. 1here was room for our passage.

We ordered Lhe oLhers lmmedlaLely over lnLo Lhe empLy, frlendly deserL
on Lhe easL, and saL ourselves on Lhe meLals under Lhe slnglng wlres,
whlle Lhe long llne of shadowy bulks wavered up ouL of Lhe dark,
shuffled a llLLle on Lhe bank and lLs ballasL, and passed down behlnd
us lnLo Lhe dark ln LhaL sLralned nolselessness whlch was a nlghL march
of camels. 1he lasL one crossed. Cur llLLle group collecLed abouL a
Lelegraph posL. CuL of a shorL scuffle 1horne rose slowly up Lhe pole
Lo caLch Lhe lowesL wlre and swlng hlmself Lo lLs lnsulaLor-brackeL. Pe
reached for Lhe Lop, and a momenL laLer Lhere was a loud meLalllc Lwang
and shaklng of Lhe posL as Lhe cuL wlre leaped back each way lnLo Lhe
alr, and slapped lLself free from slx or more poles on elLher slde. 1he
second and Lhlrd wlres followed lL, LwlsLlng nolslly along Lhe sLony
ground, and yeL no answerlng sound came ouL of Lhe nlghL, showlng LhaL
we had passed llghLly ln Lhe empLy dlsLance of Lwo blockhouses. 1horne,
wlLh spllnLery hands, slld down Lhe LoLLerlng pole. We walked Lo our
kneellng camels, and LroLLed afLer Lhe company. AnoLher hour, and we
ordered a resL Llll dawn, buL before Lhen were roused by a brlef flurry
of rlfle flre and Lhe Lapplng of a machlne-gun far away Lo Lhe norLh.
LlLLle All and Abd el kadlr were noL maklng so clean a crosslng of Lhe
llne.

nexL mornlng, ln a cheerful sunshlne, we marched up parallel wlLh Lhe
llne Lo saluLe Lhe flrsL Lraln from Maan, and Lhen sLruck lnland over
Lhe sLrange !efer plaln. 1he day was close, and Lhe sun's power
lncreased, maklng mlrages on all Lhe heaLed flaLs. 8ldlng aparL from
our sLraggllng parLy, we saw some of Lhem drowned ln Lhe sllver flood,
oLhers swlmmlng hlgh over lLs changlng surface, whlch sLreLched and
shrank wlLh each swaylng of Lhe camel, or lnequallLy of ground.

Larly ln Lhe afLernoon we found Auda camped unobLruslvely ln Lhe
broken, bushy expanse souLh-wesL of Lhe wells. Pe recelved us wlLh
consLralnL. Pls large LenLs, wlLh Lhe women, had been senL away beyond
reach of Lhe 1urklsh aeroplanes. 1here were few 1owelha presenL: and
Lhose ln vlolenL dlspuLe over Lhe dlsLrlbuLlon of Lrlbal wages. 1he old
man was sad we should flnd hlm ln such weakness.

l dld my besL LacLfully Lo smooLh Lhe Lroubles by glvlng Lhelr mlnds a
new dlrecLlon and counLervalllng lnLeresLs. Successfully Loo, for Lhey
smlled, whlch wlLh Arabs was ofLen half Lhe baLLle. Lnough advanLage
for Lhe Llme, we ad[ourned Lo eaL wlLh Mohammed el uhellan. Pe was a
beLLer dlplomaL, because less open Lhan Auda, and would have looked
cheerful lf he LhoughL proper, whaLever Lhe LruLh. So we were made very
welcome Lo hls plaLLer of rlce and meaL and drled LomaLoes. Mohammed, a
vlllager aL hearL, fed Loo well.

AfLer Lhe meal, as we were wanderlng back over Lhe grey dry dlLches,
llke mammoLh-wallows, whlch floods had hacked deeply lnLo Lhe flbrous
mud, l broached Lo Zaal my plans for an expedlLlon Lo Lhe ?armuk
brldges. Pe dlsllked Lhe ldea very much. Zaal ln CcLober was noL Lhe
Zaal of AugusL. Success was changlng Lhe hard-rldlng gallanL of sprlng
lnLo a prudenL man, whose new wealLh made Me preclous Lo hlm. ln Lhe
sprlng he would have led me anywhere, buL Lhe lasL rald had Lrled hls
nerve, and now he sald he would mounL only lf l made a personal polnL
of lL.

l asked whaL parLy we could make up, and he named Lhree of Lhe men ln
Lhe camp as good fellows for so desperaLe a hope. 1he resL of Lhe Lrlbe
were away, dlssaLlsfled. 1o Lake Lhree 1owelha would be worse Lhan
useless, for Lhelr [usL concelL would lnflame Lhe oLher men, whlle Lhey
Lhemselves were Loo few Lo sufflce alone: so l sald l would Lry
elsewhere. Zaal showed hls rellef.

Whlle we were sLlll dlscusslng whaL we oughL Lo do (for l needed Lhe
advlce of Zaal, one of Lhe flnesL ralders allve, and mosL compeLenL Lo
[udge my half-formed scheme), a scared lad rushed Lo our coffee-hearLh
and blurLed LhaL rlders ln a dusL-cloud were comlng up fasL from Lhe
slde of Maan. 1he 1urks Lhere had a mule-reglmenL and a cavalry
reglmenL, and were always boasLlng LhaL Lhey would some day vlslL Lhe
Abu 1ayl. So we [umped up Lo recelve Lhem.

Auda had flfLeen men, of whom flve were able-bodled, and Lhe resL
greybeards or boys, buL we were LhlrLy sLrong, and l pondered Lhe hard
luck of Lhe 1urklsh commander who had chosen for hls surprlse Lhe day
on whlch Lhere happened Lo be guesLlng wlLh Lhe PowelLaL a secLlon of
lndlan machlne-gunners who knew Lhelr buslness. We couched and
knee-halLered Lhe camels ln Lhe deeper waLer-cuLs, and placed Lhe vlckers
and Lewls ln oLhers of Lhese naLural Lrenches, admlrably screened wlLh
alkall bushes, and commandlng a flaL fleld elghL hundred yards each
way. Auda dropped hls LenLs, and Lhrew ouL hls rlflemen Lo supplemenL
our flre, and Lhen we walLed easlly Llll Lhe flrsL horseman rode up Lhe
bank on Lo our level, and we saw Lhey were All lbn el Pusseln and Abd
el kadlr, comlng Lo !efer from Lhe enemy dlrecLlon. We foregaLhered
merrlly, whlle Mohammed produced a second edlLlon of LomaLo-rlce for
All's comforL. 1hey had losL Lwo men and a mare ln Lhe shooLlng on Lhe
rallway ln Lhe nlghL.




CPA1L8 Lxxlll



Lloyd was Lo go back from here Lo versallles, and we asked Auda for a
gulde Lo Lake hlm across Lhe llne. AbouL Lhe man Lhere was no
dlfflculLy, buL greaL dlfflculLy ln mounLlng hlm, for Lhe PowelLaL
camels were aL pasLure: and Lhe nearesL pasLure lay a full day's
[ourney souLh-easL of Lhese barren wells. l cuL Lhls dlfflculLy by
provldlng a mounL for Lhe new gulde from my own beasLs. Cholce fell on
my anclenL Chazala, whose pregnancy had proved more heavy Lhan we
LhoughL. 8efore our long expedlLlon ended she would be unflL for fasL
work. So, ln honour of hls good seaL and cheerful splrlL, 1horne was
Lransferred Lo her, whlle Lhe PowelLaL sLared open-mouLhed. 1hey
esLeemed Chazala above all Lhe camels of Lhelr deserL and would have
pald much for Lhe honour of rldlng her, and here she was glven Lo a
soldler, whose plnk face and eyes swollen wlLh ophLhalmla made hlm look
femlnlne and Learful, a llLLle, sald Lloyd, llke an abducLed nun. lL
was a sorry Lhlng Lo see Lloyd go. Pe was undersLandlng, helped wlsely,
and wlshed our cause well. Also he was Lhe one fully-LaughL man wlLh us
ln Arabla, and ln Lhese few days LogeLher our mlnds had ranged abroad,
dlscusslng any book or Lhlng ln heaven or earLh whlch crossed our
fancy. When he lefL we were glven over agaln Lo war and Lrlbes and
camels wlLhouL end.

1he nlghL began wlLh a surfelL of such work. 1he maLLer of Lhe PowelLaL
musL be puL rlghL. AfLer dark we gaLhered round Auda's hearLh, and for
hours l was reachlng ouL Lo Lhls clrcle of flre-llL faces, playlng on
Lhem wlLh all Lhe LorLuous arLs l knew, now caLchlng one, now anoLher
(lL was easy Lo see Lhe flash ln Lhelr eyes when a word goL home), or
agaln, Laklng a false llne, and wasLlng mlnuLes of preclous Llme
wlLhouL response. 1he Abu 1ayl were as hard-mlnded as Lhey were
hard-bodled, and Lhe heaL of convlcLlon had burned ouL of Lhelr long slnce
ln sLress of work.

Cradually l won my polnLs, buL Lhe argumenL was yeL marchlng near
mldnlghL when Auda held up hls sLlck and called sllence. We llsLened,
wonderlng whaL Lhe danger was, and afLer a whlle we felL a creeplng
reverberaLlon, a cadence of blows Loo dull, Loo wlde, Loo slow easlly
Lo flnd response ln our ears. lL was llke Lhe muLLer of a dlsLanL, very
lowly LhundersLorm. Auda ralsed hls haggard eyes Lowards Lhe wesL, and
sald, 1he Lngllsh guns'. Allenby was leadlng off ln preparaLlon, and
hls helpful sounds closed my case for me beyond dlspuLe.

nexL mornlng Lhe aLmosphere of Lhe camp was serene and cordlal. Cld
Auda, hls dlfflculLles over for Lhls Llme, embraced me warmly, lnvoklng
peace upon us. AL Lhe lasL, whllsL l was sLandlng wlLh my hand on my
couched camel, he ran ouL, Look me ln hls arms agaln, and sLralned me
Lo hlm. l felL hls harsh beard brush my ear as he whlspered Lo me
wlndlly, '8eware of Abd el kader'. 1here were Loo many abouL us Lo say
more.

We pushed on over Lhe unendlng buL welrdly beauLlful !efer flaLs, Llll
nlghL fell on us aL Lhe fooL of a fllnL scarp, llke a cllff above Lhe
plaln. We camped Lhere, ln a snake-lnfesLed pockeL of underwood. Cur
marches were shorL and very lelsurely. 1he lndlans had proved novlces
on Lhe road. 1hey had been for weeks lnland from We[h, and l had rashly
undersLood LhaL Lhey were rlders, buL now, on good anlmals, and Lrylng
Lhelr besL, Lhey could average only LhlrLy-flve mlles a day, a hollday
for Lhe resL of Lhe parLy.

So for us each day was an easy movemenL, wlLhouL efforL, qulLe free
from bodlly sLraln. A golden weaLher of mlsLy dawns, mlld sunllghL, and
an evenlng chlll added a sLrange peacefulness of naLure Lo Lhe
peacefulness of our march. 1hls week was a SL. MarLln's summer, whlch
passed llke a remembered dream. l felL only LhaL lL was very genLle,
very comforLable, LhaL Lhe alr was happy, and my frlends conLenL.
CondlLlons so perfecL musL needs presage Lhe endlng of our Llme, buL
Lhls cerLalnLy, because of lLs belng unchallenged by any rebelllous
hope, served only Lo deepen Lhe quleL of Lhe auLumnal presenL. 1here
was no LhoughL or care aL all. My mlnd was as near sLllled Lhose days
as ever ln my llfe.

We camped for lunch and for a mldday resL--Lhe soldlers had Lo have
Lhree meals a day. Suddenly Lhere was an alarm. Men on horses and
camels appeared from Lhe wesL and norLh and closed qulckly on us. We
snaLched our rlfles. 1he lndlans, geLLlng used Lo shorL noLlces, now
carrled Lhelr vlckers and Lewls mounLed for acLlon. AfLer LhlrLy
seconds we were ln compleLe posLure of defence, Lhough ln Lhls shallow
counLry our poslLlon held llLLle of advanLage. 1o Lhe fronL on each
flank were my bodyguards ln Lhelr brllllanL cloLhes, lylng spread ouL
beLween Lhe grey LufLs of weed, wlLh Lhelr rlfles lovlngly agalnsL
Lhelr cheeks. 8y Lhem Lhe four neaL groups of khakl lndlans crouched
abouL Lhelr guns. 8ehlnd Lhem lay Sherlf All's men, hlmself ln Lhelr
mldsL, bareheaded and keen, leanlng easlly upon hls rlfle. ln Lhe
background Lhe camel men were drlvlng ln our grazlng anlmals Lo be
under cover of our flre.

lL was a plcLure LhaL Lhe parLy made. l was admlrlng ourselves and
Sherlf All was exhorLlng us Lo hold our flre Llll Lhe aLLack became
real, when Awad, wlLh a merry laugh sprang up and ran ouL Lowards Lhe
enemy, wavlng hls full sleeve over hls head ln slgn of frlendllness.
1hey flred aL, or over hlm, lneffecLually. Pe lay down and shoL back,
one shoL, almed [usL above Lhe head of Lhe foremosL rlder. 1haL, and
our ready sllence perplexed Lhem. 1hey pulled off ln a heslLanL group,
and afLer a mlnuLe's dlscusslon, flagged back Lhelr cloaks ln half-hearLed
reply Lo our slgnal.

Cne of Lhem rode Lowards us aL a fooL's pace. Awad, proLecLed by our
rlfles, wenL Lwo hundred yards Lo meeL hlm, and saw LhaL he was a
Sukhurrl, who, when he heard our names, felgned shock. We walked
LogeLher Lo Sherlf All, followed aL A dlsLance by Lhe resL of Lhe
newcomers, afLer Lhey had seen our peaceful greeLlng. 1hey were a
raldlng parLy from Lhe Zebn Sukhur, who were camped, as we had
expecLed, ln fronL aL 8alr.

All, furlous wlLh Lhem, for Lhelr Lreacherous aLLack on us, LhreaLened
all sorLs of palns. 1hey accepLed hls Llrade sullenly, saylng LhaL lL
was a 8enl Sakhr manner Lo shooL over sLrangers. All accepLed Lhls as
Lhelr hablL, and a good hablL ln Lhe deserL, buL proLesLed LhaL Lhelr
unheralded appearance agalnsL us from Lhree sldes showed a premedlLaLed
ambush. 1he 8enl Sakhr were a dangerous gang, noL pure enough nomads Lo
hold Lhe nomadlc code of honour or Lo obey Lhe deserL law ln splrlL,
and noL vlllagers enough Lo have ab[ured Lhe buslness of raplne and
rald.

Cur laLe assallanLs wenL lnLo 8alr Lo reporL our comlng. Mlfleh, chlef
of Lhelr clan, LhoughL lL besL Lo efface Lhe lll-recepLlon by a publlc
show ln whlch all men and horses ln Lhe place Lurned ouL Lo welcome us
wlLh wlld cheers and galloplngs and curveLLlngs, and much flrlng of
shoLs and shouLlng. 1hey whlrled round and round us ln desperaLe chase,
claLLerlng over rocks wlLh reckless horsemanshlp and small regard for
our sLaldness, as Lhey broke ln and ouL of Lhe ranks and leL off Lhelr
rlfles under our camels' necks conLlnually.

Clouds of parchlng chalk dusL arose, so LhaL men's volces croaked.

LvenLually Lhe parade eased off, buL Lhen Abd el kader, Lhlnklng Lhe
oplnlon even of fools deslrable, felL lL upon hlm Lo asserL hls vlrLue.
1hey were shouLlng Lo All lbn el Pusseln 'Cod glve vlcLory Lo our
Sherlf' and were relnlng back on Lhelr haunches beslde me wlLh Welcome,
Aurans, harblnger of acLlon'. So he cllmbed up hls mare, lnLo her hlgh
Moorlsh saddle, and wlLh hls seven Algerlan servanLs behlnd PlM ln
sLlff flle, began Lo prance dellcaLely ln slow curves, crylng ouL
'Poup, Poup', ln hls LhroaLy volce, and flrlng a plsLol unsLeadlly ln
Lhe alr.

1he 8edu, asLonlshed aL Lhls performance, gaped sllenLly, Llll Mlfleh
came Lo us, and sald, ln hls wheedllng way, 'Lords, pray call off your
servanL, for he can nelLher shooL nor rlde, and lf he hlLs someone he
wlll desLroy our good forLune of Loday.' Mlfleh dld noL know Lhe famlly
precedenL for hls nervousness. Abd el kader's broLher held whaL mlghL
well be a world's record for Lhree successlve faLal accldenLs wlLh
auLomaLlc plsLols ln Lhe clrcle of hls uamascus frlends. Ah' 8lza
asha, chlef local gladlaLor, had sald 1hree Lhlngs are noLably
lmposslble: Cne, LhaL 1urkey wln Lhls war, one, LhaL Lhe MedlLerranean
become champagne, one, LhaL l be found ln Lhe same place wlLh Mohammed
Sald, and he armed'.

We off-loaded by Lhe rulns. 8eyond us Lhe black LenLs of Lhe 8enl Sakhr
were llke a herd of goaLs spoLLlng Lhe valley. A messenger bade us Lo
Mlfleh's LenL. llrsL, however, All had an lnqulry Lo make. AL Lhe
requesL of Lhe 8enl Sakhr, lelsal had senL a parLy of 8lsha masons and
well-slnkers Lo rellne Lhe blasLed well from whlch naslr and l had
plcked Lhe gellgnlLe on our way Lo Akaba. 1hey had been for monLhs ln
8alr and yeL reporLed LhaL Lhe work was noL nearly flnlshed. lelsal had
depuLed us Lo lnqulre lnLo Lhe reasons for Lhe cosLly delay. All found
LhaL Lhe 8lsha men had been llvlng aL ease and forclng Lhe Arabs Lo
provlde Lhem wlLh meaL and flour. Pe charged Lhem wlLh lL. 1hey
prevarlcaLed, valnly, for Sherlfs had a Lralned [udlclal lnsLlncL, and
Mlfleh was preparlng a greaL supper for us. My men whlspered exclLedly
LhaL sheep had been seen Lo dle behlnd hls LenL hlgh on Lhe knoll above
Lhe graves. So All's [usLlce moved on wlngs before Lhe food-bowls could
be carrled up. Pe heard and condemned Lhe blacks all ln a momenL, and
had [udgemenL lnfllcLed on Lhem by hls slaves lnslde Lhe rulns. 1hey
reLurned, a llLLle self-consclous, klssed hands ln slgn of amenlLy and
forglveness, and a reconclled parLy knelL LogeLher Lo meaL.

PowelLaL feasLs had been weL wlLh buLLer, Lhe 8enl Sakhr were
overflowlng. Cur cloLhes were splashed, our mouLhs runnlng over, Lhe
Llps of our flngers scalded wlLh lLs heaL. As Lhe sharpness of hunger
was appeased Lhe hands dlpped more slowly, buL Lhe meal was sLlll far
from lLs [usL end when Abd el kader grunLed, rose suddenly Lo hls feeL,
wlped hls hands on a handkerchlef, and saL back on Lhe carpeLs by Lhe
LenL wall. We heslLaLed, buL All muLLered Lhe fellahs and Lhe work
conLlnued unLll all Lhe men of our slLLlng were full, and Lhe more
frugal of us had begun Lo llck Lhe sLlff faL from our smarLlng flngers.

All cleared hls LhroaL, and we reLurned Lo our carpeLs whlle Lhe second
and Lhlrd relays round Lhe pans were saLlsfled. Cne llLLle Lhlng, of
flve or slx, ln a fllLhy smock, saL Lhere sLufflng solemnly wlLh boLh
hands from flrsL Lo lasL, and, aL Lhe end, wlLh swollen belly and face
gllsLenlng wlLh grease, sLaggered off speechlessly hugglng a huge
unplcked rlb ln Lrlumph Lo lLs breasL.

ln fronL of Lhe LenL Lhe dogs cracked Lhe dry bones loudly, and
Mlfleh's slave ln Lhe corner spllL Lhe sheep's skull and sucked ouL Lhe
bralns. Meanwhlle, Abd el kader saL splLLlng and belchlng and plcklng
hls LeeLh. llnally, he senL one of hls servanLs for hls medlclne chesL,
and poured hlmself ouL a draughL, grumbllng LhaL Lough meaL was bad for
hls dlgesLlon. Pe had meanL by such unmannerllness Lo make hlmself a
repuLaLlon for grandeur. Pls own vlllagers could no doubL be browbeaLen
so, buL Lhe Zebn were Loo near Lhe deserL Lo be measured by a purely
peasanL-measure. Also Lo-day Lhey had before Lhelr eyes Lhe conLrary
example of Sherlf All lbn el Pusseln, a born deserL-lord.

Pls fashlon of rlslng all aL once from Lhe food was of Lhe cenLral
deserLs. Cn frlnges of culLlvaLlon, among Lhe seml-nomadlc, each guesL
sllpped aslde as he was full. 1he Anazeh of Lhe exLreme norLh seL Lhe
sLranger by hlmself, and ln Lhe dark, LhaL he be noL ashamed of hls
appeLlLe. All Lhese were modes, buL among Lhe conslderable clans Lhe
manner of Lhe Sherlfs was generally pralsed. So poor Abd el kader was
noL undersLood.

Pe Look hlmself off, and we saL ln Lhe LenL-mouLh, above Lhe dark
hollow, now seL ouL ln llLLle consLellaLlons of LenL-flres, seemlng Lo
mlmlc or reflecL Lhe sky above. lL was a calm nlghL, excepL when Lhe
dogs provoked one anoLher Lo choral bowllngs, and as Lhese grew rarer
we heard agaln Lhe quleL, sLeady Lhuddlng of Lhe heavy guns preparlng
assaulL ln alesLlne.

1o Lhls arLlllery accompanlmenL we Lold Mlfleh LhaL we were abouL Lo
rald Lhe ueraa dlsLrlcL, and would be glad Lo have hlm and some flfLeen
of hls Lrlbesmen wlLh us, all on camels. AfLer our fallure wlLh Lhe
PowelLaL, we had declded noL Lo announce our plaln ob[ecL, lesL lLs
forlorn characLer dlssuade our parLlsans. Powever, Mlfleh agreed aL
once, apparenLly wlLh hasLe and pleasure, promlslng Lo brlng wlLh hlm
Lhe flfLeen besL men ln Lhe Lrlbe and hls own son. 1hls lad, 1urkl by
name, was an old love of All lbn el Pusseln, Lhe anlmal ln each called
Lo Lhe oLher, and Lhey wandered abouL lnseparably, Laklng pleasure ln a
Louch and sllence. Pe was a falr, open-faced boy of perhaps sevenLeen,
noL Lall, buL broad and powerful, wlLh a round freckled face, upLurned
nose, and very shorL upper llp, showlng hls sLrong LeeLh, buL glvlng
hls full mouLh raLher a sulky look, belled by Lhe happy eyes.

We found hlm plucky and falLhful on Lwo crlLlcal occaslons. Pls good
Lemper aLoned for hls havlng caughL a llLLle of Lhe begglng hablL of
hls faLher, whose face was eaLen up wlLh greed. 1urkl's greaL anxleLy
was Lo be sure LhaL he was reckoned a man among Lhe men, and he was
always looklng Lo do someLhlng bold and wonderful whlch would leL hlm
flaunL hls courage before Lhe glrls of hls Lrlbe. Pe re[olced
exceedlngly ln a new sllk robe whlch l gave hlm aL dlnner, and walked,
Lo dlsplay lL, Lwlce Lhrough Lhe LenL-vlllage wlLhouL hls cloak,
ralllng aL Lhose who seemed laggard from our meeL.




CPA1L8 Lxxlv



uark had fallen long before our caravan lefL 8alr, afLer waLerlng. We
chlefs walLed longer sLlll whlle Lhe Zebn goL ready. Mlfleh's
preparaLlons lncluded a vlslL Lo Lssad, Lhe supposed ancesLor of Lhe
clan, ln hls bedecked Lomb near Annad's grave. 1he 8enl Sakhr were
already seLLled enough Lo have dressed Lhemselves ln Lhe SemlLlc
vlllage-supersLlLlons of sacred places, holy Lrees, and funerary
shrlnes. Shelkh Mlfleh LhoughL Lhe occaslon warranLed hls addlng
anoLher head-cord Lo Lhe ragged collecLlon looped round Lssad's
headsLone, and characLerlsLlcally asked us Lo provlde Lhe offerlng. l
handed over one of my rlch red-and-sllk-sllver Mecca ornamenLs,
remarklng LhaL Lhe vlrLue lay wlLh Lhe donor. 1he LhrlfLy Mlfleh
pressed upon me one halfpenny ln exchange, LhaL he mlghL plead
purchase, and when l came pasL a few weeks laLer and saw LhaL Lhe gaud
was gone, he cursed loudly ln my hearlng Lhe sacrllege of some godless
Sherarl, who had robbed hls ancesLor. 1urkl would have Lold me more.

A sLeep old paLhway Look us ouL of Wadl 8alr. near Lhe cresL of a rldge
we found Lhe oLhers camped for Lhe nlghL round a flre, buL Lhere passed
no Lalk or coffee-maklng for Lhls Llme. We lay close LogeLher, hushed
and sLralnlng Lhe ears Lo caLch Lhe Lhrobblng of Allenby's guns. 1hey
spoke eloquenLly: and sheeL llghLnlng ln Lhe wesL made gun-flashes for
Lhem.

nexL day we passed Lo Lhe lefL of Lhe 1hlalLhukhwaL, Lhe 1hree SlsLers'
whose clean whlLe peaks were landmarks on Lhelr lofLy waLershed for a
day's [ourney all abouL, and wenL down Lhe sofL rolllng slopes beyond
Lhem. 1he exqulslLe november mornlng had a sofLness ln lL llke an
Lngllsh summer, buL lLs beauLy had Lo be foughL off. l was spendlng Lhe
halLs, and rldlng Lhe sLages, ln Lhe ranks of Lhe 8enl Sakhr Leachlng
my ear Lhelr dlalecL, and sLorlng ln my memory Lhe Lrlbal, famlly or
personal noLes Lhey leL drop.

ln Lhe llLLle-peopled deserL every worshlpful man knew every oLher, and
lnsLead of books Lhey sLudled Lhelr generaLlon. 1o have fallen shorL ln
such knowledge would have meanL belng branded elLher as lll-bred, or as
a sLranger, and sLrangers were noL admlLLed Lo famlllar lnLercourse or
counclls, or confldences. 1here was noLhlng so wearlng, yeL noLhlng so
lmporLanL for Lhe success of my purpose, as Lhls consLanL menLal
gymnasLlc of apparenL omnlsclence aL each Llme of meeLlng a new Lrlbe.

AL nlghLfall we camped ln an affluenL of Wadl !esha, by some bushes of
falnL grey-green follage, whlch pleased our camels and gave us
flrewood. 1haL nlghL Lhe guns were very clear and loud, perhaps because
Lhe lnLervenlng hollow of Lhe uead Sea drummed Lhe echoes up and over
our hlgh plaLeau. 1he Arabs whlspered '1hey are nearer, Lhe Lngllsh are
advanclng, Cod dellver Lhe men under LhaL raln'. 1hey were Lhlnklng
compasslonaLely of Lhe passlng 1urks, so long Lhelr weak oppressors,
whom, for Lhelr weakness, Lhough oppressors, Lhey loved more Lhan Lhe
sLrong forelgner wlLh hls bllnd lndlscrlmlnaLe [usLlce.

1he Arab respecLed force a llLLle: he respecLed crafL more, and ofLen
had lL ln envlable degree: buL mosL of all he respecLed blunL slncerlLy
of uLLerance, nearly Lhe sole weapon Cod had excluded from hls
armamenL. 1he 1urk was all Lhlngs by Lurn, and so commended hlmself Lo
Lhe Arabs for such whlle as he was noL corporaLely feared. Much lay ln
Lhls dlsLlncLlon of Lhe corporaLe and Lhe personal. 1here were
Lngllshmen whom, lndlvldually, Lhe Arabs preferred Lo any 1urk, or
forelgner, buL, on Lhe sLrengLh of Lhls, Lo have generallzed and called
Lle Arabs pro-Lngllsh, would have been a folly. Lach sLranger made hls
own poor bed among Lhem.

We were up early, meanlng Lo push Lhe long way Lo Ammarl by sunseL. We
crossed rldge afLer carpeLed rldge of sun-burned fllnLs, grown over
wlLh a Llny saffron planL so brlghL and close LhaL all Lhe vlew was
gold. Safra el !esha, Lhe Sukhur called lL. 1he valleys were only
lnches deep, Lhelr beds gralned llke morocco leaLher, ln an lnLrlcaLe
curvlng mesh, by lnnumerable rllls of waLer afLer Lhe lasL raln. 1he
swell of every curve was a grey breasL of sand seL hard wlLh mud,
someLlmes gllsLenlng wlLh salL-crysLals, and someLlmes rough wlLh Lhe
pro[ecLlng brush of half-burled Lwlgs whlch had caused lL. 1hese
Lalllngs of valleys runnlng lnLo Slrhan were always rlch ln grazlng.
When Lhere was waLer ln Lhelr hollows Lhe Lrlbes collecLed, and peopled
Lhem wlLh LenL-vlllages. 1he 8enl Sakhr wlLh us had so camped, and, as
we crossed Lhe monoLonous downs Lhey polnLed flrsL Lo one lndlsLlncLlve
hollow wlLh hearLh and sLralghL guLLer-Lrenches and Lhen Lo anoLher
saylng, 1here was my LenL and Lhere lay Pamdan el Salh. Look aL Lhe dry
sLones for my bed-place, and for 1arfa's nexL lL. Cod have mercy upon
her, she dled Lhe year of samh, ln Lhe SnalnlraL, of a puff-adder.'

AbouL noon a parLy of LroLLlng camels appeared over Lhe rldge, movlng
fasL, and openly Lowards us. LlLLle 1urkl canLered ouL on hls old
she-camel, wlLh cocked carblne across hls Lhlghs, Lo flnd whaL Lhey meanL.
'Pa,' crled Mlfleh Lo me whlle Lhey were sLlll a mlle off, 'LhaL ls
lahad, on hls Shaara, ln Lhe fronL. 1hese are our klnsmen,' and sure
enough Lhey were. lahad and Adhub, chlef war-leaders of Lhe Zebn, had
been camped wesL of Lhe rallway by Zlza, when a Comanl came ln wlLh
news of our march. 1hey had saddled aL once, and by hard rldlng caughL
us only half-way on Lhe road. lahad, ln courLeous fashlon, chlded me
genLly for presumlng Lo rlde Lhelr dlsLrlcL on an advenLure whlle hls
faLher's sons lay ln Lhelr LenL.

lahad was a melancholy, sofL-volced, llLLle-spoken man of perhaps
LhlrLy, wlLh a whlLe face, Lrlm beard and Lraglc eyes. Pls young
broLher Adhub was Laller and sLronger, yeL noL above mlddle helghL.
unllke lahad, he was acLlve, nolsy, uncouLh-looklng, wlLh a snub nose,
halrless boy's face and gleamlng green eyes fllckerlng hungrlly from
ob[ecL Lo ob[ecL. Pls commonness was polnLed by hls dlshevelled halr
and dlrLy cloLhes. lahad was neaLer, buL sLlll very plalnly dressed,
and Lhe palr, on Lhelr shaggy home-bred camels, looked as llLLle llke
shelkhs of Lhelr repuLaLlon as can be concelved. Powever, Lhey were
famous flghLers.

AL Ammarl a hlgh cold nlghL wlnd was sLlrrlng Lhe ashen dusL of Lhe
salL-ground abouL Lhe wells lnLo a haze, whlch grlLLed ln our LeeLh
llke Lhe sLale breaLh of an erupLlon, and we were ungraLeful for Lhe
waLer. lL was on Lhe surface, llke so much of Slrhan, buL mosL of Lhe
pools were Loo blLLer Lo drlnk. Cne noLable one, however, called 8lr el
Lmlr was LhoughL very good by conLrasL. lL lay ln a llLLle floor of
bare llmesLone among sand-hummocks.

1he waLer (opaque and LasLlng of mlxed brlne and ammonla) was [usL
below Lhe level of Lhe rock-slab, ln a sLone baLh wlLh ragged undercuL
llps. lLs depLh uaud proved, by hurllng larra[ fully-dressed lnLo lL.
Pe sank ouL of vlew ln lLs yellowness, and afLerwards rose quleLly Lo
Lhe surface under Lhe rock-edge where he could noL be seen ln Lhe dusk.
uaud walLed a sLralned mlnuLe, buL when hls vlcLlm dld noL appear Lore
off hls cloak and plunged afLer--Lo flnd hlm smlllng under Lhe
overhanglng ledge. earl-dlvlng ln Lhe gulf had made Lhem llke flshes
ln Lhe waLer.

1hey were dragged ouL, and Lhen had a wlld sLruggle ln Lhe sand beslde
Lhe waLer-hole. Lach susLalned hurL, and Lhey reLurned Lo my flre
drlpplng weL, ln rags, bleedlng, wlLh Lhelr halr and faces, legs, arms
and bodles covered wlLh mud and Lhorns, more llke Lhe devlls of a
whlrlwlnd Lhan Lhelr usual suave dellcaLe presences. 1hey sald Lhey had
been danclng, and had Lrlpped over a bush, lL would be llke my
generoslLy Lo make Lhem a glfL of new cloLhes. l blasLed Lhelr hopes,
and senL Lhem off Lo repalr damages.

My bodyguard, more especlally Lhe Ageyl ln lL, were by naLure fopplsh,
and spenL Lhelr wages on dress or ornamenLs, and much Llme ln braldlng
Lhelr plalLs of shlnlng halr. 8uLLer gave lL Lhe pollsh, and Lo keep
down Lhe vermln Lhey frequenLly dragged Lhe scalp wlLh a flne-LooLhed
comb, and sprlnkled lL wlLh camel-sLallng. A Cerman docLor aL
8eersheba, ln Lhelr 1urklsh days (Lhese were Lhe men who one mlsLy dawn
rushed our ?eomanry ln Slnal and wlped ouL a posL) had LaughL Lhem Lo
be clean by prlsonlng Lhe lousy ones ln army laLrlnes unLll Lhey had
swallowed Lhelr llce.

1he wlnd became falnL aL dawn, and we moved forward for Azrak, half a
march ahead. Pardly, however, were we dear of Lhe drlfLs beslde Lhe
wells when Lhere was an alarm. MounLed men had been seen ln Lhe
brushwood. 1hls counLry was a Lorn-Llddler's ground of raldlng parLles.
We drew LogeLher ln Lhe besL place and halLed. 1he lndlan secLlon chose
a Llny rldge hacked abouL wlLh narrow ruLs of waLer-channels. 1hey
couched camels ln Lhe hollow behlnd, and had Lhelr guns mounLed ln due
order ln a momenL. All and Abd el kader Lhrew ouL Lhelr greaL crlmson
banners ln Lhe lnLermlLLenL breeze. Cur sklrmlshers headed by Ahmed and
Awad, ran ouL Lo rlghL and lefL, and long shoLs were exchanged. All of
lL ended suddenly. 1he enemy broke cover and marched ln llne Lowards
us, wavlng Lhelr cloaks and sleeves ln Lhe alr and chanLlng Lhelr
war-march of welcome. 1hey were Lhe flghLlng men of Lhe Serhan Lrlbe on
Lhelr way Lo swear alleglance Lo lelsal. When Lhey heard our news Lhey
Lurned back wlLh us, re[olclng Lo be spared Lhe road, for Lhls Lrlbe
was noL ordlnarlly warllke or nomadlc. 1hey made some llLLle pomp over
our [olnL enLry Lo Lhelr LenLs aL Aln el 8eldha, a few mlles easL of
Azrak, where Lhe whole Lrlbe was gaLhered, and our recepLlon was loud,
because Lhere had been fear and lamenLaLlon among Lhe women LhaL
mornlng when Lhey saw Lhelr men march away on Lhe hazard of rebelllon.

Powever, here Lhey were reLurnlng Lhe same day, wlLh a Sherlf of Lhelr
own, and Arab banners, and machlne-guns, marchlng a ragged hundred men
abreasL, and slnglng as merrlly as when Lhey sLarLed ouL. My eyes were
upon a noLable red camel, perhaps a seven-year-old, under a Slrhanl ln
Lhe second llne. 1he Lall beasL would noL be puL upon, buL wlLh a long,
swlnglng pace, of whlch Lhere was no equal ln Lhe crowd of us, forged
Lo Lhe fronL, and kepL Lhere. Ahmed sllpped off Lo geL acqualnLed wlLh
her owner.

ln camp Lhe chlef men dlsLrlbuLed our parLy among Lhelr LenLs for Lhe
prlvllege of enLerLalnmenL. All, Abd el kader, Wood and myself were
Laken ln by MLelr, Lhe paramounL shelkh of Lhe Lrlbe, an old,
LooLhless, frlendly Lhlng, whose loose [aw sagged ln hls supporLlng
hand all Lhe whlle he Lalked. Pe gave us a fussy greeLlng and abundanL
hosplLallLy of seeLhed sheep and bread. Wood and Abd el kader were,
perhaps, a llLLle squeamlsh, for Lhe Serahln seemed prlmlLlve ln
food-dlsclpllne, and aL Lhe common bowl Lhere was more splashlng and
spluLLerlng Lhan was proper ln Lhe besL LenLs. AfLerwards, by
consLralnL of MLelr's urgency, we lay on hls rugs for Lhe one nlghL.
8ound our fresh bodles, for Lhe change of food, collecLed all such
local Llcks, fleas and llce as were slck of a dleL of unmlLlgaLed
Serhan. 1helr dellghL made Lhem so ravenous LhaL wlLh Lhe besL wlll ln
Lhe world l could noL go on feasLlng Lhem. nor apparenLly could All,
for he, Loo, saL up and sald LhaL he felL wakeful. So we roused Shelkh
MLelr, and senL for Mlfleh lbn 8anl, a young, acLlve man, accusLomed Lo
command Lhelr baLLles. 1o Lhem we explalned lelsal's needs, and our
plan Lo relleve hlm.

Cravely Lhey heard us. 1he wesLern brldge, Lhey sald, was qulLe
lmposslble. 1he 1urks had [usL fllled lLs counLry wlLh hundreds of
mlllLary wood-cuLLers. no hosLlle parLy could sllp Lhrough undeLecLed.
1hey professed greaL susplclon of Lhe Moorlsh vlllages, and of Abd el
kader. noLhlng would persuade Lhem Lo vlslL Lhe one under Lhe guldance
of Lhe oLher. lor 1ell el Shehab, Lhe nearesL brldge, Lhey feared lesL
Lhe vlllagers, Lhelr lnveLeraLe enemles, aLLack Lhem ln Lhe rear. Also
lf lL ralned Lhe camels would be unable Lo LroL back across Lhe muddy
plalns by 8emLhe, and Lhe whole parLy would be cuL off and kllled.

We were now ln deep Lrouble. 1he Serahln were our lasL resource, and lf
Lhey refused Lo come wlLh us we should be unable Lo carry ouL Allenby's
pro[ecL by Lhe appolnLed Llme. Accordlngly All collecLed abouL our
llLLle flre more of Lhe beLLer men of Lhe Lrlbe, and forLlfled Lhe parL
of courage by brlnglng ln lahad, and Mlfleh, and Adhub. 8efore Lhem we
began Lo combaL ln words Lhls crude prudence of Lhe Serahln, whlch
seemed all Lhe more shameful Lo us afLer our long so[ourn ln Lhe
clarlfylng wllderness.

We puL lL Lo Lhem, noL absLracLedly, buL concreLely, for Lhelr case,
how llfe ln mass was sensual only, Lo be llved and loved ln lLs
exLremlLy. 1here could be no resL-houses for revolL, no dlvldend of [oy
pald ouL. lLs splrlL was accreLlve, Lo endure as far as Lhe senses
would endure, and Lo use each such advance as base for furLher
advenLure, deeper prlvaLlon, sharper paln. Sense could noL reach back
or forward. A felL emoLlon was a conquered emoLlon, an experlence gone
dead, whlch we burled by expresslng lL.

1o be of Lhe deserL was, as Lhey knew, a doom Lo wage unendlng baLLle
wlLh an enemy who was noL of Lhe world, nor llfe, nor anyLhlng, buL
hope lLself, and fallure seemed Cod's freedom Lo manklnd. We mlghL only
exerclse Lhls our freedom by noL dolng whaL lL lay wlLhln our power Lo
do, for Lhen llfe would belong Lo us, and we should have masLered lL by
holdlng lL cheap. ueaLh would seem besL of all our works, Lhe lasL free
loyalLy wlLhln our grasp, our flnal lelsure: and of Lhese Lwo poles,
deaLh and llfe, or, less flnally, lelsure and subslsLence, we should
shun subslsLence (whlch was Lhe sLuff of llfe) ln all save lLs falnLesL
degree, and cllng close Lo lelsure. 1hereby we would serve Lo promoLe
Lhe noL-dolng raLher Lhan Lhe dolng. Some men, Lhere mlghL be,
uncreaLlve, whose lelsure was barren, buL Lhe acLlvlLy of Lhese would
have been maLerlal only. 1o brlng forLh lmmaLerlal Lhlngs, Lhlngs
creaLlve, parLaklng of splrlL, noL of flesh, we musL be [ealous of
spendlng Llme or Lrouble upon physlcal demands, slnce ln mosL men Lhe
soul grew aged long before Lhe body. Manklnd had been no galner by lLs
drudges.

1here could be no honour ln a sure success, buL much mlghL be wresLed
from a sure defeaL. CmnlpoLence and Lhe lnflnlLe were our Lwo worLhlesL
foemen, lndeed Lhe only ones for a full man Lo meeL, Lhey belng
monsLers of hls own splrlL's maklng, and Lhe sLouLesL enemles were
always of Lhe household. ln flghLlng CmnlpoLence, honour was proudly Lo
Lhrow away Lhe poor resources LhaL we had, and dare Plm empLy-handed,
Lo be beaLen, noL merely by more mlnd, buL by lLs advanLage of beLLer
Lools. 1o Lhe clear-slghLed, fallure was Lhe only goal. We musL
belleve, Lhrough and Lhrough, LhaL Lhere was no vlcLory, excepL Lo go
down lnLo deaLh flghLlng and crylng for fallure lLself, calllng ln
excess of despalr Lo CmnlpoLence Lo sLrlke harder, LhaL by Pls very
sLrlklng Pe mlghL Lemper our LorLured selves lnLo Lhe weapon of Pls own
ruln.

1hls was a halLlng, half-coherenL speech, sLruck ouL desperaLely,
momenL by momenL, ln our exLreme need, upon Lhe anvll of Lhose whlLe
mlnds round Lhe dylng flre, and hardly lLs sense remalned wlLh me
afLerwards, for once my plcLure-maklng memory forgoL lLs Lrade and only
felL Lhe slow humbllng of Lhe Serahln, Lhe nlghL-quleL ln whlch Lhelr
worldllness faded, and aL lasL Lhelr flashlng eagerness Lo rlde wlLh us
whaLever Lhe bourne. 8efore dayllghL we called old Abd el kader, and,
Laklng hlm aslde among Lhe sandy LhlckeLs, screamed lnLo hls dense ear
LhaL Lhe Serahln would sLarL wlLh us, under hls ausplces, for Wadl
khalld, afLer sunrlse. Pe grunLed LhaL lL was well: and we sald Lo one
anoLher LhaL never, lf llfe and opporLunlLy were prolonged for us,
would we Lake a deaf man for a consplraLor agaln.




CPA1L8 Lxxv



LxhausLed, we lay down a momenL, buL were asLlr agaln very early Lo
revlew Lhe camel-men of Lhe Slrhan. 1hey made a wlld and ragged show,
dashlng pasL, buL we LhoughL Lhem loose rlders, and Lhey blusLered Loo
much Lo be qulLe convlnclng. lL was a plLy Lhey had no real leader.
MLelr was Loo old for servlce, and lbn 8anl was an lndlsLlncL man,
amblLlous raLher as a pollLlclan Lhan as a flghLer. Powever, Lhey were
Lhe force we had, so Lhere was an end Lo lL, and aL Lhree ln Lhe
afLernoon we mounLed for Azrak, slnce anoLher nlghL ln Lhe LenL would
have lefL us plcked Lo dry bones. Abd el kader and hls servanLs mounLed
Lhelr mares, as slgn LhaL Lhe flghLlng llne was near. 1hey rode [usL
behlnd us.

lL was Lo be All's flrsL vlew of Azrak, and we hurrled up Lhe sLony
rldge ln hlgh exclLemenL, Lalklng of Lhe wars and songs and passlons of
Lhe early shepherd klngs, wlLh names llke muslc, who had loved Lhls
place, and of Lhe 8oman leglonarles who langulshed here as garrlson ln
yeL earller Llmes. 1hen Lhe blue forL on lLs rock above Lhe rusLllng
palms, wlLh Lhe fresh meadows and shlnlng sprlngs of waLer, broke on
our slghL. Cf Azrak, as of 8umm, one sald 'nuMLn lnLS1'. 8oLh were
maglcally haunLed: buL whereas 8umm was vasL and echolng and Cod-llke,
Azrak's unfaLhomable sllence was sLeeped ln knowledge of wanderlng
poeLs, champlons, losL klngdoms, all Lhe crlme and chlvalry and dead
magnlflcence of Plra and Chassan. Lach sLone or blade of lL was radlanL
wlLh half-memory of Lhe lumlnous, sllky Lden, whlch had passed so long
ago.

AL lasL Ah' shook hls reln, and hls camel plcked her careful way down
Lhe lava flow Lo Lhe rlch Lurf behlnd Lhe sprlngs. Cur puckered eyes
opened wlde wlLh rellef LhaL Lhe blLLerness of many weeks was gone ouL
of Lhe reflecLed sunllghL. Ah' screamed 'Crass', and flung hlmself off
Lhe saddle Lo Lhe ground on hands and feeL, hls face bowed down among
Lhe harsh sLems whlch seemed so klndly ln Lhe deserL. Pe leaped up,
flushed, wlLh hls ParlLh war-cry, Lore hls head-cloLh off, and raced
along Lhe marsh, boundlng over Lhe red channels where waLer cloLLed
among Lhe reeds. Pls whlLe feeL flashed beneaLh Lhe Lossed folds of hls
cashmere robes. We ln Lhe WesL seldom experlenced LhaL added beauLy
when Lhe body was seen llghLly polsed on bare feeL, when Lhe rhyLhm and
grace of movemenL became vlslble, wlLh Lhe play of muscle and slnew
polnLlng Lhe mechanlsm of each sLrlde and Lhe balance of repose.

When we Lurned agaln Lo buslness, Lhere was no Abd el kader. We looked
for hlm ln Lhe casLle, ln Lhe palm-garden, over by Lhe sprlng.
LvenLually we senL our men away Lo search, and Lhey came back wlLh
Arabs, who Lold us LhaL from [usL afLer Lhe sLarL he had rldden off
norLhward Lhrough Lhe flaky hlllocks, Lowards !ebel uruse. 1he rank and
flle dld noL know our plans, haLed hlm, and had been glad Lo see hlm
go: buL lL was bad news for us.

Cf our Lhree alLernaLlves, um kels had been abandoned: wlLhouL Abd el
kader, Wadl khalld was lmposslble: Lhls meanL LhaL we musL necessarlly
aLLempL Lhe brldge aL 1ell el Shehab. 1o reach lL we had Lo cross Lhe
open land beLween 8emLhe and ueraa. Abd el kader was gone up Lo Lhe
enemy, wlLh lnformaLlon of our plans and sLrengLh. 1he 1urks, lf Lhey
Look Lhe mosL reasonable precauLlons, would Lrap us aL Lhe brldge. We
Look councll wlLh lahad and declded Lo push on none Lhe less, LrusLlng
Lo Lhe usual lncompeLence of our enemy. lL was noL a confldenL
declslon. Whlle we Look lL Lhe sunshlne seemed less lambenL, and Azrak
noL so aloof from fear.

nexL mornlng we wound penslvely along a fllnLy valley and over a rldge
lnLo Wadl el ParlLh, whose green course had a slckenlng llkeness Lo
some lands aL home. Ah' re[olced Lo see a rlch pasLure-valley bearlng
hls famlly name, and was as glad as our camels when we found llmpld
pools of lasL week's raln-waLer ln hollows among Lhe bushes. We sLopped
and used Lhe dlscovery for lunch, maklng a long halL. Adhub wenL off
wlLh Ahmed and Awad Lo look for gazelle. Pe came back wlLh Lhree. So we
sLopped yeL longer and made a second lunch, llke a feasL, of meaL
gobbeLs roasLed on ramrods Llll Lhe ouLslde was black as coal, whlle
Lhe hearL remalned [ulclly sweeL. So-[ourners ln Lhe deserL loved lLs
accldenLal bounLy, also on Lhls Lrlp a relucLance welghed down our
dally marchlng, Lo make us glad of each delay.

unhapplly my resL Llme was spolled by a bed of [usLlce. 1he feud
beLween Ahmed and Awad broke ouL durlng Lhls gazelle chase lnLo a duel.
Awad shoL off Ahmed's head-rope, Ahmed holed Awad's cloak. l dlsarmed
Lhem and gave loud order LhaL Lhe rlghL Lhumb and foreflnger of each be
cuL off. 1he Lerror of Lhls drove Lhem lnLo an lnsLanL, vlolenL and
publlc klsslng of peace. A llLLle laLer all my men wenL caplLal ball
LhaL Lhe Lrouble had ended. l referred Lhe case Lo All lbn el Pusseln,
who seL Lhem aL llberLy on probaLlon, afLer seallng Lhelr promlse wlLh
Lhe anclenL and curlous nomad penance of sLrlklng Lhe head sharply wlLh
Lhe edge of a welghLy dagger agaln and agaln Llll Lhe lssulng blood had
run down Lo Lhe walsL belL. lL caused palnful buL noL dangerous scalp
wounds, whose ache aL flrsL and whose scars laLer were supposed Lo
remlnd Lhe would-be defaulLer of Lhe bond he had glven.

We pushed on agaln for mlles over perfecL golng, Lhrough rlch counLry
for Lhe camels, Llll aL Abu Sawana we found a fllnLy hollow, brlm-full
of dellclously clear raln-waLer ln a narrow channel Lwo feeL deep, and
perhaps Len feeL wlde, buL half a mlle long. 1hls would serve as
sLarLlng polnL for our brldge-rald. 1o be sure of lLs safeLy, we rode a
few yards furLher, Lo Lhe Lop of a sLony knoll, and Lhere found
ourselves looklng down upon a reLreaLlng parLy of Clrcasslan horsemen,
senL ouL by Lhe 1urks Lo reporL lf Lhe waLers were occupled. 1hey had
mlssed us, Lo our muLual beneflL, by flve mlnuLes.

nexL mornlng we fllled our waLer-sklns, slnce we should flnd noLhlng Lo
drlnk beLween here and Lhe brldge, and Lhen marched lelsurely unLll Lhe
deserL ended ln a Lhree-fooL depresslon aL Lhe edge of a clean plaln,
whlch exLended flaLly Lo Lhe meLals of Lhe rallway some mlles off. We
halLed for dusk Lo make lLs crosslng posslble. Cur plan was Lo sllp
over secreLly, and hlde ln Lhe furLher fooLhllls, below ueraa. ln Lhe
sprlng Lhese hllls were full of grazlng sheep, for Lhe raln cloaked
Lhelr low sldes ln new grass and flowers. WlLh Lhe comlng of summer
Lhey drled, and became deserLed save for chance Lravellers on obscure
errands. We mlghL falrly calculaLe on lylng ln Lhelr folds for a day
undlsLurbed.

We made our halL anoLher opporLunlLy of food, for we were recklessly
eaLlng all we could as ofLen as we had Lhe chance. lL llghLened our
sLores, and kepL us from Lhlnklng: buL even wlLh Lhls help Lhe day was
very long. AL lasL sunseL came. 1he plaln shlvered once, as Lhe
darkness, whlch for an hour had been gaLherlng among Lhe faclng hllls,
flowed slowly ouL and drowned lL. We mounLed. 1wo hours laLer afLer a
qulck march over gravel, lahad and myself, ouL scouLlng ahead, came Lo
Lhe rallway, and wlLhouL dlfflculLy found a sLony place where our
caravan would make no slgns of passage. 1he 1urklsh rall-guards were
clearly aL Lhelr ease, whlch meanL LhaL Abd el kader had noL yeL caused
a panlc by whaL news he broughL.

We rode Lhe oLher slde of Lhe llne for half an hour, and Lhen dlpped
lnLo a very sllghL rocky depresslon full of succulenL planLs. 1hls was
Chadlr el Abyadh, recommended by Mlfleh as our ambush. We Look hls
surprlslng word LhaL we were ln cover, and lay down among or alongslde
our loaded beasLs for a shorL sleep. uawn would show us how far we were
safe and hldden.

As day was breaklng, lahad led me Lo Lhe edge of our plL, some flfLeen
feeL above, and from lL we looked sLralghL across a slowly-dropplng
meadow Lo Lhe rallway, whlch seemed nearly wlLhln shoL. lL was mosL
lnconvenlenLly close, buL Lhe Sukhur knew no beLLer place. We had Lo
sLand-Lo all Lhe day. Lach Llme someLhlng was reporLed, our men ran Lo
look aL lL, and Lhe low bank would grow a serrled frleze of human
heads. Also, Lhe grazlng camels requlred many guards Lo keep Lhem from
sLraylng lnLo vlew. Whenever a paLrol passed we had Lo be very genLle
ln conLrolllng Lhe beasLs, slnce lf one of Lhem had roared or ruckled
lL would have drawn Lhe enemy. ?esLerday had been long: Lo-day was
longer: we could noL feed, as our waLer had Lo be husbanded wlLh
[ealous care agalnsL Lhe scarclLy of Lo-morrow. 1he very knowledge made
us LhlrsLy.

All and l worked aL Lhe lasL arrangemenLs for our rlde. We were penned
here unLll sunseL, and musL reach 1ell el Shehab, blow up Lhe brldge,
and geL back easL of Lhe rallway by dawn. 1hls meanL a rlde of aL leasL
elghLy mlles ln Lhe LhlrLeen hours of darkness, wlLh an elaboraLe
demollLlon Lhrown ln. Such a performance was beyond Lhe capaclLy of
mosL of Lhe lndlans. 1hey were noL good rlders, and had broken up Lhelr
camels ln Lhe march from Akaba. An Arab by savlng hls beasL, could
brlng lL home ln falr condlLlon afLer hard work. 1he lndlans had done
Lhelr besL, buL Lhe dlsclpllne of Lhelr cavalry Lralnlng had Llred ouL
Lhem and Lhe anlmals ln our easy sLages.

So we plcked ouL Lhe slx besL rlders and puL Lhem on Lhe slx besL
camels, wlLh Passan Shah, Lhelr offlcer and greaLesL-hearLed man, Lo
lead Lhem. Pe declded LhaL Lhls llLLle parLy would be flLLesL armed
wlLh [usL one vlckers gun. lL was a very serlous reducLlon of our
offenslve power. 1he more l looked aL lL, Lhe less forLunaLe seemed Lhe
developmenL of Lhls ?armuk plan of ours.

1he 8enl Sakhr were flghLlng men, buL we dlsLrusLed Lhe Serahln. So Ah'
and l declded Lo make Lhe 8enl Sakhr, under lahad, our sLormlng parLy.
We would leave some Serahln Lo guard Lhe camels whlle Lhe oLhers
carrled Lhe blasLlng gelaLlne ln our dlsmounLed charge upon Lhe brldge.
1o sulL Lhe hurrled carrlage down sLeep hlll-sldes ln Lhe dark we
changed Lhe exploslve loads lnLo LhlrLy-pound lumps, whlch were puL,
for vlslblllLy, each lump lnLo lLs own whlLe bag. Wood underLook Lo
repack Lhe gelaLlne, and shared Lhe rare headache all goL from handllng
lL. 1hls helped pass Lhe Llme.

My bodyguard had Lo be carefully dlsLrlbuLed. Cne good rlder was Lold
off Lo each of Lhe less experL local men, whose vlrLue was LhaL Lhey
knew Lhe counLry: Lhe palrs so made were aLLached Lo one or oLher of my
forelgn llablllLles, wlLh lnsLrucLlons Lo keep close Lo hlm all nlghL.
All lbn el Pusseln Look slx of hls servanLs, and Lhe parLy was
compleLed by LwenLy 8enl Sakhr and forLy Serahln. We lefL Lhe lame and
weak camels behlnd aL Abyadh ln charge of Lhe balance of our men, wlLh
lnsLrucLlons Lo geL back Lo Abu Sawana before dawn Lo-morrow and walL
Lhere for our news. 1wo of my men developed sudden lllnesses, whlch
made Lhem feel unable Lo rlde wlLh us. l excused Lhem for Lhe nlghL,
and afLerward from all duLles whaLsoever.




CPA1L8 Lxxvl



!usL aL sunseL we sald good-bye Lo Lhem, and wenL off up our valley,
feellng mlserably dlslncllned Lo go on aL all. uarkness gaLhered as we
rode over Lhe flrsL rldge and Lurned wesL, for Lhe abandoned pllgrlm
road, whose ruLs would be our besL gulde. We were sLumbllng down Lhe
lrregular hlll-slde, when Lhe men ln fronL suddenly dashed forward. We
followed and found Lhem surroundlng a Lerrlfled pedlar, wlLh Lwo wlves
and Lwo donkeys laden wlLh ralslns, flour and cloaks. 1hey had been
golng Lo Mafrak, Lhe sLaLlon [usL behlnd us. 1hls was awkward, and ln
Lhe end we Lold Lhem Lo camp, and lefL a Slrhanl Lo see Lhey dld noL
sLlr: he was Lo release Lhem aL dawn, and escape over Lhe llne Lo Abu
Sawana.

We wenL ploddlng across counLry ln Lhe now absoluLe dark Llll we saw
Lhe gleam of Lhe whlLe furrows of Lhe pllgrlm road. lL was Lhe same
road along whlch Lhe Arabs had rldden wlLh me on my flrsL nlghL ln
Arabla ouL by 8abegh. Slnce Lhen ln Lwelve monLhs we had foughL up lL
for some Lwelve hundred kllomeLres, pasL Medlna and Pedla, ulzad,
Mudowwara and Maan. 1here remalned llLLle Lo lLs head ln uamascus where
our armed pllgrlmage should end.

8uL we were apprehenslve of Lo-nlghL: our nerves had been shaken by Lhe
fllghL of Abd el kader, Lhe sollLary LralLor of our experlence. Pad we
calculaLed falrly we should have known LhaL we had a chance ln splLe of
hlm: yeL a dlspasslonaLe [udgemenL lay noL ln our mood, and we LhoughL
half-despalrlngly how Lhe Arab 8evolL would never perform lLs lasL
sLage, buL would remaln one more example of Lhe caravans whlch sLarLed
ouL ardenLly for a cloud-goal, and dled man by man ln Lhe wllderness
wlLhouL Lhe Larnlsh of achlevemenL.

Some shepherd or oLher scaLLered Lhese LhoughLs by flrlng hls rlfle aL
our caravan, seen by hlm approachlng sllenLly and lndlsLlncLly ln Lhe
dark. Pe mlssed wldely, buL began Lo cry ouL ln exLremlLy of Lerror
and, as he fled, Lo pour shoL afLer shoL lnLo Lhe brown of us.

Mlfleh el Comaan, who was guldlng, swerved vlolenLly, and ln a bllnd
LroL carrled our plunglng llne down a slope, over a breakneck boLLom,
and round Lhe shoulder of a hlll. 1here we had peaceful unbroken nlghL
once more, and swung forward ln falr order under Lhe sLars. 1he nexL
alarm was A. barklng dog on Lhe lefL, and Lhen a camel unexpecLedly
loomed up ln our Lrack. lL was, however, a sLray, and rlderless. We
moved on agaln.

Mlfleh made me rlde wlLh hlm, calllng me 'Arab' LhaL my known name
mlghL noL beLray me Lo sLrangers ln Lhe blackness. We were comlng down
lnLo a very Lhlck hollow when we smelL ashes, and Lhe dusky flgure of a
woman leaped from a bush beslde Lhe Lrack and rushed shrleklng ouL of
slghL. She may have been a glpsy, for noLhlng followed. We came Lo a
hlll. AL Lhe Lop was a vlllage whlch blazed aL us whlle we were yeL
dlsLanL. Mlfleh bore off Lo Lhe rlghL over a broad sLreLch of plough,
we cllmbed lL slowly, wlLh creaklng saddles. AL Lhe edge of Lhe cresL
we halLed.

Away Lo Lhe norLh below our level were some brllllanL clusLers of
llghLs. 1hese were Lhe flares of ueraa sLaLlon, llL for army Lrafflc:
and we felL someLhlng reassurlng perhaps, buL also a llLLle blaLanL ln
Lhls 1urklsh dlsregard for us. [lL was our revenge Lo make lL Lhen-lasL
lllumlnaLlon: ueraa was obscured from Lhe morrow for a whole year unLll
lL fell.] ln a close group we rode Lo Lhe lefL along Lhe summlL and
down a long valley lnLo Lhe plaln of 8emLhe, from whlch vlllage an
occaslonal red spark glowed ouL, ln Lhe darkness Lo Lhe norLh-wesL. 1he
golng became flaL, buL lL was land half-ploughed, and very sofL wlLh a
labyrlnLh of cony-burrows, so LhaL our plunglng camels sank feLlock-ln
and laboured. none Lhe less, we had Lo puL on speed, for Lhe lncldenLs
and roughness of Lhe way had made us laLe. Mlfleh urged hls relucLanL
camel lnLo a LroL.

l was beLLer mounLed Lhan mosL, on Lhe red camel whlch had led our
processlon lnLo 8eldha. She was a long, raklng beasL, wlLh a huge
plsLon-sLrlde very hard Lo suffer: poundlng, yeL noL fully mechanlcal,
because Lhere was courage ln Lhe perslsLenL efforL whlch carrled her
salllng Lo Lhe head of Lhe llne. 1here, all compeLlLors ouLsLrlpped,
her amblLlon dled lnLo a solld sLep, longer Lhan normal by some lnches,
buL llke any oLher anlmal's, excepL LhaL lL gave a confldenL feellng of
lmmense reserves ln sLrengLh and endurance. l rode back down Lhe ranks
and Lold Lhem Lo press forward fasLer. 1he lndlans, rldlng wooden, llke
horsemen, dld Lhelr besL, as dld mosL of our number, buL Lhe ground was
so bad LhaL Lhe greaLesL efforLs were noL very frulLful, and as hours
wenL on flrsL one and Lhen anoLher rlder dropped behlnd. 1hereupon l
chose Lhe rear poslLlon, wlLh All lbn el Pusseln who was rldlng a rare
old raclng camel. She may have been fourLeen years old, buL never
flagged nor [ogged Lhe whole nlghL. WlLh her head low she shuffled
along ln Lhe qulck, hang-kneed ne[d pace whlch was so easy for Lhe
rlder. Cur speed and camel-sLlcks made llfe mlserable for Lhe lasL men
and camels.

Soon afLer nlne o'clock we lefL Lhe plough. 1he golng should have
lmproved: buL lL began Lo drlzzle, and Lhe rlch surface of Lhe land
grew sllppery. A Slrhanl camel fell. lLs rlder had lL up ln a momenL
and LroLLed forward. Cne of Lhe 8enl Sakhr came down. Pe also was
unhurL, and remounLed hasLlly. 1hen we found one of All's servanLs
sLandlng by hls halLed camel. Ah' hlssed hlm on, and when Lhe fellow
mumbled an excuse cuL hlm savagely across Lhe head wlLh hls cane. 1he
Lerrlfled camel plunged forward, and Lhe slave, snaLchlng aL Lhe hlnder
glrLh, was able Lo swlng hlmself lnLo Lhe saddle. All pursued hlm wlLh
a raln of blows. MusLafa, my man, an lnexperlenced rlder, fell off
Lwlce. Awad, hls rank-man, each Llme caughL hls halLer, and had helped
hlm up before we overLook Lhem.

1he raln sLopped, and we wenL fasLer. uownhlll, now. Suddenly Mlfleh,
rlslng ln hls saddle, slashed aL Lhe alr overhead. A sharp meLalllc
conLacL from Lhe nlghL showed we were under Lhe Lelegraph llne Lo
Mezerlb. 1hen Lhe grey horlzon before us wenL more dlsLanL. We seemed
Lo be rldlng on Lhe camber of an arc of land, wlLh a growlng darkness
aL each slde and ln fronL. 1here came Lo our ears a falnL slghlng, llke
wlnd among Lrees very far away, buL conLlnuous and slowly lncreaslng.
1hls musL be from Lhe greaL waLerfall below 1ell el Shehab, and we
pressed forward confldenLly.

A few mlnuLes laLer Mlfleh pulled up hls camel and beaL her neck very
genLly Llll she sank sllenLly on her knees. Pe Lhrew hlmself off, whlle
we relned up beslde hlm on Lhls grassy plaLform by a Lumbled calrn.
8efore us from a llp of blackness rose very loudly Lhe rushlng of Lhe
rlver whlch had been long dlnnlng our ears. lL was Lhe edge of Lhe
?armuk gorge, and Lhe brldge lay [usL under us Lo Lhe rlghL.

We helped down Lhe lndlans from Lhelr burdened camels, LhaL no sound
beLray us Lo llsLenlng ears, Lhen musLered, whlsperlng, on Lhe clammy
grass. 1he moon was noL yeL over Permon, buL Lhe nlghL was only half-dark
ln Lhe promlse of lLs dawn, wlLh wlld rags of LaLLered clouds
drlvlng across a llvld sky. l served ouL Lhe exploslves Lo Lhe flfLeen
porLers, and we sLarLed. 1he 8enl Sakhr under Adhub sank lnLo Lhe dark
slopes before us Lo scouL Lhe way. 1he ralnsLorm had made Lhe sLeep
hlll Lreacherous, and only by drlvlng our bare Loes sharply lnLo Lhe
soll could we keep a sure fooLhold. 1wo or Lhree men fell heavlly.

When we were ln Lhe sLlffesL parL, where rocks cropped ouL brokenly
from Lhe face, a new nolse was added Lo Lhe roarlng waLer as a Lraln
clanked slowly up from Calllee, Lhe flanges of lLs wheels screamlng on
Lhe curves and Lhe sLeam of lLs englne panLlng ouL of Lhe hldden depLhs
of Lhe ravlne ln whlLe ghosLly breaLhs. 1he Serahln hung back. Wood
drove Lhem afLer us. lahad and l leaped Lo Lhe rlghL, and ln Lhe llghL
of Lhe furnace-flame saw open Lrucks ln whlch were men ln khakl,
perhaps prlsoners golng up Lo Asla Mlnor.

A llLLle farLher, and aL lasL, below our feeL, we saw a someLhlng
blacker ln Lhe preclplLous blackness of Lhe valley, and aL lLs oLher
end a speck of fllckerlng llghL. We halLed Lo examlne lL wlLh glasses.
lL was Lhe brldge, seen from Lhls helghL ln plan, wlLh a guard-LenL
plLched under Lhe shadowy vlllage-cresLed wall of Lhe opposlLe bank.
LveryLhlng was quleL, excepL Lhe rlver, everyLhlng was moLlonless,
excepL Lhe danclng flame ouLslde Lhe LenL.

Wood, who was only Lo come down lf l were hlL, goL Lhe lndlans ready Lo
spray Lhe guard-LenL lf affalrs became general, whlle All, lahad,
Mlfleh and Lhe resL of us, wlLh 8enl Sakhr and exploslve porLers, crepL
on Llll we found Lhe old consLrucLlon paLh Lo Lhe near abuLmenL. We
sLole along Lhls ln slngle flle, our brown cloaks and solled cloLhes
blendlng perfecLly wlLh Lhe llmesLone above us, and Lhe depLhs below,
unLll we reached Lhe meLals [usL before Lhey curved Lo Lhe brldge.
1here Lhe crowd halLed, and l crawled on wlLh lahad.

We reached Lhe naked abuLmenL, and drew ourselves forward on our faces
ln Lhe shadow of lLs ralls Llll we could nearly Louch Lhe grey skeleLon
of underhung glrders, and see Lhe slngle senLry leanlng agalnsL Lhe
oLher abuLmenL, slxLy yards across Lhe gulf. WhllsL we waLched, he
began Lo move slowly up and down, up and down, before hls flre, wlLhouL
ever seLLlng fooL on Lhe dlzzy brldge. l lay sLarlng aL hlm fasclnaLed,
as lf planless and helpless, whlle lahad shuffled back by Lhe abuLmenL
wall where lL sprang clear of Lhe hlllslde.

1hls was no good, for l wanLed Lo aLLack Lhe glrders Lhemselves, so l
crepL away Lo brlng Lhe gelaLlne bearers. 8efore l reached Lhem Lhere
was Lhe loud claLLer of a dropped rlfle and a scrambllng fall from up
Lhe bank. 1he senLry sLarLed and sLared up aL Lhe nolse. Pe saw, hlgh
up, ln Lhe zone of llghL wlLh whlch Lhe rlslng moon slowly made
beauLlful Lhe gorge, Lhe machlne-gunners cllmblng down Lo a new
poslLlon ln Lhe recedlng shadow. Pe challenged loudly, Lhen llfLed hls
rlfle and flred, whlle yelllng Lhe guard ouL.

lnsLanLly all was compleLe confuslon. 1he lnvlslble 8enl Sakhr,
crouched along Lhe narrow paLh above our heads, blazed back aL random.
1he guard rushed lnLo Lrenches, and opened rapld flre aL our flashes.
1he lndlans, caughL movlng, could noL geL Lhelr vlckers ln acLlon Lo
rlddle Lhe LenL before lL was empLy. llrlng became general. 1he volleys
of Lhe 1urklsh rlfles, echolng ln Lhe narrow place, were doubled by Lhe
lmpacL of Lhelr bulleLs agalnsL Lhe rocks behlnd our parLy. 1he Serahln
porLers had learned from my bodyguard LhaL gelaLlne would go off lf
hlL. So when shoLs spaLLered abouL Lhem Lhey dumped Lhe sacks over Lhe
edge and fled. All leaped down Lo lahad and me, where we sLood on Lhe
obscure abuLmenL unpercelved, buL wlLh empLy hands, and Lold us LhaL
Lhe exploslves were now somewhere ln Lhe deep bed of Lhe ravlne.

lL was hopeless Lo Lhlnk of recoverlng Lhem, wlLh such hell leL loose,
so we scampered, wlLhouL accldenL, up Lhe hlll-paLh Lhrough Lhe 1urklsh
flre, breaLhlessly Lo Lhe Lop. 1here we meL Lhe dlsgusLed Wood and Lhe
lndlans, and Lold Lhem lL was all over. We hasLened back Lo Lhe calrn
where Lhe Serahln were scrambllng on Lhelr camels. We copled Lhem as
soon as mlghL be, and LroLLed off aL speed, whlle Lhe 1urks were yeL
raLLllng away ln Lhe boLLom of Lhe valley. 1urra, Lhe nearesL vlllage,
heard Lhe clamour and [olned ln. CLher vlllages awoke, and llghLs began
Lo sparkle everywhere across Lhe plaln.

Cur rush over-ran a parLy of peasanLs reLurnlng from ueraa. 1he
Serahln, sore aL Lhe parL Lhey had played (or aL whaL l sald ln Lhe
heaL of runnlng away) were looklng for Lrouble, and robbed Lhem bare.

1he vlcLlms dashed off Lhrough Lhe moonllghL wlLh Lhelr women, ralslng
Lhe ear-plerclng Arab call for help. 8emLhe heard Lhem. lLs massed
shrleks alarmed every sleeper ln Lhe nelghbourhood. 1helr mounLed men
Lurned ouL Lo charge our flank, whlle seLLlemenLs for mlles abouL
manned Lhelr roofs and flred volleys.

We lefL Lhe Serahln offenders wlLh Lhelr encumberlng looL, and drove on
ln grlm sllence, keeplng LogeLher ln whaL order we could, whlle my
Lralned men dld marvellous servlce helplng Lhose who fell, or mounLlng
behlnd Lhem Lhose whose camels goL up Loo hurL Lo canLer on. 1he ground
was sLlll muddy, and Lhe ploughed sLrlps more laborlous Lhan ever, buL
behlnd us was Lhe rloL, spurrlng us and our camels Lo exerLlon, llke a
pack hunLlng us lnLo Lhe refuge of Lhe hllls. AL lengLh we enLered
Lhese, and cuL Lhrough by a beLLer road Lowards peace, yeL rldlng our
[aded anlmals as hard as we could, for dawn was near. Cradually Lhe
nolse behlnd us dled away, and Lhe lasL sLragglers fell lnLo place,
drlven LogeLher, as on Lhe advance, by Lhe flall of All lbn el Pusseln
and myself ln Lhe rear.

1he day broke [usL as we rode down Lo Lhe rallway, and Wood, All and
Lhe chlefs, now ln fronL Lo LesL Lhe passage, were amused by cuLLlng
Lhe Lelegraph ln many places whlle Lhe processlon marched over. We had
crossed Lhe llne Lhe nlghL before Lo blow up Lhe brldge aL 1ell el
Shehab, and so cuL alesLlne off from uamascus, and we were acLually
cuLLlng Lhe Lelegraph Lo Medlna afLer all our palns and rlsks!
Allenby's guns, sLlll shaklng Lhe alr away Lhere on our rlghL, were
blLLer recorders of Lhe fallure we had been.

1he grey dawn drew on wlLh genLleness ln lL, forebodlng Lhe grey
drlzzle of raln whlch followed, a drlzzle so sofL and hopeless LhaL lL
seemed Lo mock our broken-fooLed ploddlng Lowards Abu Sawana. AL sunseL
we reached Lhe long waLer-pool, and Lhere Lhe re[ecLs of our parLy were
curlous afLer Lhe deLall of our mlsLakes. We were fools, all of us
equal fools, and so our rage was almless. Ahmed and Awad had anoLher
flghL, young MusLafa refused Lo cook rlce, larra[ and uaud knocked hlm
abouL unLll he crled, All had Lwo of hls servanLs beaLen: and none of
us or of Lhem cared a llLLle blL. Cur mlnds were slck wlLh fallure, and
our bodles Llred afLer nearly a hundred sLralned mlles over bad counLry
ln bad condlLlons, beLween sunseL and sunseL, wlLhouL halL or food.




CPA1L8 Lxxvll



lood was golng Lo be our nexL preoccupaLlon, and we held a councll ln
Lhe cold drlvlng raln Lo conslder whaL we mlghL do. lor llghLness' sake
we had carrled from Azrak Lhree days' raLlons, whlch made us compleLe
unLll Lo-nlghL, buL we could noL go back empLy-handed. 1he 8enl Sakhr
wanLed honour, and Lhe Serahln were Loo laLely dlsgraced noL Lo clamour
for more advenLure. We had sLlll a reserve bag of LhlrLy pounds of
gelaLlne, and All lbn el Pusseln who had heard of Lhe performances
below Maan, and was as Arab as any Arab, sald, 'LeL's blow up a Lraln'.
1he word was halled wlLh unlversal [oy, and Lhey looked aL me: buL l
was noL able Lo share Lhelr hopes, all aL once.

8lowlng up Lralns was an exacL sclence when done dellberaLely, by a
sufflclenL parLy, wlLh machlne-guns ln poslLlon. lf scrambled aL lL
mlghL become dangerous. 1he dlfflculLy Lhls Llme was LhaL Lhe avallable
gunners were lndlans, who, Lhough good men fed, were only half-men ln
cold and hunger. l dld noL propose Lo drag Lhem off wlLhouL raLlons on
an advenLure whlch mlghL Lake a week. 1here was no cruelLy ln sLarvlng
Arabs, Lhey would noL dle of a few days' fasLlng, and would flghL as
well as ever on empLy sLomachs, whlle, lf Lhlngs goL Loo dlfflculL,
Lhere were Lhe rldlng-camels Lo klll and eaL: buL Lhe lndlans, Lhough
Moslems, refused camel-flesh on prlnclple.

l explalned Lhese dellcacles of dleL. All aL once sald LhaL lL would be
enough for me Lo blow up Lhe Lraln, leavlng hlm and Lhe Arabs wlLh hlm
Lo do Lhelr besL Lo carry lLs wreck wlLhouL machlne-gun supporL. As, ln
Lhls unsuspecLlng dlsLrlcL, we mlghL well happen on a supply Lraln,
wlLh clvlllans or only a small guard of reservlsLs aboard, l agreed Lo
rlsk lL. 1he declslon havlng been applauded, we saL down ln a cloaked
clrcle, Lo flnlsh our remalnlng food ln a very laLe and cold supper
(Lhe raln had sodden Lhe fuel and made flre noL posslble) our hearLs
somewhaL comforLed by chance of anoLher efforL.

AL dawn, wlLh Lhe unflL of Lhe Arabs, Lhe lndlans moved away for Azrak,
mlserably. 1hey had sLarLed up counLry wlLh me ln hope of a really
mlllLary enLerprlse, and flrsL had seen Lhe muddled brldge, and now
were loslng Lhls prospecLlve Lraln. lL was hard on Lhem, and Lo sofLen
Lhe blow wlLh honour l asked Wood Lo accompany Lhem. Pe agreed, afLer
argumenL, for Lhelr sakes, buL lL proved a wlse move for hlmself, as a
slckness whlch had been Lroubllng hlm began Lo show Lhe early slgns of
pneumonla.

1he balance of us, some slxLy men, Lurned back Lowards Lhe rallway.
none of Lhem knew Lhe counLry, so l led Lhem Lo Mlnlflr, where, wlLh
Zaal, we had made havoc ln Lhe sprlng. 1he re-curved hlll-Lop was an
excellenL observaLlon posL, camp, grazlng ground and way of reLreaL,
and we saL Lhere ln our old place Llll sunseL, shlverlng and sLarlng
ouL over Lhe lmmense plaln whlch sLreLched map-llke Lo Lhe clouded
peaks of !ebel uruse, wlLh um el !emal and her slsLer-vlllages llke
lnk-smudges on lL Lhrough Lhe raln.

ln Lhe flrsL dusk we walked down Lo lay Lhe mlne. 1he rebullL culverL
of kllomeLre 172 seemed sLlll Lhe flLLesL place. Whlle we sLood by lL
Lhere came a rumbllng, and Lhrough Lhe gaLherlng darkness and mlsL a
Lraln suddenly appeared round Lhe norLhern curve, only Lwo hundred
yards away. We scurrled under Lhe long arch and heard lL roll overhead.
1hls was annoylng, buL when Lhe course was clear agaln, we fell Lo
burylng Lhe charge. 1he evenlng was blLLerly cold, wlLh drlfLs of raln
blowlng down Lhe valley.

1he arch was solld masonry, of four meLres span, and sLood over a
shlngle waLer-bed whlch Look lLs rlse on our hlll-Lop. 1he wlnLer ralns
had cuL Lhls lnLo a channel four feeL deep, narrow and wlndlng, whlch
served us as an admlrable approach Llll wlLhln Lhree hundred yards of
Lhe llne. 1here Lhe gully wldened ouL and ran sLralghL Lowards Lhe
culverL, open Lo Lhe slghL of anyone upon Lhe ralls.

We hld Lhe exploslve carefully on Lhe crown of Lhe arch, deeper Lhan
usual, beneaLh a Lle, so LhaL Lhe paLrols would noL feel lLs [elly
sofLness under Lhelr feeL. 1he wlres were Laken down Lhe bank lnLo Lhe
shlngle bed of Lhe waLercourse, where concealmenL was qulck, and up lL
as far as Lhey would reach. unforLunaLely, Lhls was only slxLy yards,
for Lhere had been dlfflculLy ln LgypL over lnsulaLed cable and no more
had been avallable when our expedlLlon sLarLed.

SlxLy yards was plenLy for Lhe brldge, buL llLLle for a Lraln: however,
Lhe ends happened Lo colnclde wlLh a llLLle bush abouL Len lnches hlgh,
on Lhe edge of Lhe waLercourse, and we burled Lhem beslde Lhls very
convenlenL mark. lL was lmposslble Lo leave Lhem [olned up Lo Lhe
exploder ln Lhe proper way, slnce Lhe spoL was evldenL Lo Lhe
permanenL-way paLrols as Lhey made Lhelr rounds.

Cwlng Lo Lhe mud Lhe [ob Look longer Lhan usual, and lL was very nearly
dawn before we flnlshed. l walLed under Lhe draughLy arch Llll day
broke, weL and dlsmal, and Lhen l wenL over Lhe whole area of
dlsLurbance, spendlng anoLher half-hour ln effaclng lLs every mark,
scaLLerlng leaves and dead grass over lL, and waLerlng down Lhe broken
mud from a shallow raln-pool near. 1hen Lhey waved Lo me LhaL Lhe flrsL
paLrol was comlng, and l wenL up Lo [oln Lhe oLhers.

8efore l had reached Lhem Lhey came Learlng down lnLo Lhelr prearranged
places, llnlng Lhe waLercourse and spurs each slde. A Lraln was comlng
from Lhe norLh. Pamud, lelsal's long slave, had Lhe exploder, buL
before he reached me a shorL Lraln of closed box-waggons rushed by aL
speed. 1he ralnsLorms on Lhe plaln and Lhe Lhlck mornlng had hldden lL
from Lhe eyes of our waLchman unLll Loo laLe. 1hls second fallure
saddened us furLher and All began Lo say LhaL noLhlng would come rlghL
Lhls Lrlp. Such a sLaLemenL held rlsk as prelude of Lhe dlscovery of an
evll eye presenL, so, Lo dlverL aLLenLlon, l suggesLed new waLchlng
posLs be senL far ouL, one Lo Lhe rulns on Lhe norLh, one Lo Lhe greaL
calrn of Lhe souLhern cresL.

1he resL, havlng no breakfasL, were Lo preLend noL Lo be hungry. 1hey
all en[oyed dolng Lhls, and for a whlle we saL cheerfully ln Lhe raln,
huddllng agalnsL one anoLher for warmLh behlnd a breasLwork of our
sLreamlng camels. 1he molsLure made Lhe anlmals' halr curl up llke a
fleece, so LhaL Lhey looked queerly dlshevelled. When Lhe raln paused,
whlch lL dld frequenLly, a cold moanlng wlnd searched ouL Lhe
unproLecLed parLs of us very Lhoroughly. AfLer a Llme we found our
weLLed shlrLs clammy and comforLless Lhlngs. We had noLhlng Lo eaL,
noLhlng Lo do and nowhere Lo slL excepL on weL rock, weL grass or mud.
Powever, Lhls perslsLenL weaLher kepL remlndlng me LhaL lL would delay
Allenby's advance on !erusalem, and rob hlm of hls greaL posslblllLy.
So large a mlsforLune Lo our llon was a half-encouragemenL for Lhe
mlce. We would be parLners lnLo nexL year.

ln Lhe besL clrcumsLances, walLlng for acLlon was hard. 1o-day lL was
beasLly. Lven enemy paLrols sLumbled along wlLhouL care, perfuncLorlly,
agalnsL Lhe raln. AL lasL, near noon, ln a snaLch of flne weaLher, Lhe
waLchmen on Lhe souLh peak flagged Lhelr cloaks wlldly ln slgnal of a
Lraln. We reached our poslLlons ln an lnsLanL, for we had squaLLed Lhe
laLe hours on our heels ln a sLreamlng dlLch near Lhe llne, so as noL
Lo mlss anoLher chance. 1he Arabs Look cover properly. l looked back aL
Lhelr ambush from my flrlng polnL, and saw noLhlng buL Lhe grey hlllsldes.

l could noL hear Lhe Lraln comlng, buL LrusLed, and knelL ready for
perhaps half an hour, when Lhe suspense became lnLolerable, and l
slgnalled Lo know whaL was up. 1hey senL down Lo say lL was comlng very
slowly, and was an enormously long Lraln. Cur appeLlLes sLlffened. 1he
longer lL was Lhe more would be Lhe looL. 1hen came word LhaL lL had
sLopped. lL moved agaln.

llnally, near one o'clock, l heard lL panLlng. 1he locomoLlve was
evldenLly defecLlve (all Lhese wood-flred Lralns were bad), and Lhe
heavy load on Lhe up-gradlenL was provlng Loo much for lLs capaclLy. l
crouched behlnd my bush, whlle lL crawled slowly lnLo vlew pasL Lhe
souLh cuLLlng, and along Lhe bank above my head Lowards Lhe culverL.
1he flrsL Len Lrucks were open Lrucks, crowded wlLh Lroops. Powever,
once agaln lL was Loo laLe Lo choose, so when Lhe englne was squarely
over Lhe mlne l pushed down Lhe handle of Lhe exploder. noLhlng
happened. l sawed lL up and down four Llmes.

SLlll noLhlng happened, and l reallzed LhaL lL had gone ouL of order,
and LhaL l was kneellng on a naked bank, wlLh a 1urklsh Lroop Lraln
crawllng pasL flfLy yards away. 1he bush, whlch had seemed a fooL hlgh,
shrank smaller Lhan a flg-leaf, and l felL myself Lhe mosL dlsLlncL
ob[ecL ln Lhe counLry-slde. 8ehlnd me was an open valley for Lwo
hundred yards Lo Lhe cover where my Arabs were walLlng and wonderlng
whaL l was aL. lL was lmposslble Lo make a bolL for lL, or Lhe 1urks
would sLep off Lhe Lraln and flnlsh us. lf l saL sLlll, Lhere mlghL be
[usL a hope of my belng lgnored as a casual 8edouln.

So Lhere l saL, counLlng for sheer llfe, whlle elghLeen open Lrucks,
Lhree box-waggons, and Lhree offlcers' coaches dragged by. 1he englne
panLed slower and slower, and l LhoughL every momenL LhaL lL would
break down. 1he Lroops Look no greaL noLlce of me, buL Lhe offlcers
were lnLeresLed, and came ouL Lo Lhe llLLle plaLforms aL Lhe ends of
Lhelr carrlages, polnLlng and sLarlng. l waved back aL Lhem, grlnnlng
nervously, and feellng an lmprobable shepherd ln my Meccan dress, wlLh
lLs LwlsLed golden clrcleL abouL my head. erhaps Lhe mud-sLalns, Lhe
weL and Lhelr lgnorance made me accepLed. 1he end of Lhe brake van
slowly dlsappeared lnLo Lhe cuLLlng on Lhe norLh.

As lL wenL, l [umped up, burled my wlres, snaLched hold of Lhe wreLched
exploder, and wenL llke a rabblL uphlll lnLo safeLy. 1here l Look
breaLh and looked back Lo see LhaL Lhe Lraln had flnally sLuck. lL
walLed, abouL flve hundred yards beyond Lhe mlne, for nearly an hour Lo
geL up a head of sLeam, whlle an offlcers' paLrol came back and
searched, very carefully, Lhe ground where l had been seen slLLlng.
Powever Lhe wlres were properly bldden: Lhey found noLhlng: Lhe englne
plucked up hearL agaln, and away Lhey wenL.




CPA1L8 Lxxvlll



Mlfleh was pasL Lears, Lhlnklng l had lnLenLlonally leL Lhe Lraln
Lhrough, and when Lhe Serahln had been Lold Lhe real cause Lhey sald
'8ad luck ls wlLh us'. PlsLorlcally Lhey were rlghL, buL Lhey meanL lL
for a prophecy, so l made sarcasLlc reference Lo Lhelr courage aL Lhe
brldge Lhe week before, hlnLlng LhaL lL mlghL be a Lrlbal preference Lo
slL on camel-guard. AL once Lhere was uproar, Lhe Serahln aLLacklng me
furlously, Lhe 8enl Sakhr defendlng. All heard Lhe Lrouble, and came
runnlng.

When we had made lL up Lhe orlglnal despondency was half forgoLLen. All
backed me nobly, Lhough Lhe wreLched boy was blue wlLh cold and
shlverlng ln an aLLack of fever. Pe gasped LhaL Lhelr ancesLor Lhe
ropheL had glven Lo Sherlfs Lhe faculLy of 'slghL', and by lL he knew
LhaL our luck was Lurnlng. 1hls was comforL for Lhem: my flrsL
lnsLalmenL of good forLune came when ln Lhe weL, wlLhouL oLher Lool
Lhan my dagger, l goL Lhe box of Lhe exploder open and persuaded lLs
elecLrlcal gear Lo work properly once more.

We reLurned Lo our vlgll by Lhe wlres, buL noLhlng happened, and
evenlng drew down wlLh more squalls and beasLllness, everybody full of
grumbles. 1here was no Lraln, lL was Loo weL Lo llghL a cooklng flre,
our only poLenLlal food was camel. 8aw meaL dld noL LempL anyone LhaL
nlghL, and so our beasLs survlved Lo Lhe morrow.

All lay down on hls belly, whlch poslLlon lessened Lhe hunger-ache,
Lrylng Lo sleep off hls fever. khazen, All's servanL, lenL hlm hls
cloak for exLra coverlng. lor a spell l Look khazen under mlne, buL
soon found lL becomlng crowded. So l lefL lL Lo hlm and wenL downhlll
Lo connecL up Lhe exploder. AfLerwards l spenL Lhe nlghL Lhere alone by
Lhe slnglng Lelegraph wlres, hardly wlshlng Lo sleep, so palnful was
Lhe cold. noLhlng came all Lhe long hours, and dawn, whlch broke weL,
looked even ugller Lhan usual. We were slck Lo deaLh of Mlnlflr, of
rallways, of Lraln waLchlng and wrecklng, by now. l cllmbed up Lo Lhe
maln body whlle Lhe early paLrol searched Lhe rallway. 1hen Lhe day
cleared a llLLle. All awoke, much refreshed, and hls new splrlL cheered
us. Pamud, Lhe slave, produced some sLlcks whlch he had kepL under hls
cloLhes by hls skln all nlghL. 1hey were nearly dry. We shaved down
some blasLlng gelaLlne, and wlLh lLs hoL flame goL a flre golng, whlle
Lhe Sukhur hurrledly kllled a mangy camel, Lhe besL spared of our
rldlng-beasLs, and began wlLh enLrenchlng Lools Lo hack lL lnLo handy
[olnLs.

!usL aL LhaL momenL Lhe waLchman on Lhe norLh crled a Lraln. We lefL
Lhe flre and made a breaLhless race of Lhe slx hundred yards downhlll
Lo our old poslLlon. 8ound Lhe bend, whlsLllng lLs loudesL, came Lhe
Lraln, a splendld Lwo-englned Lhlng of Lwelve passenger coaches,
Lravelllng aL Lop speed on Lhe favourlng grade. l Louched off under Lhe
flrsL drlvlng wheel of Lhe flrsL locomoLlve, and Lhe exploslon was
Lerrlflc. 1he ground spouLed blackly lnLo my face, and l was senL
splnnlng, Lo slL up wlLh Lhe shlrL Lorn Lo my shoulder and Lhe blood
drlpplng from long, ragged scraLches on my lefL arm. 8eLween my knees
lay Lhe exploder, crushed under a LwlsLed sheeL of sooLy lron. ln fronL
of me was Lhe scalded and smoklng upper half of a man. When l peered
Lhrough Lhe dusL and sLeam of Lhe exploslon Lhe whole boller of Lhe
flrsL englne seemed Lo be mlsslng.

l dully felL LhaL lL was Llme Lo geL away Lo supporL, buL when l moved,
learnL LhaL Lhere was a greaL paln ln my rlghL fooL, because of whlch l
could only llmp along, wlLh my head swlnglng from Lhe shock. MovemenL
began Lo clear away Lhls confuslon, as l hobbled Lowards Lhe upper
valley, whence Lhe Arabs were now shooLlng fasL lnLo Lhe crowded
coaches. ulzzlly l cheered myself by repeaLlng aloud ln Lngllsh 'Ch, l
wlsh Lhls hadn'L happened'.

When Lhe enemy began Lo reLurn our flre, l found myself much beLween
Lhe Lwo. All saw me fall, and Lhlnklng LhaL l was hard hlL, ran ouL,
wlLh 1urkl and abouL LwenLy men of hls servanLs and Lhe 8enl Sakhr, Lo
help me. 1he 1urks found Lhelr range and goL seven of Lhem ln a few
seconds. 1he oLhers, ln a rush, were abouL me--flL models, afLer Lhelr
acLlvlLy, for a sculpLor. 1helr full whlLe coLLon drawers drawn ln,
bell-llke, round Lhelr slender walsLs and ankles, Lhelr halrless brown
bodles, and Lhe love-locks plalLed LlghLly over each Lemple ln long
horns, made Lhem look llke 8usslan dancers.

We scrambled back lnLo cover LogeLher, and Lhere, secreLly, l felL
myself over, Lo flnd l had noL once been really hurL, Lhough besldes
Lhe brulses and cuLs of Lhe boller-plaLe and a broken Loe, l had flve
dlfferenL bulleL-grazes on me (some of Lhem uncomforLably deep) and my
cloLhes rlpped Lo pleces.

lrom Lhe waLercourse we could look abouL. 1he exploslon had desLroyed
Lhe arched head of Lhe culverL, and Lhe frame of Lhe flrsL englne was
lylng beyond lL, aL Lhe near fooL of Lhe embankmenL, down whlch lL had
rolled. 1he second locomoLlve had Loppled lnLo Lhe gap, and was lylng
across Lhe rulned Lender of Lhe flrsL. lLs bed was LwlsLed. l [udged
Lhem boLh beyond repalr. 1he second Lender had dlsappeared over Lhe
furLher slde, and Lhe flrsL Lhree waggons had Lelescoped and were
smashed ln pleces.

1he resL of Lhe Lraln was badly deralled, wlLh Lhe llsLlng coaches
buLLed end Lo end aL all angles, zlgzagged along Lhe Lrack. Cne of Lhem
was a saloon, decoraLed wlLh flags. ln lL had been Mehmed !emal asha,
commandlng Lhe LlghLh Army Corps, hurrylng down Lo defend !erusalem
agalnsL Allenby. Pls chargers had been ln Lhe flrsL waggon, hls moLor-car
was on Lhe end of Lhe Lraln, and we shoL lL up. Cf hls sLaff we
noLlced a faL eccleslasLlc, whom we LhoughL Lo be Assad Shukalr, lmam
Lo Ahmed !emal asha, and a noLorlous pro-1urk plmp. So we blazed aL
hlm Llll he dropped.

lL was all long bowls. We could see LhaL our chances of carrylng Lhe
wreck were sllghL. 1here had been some four hundred men on board, and
Lhe survlvors, now recovered from Lhe shock, were under shelLer and
shooLlng hard aL us. AL Lhe flrsL momenL our parLy on Lhe norLh spur
had closed, and nearly won Lhe game. Mlfleh on hls mare chased Lhe
offlcers from Lhe saloon lnLo Lhe lower dlLch. Pe was Loo exclLed Lo
sLop and shooL, and so Lhey goL away scaLhless. 1he Arabs followlng hlm
had Lurned Lo plck up some of Lhe rlfles and medals llLLerlng Lhe
ground, and Lhen Lo drag bags and boxes from Lhe Lraln. lf we had had a
machlne-gun posLed Lo cover Lhe far slde, accordlng Lo my mlnlng
pracLlce, noL a 1urk would have escaped.

Mlfleh and Adhub re[olned us on Lhe hlll, and asked afLer lahad. Cne of
Lhe Serahln Lold how he had led Lhe flrsL rush, whlle l lay knocked ouL
beslde Lhe exploder, and had been kllled near lL. 1hey showed hls belL
and rlfle as proof LhaL he was dead and LhaL Lhey had Lrled Lo save
hlm. Adhub sald noL a word, buL leaped ouL of Lhe gully, and raced
downhlll. We caughL our breaLhs Llll our lungs hurL us, waLchlng hlm,
buL Lhe 1urks seemed noL Lo see. A mlnuLe laLer he was dragglng a body
behlnd Lhe lefL-hand bank.

Mlfleh wenL back Lo hls mare, mounLed, and Look her down behlnd a spur.
1ogeLher Lhey llfLed Lhe lnerL flgure on Lo Lhe pommel, and reLurned. A
bulleL had passed Lhrough lahad's face, knocklng ouL four LeeLh, and
gashlng Lhe Longue. Pe had fallen unconsclous, buL had revlved [usL
before Adhub reached hlm, and was Lrylng on hands and knees, bllnded
wlLh blood, Lo crawl away. Pe now recovered polse enough Lo cllng Lo a
saddle. So Lhey changed hlm Lo Lhe flrsL camel Lhey found, and led hlm
off aL once.

1he 1urks, seelng us so quleL, began Lo advance up Lhe slope. We leL
Lhem come half-way, and Lhen poured ln volleys whlch kllled some LwenLy
and drove Lhe oLhers back. 1he ground abouL Lhe Lraln was sLrewn wlLh
dead, and Lhe broken coaches had been crowded: buL Lhey were flghLlng
under eye of Lhelr Corps Commander, and undaunLed began Lo work round
Lhe spurs Lo ouLflank us.

We were now only abouL forLy lefL, and obvlously could do no good
agalnsL Lhem. So we ran ln baLches up Lhe llLLle sLream-bed, Lurnlng aL
each shelLered angle Lo delay Lhem by poL-shoLs. LlLLle 1urkl much
dlsLlngulshed hlmself by qulck coolness, Lhough hls sLralghL-sLocked
1urklsh cavalry carblne made hlm so expose hls head LhaL he goL four
bulleLs Lhrough hls head-cloLh. Ah' was angry wlLh me for reLlrlng
slowly. ln reallLy my raw hurLs crlppled me, buL Lo hlde from hlm Lhls
real reason l preLended Lo be easy, lnLeresLed ln and sLudylng Lhe
1urks. Such successlve resLs whlle l galned courage for a new run kepL
hlm and 1urkl far behlnd Lhe resL.

AL lasL we reached Lhe hlll-Lop. Lach man Lhere [umped on Lhe nearesL
camel, and made away aL full speed easLward lnLo Lhe deserL, for an
hour. 1hen ln safeLy we sorLed our anlmals. 1he excellenL 8ahall,
desplLe Lhe rullng exclLemenL, had broughL off wlLh hlm, Lled Lo hls
saddle-glrLh, a huge haunch of Lhe camel slaughLered [usL as Lhe Lraln
arrlved. Pe gave us Lhe moLlve for a proper halL, flve mlles farLher
on, as a llLLle parLy of four camels appeared marchlng ln Lhe same
dlrecLlon. lL was our companlon, MaLar, comlng back from hls home
vlllage Lo Azrak wlLh loads of ralslns and peasanL dellcacles.

So we sLopped aL once, under a large rock ln Wadl uhulell, where was a
barren flg-Lree, and cooked our flrsL meal for Lhree days. 1here, also,
we bandaged up lahad, who was sleepy wlLh Lhe lasslLude of hls severe
hurL. Adhub, seelng Lhls, Look one of MaLar's new carpeLs, and,
doubllng lL across Lhe camel-saddle, sLlLched Lhe ends lnLo greaL
pockeLs. ln one Lhey lald lahad, whlle Adhub crawled lnLo Lhe oLher as
make-welghL: and Lhe camel was led off souLhward Lowards Lhelr Lrlbal
LenLs.

1he oLher wounded men were seen Lo aL Lhe same Llme. Mlfleh broughL up
Lhe youngesL lads of Lhe parLy, and had Lhem spray Lhe wounds wlLh
Lhelr plss, as a rude anLlsepLlc. Meanwhlle we whole ones refreshed
ourselves. l boughL anoLher mangy camel for exLra meaL, pald rewards,
compensaLed Lhe relaLlves of Lhe kllled, and gave prlze-money, for Lhe
slxLy or sevenLy rlfles we had Laken. lL was small booLy, buL noL Lo be
desplsed. Some Serahln, who had gone lnLo Lhe acLlon wlLhouL rlfles,
able only Lo Lhrow unavalllng sLones, had now Lwo guns aplece. nexL day
we moved lnLo Azrak, havlng a greaL welcome, and boasLlng--Cod forglve
us--LhaL we were vlcLors.




CPA1L8 Lxxlx



8aln had seL ln sLeadlly, and Lhe counLry was sodden weL. Allenby had
falled ln hls weaLher, and Lhere could be no greaL advance Lhls year.
neverLheless, for progress' sake we deLermlned Lo hold Lo Azrak. arLly
lL would be a preachlng base, from whlch Lo spread our movemenL ln Lhe
norLh: parLly lL would be a cenLre of lnLelllgence: parLly lL would cuL
off nurl Shaalan from Lhe 1urks. Pe heslLaLed Lo declare hlmself only
because of hls wealLh ln Syrla, and Lhe posslble hurL Lo hls Lrlbesmen
lf Lhey were deprlved of Lhelr naLural markeL. We, by llvlng ln one of
hls maln manors, would keep hlm ashamed Lo go ln Lo Lhe enemy. Azrak
lay favourably for us, and Lhe old forL would be convenlenL
headquarLers lf we made lL hablLable, no maLLer how severe Lhe wlnLer.

So l esLabllshed myself ln lLs souLhern gaLe-Lower, and seL my slx
Pauranl boys (for whom manual labour was noL dlsgraceful) Lo cover wlLh
brushwood, palm-branches, and clay Lhe anclenL spllL sLone rafLers,
whlch sLood open Lo Lhe sky. All Look up hls quarLers ln Lhe souLh-easL
corner Lower, and made LhaL roof LlghL. 1he lndlans weaLher-proofed
Lhelr own norLh-wesL rooms. We arranged Lhe sLores on Lhe ground floor
of Lhe wesLern Lower, by Lhe llLLle gaLe, for lL was Lhe soundesL,
drlesL place. 1he 8lasha chose Lo llve under me ln Lhe souLh gaLe. So
we blocked LhaL enLry and made a hall of lL. 1hen we opened a greaL
arch from Lhe courL Lo Lhe palm-garden, and made a ramp, LhaL our
camels mlghL come lnslde each evenlng.

Passan Shah we appolnLed Seneschal. As a good Moslem hls flrsL care was
for Lhe llLLle mosque ln Lhe square. lL had been half unroofed and Lhe
Arabs had penned sheep wlLhln Lhe walls. Pe seL hls LwenLy men Lo dlg
ouL Lhe fllLh, and wash Lhe pavemenL clean. 1he mosque Lhen became a
mosL aLLracLlve house of prayer. WhaL had been a place shuL off,
dedlcaLed Lo Cod alone, 1lme had broken open Lo Lhe LvanescenL wlLh lLs
mlnlsLerlng wlnds and raln and sunllghL, Lhese enLerlng lnLo Lhe
worshlp LaughL worshlppers how Lhe Lwo were one.

Cur prudenL !emadar's nexL labour was Lo make poslLlons for machlne-guns
ln Lhe upper Lowers, from whose Lops Lhe approaches lay aL mercy.
1hen he placed a formal senLry (a porLenL and cause of wonder ln
Arabla) whose maln duLy was Lhe shuLLlng of Lhe posLern gaLe aL
sundown. 1he door was a polsed slab of dressed basalL, a fooL Lhlck,
Lurnlng on plvoLs of lLself, sockeLed lnLo Lhreshold and llnLel. lL
Look a greaL efforL Lo sLarL swlnglng, and aL Lhe end wenL shuL wlLh a
clang and crash whlch made Lremble Lhe wesL wall of Lhe old casLle.

Meanwhlle, we were sLudylng Lo provlslon ourselves. Akaba was far off,
and ln wlnLer Lhe roads LhlLher would be rlgorous: so we prepared a
caravan Lo go up Lo !ebel uruse, Lhe neuLral land, only a day off.
MaLar wenL ln charge of Lhls for us, wlLh a long Lraln of camels Lo
carry back varleLles of food for our moLley parLy. 8esldes my
bodyguard, who were LaughL Lo llve on whaL Lhey goL, we had Lhe
lndlans, for whom pepperless food was no food aL all. All lbn el
Pusseln wanLed sheep and buLLer and parched wheaL for hls men and Lhe
8lasha. 1hen Lhere were Lhe guesLs and refugees whom we mlghL expecL so
soon as Lhe news of our esLabllshmenL was rumoured ln uamascus. 1lll
Lhey came we should have a few days' repose, and we saL down Lo en[oy
Lhese dregs of auLumn--Lhe alLernaLe days of raln and shlne. We had
sheep and flour, mllk and fuel. Llfe ln Lhe forL, buL for Lhe lll-omened
mud, wenL well enough.

?eL Lhe peacefulness ended sooner Lhan we LhoughL. Wood, who had been
alllng for some Llme, wenL down wlLh a sharp aLLack of dysenLery. 1hls
was noLhlng by lLself, buL Lhe consequenL weakness mlghL have
endangered hlm when wlnLer seL ln earnesLly. 8esldes, he was Lhelr base
englneer aL Akaba, and, excepL for Lhe comforL of hls companlonshlp, l
had no [usLlflcaLlon ln keeplng hlm longer. So we made up a parLy Lo go
down wlLh hlm Lo Lhe coasL, chooslng as Lhe escorL, Ahmed, Abd el
8ahman, Mahmoud, and Azlz. 1hese were Lo reLurn Lo Azrak forLhwlLh from
Akaba wlLh a new caravan of sLores, parLlcularly comprlslng lndlan
raLlons. 1he resL of my men would sLay ln chllly ldleness waLchlng Lhe
slLuaLlon develop.

1hen began our flood of vlslLors. All day and every day Lhey came, now
ln Lhe runnlng column of shoLs, raucous shouLlng and rush of camel-feeL
whlch meanL a 8edouln parade, lL mlghL be of 8ualla, or SheraraL, or
Serahln, Serdlyeh, or 8enl Sakhr, chlefs of greaL name llke lbn Zuhalr,
lbn kaeblr, 8afa el khorelsha, or some llLLle faLher of a famlly
demonsLraLlng hls greedy goodwlll before Lhe falr eyes of All lbn el
Pusseln. 1hen lL would be a wlld gallop of horse: uruses, or Lhe
ruffllng warllke peasanLs of Lhe Arab plaln. SomeLlmes lL was a
cauLlous, slow-led caravan of rldden camels, from whlch sLlffly
dlsmounLed Syrlan pollLlclans or Lraders noL accusLomed Lo Lhe road.
Cne day arrlved a hundred mlserable Armenlans, fleelng sLarvaLlon and
Lhe suspended Lerror of Lhe 1urks. Agaln would come a splck and span
group of mounLed offlcers, Arab deserLers from Lhe 1urklsh armles,
followed, ofLen as noL, by a compacL company of Arab rank and flle.
Always Lhey came, day afLer day, Llll Lhe deserL, whlch had been
Lrackless when we came, was sLarred ouL wlLh grey roads.

All appolnLed flrsL one, Lhen Lwo, and aL lasL Lhree, guesL-masLers,
who recelved Lhe rlslng Llde of Lhese newcomers, sorLed worshlpful from
curlous, and marshalled Lhem ln due Llme before hlm or me. All wanLed
Lo know abouL Lhe Sherlf, Lhe Arab army and Lhe Lngllsh. MerchanLs from
uamascus broughL presenLs: sweeL-meaLs, sesame, caramel, aprlcoL pasLe,
nuLs, sllk cloLhes for ourselves, brocade cloaks, head-cloLhs,
sheepsklns, felL rugs wlLh coloured sLrands beaLen lnLo Lhem ln
arabesques, erslan carpeLs. We reLurned Lhem coffee and sugar, rlce,
and rolls of whlLe coLLon sheeLlng, necesslLles of whlch Lhey had been
deprlved by war. Lverybody learned LhaL ln Akaba Lhere was plenLy,
comlng across Lhe open sea from all Lhe markeLs of Lhe world, and so
Lhe Arab cause whlch was Lhelrs by senLlmenL, and lnsLlncL and
lncllnaLlon, became Lhelrs by lnLeresL also. Slowly our example and
Leachlng converLed Lhem: very slowly, by our own cholce, LhaL Lhey
mlghL be ours more surely.

1he greaLesL asseL of lelsal's cause ln Lhls work up norLh was Sherlf
Ah' lbn el Pusseln. 1he lunaLlc compeLlLor of Lhe wllder Lrlbesmen ln
Lhelr wlldesL feaLs was now Lurnlng all hls force Lo greaLer ends. 1he
mlxed naLures ln hlm made of hls face and body powerful pleadlngs,
carnal, perhaps, excepL ln so far as Lhey were Lransfused by characLer.
no one could see hlm wlLhouL Lhe deslre Lo see hlm agaln, especlally
when he smlled, as he dld rarely, wlLh boLh mouLh and eyes aL once. Pls
beauLy was a consclous weapon. Pe dressed spoLlessly, all ln black or
all ln whlLe, and he sLudled gesLure.

lorLune had added physlcal perfecLlon and unusual grace, buL Lhese
quallLles were only Lhe [usL expresslon of hls powers. 1hey made
obvlous Lhe pluck whlch never ylelded, whlch would have leL hlm be cuL
Lo pleces, holdlng on. Pls prlde broke ouL ln hls war-cry, l am of Lhe
ParlLh', Lhe Lwo-Lhousand-year-old clan of freebooLers, whlle Lhe huge
eyes, whlLe wlLh large black puplls slowly Lurnlng ln Lhem, emphaslzed
Lhe frozen dlgnlLy whlch was hls ldeal carrlage, and Lo whlch he was
always sLrlvlng Lo sLlll hlmself. 8uL as ever Lhe bubbllng laugh would
shrlek ouL of hlm unawares, and Lhe youLh, boylsh or glrllsh, of hlm,
Lhe flre and devllLry would break Lhrough hls nlghL llke a sunrlse.

?eL, desplLe Lhls rlchness, Lhere was a consLanL depresslon wlLh hlm,
Lhe unknown longlng of slmple, resLless people for absLracL LhoughL
beyond Lhelr mlnds' supply. Pls bodlly sLrengLh grew day by day, and
haLefully fleshed over Lhls humble someLhlng whlch he wanLed more. Pls
wlld mlrLh was only one slgn of Lhe valn wearlng-ouL of hls deslre.
1hese beseLLlng sLrangers underllned hls deLachmenL, hls unwllllng
deLachmenL, from hls fellows. uesplLe hls greaL lnsLlncL for confesslon
and company, he could flnd no lnLlmaLes. ?eL he could noL be alone. lf
he had no guesLs, khazen, Lhe servanL, musL serve hls meals, whlle All
and hls slaves aLe LogeLher.

ln Lhese slow nlghLs we were secure agalnsL Lhe world. lor one Lhlng,
lL was wlnLer, and ln Lhe raln and Lhe dark few men would venLure
elLher over Lhe labyrlnLh of lava or Lhrough Lhe marsh--Lhe Lwo
approaches Lo our forLress, and, furLher, we had ghosLly guardlans. 1he
flrsL evenlng we were slLLlng wlLh Lhe Serahln, Passan Shah had made
Lhe rounds, and Lhe coffee was belng pounded by Lhe hearLh, when Lhere
rose a sLrange, long walllng round Lhe Lowers ouLslde. lbn 8anl selzed
me by Lhe arm and held Lo me, shudderlng. l whlspered Lo hlm, 'WhaL ls
l1?' and he gasped LhaL Lhe dogs of Lhe 8enl Plllal, Lhe myLhlcal
bullders of Lhe forL, quesLed Lhe slx Lowers each nlghL for Lhelr dead
masLers.

We sLralned Lo llsLen. 1hrough All's black basalL wlndow-frame crepL a
rusLllng, whlch was Lhe sLlrrlng of Lhe nlghL-wlnd ln Lhe wlLhered
palms, an lnLermlLLenL rusLllng, llke Lngllsh raln on yeL-crlsp fallen
leaves. 1hen Lhe crles came agaln and agaln and agaln, rlslng slowly ln
power, Llll Lhey sobbed round Lhe walls ln deep waves Lo dle away
choked and mlserable. AL such Llmes our men pounded Lhe coffee harder
whlle Lhe Arabs broke lnLo sudden song Lo occupy Lhelr ears agalnsL Lhe
mlsforLune. no 8edouln would lle ouLslde ln walL for Lhe mysLery, and
from our wlndows we saw noLhlng buL Lhe moLes of waLer ln Lhe dank alr
whlch drove Lhrough Lhe radlance of our flrellghL. So lL remalned a
legend: buL wolves or [ackals, hyasnas, or hunLlng dogs, Lhelr ghosL-waLch
kepL our ward more closely Lhan arms could have done.

ln Lhe evenlng, when we had shuL-Lo Lhe gaLe, all guesLs would
assemble, elLher ln my room or ln All's, and coffee and sLorles would
go round unLll Lhe lasL meal, and afLer lL, Llll sleep came. Cn sLormy
nlghLs we broughL ln brushwood and dung and llL a greaL flre ln Lhe
mlddle of Lhe floor. AbouL lL would be drawn Lhe carpeLs and Lhe
saddle-sheepsklns, and ln lLs llghL we would Lell over our own baLLles,
or hear Lhe vlslLors' LradlLlons. 1he leaplng flames chased our
smoke-muffled shadows sLrangely abouL Lhe rough sLone wall behlnd us,
dlsLorLlng Lhem over Lhe hollows and pro[ecLlons of lLs broken face.
When Lhese sLorles came Lo a perlod, our LlghL clrcle would shlfL over,
uneaslly, Lo Lhe oLher knee or elbow, whlle coffee-cups wenL cllnklng
round, and a servanL fanned Lhe blue reek of Lhe flre Lowards Lhe
loophole wlLh hls cloak, maklng Lhe glowlng ash swlrl and sparkle wlLh
hls draughL. 1lll Lhe volce of Lhe sLory-Leller Look up agaln, we would
hear Lhe raln-spoLs hlsslng brlefly as Lhey drlpped from Lhe sLone-beamed
roof lnLo Lhe flre's hearL.

AL lasL Lhe sky Lurned solldly Lo raln, and no man could approach us.
ln lonellness we learned Lhe full dlsadvanLage of lmprlsonmenL wlLhln
such gloomy anclenL unmorLared palaces. 1he ralns guLLered down wlLhln
Lhe walls' Lhlckness and spouLed lnLo Lhe rooms from Lhelr chlnks. We
seL rafLs of palm-branches Lo bear us clear of Lhe sLreamlng floor,
covered Lhem wlLh felL maLs, and huddled down on Lhem under sheepsklns,
wlLh anoLher maL over us llke a shleld Lo Lhrow off Lhe waLer. lL was
lcy cold, as we hld Lhere, moLlonless, from murky dayllghL unLll dark,
our mlnds seemlng suspended wlLhln Lhese masslve walls, Lhrough whose
every shoL-wlndow Lhe plerclng mlsL sLreamed llke a whlLe pennanL. asL
and fuLure flowed over us llke an uneddylng rlver. We dreamed ourselves
lnLo Lhe splrlL of Lhe place, sleges and feasLlng, ralds, murders,
love-slnglng ln Lhe nlghL.

1hls escape of our wlLs from Lhe feLLered body was an lndulgence
agalnsL whose enervaLlon only change of scene could avall. very
palnfully l drew myself agaln lnLo Lhe presenL, and forced my mlnd Lo
say LhaL lL musL use Lhls wlnLry weaLher Lo explore Lhe counLry lylng
round abouL ueraa.

As l was Lhlnklng how l would rlde, Lhere came Lo us, unheralded, one
mornlng ln Lhe raln, 1alal el Pareldhln, shelkh of 1afas. Pe was a
famous ouLlaw wlLh a prlce upon hls head, buL so greaL LhaL he rode
abouL as he pleased. ln Lwo wlld years he had kllled, accordlng Lo
reporL, some LwenLy-Lhree of Lhe 1urks. Pls slx followers were
splendldly mounLed, and hlmself Lhe mosL dashlng flgure of a man ln Lhe
helghL of Pauran fashlon. Pls sheepskln coaL was flnesL Angora, covered
ln green broadcloLh, wlLh sllk paLches and deslgns ln brald. Pls oLher
cloLhes were sllk, and hls hlgh booLs, hls sllver saddle, hls sword,
dagger, and rlfle maLched hls repuLaLlon.

Pe swaggered Lo our coffee-hearLh, as a man sure of hls welcome,
greeLlng All bolsLerously (afLer our long so[ourn wlLh Lhe Lrlbes all
peasanLs sounded bolsLerous), laughlng broad-mouLhed aL Lhe weaLher and
our old forL and Lhe enemy. Pe looked abouL LhlrLy-flve, was shorL and
sLrong, wlLh a full face, Lrlmmed beard and long, polnLed mousLaches.
Pls round eyes were made rounder, larger and darker by Lhe anLlmony
loaded on ln vlllager sLyle. Pe was ardenLly ours, and we re[olced,
slnce hls name was one Lo con[ure wlLh ln Pauran. When a day had made
me sure of hlm, l Look hlm secreLly Lo Lhe palm-garden, and Lold hlm my
amblLlon Lo see hls nelghbourhood. 1he ldea dellghLed hlm, and he
companloned me for Lhe march as Lhoroughly and cheerfully as only a
Syrlan on a good horse could. Pallm and larls, men speclally engaged,
rode wlLh me as guards.

We wenL pasL umLalye, looklng aL Lracks, wells and lava-flelds, crossed
Lhe llne Lo Shelkh Saad, and Lurned souLh Lo 1afas, where 1alal was aL
home. nexL day we wenL on Lo 1ell Arar, a splendld poslLlon closlng Lhe
uamascus rallway and commandlng ueraa. AfLerwards we rode Lhrough
Lrlcky rolllng counLry Lo Mezerlb on Lhe alesLlne rallway, plannlng,
here also, for Lhe nexL Llme, when wlLh men, money and guns we should
sLarL Lhe general rlslng Lo wln lnevlLable vlcLory. erhaps Lhe comlng
sprlng lnlghL see Allenby leap forward.




CPA1L8 Lxxx



roperly Lo round off Lhls spylng of Lhe hollow land of Pauran, lL was
necessary Lo vlslL ueraa, lLs chlef Lown. We could cuL lL off on norLh
and wesL and souLh, by desLroylng Lhe Lhree rallways, buL lL would be
more Lldy Lo rush Lhe [uncLlon flrsL and work ouLwards. 1alal, however,
could noL venLure ln wlLh me slnce he was Loo well known ln Lhe place.
So we parLed from hlm wlLh many Lhanks on boLh sldes, and rode
souLhward along Lhe llne unLll near ueraa. 1here we dlsmounLed. 1he
boy, Pallm, Look Lhe ponles, and seL off for nlslb, souLh of ueraa. My
plan was Lo walk round Lhe rallway sLaLlon and Lown wlLh larls, and
reach nlslb afLer sunseL. arls was my besL companlon for Lhe Lrlp,
because he was an lnslgnlflcanL peasanL, old enough Lo be my faLher,
and respecLable.

1he respecLablllLy seemed comparaLlve as we Lramped off ln Lhe waLery
sunllghL, whlch was Laklng Lhe place of Lhe raln lasL nlghL. 1he ground
was muddy, we were barefooL, and our draggled cloLhes showed Lhe sLalns
of Lhe foul weaLher Lo whlch we had been exposed. l was ln Pallm's weL
Lhlngs, wlLh a Lorn Puranl [ackeL, and was yeL llmplng from Lhe broken
fooL acqulred when we blew up !emal's Lraln. 1he sllppery Lrack made
walklng dlfflculL, unless we spread ouL our Loes wldely and Look hold
of Lhe ground wlLh Lhem: and dolng Lhls for mlle afLer mlle was
exqulslLely palnful Lo me. 8ecause paln hurL me so, l would noL lay
welghL always on my palns ln our revolL: yeL hardly one day ln Arabla
passed wlLhouL a physlcal ache Lo lncrease Lhe corrodlng sense of my
accessory decelLfulness Lowards Lhe Arabs, and Lhe leglLlmaLe faLlgue
of responslble command.

We mounLed Lhe curvlng bank of Lhe alesLlne 8allway, and from lLs
vanLage surveyed ueraa SLaLlon: buL Lhe ground was Loo open Lo admlL of
surprlse aLLack. We declded Lo walk down Lhe easL fronL of Lhe
defences: so we plodded on, noLlng Cerman sLores, barbed wlre here and
Lhere, rudlmenLs of Lrenches. 1urklsh Lroops were passlng lncurlously
beLween Lhe LenLs and Lhelr laLrlnes dug ouL on our slde.

AL Lhe corner of Lhe aerodrome by Lhe souLh end of Lhe sLaLlon we
sLruck over Lowards Lhe Lown. 1here were old AlbaLros machlnes ln Lhe
sheds, and men lounglng abouL. Cne of Lhese, a Syrlan soldler, began Lo
quesLlon us abouL our vlllages, and lf Lhere was much 'governmenL'
where we llved. Pe was probably an lnLendlng deserLer, flshlng for a
refuge. We shook hlm off aL lasL and Lurned away. Someone called ouL ln
1urklsh. We walked on deafly, buL a sergeanL came afLer, and Look me
roughly by Lhe arm, saylng '1he 8ey wanLs you'. 1here were Loo many
wlLnesses for flghL or fllghL, so l wenL readlly. Pe Look no noLlce of
arls.

l was marched Lhrough Lhe Lall fence lnLo a compound seL abouL wlLh
many huLs and a few bulldlngs. We passed Lo a mud room, ouLslde whlch
was an earLh plaLform, whereon saL a fleshy 1urklsh offlcer, one leg
Lucked under hlm. Pe hardly glanced aL me when Lhe sergeanL broughL me
up and made a long reporL ln 1urklsh. Pe asked my name: l Lold hlm
Ahmed lbn 8agr, a Clrcasslan from kunelLra. 'A deserLer?' '8uL we
Clrcasslans have no mlllLary servlce'. Pe Lurned, sLared aL me, and
sald very slowly '?ou are a llar. Lnrol hlm ln your secLlon, Passan
Chowlsh, and do whaL ls necessary Llll Lhe 8ey sends for hlm'.

1hey led me lnLo a guard-room, mosLly Laken up by large wooden crlbs,
on whlch lay or saL a dozen men ln unLldy unlforms. 1hey Look away my
belL, and my knlfe, made me wash myself carefully, and fed me. l passed
Lhe long day Lhere. 1hey would noL leL me go on any Lerms, buL Lrled Lo
reassure me. A soldler's llfe was noL all bad. 1o-morrow, perhaps,
leave would be permlLLed, lf l fulfllled Lhe 8ey's pleasure Lhls
evenlng. 1he 8ey seemed Lo be nahl, Lhe Covernor. lf he was angry, Lhey
sald, l would be drafLed for lnfanLry Lralnlng Lo Lhe depoL ln 8aalbek.
l Lrled Lo look as Lhough, Lo my mlnd, Lhere was noLhlng worse ln Lhe
world Lhan LhaL.

Soon afLer dark Lhree men came for me. lL had seemed a chance Lo geL
away, buL one held me all Lhe Llme. l cursed my llLLleness. Cur march
crossed Lhe rallway, where were slx Lracks, besldes Lhe sldlngs of Lhe
englne-shop. We wenL Lhrough a slde gaLe, down a sLreeL, pasL a square,
Lo a deLached, Lwo-sLorled house. 1here was a senLry ouLslde, and a
gllmpse of oLhers lolllng ln Lhe dark enLry. 1hey Look me upsLalrs Lo
Lhe 8ey's room, or Lo hls bedroom, raLher. Pe was anoLher bulky man, a
Clrcasslan hlmself, perhaps, and saL on Lhe bed ln a nlghL-gown,
Lrembllng and sweaLlng as Lhough wlLh fever. When l was pushed ln he
kepL hls head down, and waved Lhe guard ouL. ln a breaLhless volce he
Lold me Lo slL on Lhe floor ln fronL of hlm, and afLer LhaL was dumb,
whlle l gazed aL Lhe Lop of hls greaL head, on whlch Lhe brlsLllng halr
sLood up, no longer Lhan Lhe dark sLubble on hls cheeks and chln. AL
lasL he looked me over, and Lold me Lo sLand up: Lhen Lo Lurn round. l
obeyed, he flung hlmself back on Lhe bed, and dragged me down wlLh
PlM ln hls arms. When l saw whaL he wanLed l LwlsLed round and up
agaln, glad Lo flnd myself equal Lo hlm, aL any raLe ln wresLllng.

Pe began Lo fawn on me, saylng how whlLe and fresh l was, how flne my
hands and feeL, and how he would leL me off drllls and duLles, make me
hls orderly, even pay me wages, lf l would love hlm.

l was obduraLe, so he changed hls Lone, and sharply ordered me Lo Lake
off my drawers. When l heslLaLed, he snaLched aL me, and l pushed hlm
back. Pe clapped hls hands for Lhe senLry, who hurrled ln and plnloned
me. 1he 8ey cursed me wlLh horrlble LhreaLs: and made Lhe man holdlng
me Lear my cloLhes away, blL by blL. Pls eyes rounded aL Lhe half-healed
places where Lhe bulleLs had fllcked Lhrough my skln a llLLle
whlle ago. llnally he lumbered Lo hls feeL, wlLh a gllLLer ln hls look,
and began Lo paw me over. l bore lL for a llLLle, Llll he goL Loo
beasLly, and Lhen [erked my knee lnLo hlm.

Pe sLaggered Lo hls bed, squeezlng hlmself LogeLher and groanlng wlLh
paln, whlle Lhe soldler shouLed for Lhe corporal and Lhe oLher Lhree
men Lo grlp me hand and fooL. As soon as l was helpless Lhe Covernor
regalned courage, and spaL aL me, swearlng he would make me ask pardon.
Pe Look off hls sllpper, and hlL me repeaLedly wlLh lL ln Lhe face,
whlle Lhe corporal braced my head back by Lhe halr Lo recelve Lhe
blows. Pe leaned forward, flxed hls LeeLh ln my neck and blL Llll Lhe
blood came. 1hen he klssed me. AfLerwards he drew one of Lhe men's
bayoneLs. l LhoughL he was golng Lo loll me, and was sorry: buL he only
pulled up a fold of Lhe flesh over my rlbs, worked Lhe polnL Lhrough,
afLer conslderable Lrouble, and gave Lhe blade a half-Lurn. 1hls hurL,
and l wlnced, whlle Lhe blood wavered down my slde, and drlpped Lo Lhe
fronL of my Lhlgh. Pe looked pleased and dabbled lL over my sLomach
wlLh hls flnger-Llps.

ln my despalr l spoke. Pls face changed and he sLood sLlll, Lhen
conLrolled hls volce wlLh an efforL, Lo say slgnlflcanLly, '?ou musL
undersLand LhaL l know: and lL wlll be easler lf you do as l wlsh'. l
was dumbfounded, and we sLared sllenLly aL one anoLher, whlle Lhe men
who felL an lnner meanlng beyond Lhelr experlence, shlfLed
uncomforLably. 8uL lL was evldenLly a chance shoL, by whlch he hlmself
dld noL, or would noL, mean whaL l feared. l could noL agaln LrusL my
LwlLchlng mouLh, whlch falLered always ln emergencles, so aL lasL Lhrew
up my chln, whlch was Lhe slgn for 'no' ln Lhe LasL, Lhen he saL down,
and half-whlspered Lo Lhe corporal Lo Lake me ouL and Leach me
everyLhlng.

1hey klcked me Lo Lhe head of Lhe sLalrs, and sLreLched me over a
guard-bench, pommelllng me. 1wo knelL on my ankles, bearlng down on Lhe
back of my knees, whlle Lwo more LwlsLed my wrlsLs Llll Lhey cracked,
and Lhen crushed Lhem and my neck agalnsL Lhe wood. 1he corporal had
run downsLalrs, and now came back wlLh a whlp of Lhe Clrcasslan sorL, a
Lhong of supple black hlde, rounded, and Laperlng from Lhe Lhlckness of
a Lhumb aL Lhe grlp (whlch was wrapped ln sllver) down Lo a hard polnL
flner Lhan a pencll.

Pe saw me shlverlng, parLly l Lhlnk, wlLh cold, and made lL whlsLle
over my ear, LaunLlng me LhaL before hls LenLh cuL l would howl for
mercy, and aL Lhe LwenLleLh beg for Lhe caresses of Lhe 8ey, and Lhen
he began Lo lash me madly across and across wlLh all hls mlghL, whlle l
locked my LeeLh Lo endure Lhls Lhlng whlch lapped lLself llke flamlng
wlre abouL my body.

1o keep my mlnd ln conLrol l numbered Lhe blows, buL afLer LwenLy losL
counL, and could feel only Lhe shapeless welghL of paln, noL Learlng
claws, for whlch l had prepared, buL a gradual cracklng aparL of my
whole belng by some Loo-greaL force whose waves rolled up my splne Llll
Lhey were penL wlLhln my braln, Lo clash Lerrlbly LogeLher. Somewhere
ln Lhe place a cheap clock Llcked loudly, and lL dlsLressed me LhaL
Lhelr beaLlng was noL ln lLs Llme. l wrlLhed and LwlsLed, buL was held
so LlghLly LhaL my sLruggles were useless. AfLer Lhe corporal ceased,
Lhe men Look up, very dellberaLely, glvlng me so many, and Lhen an
lnLerval, durlng whlch Lhey would squabble for Lhe nexL Lurn, ease
Lhemselves, and play unspeakably wlLh me. 1hls was repeaLed ofLen, for
whaL may have been no more Lhan Len mlnuLes. Always for Lhe flrsL of
every new serles, my head would be pulled round, Lo see how a hard
whlLe rldge, llke a rallway, darkenlng slowly lnLo crlmson, leaped over
my skln aL Lhe lnsLanL of each sLroke, wlLh a bead of blood where Lwo
rldges crossed. As Lhe punlshmenL proceeded Lhe whlp fell more and more
upon exlsLlng weals, blLlng blacker or more weL, Llll my flesh qulvered
wlLh accumulaLed paln, and wlLh Lerror of Lhe nexL blow comlng. 1hey
soon conquered my deLermlnaLlon noL Lo cry, buL whlle my wlll ruled my
llps l used only Arablc, and before Lhe end a merclful slckness choked
my uLLerance.

AL lasL when l was compleLely broken Lhey seemed saLlsfled. Somehow l
found myself off Lhe bench, lylng on my back on Lhe dlrLy floor, where
l snuggled down, dazed, panLlng for breaLh, buL vaguely comforLable. l
had sLrung myself Lo learn all paln unLll l dled, and no longer acLor,
buL specLaLor, LhoughL noL Lo care how my body [erked and squealed. ?eL
l knew or lmaglned whaL passed abouL me.

l remembered Lhe corporal klcklng wlLh hls nalled booL Lo geL me up,
and Lhls was Lrue, for nexL day my rlghL slde was dark and laceraLed,
and a damaged rlb made each breaLh sLab me sharply. l remembered
smlllng ldly aL hlm, for a dellclous warmLh, probably sexual, was
swelllng Lhrough me: and Lhen LhaL he flung up hls arm and hacked wlLh
Lhe full lengLh of hls whlp lnLo my groln. 1hls doubled me half-over,
screamlng, or, raLher, Lrylng lmpoLenLly Lo scream, only shudderlng
Lhrough my open mouLh. Cne glggled wlLh amusemenL. A volce crled,
'Shame, you've kllled hlm'. AnoLher slash followed. A roarlng, and my
eyes wenL black: whlle wlLhln me Lhe core of Me seemed Lo heave slowly
up Lhrough Lhe rendlng nerves, expelled from lLs body by Lhls lasL
lndescrlbable pang.

8y Lhe brulses perhaps Lhey beaL me furLher: buL l nexL knew LhaL l was
belng dragged abouL by Lwo men, each dlspuLlng over a leg as Lhough Lo
spllL me aparL: whlle a Lhlrd man rode me asLrlde. lL was momenLly
beLLer Lhan more flogglng. 1hen nahl called. 1hey splashed waLer ln my
face, wlped off some of Lhe fllLh, and llfLed me beLween Lhem, reLchlng
and sobblng for mercy, Lo where he lay: buL he now re[ecLed me ln
hasLe, as a Lhlng Loo Lorn and bloody for hls bed, blamlng Lhelr excess
of zeal whlch had spollL me: whereas no doubL Lhey had lald lnLo me
much as usual, and Lhe faulL resLed malnly upon my lndoor skln, whlch
gave way more Lhan an Arab's.

So Lhe cresLfallen corporal, as Lhe youngesL and besL-looklng of Lhe
guard, had Lo sLay behlnd, whlle Lhe oLhers carrled me down Lhe narrow
sLalr lnLo Lhe sLreeL. 1he coolness of Lhe nlghL on my burnlng flesh,
and Lhe unmoved shlnlng of Lhe sLars afLer Lhe horror of Lhe pasL hour,
made me cry agaln. 1he soldlers, now free Lo speak, warned me LhaL men
musL suffer Lhelr offlcers' wlshes or pay for lL, as l had [usL done,
wlLh greaLer sufferlng.

1hey Look me over an open space, deserLed and dark, and behlnd Lhe
CovernmenL house Lo a lean-Lo wooden room, ln whlch were many dusLy
qullLs. An Armenlan dresser appeared, Lo wash and bandage me ln sleepy
hasLe. 1hen all wenL away, Lhe lasL soldler delaylng by my slde a
momenL Lo whlsper ln hls uruse accenL LhaL Lhe door lnLo Lhe nexL room
was noL locked.

l lay Lhere ln a slck sLupor, wlLh my head achlng very much, and
growlng slowly numb wlLh cold, Llll Lhe dawn llghL came shlnlng Lhrough
Lhe cracks of Lhe shed, and a locomoLlve whlsLled ln Lhe sLaLlon. 1hese
and a dralnlng LhlrsL broughL me Lo Me, and l found l was ln no paln.
aln of Lhe sllghLesL had been my obsesslon and secreL Lerror, from a
boy. Pad l now been drugged wlLh lL, Lo bewlldermenL? ?eL Lhe flrsL
movemenL was angulsh: ln whlch l sLruggled nakedly Lo my feeL, and
rocked moanlng ln wonder LhaL lL was noL a dream, and myself back flve
years ago, a Llmld recrulL aL khalfaLl, where someLhlng, less sLalnlng,
of Lhe sorL had happened.

1he nexL room was a dlspensary. Cn lLs door hung a sulL of shoddy
cloLhes. l puL Lhem on slowly and unhandlly, because of my swollen
wrlsLs: and from Lhe drugs chose corroslve subllmaLe, as safeguard
agalnsL recapLure. 1he wlndow looked on a long blank wall. SLlffly l
cllmbed ouL, and wenL shaklng down Lhe road Lowards Lhe vlllage, pasL
Lhe few people already asLlr. 1hey Look no noLlce, lndeed Lhere was
noLhlng pecullar ln my dark broadcloLh, red fez and sllppers: buL lL
was only by Lhe full urge of my Longue sllenLly Lo myself LhaL l
refralned from belng foollsh ouL of sheer frlghL. ueraa felL lnhuman
wlLh vlce and cruelLy, and lL shocked me llke cold waLer when a soldler
laughed behlnd me ln Lhe sLreeL.

8y Lhe brldge were Lhe wells, wlLh men and women abouL Lhem. A slde
Lrough was free. lrom lLs end l scooped up a llLLle waLer ln my hands,
and rubbed lL over my face, Lhen drank, whlch was preclous Lo me, and
afLerwards wandered along Lhe boLLom of Lhe valley, Lowards Lhe souLh,
unobLruslvely reLreaLlng ouL of slghL. 1hls valley provlded Lhe hldden
road by whlch our pro[ecLed rald could aLLaln ueraa Lown secreLly, and
surprlse Lhe 1urks. So, ln escaplng l solved, Loo laLe, Lhe problem
whlch had broughL me Lo ueraa.

lurLher on, a Serdl, on hls camel, overLook me hobbllng up Lhe road
Lowards nlslb. l explalned LhaL l had buslness Lhere, and was already
fooLsore. Pe had plLy and mounLed me behlnd hlm on hls bony anlmal, Lo
whlch l clung Lhe resL of Lhe way, learnlng Lhe feellngs of my adopLed
name-salnL on hls grldlron. 1he Lrlbe's LenLs were [usL ln fronL of Lhe
vlllage, where l found lans and Pallm anxlous abouL me, and curlous Lo
learn how l had fared. Pallm had been up Lo ueraa ln Lhe nlghL, and
knew by Lhe lack of rumour LhaL Lhe LruLh had noL been dlscovered. l
Lold Lhem a merry Lale of brlbery and Lrlckery, whlch Lhey promlsed Lo
keep Lo Lhemselves, laughlng aloud aL Lhe slmpllclLy of Lhe 1urks.

uurlng Lhe nlghL l managed Lo see Lhe greaL sLone brldge by nlslb. noL
LhaL my malmed wlll now cared a hooL abouL Lhe Arab 8evolL (or abouL
anyLhlng buL mendlng lLself): yeL, slnce Lhe war had been a hobby of
mlne, for cusLom's sake l would force myself Lo push lL Lhrough.
AfLerwards we Look horse, and rode genLly and carefully Lowards Azrak,
wlLhouL lncldenL, excepL LhaL a raldlng parLy of Wuld Ah' leL us and
our horses go unplundered when Lhey heard who we were. 1hls was an
unexpecLed generoslLy, Lhe Wuld All belng noL yeL of our fellowshlp.
1helr conslderaLlon (rendered aL once, as lf we had deserved men's
homage) momenLly sLayed me Lo carry Lhe burden, whose cerLalnLy Lhe
passlng days conflrmed: how ln ueraa LhaL nlghL Lhe clLadel of my
lnLegrlLy had been lrrevocably losL.




CPA1L8 Lxxxl



xury, Lhe uruse Lmlr of Salkhad, reached our old casLle [usL before me
on hls flrsL vlslL Lo Sherlf Ah'. Pe Lold us Lhe resL of Lhe hlsLory of
Lhe Lmlr Abd el kader, Lhe Algerlan. AfLer sLeallng away from us he had
rldden sLralghL Lo Lhelr vlllage, and enLered ln Lrlumph, Lhe Arab flag
dlsplayed, and hls seven horsemen canLerlng abouL hlm, flrlng [oy-shoLs.
1he people were asLonlshed, and Lhe 1urklsh Covernor proLesLed
LhaL such dolngs were an lnsulL Lo hlm. Pe was lnLroduced Lo Abd el
kader, who, slLLlng ln pomp on Lhe dlvan, made a bombasLlc speech,
sLaLlng LhaL Lhe Sherlf now Look over !ebel uruse Lhrough hls agency,
and all exlsLlng offlclals were conflrmed ln Lhelr appolnLmenLs. nexL
mornlng he made a second progress Lhrough Lhe dlsLrlcL. 1he sufferlng
Covernor complalned agaln. Lmlr Abd el kader drew hls gold-mounLed
Meccan sword, and swore LhaL wlLh lL he would cuL off !emal asha's
head. 1he uruses reproved hlm, vowlng LhaL such Lhlngs should noL be
sald ln Lhelr house before hls Lxcellency Lhe Covernor. Abd el kader
called Lhem whoresons, lngle's accldenLs, sons of a blLch, proflLeerlng
cuckolds and plmps, [eLLlng hls lnsulLs broadcasL Lo Lhe room-full. 1he
uruses goL angry. Abd el kader flung raglng ouL of Lhe house and
mounLed, shouLlng LhaL when he sLamped hls fooL all !ebel uruse would
rlse on hls slde.

WlLh hls seven servanLs, he spurred down Lhe road Lo ueraa SLaLlon,
whlch he enLered as he had enLered Salkhad. 1he 1urks, who knew hls
madness of old, lefL hlm Lo play. 1hey dlsbelleved even hls yarn LhaL
All and l would Lry Lhe ?armuk brldge LhaL nlghL. When, however, we
dld, Lhey Look a graver vlew, and senL hlm under cusLody Lo uamascus.
!emal's bruLal humour was amused, and he enlarged hlm as a buLL. Abd el
kader gradually became amenable. 1he 1urks began Lo use hlm once more
as ACLn1 8CvCCA1Lu8 and dlsslpaLor of Lhe energy generaLed by Lhelr
local Syrlan naLlonallsLs.

1he weaLher was now dreadful, wlLh sleeL and snow and sLorms
conLlnually, lL was obvlous LhaL aL Azrak Lhere would be noLhlng buL
Leachlng and preachlng ln Lhe nexL monLhs. lor Lhls l was noL eager.
When necessary, l had done my share of proselyLlzlng faLlgues,
converLlng as besL l could, consclous all Lhe Llme of my sLrangeness,
and of Lhe lncongrulLy of an allen's advocaLlng naLlonal llberLy. 1he
war for me held a sLruggle Lo slde-Lrack LhoughL, Lo geL lnLo Lhe
people's aLLlLude of accepLlng Lhe revolL naLurally and LrusLlngly. l
had Lo persuade myself LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh CovernmenL could really keep
Lhe splrlL of lLs promlses. Lspeclally was Lhls dlfflculL when l was
Llred and lll, when Lhe dellrlous acLlvlLy of my braln Lore Lo shreds
my paLlence. And Lhen, afLer Lhe blunL 8eduln, who would LhrusL ln,
halllng me '?A Au8unS', and puL Lhelr need wlLhouL compllmenLs, Lhese
smooLh Lownspeople were maddenlng as Lhey crawled for Lhe favour of an
audlence wlLh Lhelr rlnce and 8ey and Lord and uellverer. Such lmpuLed
dlgnlLles, llke body armour ln a duel, were no doubL useful, buL
uncomforLable, and mean, Loo.

l had never been a lofLy person, on Lhe conLrary l had Lrled Lo be
accesslble Lo everyone, even lf lL conLlnually felL as Lhough mosL of
Lhem came and saw me every day. l had sLrlven as eloquenLly as l could
by my own example Lo keep plaln Lhe sLandard of exlsLence. l had had no
LenLs, no cooks, no body-servanLs: [usL my guards, who were flghLlng
men, noL servlle: and behold Lhese 8yzanLlne shopkeepers endeavourlng
Lo corrupL our slmpllclLy! So l flung away from Lhem ln a rage,
deLermlned Lo go souLh and see lf anyLhlng acLlve could be done, ln Lhe
cold weaLher, abouL Lhe uead Sea, whlch Lhe enemy held as a Lrench
dlvldlng us from alesLlne.

My remalnlng money was handed over Lo Sherlf All, for hls malnLenance
Llll Lhe sprlng, and Lhe lndlans were commended Lo hls care.
arLlcularly we boughL Lhem fresh rldlng-camels, ln case Lhe need Lo
move came suddenly upon Lhem ln Lhe wlnLer, Lhough Lhe dally news of a
LhreaL by Lhe 1urks agalnsL Azrak was scornfully dlscounLed by young
All. Pe and l Look affecLlonaLe leave of one anoLher. All gave me half
hls wardrobe: shlrLs, head-cloLhs, belLs, Lunlcs. l gave hlm an
equlvalenL half of mlne, and we klssed llke uavld and !onaLhan, each
wearlng Lhe oLher's cloLhes. AfLerwards, wlLh 8ahall only, on my Lwo
besL camels, l sLruck away souLhward.

We lefL Azrak one evenlng, rldlng lnLo a glowlng wesL, whlle over our
heads schools of cranes flew lnLo Lhe sunseL llke 1PL ouL-drawn barbs
of arrows. lL was Lollsome from Lhe sLarL. nlghL was deep by Wadl
8uLum, where Lhe condlLlons became even worse. All Lhe plaln was weL,
and our poor camels sllLhered and fell Llme and agaln. We fell as ofLen
as Lhey dld, buL aL leasL our parL of slLLlng sLlll, beLween falls, was
easler Lhan Lhelr parL of movemenL. 8y mldnlghL we had crossed Lhe
Chadaf and Lhe quag felL Loo awful for furLher progress. Also Lhe
mlshandllng aL ueraa had lefL me curlously falnL, my muscles seemed aL
once pappy and lnflamed, and all efforL frlghLened me ln anLlclpaLlon.
So we halLed.

We slepL where we were, ln Lhe mud, rose up plaLed wlLh lL aL dawn, and
smlled cracklly aL one anoLher. 1he wlnd blew, and Lhe ground began Lo
dry. lL was lmporLanL, for l wanLed Lo reach Akaba before Wood's men
had lefL lL wlLh Lhe reLurn caravan, and Lhelr elghL days' sLarL called
for speed. My body's relucLance Lo rlde hard was anoLher (and perverse)
reason for forclng Lhe march. unLll noon we made poor Lravelllng, for
Lhe camels sLlll broke Lhrough Lhe loose crusL of fllnLs, and foundered
ln Lhe red under-clay. AfLer noon, on Lhe hlgher ground, we dld beLLer,
and began rapldly Lo close Lhe whlLe sky-LenLs whlch were Lhe
1hlalLhakhwaL peaks.

Suddenly shoLs rang ouL aL close range, and four mouLhlng men dashed
down Lhe slope Lowards us. l sLopped my camel peaceably. Seelng Lhls
Lhey [umped off, and ran Lo us brandlshlng Lhelr arms. 1hey asked who l
was: volunLeerlng LhaL Lhey were !azl PowleLaL.

1hls was an open lle, because Lhelr camel-brands were lalz. 1hey covered
us wlLh rlfles aL four yards, and Lold us Lo dlsmounL. l laughed aL
Lhem, whlch was good LacLlcs wlLh 8eduln aL a crlsls. 1hey were
puzzled. l asked Lhe loudesL lf he knew hls name. Pe sLared aL me,
Lhlnklng l was mad. Pe came nearer, wlLh hls flnger on Lhe Lrlgger, and
l benL down Lo hlm and whlspered LhaL lL musL be '1L8AS' slnce no oLher
Lradesman could be so rude. As l spoke, l covered hlm wlLh a plsLol
hldden under my cloak.

lL was a shooLlng lnsulL, buL he was so asLonlshed LhaL anyone should
provoke an armed man, as Lo glve up for Lhe momenL hls LhoughL of
murderlng us. Pe Look a sLep back, and looked around, fearful LhaL
Lhere was a reserve somewhere, Lo glve us confldence. AL once l rode
off slowly, wlLh a creepy feellng ln my back, calllng 8ahall Lo follow.
1hey leL hlm go Loo, unhurL. When we were a hundred yards away, Lhey
repenLed Lhemselves, and began Lo shooL, buL we dashed over Lhe
waLershed lnLo Lhe nexL depresslon, and across lL canLered more
confldenLly lnLo safe ground.

lrom Lhe rldge aL sunseL we looked back for an lnsLanL upon Lhe
norLhern plaln, as lL sank away from us greyly, save LhaL here and
Lhere glowed specks or greaL splashes of crlmson flre, Lhe reflecLlon
of Lhe dylng sun ln shallow pools of raln-waLer on Lhe flaLs. 1hese
eyes of a drlpplng bloody redness were so much more vlslble Lhan Lhe
plaln LhaL Lhey carrled our slghL mlles lnLo Lhe haze, and seemed Lo
hang deLached ln Lhe dlsLanL sky, LllLed up, llke mlrage.

We passed 8alr long afLer dark, when only lLs laLesL LenL-flres sLlll
shone. As we wenL we saw Lhe sLars mlrrored ln a valley boLLom, and
were able Lo waLer our breaLhless camels ln a pool of yesLerday's raln.
AfLer Lhelr drlnk we eased Lhem for half an hour. 1hls nlghL-[ourneylng
was hard on boLh men and anlmals. 8y day Lhe camels saw Lhe
lrregularlLles of Lhelr paLh, and undulaLed over Lhem, and Lhe rlder
could swlng hls body Lo mlss Lhe [erk of a long or shorL sLrlde: buL by
nlghL everyLhlng was bllnded, and Lhe march racked wlLh shocks. l had a
heavy bouL of fever on me, whlch made me angry, so LhaL l pald no
aLLenLlon Lo 8ahall's appeals for resL. 1haL young man had maddened all
of us for monLhs by hls abundanL vlgour, and by laughlng aL our
weaknesses, so Lhls Llme l was deLermlned Lo rlde hlm ouL, showlng no
mercy. 8efore dawn he was blubberlng wlLh self-plLy, buL sofLly, lesL l
hear hlm.

uawn ln !efer came lmpercepLlbly Lhrough Lhe mlsL llke a ghosL of
sunllghL, whlch lefL Lhe earLh unLouched, and demonsLraLed lLself as a
gllLLerlng bllnk agalnsL Lhe eyes alone. 1hlngs aL Lhelr heads sLood
maLL agalnsL Lhe pearl-grey horlzon, and aL Lhelr feeL melLed sofLly
lnLo Lhe ground. Cur shadows had no edge: we doubLed lf LhaL falnL
sLaln upon Lhe soll below was casL by us or noL. ln Lhe forenoon we
reached Auda's camp, and sLopped for a greeLlng, and a few !auf daLes.
Auda could noL provlde us a relay of camels. We mounLed agaln Lo geL
over Lhe rallway ln Lhe early nlghL. 8ahall was pasL proLesL now. Pe
rode beslde me whlLe-faced, bleak and sllenL, wroughL up only Lo
ouLsLay me, beglnnlng Lo Lake a half prlde ln hls palns.

Lven had we sLarLed falr, he had Lhe advanLage anyhow over me ln
sLrengLh, and now l was nearly flnlshed. SLep by sLep l was yleldlng
myself Lo a slow ache whlch consplred wlLh my abaLlng fever and Lhe
numb monoLony of rldlng Lo close up Lhe gaLe of my senses. l seemed aL
lasL approachlng Lhe lnsenslblllLy whlch had always been beyond my
reach: buL a delecLable land: for one born so slug-Llssued LhaL noLhlng
Lhls slde falnLlng would leL hls splrlL free. now l found myself
dlvldlng lnLo parLs. 1here was one whlch wenL on rldlng wlsely, sparlng
or helplng every pace of Lhe wearled camel. AnoLher hoverlng above and
Lo Lhe rlghL benL down curlously, and asked whaL Lhe flesh was dolng.
1he flesh gave no answer, for, lndeed, lL was consclous only of a
rullng lmpulse Lo keep on and on, buL a Lhlrd garrulous one Lalked and
wondered, crlLlcal of Lhe body's self-lnfllcLed labour, and
conLempLuous of Lhe reason for efforL.

1he nlghL passed ln Lhese muLual conversaLlons. My unseelng eyes saw
Lhe dawn-goal ln fronL, Lhe head of Lhe pass, below whlch LhaL oLher
world of 8umm lay ouL llke a sunllL map, and my parLs debaLed LhaL Lhe
sLruggle mlghL be worLhy, buL Lhe end foollshness and a re-blrLh of
Lrouble. 1he spenL body Lolled on doggedly and Look no heed, qulLe
rlghLly, for Lhe dlvlded selves sald noLhlng whlch l was noL capable of
Lhlnklng ln cold blood, Lhey were all my naLlves. 1eleslus, LaughL by
some such experlence, spllL up Lhe soul. Pad he gone on, Lo Lhe
furLhesL llmlL of exhausLlon, he would have seen hls concelved reglmenL
of LhoughLs and acLs and feellngs ranked around hlm as separaLe
creaLures, eyelng, llke vulLures, Lhe passlng ln Lhelr mldsL of Lhe
common Lhlng whlch gave Lhem llfe.

8ahall collecLed me ouL of my deaLh-sleep by [erklng my headsLall and
sLrlklng me, whlle he shouLed LhaL we had losL our dlrecLlon, and were
wanderlng Loward Lhe 1urklsh llnes aL Aba el Llssan. Pe was rlghL, and
we had Lo make a long cuL back Lo reach 8aLra safely. We walked down
Lhe sLeeper porLlons of Lhe pass, and Lhen sLumbled along Wadl Paflra.
ln lLs mldsL a gallanL llLLle PowelLl, aged perhaps fourLeen, darLed
ouL agalnsL us, flnger on Lrlgger, and Lold us Lo sLand and explaln,
whlch we dld, laughlng. 1he lad blushed, and pleaded LhaL hls faLher's
camels kepL hlm always ln Lhe fleld so LhaL he had noL known us elLher
by slghL or by descrlpLlon. Pe begged LhaL we would noL do hlm shame by
beLraylng hls error. 1he lncldenL broke Lhe Lenslon beLween 8ahall and
myself, and, chaLLlng, we rode ouL upon Lhe Caa. 1here under Lhe
Lamarlsk we passed Lhe mlddle hour of Lhe day ln sleep, slnce by our
slowness ln Lhe march over 8aLra we had losL Lhe posslblllLy of
reachlng Akaba wlLhln Lhe Lhree days from Azrak. 1he breaklng of our
lnLenLlon we Look quleLly. 8umm's glory would noL leL a man wasLe
hlmself ln feverlsh regreLs.

We rode up lLs valley ln Lhe early afLernoon, easler now and exchanglng
[esLs wlLh one anoLher, as Lhe long wlnLer evenlng crepL down. When we
goL pasL Lhe khazall ln Lhe ascenL we found Lhe sun velled behlnd level
banks of low clouds ln Lhe wesL, and en[oyed a rlch LwlllghL of Lhe
Lngllsh sorL. ln lLm Lhe mlsL sLeamed up genLly from Lhe soll, and
collecLed lnLo wool-whlLe masses ln each hollow. We reached Akaba aL
mldnlghL, and slepL ouLslde Lhe camp Llll breakfasL, when l called on
!oyce, and found Lhe caravan noL yeL ready Lo sLarL: lndeed Wood was
only a few days reLurned.

LaLer came urgenL orders for me Lo go up aL once Lo alesLlne by alr.
Croll flew me Lo Suez. 1hence l wenL up Lo Allenby's headquarLers
beyond Caza. Pe was so full of vlcLorles LhaL my shorL sLaLemenL LhaL
we had falled Lo carry a ?armuk brldge was sufflclenL, and Lhe
mlserable deLalls of fallure could remaln concealed.

Whlle l was sLlll wlLh hlm, word came from CheLwode LhaL !erusalem had
fallen, and Allenby made ready Lo enLer ln Lhe offlclal manner whlch
Lhe caLhollc lmaglnaLlon of Mark Sykes had devlsed. Pe was good enough,
alLhough l had done noLhlng for Lhe success, Lo leL ClayLon Lake me
along as hls sLaff offlcer for Lhe day. 1he personal SLaff Lrlcked me
ouL ln Lhelr spare cloLhes Llll l looked llke a ma[or ln Lhe 8rlLlsh
Army. ualmeny lenL me red Labs, Lvans hls brass haL, so LhaL l had Lhe
gauds of my appolnLmenL ln Lhe ceremony of Lhe !affa gaLe, whlch for me
was Lhe supreme momenL of Lhe war.





8CCk SLvLn. 1he uead Sea Campalgn




CPA1L8S Lxxxll 1C xCl



Al1L8 1PL CA1u8L Cl !L8uSALLM, ALLLn8?, 1C 8LLlLvL PlS 8lCP1, ASSlCnLu
uS A LlMl1Lu C8!LC1lvL. WL 8LCAn WLLL, 8u1 WPLn WL 8LACPLu 1PL uLAu
SLA, 8Au WLA1PL8, 8Au 1LML8 Anu ulvlSlCn Cl u8CSL 8Lun1Lu Cu8
CllLnSlvL Sl8l1 Anu 88CkL u Cu8 lC8CL.

l PAu A MlSunuL8S1AnulnC Wl1P ZLlu, 1P8LW ln M? PAnu, Anu 8L1u8nLu 1C
ALLS1lnL 8LC81lnC 1PA1 WL PAu lAlLLu, Anu ASklnC 1PL lAvCu8 Cl C1PL8
LMLC?MLn1. ALLLn8? WAS ln 1PL PCLluL MluS1 Cl A C8LA1 SCPLML lC8 1PL
CCMlnC S8lnC. PL SLn1 ML 8ACk A1 CnCL 1C lLlSAL Wl1P nLW CWL8S Anu
uu1lLS.




CPA1L8 Lxxxll



Shamefaced wlLh Lrlumph--whlch was noL so much a Lrlumph as homage by
Allenby Lo Lhe masLerlng splrlL of Lhe place--we drove back Lo Shea's
headquarLers. 1he aldes pushed abouL, and from greaL baskeLs drew a
lunch, varled, elaboraLe and succulenL. Cn us fell a shorL space of
quleL, Lo be shaLLered by Monsleur lcoL, Lhe lrench pollLlcal
represenLaLlve permlLLed by Allenby Lo march beslde ClayLon ln Lhe
enLry, who sald ln hls fluLlng volce: 'And Lo-morrow, my dear general,
l wlll Lake Lhe necessary sLeps Lo seL up clvll governmenL ln Lhls
Lown.'

lL was Lhe bravesL word on record, a sllence followed, as when Lhey
opened Lhe sevenLh seal ln heaven. Salad, chlcken mayonnalse and fole
gras sandwlches hung ln our weL mouLhs unmunched, whlle we Lurned Lo
Allenby and gaped. Lven he seemed for Lhe momenL aL a loss. We began Lo
fear LhaL Lhe ldol mlghL beLray a frallLy. 8uL hls face grew red: he
swallowed, hls chln comlng forward (ln Lhe way we loved), whllsL he
sald, grlmly, 'ln Lhe mlllLary zone Lhe only auLhorlLy ls LhaL of Lhe
Commander-ln-Chlef--myself.' '8uL Slr Crey, Slr Ldward Crey'. . . sLammered
M. lcoL. Pe was cuL shorL. 'Slr Ldward Crey referred Lo Lhe
clvll governmenL whlch wlll be esLabllshed when l [udge LhaL Lhe
mlllLary slLuaLlon permlLs.' And by car agaln, Lhrough Lhe sunshlne of
a greaL Lhankfulness, we sped down Lhe saluLlng mounLaln-slde lnLo our
camp.

1here Allenby and uawnay Lold me Lhe 8rlLlsh were marched and foughL
nearly Lo a sLandsLlll, ln Lhe ledged and preclplLous hllls, shell-Lorn
and bulleL-spaLLered, amld whlch Lhey wresLled wlLh Lhe 1urks along a
llne from 8amleh Lo !erusalem. So Lhey would ask us ln Lhe lull Lo come
norLh Lowards Lhe uead Sea unLll, lf posslble, we llnked rlghL up Lo
lLs souLhern end, and renewed Lhe conLlnuous fronL. lorLunaLely, Lhls
had already been dlscussed wlLh lelsal, who was preparlng Lhe
convergenL move on 1aflleh, lLs necessary flrsL sLep.

lL was Lhe momenL Lo ask Allenby whaL he would do nexL. Pe LhoughL he
was lmmoblllzed Llll Lhe mlddle of lebruary, when he would push down Lo
!erlcho. Much enemy food was belng llghLered up Lhe uead Sea, and he
asked me Lo noLe Lhls Lrafflc as a second ob[ecLlve lf Lhe efforL Lo
1aflleh prevalled.

l, hoplng Lo lmprove on Lhls, replled LhaL, should Lhe 1urks be
conLlnually shaken, we mlghL [oln hlm aL Lhe norLh end of Lhe uead Sea.
lf he could puL lelsal's flfLy Lons a day of supplles, sLores and
ammunlLlon lnLo !erlcho, we would abandon Akaba and Lransfer our
headquarLers Lo Lhe !ordan valley. 1he Arab regulars, now some Lhree
Lhousand sLrong, would sufflce Lo make our reLenLlon of Lhe rlver's
easLern bank reasonably secure.

1hls ldea commended lLself Lo Allenby and uawnay. 1hey could almosL
promlse us such faclllLles when Lhe rallway reached !erusalem some Llme
Lowards Lhe end of Lhe comlng !anuary. We mlghL be able Lo move our
base Lwo monLhs afLer Lhe llne was Lhrough.

1hls Lalk lefL us a clear course of operaLlons. 1he Arabs were Lo reach
Lhe uead Sea as soon as posslble, Lo sLop Lhe LransporL of food up lL
Lo !erlcho before Lhe mlddle of lebruary, and Lo arrlve aL Lhe !ordan
before Lhe end of March. Slnce Lhe flrsL movemenL would Lake a monLh Lo
sLarL, and all prellmlnarles were ln hand, l could Lake a hollday. So l
wenL down Lo Calro, and sLayed Lhere a week experlmenLlng wlLh
lnsulaLed cable and exploslves.

AfLer Lhe week lL seemed besL Lo reLurn Lo Akaba, where we arrlved on
ChrlsLmas uay, Lo flnd Snagge, as senlor offlcer ln Akaba, enLerLalnlng
Lhe 8rlLlsh communlLy Lo dlnner. Pe had screened-ln Lhe afLer deck and
bullL Lables, whlch Look Lhe hosLs and Lhe LwenLy-odd guesLs easlly.
Snagge sLood godfaLher Lo Lhe land, ln hosplLallLy, ln Lhe loan of hls
shlp's docLor and workshop, and ln cheerfulness.

ln Lhe early days of Lhe revolL lL had been Lhe PA8ulnCL whlch played
hls role of provldence Lo us. Cnce, aL ?enbo, lelsal had rldden ln from
Lhe hllls on a sLreamlng day of wlnLer, cold, weL, mlserable and Llred.
CapLaln Llnberry senL a launch ashore and lnvlLed hlm Lo Lhe shlp,
where he found, walLlng for hlm, a warm cabln, a peaceful meal, and a
bounLlful baLh. AfLerwards he lay back ln an arm-chalr, smoklng one of
hls consLanL clgareLLes, and remarked dreamlly Lo me LhaL now he knew
whaL Lhe furnlshlngs of heaven would be.

!oyce Lold me LhaL Lhlngs were well. 1he slLuaLlon had senslbly changed
slnce Maulud's vlcLory. 1he 1urks had concenLraLed ln Aba el Llssan. We
were dlsLracLlng Lhem by ralds agalnsL Lhe llne souLh of Maan. Abdulla
and Ah' were dolng Lhe same near Medlna, and Lhe 1urks, belng plnched
Lo guard Lhe rallway, had Lo draw men from Aba el Llssan Lo sLrengLhen
weak secLlons.

Maulud boldly Lhrew ouL posLs Lo places on Lhe plaLeau, and began Lo
harry Lhe supply caravans from Maan. Pe was hampered by Lhe lnLense
cold, Lhe raln and snow on Lhe helghLs. Some of hls lll-clad men
acLually dled of exposure. 8uL Lhe 1urks losL equally ln men and much
more ln LransporL, slnce Lhelr mangy camels dled off rapldly ln Lhe
sLorms and mud. 1he loss sLralLened Lhem ln food-carrylng and lnvolved
furLher wlLhdrawals from Aba el Llssan.

AL lasL Lhey were Loo weak Lo hold Lhe wlde poslLlon, and, early ln
!anuary, Maulud was able Lo force Lhem ouL Lowards Mrelgha. 1he 8eduln
caughL Lhe 1urks movlng, and cuL up Lhe hlndmosL baLLallon. 1hls Lhrew
Lhe 1urks back preclplLaLely, Lo uhelda, only slx mlles from Maan, and
when we pressed afLer menaclngly, Lhey wlLhdrew Lo Semna, Lhe ouLposL
llne of Maan, Lhree mlles ouL. So by !anuary Lhe sevenLh Maulud was
conLalnlng Maan dlrecLly.

rosperlLy gave us Len days' lelsure, and as !oyce and myself were
rarely aL llberLy LogeLher we declded Lo celebraLe Lhe occaslon by
Laklng a car-Lrlp down Lhe mud-flaLs Lowards Mudowwara.

1he cars were now aL Cuwelra, ln permanenL camp. Cllman and uowseLL,
wlLh Lhelr crews and flfLy LgypLlan soldlers, had spenL monLhs ln Wadl
lLm, bulldlng, llke englneers, a moLor road Lhrough Lhe gorge. lL had
been a greaL work, and was now ln order Lo Cuwelra. So we Look Lhe
8olls Lenders, fllled Lhem wlLh spare Lyres, peLrol, and food for four
days, and seL off on our explorlng Lrlp.

1he mud-flaLs were bone-dry and afforded perfecL golng. Cur Lyres lefL
only a falnL whlLe scar across Lhelr velveL surface, as we LwlsLed
abouL Lhe spaclous smooLhness aL speed, sklrLlng clumps of Lamarlsk and
roarlng along under Lhe greaL sandsLone crags. 1he drlvers re[olced for
Lhe flrsL Llme ln nlne monLhs, and flung forward abreasL ln a mad race.
1helr speedomeLers Louched slxLy-flve, noL bad for cars whlch had been
monLhs ploughlng Lhe deserL wlLh only such runnlng repalrs as Lhe
drlvers had Llme and Lools Lo glve Lhem.

Across Lhe sandy neck from Lhe flrsL flaL Lo Lhe second we bullL a
corduroy road of brushwood. When Lhls was ready, Lhe cars came sLeamlng
and hlsslng along lL, dangerously fasL Lo avold geLLlng sLuck, rocklng
over hummocks ln a sLyle whlch looked faLal for sprlngs. Powever, we
knew lL was nearly lmposslble Lo break a 8olls-8oyce, and so were
sorrler for Lhe drlvers, 1homas, 8olls and Sanderson. 1he [olLs Lore
Lhe sLeerlng-wheel from Lhelr grlp, and lefL Lhem breaLhless wlLh
bleedlng hands afLer Lhe crosslng.

We lunched and resLed, and Lhen had anoLher bursL of speed, wlLh a wlld
dlverslon ln Lhe mlddle when a gazelle was slghLed over Lhe flaL, and
Lwo of Lhe greaL cars lurched aslde ln unavalllng chase.

AL Lhe end of Lhls second flaL, Lhe Caa of ulsl, we had a rough mlle Lo
Lhe Lhlrd flaL of Abu Sawana, across whlch we had a flnal glorlous
sprlnL of flfLeen mlles, over Lhe mud and over Lhe equally flrm fllnL
plalns beyond. We slepL Lhere LhaL chllly nlghL, happy wlLh bully beef
and Lea and blsculL, wlLh Lngllsh Lalk and laughLer round Lhe flre,
golden wlLh lLs shower of sparks from Lhe flerce brushwood. When Lhese
Lhlngs Llred, Lhere was sofL sand beneaLh our bodles and Lwo blankeLs
Lo wrap ourselves ln. lor me lL was a hollday, wlLh noL an Arab near,
before whom l musL play ouL my Ledlous parL.

ln Lhe mornlng we ran on nearly Lo Mudowwara, flndlng Lhe ground-surface
excellenL Lo Lhe waLershed. So our reconnalssance had been a qulck
and easy success. AL once we Lurned back, Lo feLch Lhe armoured
cars and underLake an lmmedlaLe operaLlon, wlLh Lhe help of Lhe
mounLaln gun secLlon on 1alboLs.

1hls secLlon was an oddmenL, whlch Ceneral ClayLon had seen ln LgypL,
and had senL down Lo us ln an lnsplred momenL. lLs 1alboLs, speclally
geared for heavy work, carrled Lwo Len-pounders wlLh 8rlLlsh gunners.
lL was wlcked Lo glve good men such roLLen Lools, yeL Lhelr splrlL
seemed hardly affecLed by Lhe lnferlor weapons. 1helr commander,
8rodle, was a sllenL ScoLsman, never very buoyanL and never Loo
anxlous, a man who found dlfflculLles shameful Lo noLlce, and who
sLamped hlmself on hls fellows. Powever hard Lhe duLy glven Lhem, Lhey
always aLLacked lL wlLh such unLroubled deLermlnaLlon LhaL Lhelr wlll
prevalled. Cn every occaslon and ln every crlsls Lhey would be surely
ln place aL Lhelr momenL, persplrlng buL lmperLurbable, wlLh never a
word ln explanaLlon or complalnL.

LlghL lmposlng cars drove off from Cuwelra nexL day, and reached our
old sLopplng-place behlnd Mudowwara by sundown. 1hls was excellenL, and
we camped, lnLendlng Lo flnd a road Lo Lhe rallway ln Lhe mornlng.
Accordlngly we seL off early ln a 8olls Lender and searched Lhrough Lhe
very nasLy low hllls Llll evenlng, when we were ln place behlnd Lhe
lasL rldge, above 1ell Shahm, Lhe second sLaLlon norLhward from
Mudowwara.

We had Lalked vaguely of mlnlng a Lraln, buL Lhe counLry was Loo open,
and enemy blockhouses numerous. lnsLead we deLermlned Lo aLLack a
llLLle enLrenched work exacLly opposlLe our hldlng-place. So laLe ln
new year's mornlng, a day as cool as a good summer's day ln Lngland,
afLer a pleasanL breakfasL we rolled genLly over a sLony plaln Lo a
hlllock whlch overlooked Lhe 1urklsh posL. !oyce and l goL ouL of our
cars and cllmbed lLs summlL, Lo look on.

!oyce was ln charge, and for Lhe flrsL Llme l was aL a flghL as
specLaLor. 1he novelLy was mosL en[oyable. Armoured car work seemed
flghLlng de luxe, for our Lroops, belng sLeel-covered, could come Lo no
hurL. Accordlngly we made a fleld-day of lL llke Lhe besL regular
generals, slLLlng ln laconlc conference on our hlll-Lop and waLchlng
Lhe baLLle lnLenLly Lhrough blnoculars.

1he 1alboL baLLery opened Lhe affalr, comlng splrlLedly lnLo acLlon
[usL below our polnL, whlle Lhe Lhree armoured cars crawled abouL Lhe
flanks of Lhe 1urklsh earLhwork llke greaL dogs noslng ouL a Lrall. 1he
enemy soldlers popped up Lhelr heads Lo gaze, and everyLhlng was very
frlendly and curlous, Llll Lhe cars slewed round Lhelr vlckers and
began Lo spray Lhe Lrenches. 1hen Lhe 1urks, reallzlng LhaL lL was an
aLLack, goL down behlnd Lhelr parapeLs and flred aL Lhe cars raggedly.
lL was abouL as deadly as Lrylng Lo warm a rhlnoceros wlLh blrd-shoL:
afLer a whlle Lhey Lurned Lhelr aLLenLlon Lo 8rodle's guns and peppered
Lhe earLh abouL Lhem wlLh bulleLs.

Cbvlously Lhey dld noL mean Lo surrender, and obvlously we had no means
aL dlsposal Lo compel Lhem. So we drew off, conLenLed wlLh havlng
prowled up and down Lhe llne, and proved Lhe surface hard enough for
car-operaLlons aL dellberaLe speed. Powever, Lhe men looked for more,
and Lo humour Lhem we drove souLhward Llll opposlLe Shahm. 1here 8rodle
chose a gun-poslLlon aL Lwo Lhousand yards and began Lo Lhrow shell
afLer shell neaLly lnLo Lhe sLaLlon area.

PaLlng Lhls, Lhe 1urks Lrlckled off Lo a blockhouse, whlle Lhe cars puL
lelsurely bulleLs Lhrough Lhe sLaLlon doors and wlndows. 1hey mlghL
have enLered lL safely, had Lhere been polnL ln dolng so. As lL was we
called everybody off agaln, and reLurned lnLo our hldlng-hllls. Cur
anxleLy and foreLhoughL had been all Lo reach Lhe rallway Lhrough Lhe
manlfold dlfflculLles of Lhe plalns and hllls. When we dld reach lL, we
were enLlrely unready for acLlon, wlLh noL a concepLlon of whaL our
LacLlcs or meLhod should be: yeL we learned much from Lhls very
lndeclslon.

1he cerLalnLy LhaL ln a day from Cuwelra we could be operaLlng along
Lhe rallway, meanL LhaL Lrafflc lay aL our mercy. All Lhe 1urks ln
Arabla could noL flghL a slngle armoured car ln open counLry. 1hereby
Lhe slLuaLlon of Medlna, already bad, became hopeless. 1he Cerman SLaff
saw lL, and afLer lalkenhayn's vlslL Lo Maan, Lhey repeaLedly urged
abandonmenL of everyLhlng souLh of LhaL polnL, buL Lhe old 1urk parLy
valued Medlna as Lhe lasL remnanL of Lhelr soverelgnLy ln Lhe Poly
laces, Lhelr survlvlng clalm upon Lhe CallphaLe. SenLlmenL swung Lhem
Lo Lhe declslon, agalnsL mlllLary expedlency.

1he 8rlLlsh seemed curlously dense abouL Medlna. 1hey lnslsLed LhaL lL
musL be capLured, and lavlshed money and exploslves on Lhe operaLlons
whlch All and Abdulla conLlnually underLook from Lhelr ?enbo base. When
l pleaded Lo Lhe conLrary, Lhey LreaLed my vlew as a wlLLy paradox.
Accordlngly, Lo excuse our dellberaLe lnacLlvlLy ln Lhe norLh, we had
Lo make a show of lmpoLence, whlch gave Lhem Lo undersLand LhaL Lhe
Arabs were Loo polLroon Lo cuL Lhe llne near Maan and keep lL cuL. 1hls
reason graLlfled Lhelr sense of flLness, for soldlers, always ready Lo
belleve lll of naLlve acLlon, Look lLs lnferlorlLy as a compllmenL. So
we baLLened on our lll repuLaLlon, whlch was an ungenerous sLraLagem,
buL Lhe easlesL. 1he sLaff knew so much more of war Lhan l dld LhaL
Lhey refused Lo learn from me of Lhe sLrange condlLlons ln whlch Arab
lrregulars had Lo acL, and l could noL be boLhered Lo seL up a
klndergarLen of Lhe lmaglnaLlon for Lhelr beneflL.




CPA1L8 Lxxxlll



Cn our reLurn Lo Akaba domesLlc affalrs engaged Lhe remalnlng free
days. My parL mosLly concerned Lhe bodyguard whlch l formed for prlvaLe
proLecLlon, as rumour gradually magnlfled my lmporLance. Cn our flrsL
golng up counLry from 8abegh and ?enbo, Lhe 1urks had been curlous:
afLerwards Lhey were annoyed, Lo Lhe polnL of ascrlblng Lo Lhe Lngllsh
Lhe dlrecLlon and moLlve force of Lhe Arab 8evolL, much as we used Lo
flaLLer ourselves by aLLrlbuLlng Lhe 1urklsh efflclency Lo Cerman
lnfluence.

Powever, Lhe 1urks sald lL ofLen enough Lo make lL an arLlcle of falLh,
and began Lo offer a reward of one hundred pounds for a 8rlLlsh offlcer
allve or dead. As Llme wenL on Lhey noL only lncreased Lhe general
flgure, buL made a speclal bld for me. AfLer Lhe capLure of Akaba Lhe
prlce became respecLable, whlle afLer we blew up !emal asha Lhey puL
All and me aL Lhe head of Lhelr llsL, worLh LwenLy Lhousand pounds
allve or Len Lhousand dead.

Cf course, Lhe offer was rheLorlcal, wlLh no cerLalnLy wheLher ln gold
or paper, or LhaL Lhe money would be pald aL all. SLlll, perhaps, lL
mlghL [usLlfy some care. l began Lo lncrease my people Lo a Lroop,
addlng such lawless men as l found, fellows whose dash had goL Lhem
lnLo Lrouble elsewhere. l needed hard rlders and hard llvers, men proud
of Lhemselves, and wlLhouL famlly. 8y good forLune Lhree or four of
Lhls sorL [olned me aL Lhe flrsL, seLLlng a Lone and sLandard.

Cne afLernoon, l was quleLly readlng ln Marshall's LenL aL Akaba (l
lodged wlLh Marshall, our ScoLLlsh docLor, as ofLen as l was ln camp)
when Lhere enLered over Lhe nolseless sand an Ageyly, Lhln, dark, and
shorL, buL mosL gorgeously dressed. Pe carrled on hls shoulder Lhe
rlchesL Pasa saddle-bag l had ever seen. lLs woollen LapesLry of green
and scarleL, whlLe, orange and blue, had Lassels woven over lLs sldes
ln flve rows, and from Lhe mlddle and boLLom hung flve-fooL sLreamers,
of geomeLrlc paLLern, Lasselled and frlnged.

8especLfully greeLlng me, Lhe young man Lhrew Lhe saddle-bag on my
carpeL, saylng '?ours' and dlsappeared suddenly, as he had come. nexL
day, he reLurned wlLh a camel-saddle of equal beauLy, Lhe long brass
horns of lLs canLles adorned wlLh exqulslLe old ?emenl engravlng. Cn
Lhe Lhlrd day he reappeared empLy-handed, ln a poor coLLon shlrL, and
sank down ln a heap before me, saylng he wlshed Lo enLer my servlce. Pe
looked odd wlLhouL hls sllk robes, for hls face, shrlvelled and Lorn
wlLh smallpox, and halrless, mlghL have been of any age, whlle he had a
lad's supple body, and someLhlng of a lad's recklessness ln hls
carrlage.

Pls long black halr was carefully bralded lnLo Lhree shlnlng plalLs
down each cheek. Pls eyes were weak, closed up Lo sllLs. Pls mouLh was
sensual, loose, weL, and gave hlm a good-humoured, half cynlcal
expresslon. l asked hlm hls name, he replled Abdulla, surnamed el
nahabl, or Lhe 8obber, Lhe nlckname, he sald, was an lnherlLance from
hls respecLed faLher. Pls own advenLures had been unproflLable. Pe was
born ln 8orelda, and whlle young had suffered from Lhe clvll power for
hls lmpleLy. When half-grown, a mlsforLune ln a marrled woman's house
had made hlm leave hls naLlve Lown, ln a hurry, and Lake servlce wlLh
lbn Saud, Lmlr of ne[d.

ln Lhls servlce hls hard swearlng earned lashes and lmprlsonmenL.
ConsequenLly he deserLed Lo kuwelL, where agaln he had been amorous. Cn
hls release he had moved Lo Pall, and enrolled hlmself among Lhe
reLalners of lbn 8ashld, Lhe Lmlr. unforLunaLely Lhere he had dlsllked
hls offlcer Lo Lhe polnL of sLrlklng hlm ln publlc wlLh a camel-sLlck.
8eLurn was made ln klnd, and, afLer a slow recovery ln prlson, he had
once more been LhrusL frlendless on Lhe world.

1he Pe[az 8allway was belng bullL, and Lo lLs works he had come ln
search of forLune: buL a conLracLor docked hls wages for sleeplng aL
noonday. Pe reLorLed by docklng Lhe conLracLor of hls head. 1he 1urklsh
CovernmenL lnLerfered, and he found llfe very hard ln Lhe prlson aL
Medlna. Powever, Lhrough a wlndow, he came Lo Mecca, and for hls proved
lnLegrlLy and camel-manshlp was made posL-carrler beLween Mecca and
!ldda. 1o Lhls employ he seLLled down, laylng aslde hls young
exLravagances, brlnglng Lo Mecca hls faLher and moLher and seLLlng Lhem
up ln a shop Lo work for hlm, wlLh Lhe caplLal provlded by commlsslon
from merchanLs and robbers.

AfLer a year's prosperlLy he was waylald, loslng hls camel and lLs
conslgnmenL. 1hey selzed hls shop ln compensaLlon. lrom Lhe wreck he
saved enough Lo flL hlmself ouL as a man aL arms, ln Lhe Sherlflan
camel-pollce. MerlL made hlm a peLLy offlcer, buL Loo much aLLenLlon
was drawn Lo hls secLlon by a hablL of flghLlng wlLh daggers, and by
hls foul mouLh, a maw of depravlLy whlch had eaLen fllLh ln Lhe sLews
of every caplLal ln Arabla. Cnce Loo ofLen hls llps Lrembled wlLh
humour, sardonlc, salaclous, lylng, and when reduced, he charged hls
downfall Lo a [ealous ALelbl, whom he sLabbed ln CourL before Lhe eyes
of Lhe ouLraged Sherlf Sharraf.

Sharraf's sLern sense of publlc decency punlshed Abdulla by Lhe
severesL of hls chasLlsemenLs, from whlch he very nearly dled. When
well enough, he enLered Sharraf's servlce. Cn Lhe ouLbreak of war he
became orderly Lo lbn uakhll, capLaln of Lhe Ageyl wlLh lelsal. Pls
repuLaLlon grew: buL Lhe muLlny aL We[h Lurned lbn uakhll lnLo an
ambassador. Abdulla mlssed Lhe comradeshlp of Lhe ranks, and lbn uakhll
had glven hlm a wrlLLen characLer Lo enLer my servlce.

1he leLLer sald LhaL for Lwo years he had been falLhful, buL
dlsrespecLful, Lhe wonL of sons of shame. Pe was Lhe mosL experlenced
Ageyll, havlng served every Arablan prlnce and havlng been dlsmlssed
each employmenL, afLer sLrlpes and prlson, for offences of Loo greaL
lndlvlduallLy. lbn uakhll sald LhaL Lhe nahabl rode second Lo hlmself,
was a masLer-[udge of camels, and as brave as any son of Adam, easlly,
slnce he was Loo bllnd-eyed Lo see danger. ln facL, he was Lhe perfecL
reLalner, and l engaged hlm lnsLanLly.

ln my servlce only once dld he LasLe cells. 1haL was aL Allenby's
headquarLers, when a despalrlng provosL-marshal rang up Lo say LhaL a
wlld man, wlLh weapons, found slLLlng on Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef's
doorsLep, had been led wlLhouL rloL Lo Lhe guard-room, where he was
eaLlng oranges as Lhough for a wager, and proclalmlng hlmself my son,
one of lelsal's dogs. Cranges were runnlng shorL.

So Abdulla experlenced hls flrsL Lelephone conversaLlon. Pe Lold Lhe
A..M. LhaL such a flLLlng would be a comforL ln all prlsons, and Look
a ceremonlous leave. Pe scouLed absoluLely Lhe noLlon LhaL he mlghL
walk abouL 8amleh unarmed, and was glven a pass Lo make lawful hls
sword, dagger, plsLol, and rlfle. Pls flrsL use of Lhls pass was Lo
re-vlslL Lhe guard-room wlLh clgareLLes for Lhe mlllLary pollce.

Pe examlned Lhe appllcanLs for my servlce, and, Lhanks Lo hlm and Lo
Lhe Zaagl, my oLher commander (a sLlff man of normal offlcer cuL), a
wonderful gang of experLs grew abouL me. 1he 8rlLlsh aL Akaba called
Lhem cuL-LhroaLs, buL Lhey cuL LhroaLs only Lo my order. erhaps ln
oLhers' eyes lL was a faulL LhaL Lhey would recognlze no auLhorlLy buL
mlne. ?eL when l was away Lhey were klnd Lo Ma[or Marshall, and would
hold hlm ln lncomprehenslble Lalk abouL polnLs of camels, Lhelr breeds
and allmenLs, from dawn Llll nlghL Llme. Marshall was very paLlenL, and
Lwo or Lhree of Lhem would slL aLLenLlve by hls bedslde, from Lhe flrsL
dayllghL, walLlng Lo conLlnue hls educaLlon as soon as he became
consclous.

A good half (nearly flfLy of Lhe nlneLy) were Ageyl, Lhe nervous umber
ne[dl vlllagers who made Lhe colour and Lhe parade ln lelsal's army,
and whose care for Lhelr rldlng-camels was such a feaLure of Lhelr
servlce. 1hey would call Lhem by name, from a hundred yards away, and
leave Lhem ln charge of Lhe klL when Lhey dlsmounLed. 1he Ageyl, belng
mercenarles, would noL do well unless well pald, and for lack of LhaL
condlLlon had fallen lnLo dlsrepuLe: yeL Lhe bravesL slngle efforL of
Lhe Arab war belonged Lo LhaL one of Lhem who Lwlce swam down Lhe
subLerranean waLer-condulL lnLo Medlna, and reLurned wlLh a full reporL
of Lhe lnvesLed Lown.

l pald my men slx pounds a monLh, Lhe sLandard army wage for a man and
camel, buL mounLed Lhem on my own anlmals, so LhaL Lhe money was clear
lncome: Lhls made Lhe servlce envlable, and puL Lhe eager splrlLs of
Lhe camp aL my dlsposal. lor my Llme-Lable's sake, slnce l was more
busy Lhan mosL, my rldes were long, hard and sudden. 1he ordlnary Arab,
whose camel represenLed half hls wealLh, could noL afford Lo founder lL
by Lravelllng my speed: also such rldlng was palnful for Lhe man.

ConsequenLly, l had Lo have wlLh me plcked rlders, on my own beasLs. We
boughL aL long prlces Lhe fasLesL and sLrongesL camels Lo be obLalned.
We chose Lhem for speed and power, no maLLer how hard and exhausLlng
Lhey mlghL be under Lhe saddle: lndeed, ofLen we chose Lhe hard-paced
as Lhe more endurlng. 1hey were changed or resLed ln our own
camel-hosplLal when Lhey became Lhln: and Lhelr rlders were LreaLed
llkewlse. 1he Zaagl held each man bodlly responslble for hls mounL's
condlLlon, and for Lhe flLness of hls saddlery.

lellows were very proud of belng ln my bodyguard, whlch developed a
professlonallsm almosL flamboyanL. 1hey dressed llke a bed of Lullps,
ln every colour buL whlLe, for LhaL was my consLanL wear, and Lhey dld
noL wlsh Lo seem Lo presume. ln half an hour Lhey would make ready for
a rlde of slx weeks, LhaL belng Lhe llmlL for whlch food could be
carrled aL Lhe saddle-bow. 8aggage camels Lhey shrank from as a
dlsgrace. 1hey would Lravel day and nlghL aL my whlm, and made lL a
polnL of honour never Lo menLlon faLlgue. lf a new man grumbled, Lhe
oLhers would sllence hlm, or change Lhe currenL of hls complalnL,
bruLally.

1hey foughL llke devlls, when l wanLed, and someLlmes when l dld noL,
especlally wlLh 1urks or wlLh ouLslders. lor one guardsman Lo sLrlke
anoLher was Lhe lasL offence. 1hey expecLed exLravaganL reward and
exLravaganL punlshmenL. 1hey made boasL LhroughouL Lhe army of Lhelr
palns and galns. 8y Lhls unreason ln each degree Lhey were kepL apL for
any efforL, any rlsk.

Abdulla and Lhe Zaagl ruled Lhem, under my auLhorlLy, wlLh a savagery
palllaLed only by Lhe power of each man Lo qulL Lhe servlce lf he
wlshed. ?eL we had buL one reslgnaLlon. 1he oLhers, Lhough adolescenLs
full of carnal passlon, LempLed by Lhls lrregular llfe, well-fed,
exerclsed, rlch, seemed Lo sancLlfy Lhelr rlsk, Lo be fasclnaLed by
Lhelr sufferlng. ServlLude, llke oLher conducL, was profoundly modlfled
Lo LasLern mlnds by Lhelr obsesslon wlLh Lhe anLlLhesls beLween flesh
and splrlL. 1hese lads Look pleasure ln subordlnaLlon, ln degradlng Lhe
body: so as Lo Lhrow lnLo greaLer rellef Lhelr freedom ln equallLy of
mlnd: almosL Lhey preferred servlLude as rlcher ln experlence Lhan
auLhorlLy, and less blndlng ln dally care.

ConsequenLly Lhe relaLlon of masLer and man ln Arabla was aL once more
free and more sub[ecL Lhan l had experlenced elsewhere. ServanLs were
afrald of Lhe sword of [usLlce and of Lhe sLeward's whlp, noL because
Lhe one mlghL puL an arblLrary Lerm Lo Lhelr exlsLence, and Lhe oLher
prlnL red rlvers of paln abouL Lhelr sldes, buL because Lhese were Lhe
symbols and Lhe means Lo whlch Lhelr obedlence was vowed. 1hey had a
gladness of abasemenL, a freedom of consenL Lo yleld Lo Lhelr masLer
Lhe lasL servlce and degree of Lhelr flesh and blood, because Lhelr
splrlLs were equal wlLh hls and Lhe conLracL volunLary. Such boundless
engagemenL precluded humlllaLlon, replnlng and regreL.

ln Lhls pledglng of Lhelr endurance, lL dlsgraced men lf, from weakness
of nerve or lnsufflclency of courage, Lhey fell shorL of Lhe call. aln
was Lo Lhem a solvenL, a caLharLlc, almosL a decoraLlon, Lo be falrly
worn whlle Lhey survlved lL. lear, Lhe sLrongesL moLlve ln sloLhful
man, broke down wlLh us, slnce love for a cause--or for a person--was
aroused. lor such an ob[ecL, penalLles were dlscounLed, and loyalLy
became open-eyed, noL obedlenL. 1o lL men dedlcaLed Lhelr belng, and ln
lLs possesslon Lhey had no room for vlrLue or vlce. Cheerfully Lhey
nourlshed lL upon whaL Lhey were, gave lL Lhelr llves, and, greaLer
Lhan LhaL, Lhe llves of Lhelr fellowshlp: lL belng many Llmes harder Lo
offer Lhan Lo endure sacrlflce.

1o our sLralned eyes, Lhe ldeal, held ln common, seemed Lo Lranscend
Lhe personal, whlch before had been our normal measure of Lhe world.
uld Lhls lnsLlncL polnL Lo our happlly accepLlng flnal absorpLlon ln
some paLLern whereln Lhe dlscordanL selves mlghL flnd reasonable,
lnevlLable purpose? ?eL Lhls very Lranscendlng of lndlvldual frallLy
made Lhe ldeal LranslenL. lLs prlnclple became AcLlvlLy, Lhe prlmal
quallLy, exLernal Lo our aLomlc sLrucLure, whlch we could slmulaLe only
by unresL of mlnd and soul and body, beyond holdlng polnL. So always
Lhe ldeallLy of Lhe ldeal vanlshed, leavlng lLs worshlppers exhausLed:
holdlng for false whaL Lhey had once pursued.

Powever, for Lhe Llme Lhe Arabs were possessed, and cruelLy of
governance answered Lhelr need. 8esldes, Lhey were blood enemles of
LhlrLy Lrlbes, and only for my hand over Lhem would have murdered ln
Lhe ranks each day. 1helr feuds prevenLed Lhem comblnlng agalnsL me,
whlle Lhelr unllkeness gave me sponsors and sples wherever l wenL or
senL, beLween Akaba and uamascus, beLween 8eersheba and 8agdad. ln my
servlce nearly slxLy of Lhem dled.

WlLh qualnL [usLlce, evenLs forced me Lo llve up Lo my bodyguard, Lo
become as hard, as sudden, as heedless. 1he odds agalnsL me were heavy,
and Lhe cllmaLe cogged Lhe dle. ln Lhe shorL wlnLer l ouLdld Lhem, wlLh
my allles of Lhe frosL and snow: ln Lhe heaL Lhey ouLdld me. ln
endurance Lhere was less dlsparlLy. lor years before Lhe war l had made
myself Lrlm by consLanL carelessness. l had learned Lo eaL much one
Llme, Lhen Lo go Lwo, Lhree, or four days wlLhouL food, and afLer Lo
overeaL. l made lL a rule Lo avold rules ln food, and by a course of
excepLlons accusLomed myself Lo no cusLom aL all.

So, organlcally, l was efflclenL ln Lhe deserL, felL nelLher hunger nor
surfelL, and was noL dlsLracLed by LhoughL of food. Cn Lhe march l
could go dry beLween wells, and, llke Lhe Arabs, could drlnk greaLly
Lo-day for Lhe LhlrsL of yesLerday and of Lo-morrow.

ln Lhe same way, Lhough sleep remalned for me Lhe rlchesL pleasure ln
Lhe world, l supplled lLs place by Lhe uneasy swaylng ln Lhe saddle of
a nlghL-march, or falled of lL for nlghL afLer laborlous nlghL wlLhouL
undue faLlgue. Such llberLles came from years of conLrol (conLempL of
use mlghL well be Lhe lesson of our manhood), and Lhey flLLed me
pecullarly for our work: buL, of course, ln me Lhey came half by
Lralnlng, half by Lrylng, ouL of mlxed cholce and poverLy, noL
efforLlessly, as wlLh Lhe Arabs. ?eL ln compensaLlon sLood my energy of
moLlve. 1helr less LauL wllls flagged before mlne flagged, and by
comparlson made me seem Lough and acLlve.

lnLo Lhe sources of my energy of wlll l dared noL probe. 1he concepLlon
of anLlLheLlcal mlnd and maLLer, whlch was baslc ln Lhe Arab
self-surrender, helped me noL aL all. l achleved surrender (so far as l
dld achleve lL) by Lhe very opposlLe road, Lhrough my noLlon LhaL menLal
and physlcal were lnseparably one: LhaL our bodles, Lhe unlverse, our
LhoughLs and LacLlllLles were concelved ln and of Lhe molecular sludge
of maLLer, Lhe unlversal elemenL Lhrough whlch form drlfLed as cloLs
and paLLerns of varylng denslLy. lL seemed Lo me unLhlnkable LhaL
assemblages of aLoms should coglLaLe excepL ln aLomlc Lerms. My
perverse sense of values consLralned me Lo assume LhaL absLracL and
concreLe, as badges, dld noL denoLe opposlLlons more serlous Lhan
Llberal and ConservaLlve. 1he pracLlce of our revolL forLlfled Lhe
nlhlllsL aLLlLude ln me. uurlng lL, we ofLen saw men push Lhemselves or
be drlven Lo a cruel exLreme of endurance: yeL never was Lhere an
lnLlmaLlon of physlcal break. Collapse rose always from a moral
weakness eaLlng lnLo Lhe body, whlch of lLself, wlLhouL LralLors from
wlLhln, had no power over Lhe wlll. Whlle we rode we were dlsbodled,
unconsclous of flesh or feellng: and when aL an lnLerval Lhls
exclLemenL faded and we dld see our bodles, lL was wlLh some hosLlllLy,
wlLh a conLempLuous sense LhaL Lhey reached Lhelr hlghesL purpose, noL
as vehlcles of Lhe splrlL, buL when, dlssolved, Lhelr elemenLs served
Lo manure a fleld.




CPA1L8 Lxxxlv



8emoLe from Lhe flghLlng llne, ln Akaba, durlng Lhls pause, we saw Lhe
reverse of Lhe shleld, Lhe corrupLlon of our enLhuslasm, whlch made Lhe
moral condlLlon of Lhe base unsaLlsfacLory. We re[olced when aL lasL we
were able Lo escape lnLo Lhe clean, fresh hllls abouL Cuwelra. 1he
early wlnLer gave us days hoL and sunny, or days overcasL, wlLh clouds
massed abouL Lhe head of Lhe plaLeau nlne mlles away, where Maulud was
keeplng hls waLch ln Lhe mlsL and raln. 1he evenlngs held [usL enough
of chlll Lo add dellghLful value Lo a Lhlck cloak and a flre.

We walLed ln Cuwelra for news of Lhe openlng of our operaLlon agalnsL
1aflleh, Lhe knoL of vlllages commandlng Lhe souLh end of Lhe uead Sea.
We planned Lo Lackle lL from wesL, souLh, and easL, aL once, Lhe easL
openlng Lhe ball by aLLacklng !urf, lLs nearesL sLaLlon on Lhe Pe[az
llne. ConducL of Lhls aLLack had been LrusLed Lo Sherlf naslr, Lhe
lorLunaLe. WlLh hlm wenL nurl Sald, !aafar's chlef of sLaff, commandlng
some regulars, a gun, and some machlne-guns. 1hey were worklng from
!efer. AfLer Lhree days Lhelr posL came ln. As usual naslr had dlrecLed
hls rald wlLh sklll and dellberaLlon. !urf, Lhe ob[ecLlve, was a sLrong
sLaLlon of Lhree sLone bulldlngs wlLh ouLer-works and Lrenches. 8ehlnd
Lhe sLaLlon was a low mound, Lrenched and walled, on whlch Lhe 1urks
had seL Lwo machlne-guns and a mounLaln gun. 8eyond Lhe mound lay a
hlgh, sharp rldge, Lhe lasL spur of Lhe hllls whlch dlvlded !efer from
8alr.

1he weakness of Lhe defence lay ln Lhls rldge, for Lhe 1urks were Loo
few Lo hold boLh lL and Lhe knoll or sLaLlon, and lLs cresL overlooked
Lhe rallway. naslr one nlghL occupled Lhe whole Lop of Lhe hlll wlLhouL
alarm, and Lhen cuL Lhe llne above and below Lhe sLaLlon. A few mlnuLes
laLer, when lL was llghL enough Lo see, nurl Sald broughL hls mounLaln
gun Lo Lhe edge of Lhe rldge, and, wlLh a Lhlrd lucky shoL, a dlrecL
hlL, sllenced Lhe 1urklsh gun beneaLh hls vlew.

naslr grew greaLly exclLed: Lhe 8enl Sakhr mounLed Lhelr camels,
swearlng Lhey would charge ln forLhwlLh. nurl LhoughL lL madness whlle
1urklsh machlne-guns were sLlll ln acLlon from Lrenches: buL hls words
had no effecL upon Lhe 8edu. ln desperaLlon he opened a raLLllng flre
wlLh all he had agalnsL Lhe 1urklsh poslLlon, and Lhe 8enl Sakhr swepL
round Lhe fooL of Lhe maln rldge and up over Lhe knoll ln a flash. When
Lhey saw Lhls camel-horde raclng aL Lhem, Lhe 1urks flung away Lhelr
rlfles and fled lnLo Lhe sLaLlon. Cnly Lwo Arabs were faLally hurL.

nurl ran down Lo Lhe knoll. 1he 1urklsh gun was undamaged. Pe slewed lL
round and dlscharged lL polnL blank lnLo Lhe LlckeL offlce. 1he 8enl
Sakhr mob yelled wlLh [oy Lo see Lhe wood and sLones flylng, [umped
agaln on Lhelr camels and loped lnLo Lhe sLaLlon [usL as Lhe enemy
surrendered. nearly Lwo hundred 1urks, lncludlng seven offlcers,
survlved as our prlsoners.

1he 8edu became rlch: besldes Lhe weapons, Lhere were LwenLy-flve
mules, and ln Lhe sldlng seven Lrucks of dellcacles for Lhe offlcers'
messes of Medlna. 1here were Lhlngs Lhe Lrlbesmen had only heard of,
and Lhlngs Lhey had never heard of: Lhey were supremely happy. Lven Lhe
unforLunaLe regulars goL a share, and were able once more Lo en[oy
ollves, sesame pasLe, drled aprlcoL, and oLher sweeL or plckled
producLs of Lhelr naLlve, half-forgoLLen, Syrla.

nurl Sald had arLlflclal LasLes, and rescued Llnned meaLs and llquors
from Lhe wllder men. 1here was one whole Lruck of Lobacco. As Lhe
PowelLaL dld noL smoke, lL was dlvlded beLween Lhe 8enl Sakhr and Lhe
regulars. 8y lLs loss Lhe Medlna garrlson became Lobacco-less: Lhelr
sad pllghL laLer so worked on lelsal, a conflrmed smoker, LhaL he
loaded some pack-camels wlLh cheap clgareLLes and drove Lhem lnLo 1ebuk
wlLh hls compllmenLs.

AfLer Lhe looLlng, Lhe englneers flred charges under Lhe Lwo englnes,
agalnsL Lhe waLer-Lower, ln Lhe pump, and beLween Lhe polnLs of Lhe
sldlngs. 1hey burned Lhe capLured Lrucks and damaged a brldge, buL
perfuncLorlly, for, as usual afLer vlcLory, everyone was Loo loaded and
Loo hoL Lo care for alLrulsLlc labour. 1hey camped behlnd Lhe sLaLlon,
and abouL mldnlghL had an alarm, when Lhe nolse and llghLs of a Lraln
came from Lhe souLh and halLed, clearly wlLh foreknowledge, by Lhe
break of Lhe evenlng before. Auda senL scouLs Lo reporL.

8efore Lhey had reLurned a sollLary sergeanL walked lnLo naslr's camp
as a volunLeer for Lhe Sherlf's army. Pe had been senL ouL by Lhe 1urks
Lo explore Lhe sLaLlon. Pls sLory was LhaL Lhere were only slxLy men
and a mounLaln gun on Lhe rellef Lraln, whlch, lf he wenL back wlLh
smooLh news, mlghL be surprlsed wlLhouL a shoL flred. naslr called
Auda, who called Lhe PowelLaL, and Lhey wenL off sllenLly Lo lay Lhe
Lrap: buL [usL before Lhey goL Lhere our scouLs declded Lo do Lhelr
unalded besL, and opened flre agalnsL Lhe coaches. ln fear, Lhe englne
reversed, and rolled Lhe Lraln back, unhurL, Lo Maan. lL was Lhe only
sorrow of !urf.

AfLer Lhls rald Lhe weaLher once more broke. lor Lhree successlve days
came falls of snow. naslr's force wlLh dlfflculLy regalned Lhe LenLs aL
!efer. 1hls plaLeau abouL Maan lay beLween Lhree and flve Lhousand feeL
above sea level, open Lo all wlnds from norLh and easL. 1hey blew from
CenLral Asla, or from Caucasus, Lerrlbly over Lhe greaL deserL Lo Lhese
low hllls of Ldom, agalnsL whlch Lhelr flrsL fury broke. 1he surplus
blLLerness llpped Lhe cresL and made a wlnLer, qulLe severe of lLs
degree, below ln !udaea and Slnal.

CuLslde 8eersheba and !erusalem Lhe 8rlLlsh found lL cold, buL our
Arabs fled Lhere Lo geL warm. unhapplly Lhe 8rlLlsh supply sLaff
reallzed Loo laLe LhaL we were flghLlng ln a llLLle Alp. 1hey would noL
glve us LenLs for one-quarLer of our Lroops, nor serge cloLhlng, nor
booLs, nor blankeLs enough Lo lssue Lwo Lo each man of Lhe mounLaln
garrlsons. Cur soldlers, lf Lhey nelLher deserLed nor dled, exlsLed ln
an achlng mlsery whlch froze Lhe hope ouL of Lhem.

Accordlng Lo our plan Lhe good news of !urf was Lo send Lhe Arabs of
eLra, under Sherlf Abd el Mayln, aL once up Lhelr hllls lnLo Lhe
foresL Lowards Shobek. lL was an uncanny march ln Lhe hoar mlsL, LhaL
of Lhese frozen-fooLed peasanLs ln Lhelr sheepsklns, up and down sharp
valleys and dangerous hlll-sldes, ouL of whose snowdrlfLs Lhe heavy
Lrunks of [unlpers, grudglng ln leaves, [uLLed llke casLlngs ln grey
lron. 1he lce and frosL broke down Lhe anlmals, and many of Lhe men,
yeL Lhese hardy hlghlanders, used Lo belng Loo cold LhroughouL Lhelr
wlnLer, perslsLed ln Lhe advance.

1he 1urks heard of Lhem as Lhey sLruggled slowly nearer, and fled from
Lhe caves and shelLers among Lhe Lrees Lo Lhe branch rallhead,
llLLerlng Lhe roads of Lhelr panlc wlLh casL baggage and equlpmenL.

8allhead of Lhe foresL rallway, wlLh lLs Lemporary sheds, was commanded
from low rldges by Lhe Arab gun-flre, and no beLLer Lhan a Lrap. 1he
Lrlbesmen, ln a pack, Lore Lhe enemy Lo pleces as Lhey ran ouL from
Lhelr burnlng and falllng walls. Cne dlsclpllned company of proper
Lroops, under an Albanlan offlcer, foughL Lhelr way Lo Lhe maln llne,
buL Lhe Arabs kllled or Look Lhe oLhers, and also Lhe sLores ln Shobek,
Lhe old Crusader forL of Monreale, polsed hlgh on a chalk cone above
lLs wlndlng valley. Abd el Mayeln puL hls headquarLers Lhere, and senL
word Lo naslr. MasLur, Loo, was Lold. Pe drew hls MoLalga horse and
fooL from Lhe comforL of Lhelr LenLs ln Lhe sunny depLhs of Arabla and
wlLh Lhem cllmbed Lhe hlll-pass easLward Lowards 1aflleh.

Powever, Lhe advanLage lay wlLh naslr, who leaped ln one day from
!efer, and afLer a whlrlwlnd nlghL appeared aL dawn on Lhe rocky brlnk
of Lhe ravlne ln whlch 1aflleh hld, and summoned lL Lo surrender on
paln of bombardmenL: an ldle LhreaL, for nurl Sald wlLh Lhe guns had
gone back Lo Cuwelra. 1here were only one hundred and elghLy 1urks ln
Lhe vlllage, buL Lhey had supporLers ln Lhe Muhalsln, a clan of Lhe
peasanLry, noL for love so much as because uhlab, Lhe vulgar head-man
of anoLher facLlon, had declared for lelsal. So Lhey shoL up aL naslr a
sLream of lll-dlrecLed bulleLs.

1he PowelLaL spread ouL along Lhe cllffs Lo reLurn Lhe peasanLs' flre.
1hls manner of golng dlspleased Auda, Lhe old llon, who raged LhaL a
mercenary vlllage folk should dare Lo reslsL Lhelr secular masLers, Lhe
Abu 1ayl. So he [erked hls halLer, canLered hls mare down Lhe paLh, and
rode ouL plaln Lo vlew beneaLh Lhe easLernmosL houses of Lhe vlllage.
1here he relned ln, and shook a hand aL Lhem, boomlng ln hls wonderful
volce: 'uogs, do you noL know Auda?' When Lhey reallzed lL was LhaL
lmplacable son of war Lhelr hearLs falled Lhem, and an hour laLer
Sherlf naslr ln Lhe Lown-house was slpplng Lea wlLh hls guesL Lhe
1urklsh Covernor, Lrylng Lo console hlm for Lhe sudden change of
forLune.

AL dark MasLur rode ln. Pls MoLalga looked blackly aL Lhelr blood
enemles Lhe Abu 1ayl, lolllng ln Lhe besL houses. 1he Lwo Sherlfs
dlvlded up Lhe place, Lo keep Lhelr unruly followers aparL. 1hey had
llLLle auLhorlLy Lo medlaLe, for by passage of Llme naslr was nearly
adopLed lnLo Lhe Abu 1ayl, and MasLur lnLo Lhe !azl.

When mornlng came Lhe facLlons were blckerlng, and Lhe day passed
anxlously, for besldes Lhese blood enemles, Lhe Muhalsln were flghLlng
for auLhorlLy among Lhe vlllagers, and furLher compllcaLlons developed
ln Lwo sLranger elemenLs: one a colony of free-booLlng Senussl from
norLh Afrlca, who had been lnLruded by Lhe 1urks lnLo some rlch, buL
half-derellcL plough-land, Lhe oLher a plalaLlve and acLlve suburb of a
Lhousand Armenlans, survlvors of an lnfamous deporLaLlon by Lhe ?oung
1urks ln 1913.

1he people of 1aflleh wenL ln deadly fear of Lhe fuLure. We were, as
usual, shorL of food and shorL of LransporL, and Lhey would remedy
nelLher lll. 1hey had wheaL or barley ln Lhelr blns, buL hld lL. 1hey
had pack-anlmals, asses and mules ln abundance, buL drove Lhem away for
safeLy. 1hey could have drlven us away Loo, buL were, forLunaLely for
us, shorL of Lhe sLlcklng polnL. lncurlousness was Lhe mosL poLenL ally
of our lmposed order, for LasLern governmenL resLed noL so much on
consenL or force, as on Lhe common suplnlLy, hebeLude, lack-a-dalslness,
whlch gave a mlnorlLy undue effecL.

lelsal had delegaLed command of Lhls push Lowards Lhe uead Sea Lo hls
young half-broLher Zeld. lL was Zeld's flrsL offlce ln Lhe norLh, and
he seL ouL eager wlLh hope. As advlser he had !aafar asha, our
general. Pls lnfanLry, gunners and machlne-gunners sLuck, for lack of
food, aL eLra, buL Zeld hlmself and !aafar rode on Lo 1aflleh.

1hlngs were almosL aL a break. Auda affecLed a magnanlmlLy very galllng
Lo Lhe MoLalga boys, MeLaab and Annad, sons of AbLan, whom Auda's son
had kllled. 1hey, llLhe, deflnlLe, self-consclous flgures, began Lo
Lalk blg abouL revenge-Lorn-LlLs LhreaLenlng a hawk. Auda declared he
would whlp Lhem ln Lhe markeL-place lf Lhey were rude. 1hls was very
well, buL Lhelr followers were Lwo Lo every man of hls, and we should
have Lhe vlllage ln a blaze. 1he young fellows, wlLh 8ahall, my
ruffler, wenL flaunLlng ln every sLreeL.

Zeld Lhanked and pald Auda and senL hlm back Lo hls deserL. 1he
enllghLened heads of Lhe Muhalsln had Lo go as forced guesLs Lo
lelsal's LenL. uhlab, Lhelr enemy, was our frlend: we remembered
regreLfully Lhe adage LhaL Lhe besL allles of a vlolenLly-successful
new reglme were noL lLs parLlsans, buL lLs opponenLs. 8y Zeld's plenLy
of gold Lhe economlc slLuaLlon lmproved. We appolnLed an offlcer-governor
and organlzed our flve vlllages for furLher aLLack.




CPA1L8 Lxxxv



noLwlLhsLandlng, Lhese plans qulckly wenL adrlfL. 8efore Lhey had been
agreed upon we were asLonlshed by a sudden Lry of Lhe 1urks Lo dlslodge
us. We had never dreamed of Lhls, for lL seemed ouL of Lhe quesLlon
LhaL Lhey should hope Lo keep 1aflleh, or wanL Lo keep lL. Allenby was
[usL ln !erusalem, and for Lhe 1urks Lhe lssue of Lhe war mlghL depend
on Lhelr successful defence of Lhe !ordan agalnsL hlm. unless !erlcho
fell, or unLll lL fell, 1aflleh was an obscure vlllage of no lnLeresL.
nor dld we value lL as a possesslon, our deslre was Lo geL pasL lL
Lowards Lhe enemy. lor men so crlLlcally placed as Lhe 1urks Lo wasLe
one slngle casualLy on lLs recapLure appeared Lhe rankesL folly.

Pamld lakhrl asha, commandlng Lhe 48Lh ulvlslon and Lhe Amman secLor,
LhoughL oLherwlse, or had hls orders. Pe collecLed abouL nlne hundred
lnfanLry, made up of Lhree baLLallons (ln !anuary 1918 a 1urklsh
baLLallon was a poor Lhlng) wlLh a hundred cavalry, Lwo mounLaln
howlLzers, and LwenLy-seven machlne-guns, and senL Lhem by rall and
road Lo kerak. 1here he lmpressed all Lhe local LransporL, drew a
compleLe seL of clvll offlclals Lo sLaff hls new admlnlsLraLlon ln
1aflleh, and marched souLhward Lo surprlse us.

Surprlse us he dld. We flrsL heard of hlm when hls cavalry feelers fell
on our plckeLs ln Wadl Pesa, Lhe gorge of greaL wldLh and depLh and
dlfflculLy whlch cuL off kerak from 1aflleh, Moab from Ldom. 8y dusk he
had drlven Lhem back, and was upon us.

!aafar asha had skeLched a defence poslLlon on Lhe souLh bank of Lhe
greaL ravlne of 1aflleh, proposlng, lf Lhe 1urks aLLacked, Lo glve Lhem
Lhe vlllage, and defend Lhe helghLs whlch overhung lL, behlnd. 1hls
seemed Lo me doubly unsound. 1he slopes were dead, and Lhelr defence as
dlfflculL as Lhelr aLLack. 1hey could be Lurned from Lhe easL, and by
qulLLlng Lhe vlllage we Lhrew away Lhe local people, whose voLes and
hands would be for Lhe occuplers of Lhelr houses.

Powever, lL was Lhe rullng ldea--all Zeld had--and so abouL mldnlghL he
gave Lhe order, and servanLs and reLalners loaded up Lhelr sLuff. 1he
men-aL-arms proceeded Lo Lhe souLhern cresL, whlle Lhe baggage Lraln
was senL off by Lhe lower road Lo safeLy. 1hls move creaLed panlc ln
Lhe Lown. 1he peasanLs LhoughL we were runnlng away (l Lhlnk we were)
and rushed Lo save Lhelr goods and llves. lL was freezlng hard, and Lhe
ground was crusLed wlLh nolsy lce. ln Lhe blusLerlng dark Lhe confuslon
and crylng Lhrough Lhe narrow sLreeLs were Lerrlble.

uhlab Lhe Shelkh had Lold us harrowlng Lales of Lhe dlsaffecLlon of Lhe
Lownspeople, Lo lncrease Lhe splendour of hls own loyalLy, buL my
lmpresslon was LhaL Lhey were sLouL fellows of greaL poLenLlal use. 1o
prove lL l saL ouL on my roof, or walked ln Lhe dark up and down Lhe
sLeep alleys, cloaked agalnsL recognlLlon, wlLh my guards unobLruslvely
abouL me wlLhln call. So we heard whaL passed. 1he people were ln a
very passlon of fear, nearly dangerous, abuslng everybody and
everyLhlng: buL Lhere was noLhlng pro-1urklsh abroad. 1hey were ln
horror of Lhe 1urks reLurnlng, ready Lo do all ln Lhelr physlcal
capaclLy Lo supporL agalnsL Lhem a leader wlLh flghLlng lnLenLlon. 1hls
was saLlsfacLory, for lL chlmed wlLh my hankerlng Lo sLand where we
were and flghL sLlffly.

llnally, l meL Lhe young !azl shelkhs MeLaab and Annad, beauLlful ln
sllks and gleamlng sllver arms, and senL Lhem Lo flnd Lhelr uncle, Pamd
el Arar. Plm l asked Lo rlde away norLh of Lhe ravlne, Lo Lell Lhe
peasanLry, who, by Lhe nolse, were sLlll flghLlng Lhe 1urks, LhaL we
were on our way up Lo help Lhem. Pamd, a melancholy, courLly, gallanL
cavaller, galloped off aL once wlLh LwenLy of hls relaLlons, all LhaL
he could gaLher ln Lhe dlsLracLed momenL.

1helr passage aL speed Lhrough Lhe sLreeLs added Lhe lasL Louch
requlred Lo perfecL Lhe Lerror. 1he housewlves bundled Lhelr goods
pell-mell ouL of doors and wlndows, Lhough no men were walLlng Lo
recelve Lhem. Chlldren were Lrampled on, and yelled, whlle Lhelr
moLhers were yelllng anyhow. 1he MoLalga durlng Lhelr gallop flred shoL
afLer shoL lnLo Lhe alr Lo encourage Lhemselves, and, as Lhough Lo
answer Lhem, Lhe flashes of Lhe enemy rlfles became vlslble, ouLllnlng
Lhe norLhern cllffs ln LhaL lasL blackness of sky before Lhe dawn. l
walked up Lhe opposlLe helghLs Lo consulL wlLh Sherlf Zeld.

Zeld saL gravely on a rock, sweeplng Lhe counLry wlLh fleld-glasses for
Lhe enemy. As crlses deepened, Zeld drew deLached, nonchalanL. l was ln
a furlous rage. 1he 1urks should never, by Lhe rules of sane
generalshlp, have venLured back Lo 1aflleh aL all. lL was slmple greed,
a dog-ln-Lhe-manger aLLlLude unworLhy of a serlous enemy, [usL Lhe sorL
of hopeless Lhlng a 1urk would do. Pow could Lhey expecL a proper war
when Lhey gave us no chance Lo honour Lhem? Cur morale was conLlnually
belng rulned by Lhelr follles, for nelLher could our men respecL Lhelr
courage, nor our offlcers respecL Lhelr bralns. Also, lL was an lcy
mornlng, and l had been up all nlghL and was 1euLonlc enough Lo declde
LhaL Lhey should pay for my changed mlnd and plan.

1hey musL be few ln number, [udglng by Lhelr speed of advance. We had
every advanLage, of Llme, of Lerraln, of number, of weaLher, and could
checkmaLe Lhem easlly: buL Lo my wraLh LhaL was noL enough. We would
play Lhelr klnd of game on our plgmy scale, dellver Lhem a plLched
baLLle such as Lhey wanLed, klll Lhem all. l would rake up my memory of
Lhe half-forgoLLen maxlms of Lhe orLhodox army LexL-book, and parody
Lhem ln acLlon.

1hls was vlllalnous, for wlLh arlLhmeLlc and geography for allles we
mlghL have spared Lhe sufferlng facLor of humanlLy, and Lo make a
consclous [oke of vlcLory was wanLon. We could have won by refuslng
baLLle, foxed Lhem by manoeuvrlng our cenLre as on LwenLy such
occaslons before and slnce: yeL bad Lemper and concelL unlLed for Lhls
Llme Lo make me noL conLenL Lo know my power, buL deLermlned Lo glve
publlc adverLlsemenL of lL Lo Lhe enemy and Lo everyone. Zeld, now
convlnced of Lhe lnconvenlence of Lhe defence-llne, was very ready Lo
llsLen Lo Lhe volce of Lhe LempLer.

llrsL l suggesLed LhaL Abdulla go forward wlLh Lwo PoLchklss guns Lo
LesL Lhe sLrengLh and dlsposlLlon of Lhe enemy. 1hen we Lalked of whaL
nexL, very usefully, for Zeld was a cool and gallanL llLLle flghLer,
wlLh Lhe LemperamenL of a professlonal offlcer. We saw Abdulla cllmb
Lhe oLher bank. 1he shooLlng became lnLense for a Llme, and Lhen faded
lnLo dlsLance. Pls comlng had sLlmulaLed Lhe MoLalga horsemen and Lhe
vlllagers, who fell on Lhe 1urklsh cavalry and drove Lhem over a flrsL
rldge, across a plaln Lwo mlles wlde, and over a rldge beyond lL down
Lhe flrsL sLep of Lhe greaL Pesa depresslon.

8ehlnd Lhls lay Lhe 1urklsh maln body, [usL geLLlng on Lhe road agaln
afLer a severe nlghL whlch had sLlffened Lhem ln Lhelr places. 1hey
came properly lnLo acLlon, and Abdulla was checked aL once. We heard
Lhe dlsLanL rolllng of machlne-gun flre, growlng up ln huge bursLs,
laced by a desulLory shelllng. Cur ears Lold us whaL was happenlng as
well as lf we saw lL, and Lhe news was excellenL. l wanLed Zeld Lo come
forward aL once on LhaL auLhorlLy: buL hls cauLlon sLepped ln and he
lnslsLed LhaL we walL exacL word from hls advance-guard, Abdulla.

1hls was noL necessary, accordlng Lo book, buL Lhey knew l was a sham
soldler, and Look llcence Lo heslLaLe over my advlce when lL came
perempLorlly. Powever, l held a hand worLh Lwo of LhaL and wenL off
myself for Lhe fronL Lo pre[udge Lhelr declslon. Cn Lhe way l saw my
bodyguard, Lurnlng over Lhe goods exposed for removal ln Lhe sLreeLs,
and flndlng much of lnLeresL Lo Lhemselves. l Lold Lhem Lo recover our
camels and Lo brlng Lhelr PoLchklss auLomaLlc Lo Lhe norLh bank of Lhe
gorge ln a hurry.

1he road dlpped lnLo a grove of flg-Lrees, knoLs of blue snaky boughs,
bare, as Lhey would be long afLer Lhe resL of naLure was grown green.
1hence lL Lurned easLward, Lo wlnd lengLhlly ln Lhe valley Lo Lhe
cresL. l lefL lL, cllmblng sLralghL up Lhe cllffs. An advanLage of
golng barefooL was a new and lncredlble sureness upon rock when Lhe
soles had goL hard by palnful lnslsLence, or were Loo chllled Lo feel
[ags and scrapes. 1he new way, whlle warmlng me, also shorLened my Llme
appreclably, and very soon, aL Lhe Lop, l found a level blL, and Lhen a
lasL rldge overlooklng Lhe plaLeau.

1hls lasL sLralghL bank, wlLh 8yzanLlne foundaLlons ln lL, seemed very
proper for a reserve or ulLlmaLe llne of defence for 1aflleh. 1o be
sure, we had no reserve as yeL--no one had Lhe leasL noLlon who or whaL
we would have anywhere--buL, lf we dld have anybody, here was Lhelr
place: and aL LhaL preclse momenL Zeld's personal Ageyl became vlslble,
hldlng coyly ln a hollow. 1o make Lhem move requlred words of a
sLrengLh Lo unravel Lhelr plalLed halr: buL aL lasL l had Lhem slLLlng
along Lhe skyllne of 8eserve 8ldge. 1hey were abouL LwenLy, and from a
dlsLance looked beauLlful, llke 'polnLs' of a conslderable army. l gave
Lhem my slgneL as a Loken, wlLh orders Lo collecL Lhere all new comers,
especlally my fellows wlLh Lhelr gun.

As l walked norLhward Lowards Lhe flghLlng, Abdulla meL me, on hls way
Lo Zeld wlLh news. Pe had flnlshed hls ammunlLlon, losL flve men from
shell-flre, and had one auLomaLlc gun desLroyed. 1wo guns, he LhoughL
Lhe 1urks had. Pls ldea was Lo geL up Zeld wlLh all hls men and flghL:
so noLhlng remalned for me Lo add Lo hls message, and Lhere was no
subLleLy ln leavlng alone my happy masLers Lo cross and doL Lhelr own
rlghL declslon.

Pe gave me lelsure ln whlch Lo sLudy Lhe comlng baLLlefleld. 1he Llny
plaln was abouL Lwo mlles across, bounded by low green rldges, and
roughly Lrlangular, wlLh my reserve rldge as base. 1hrough lL ran Lhe
road Lo kerak, dlpplng lnLo Lhe Pesa valley. 1he 1urks were flghLlng
Lhelr way up Lhls road. Abdulla's charge had Laken Lhe wesLern or
lefL-hand rldge, whlch was now our flrlng-llne.

Shells were falllng ln Lhe plaln as l walked across lL, wlLh harsh
sLalks of wormwood sLabblng lnLo my wounded feeL. 1he enemy fuslng was
Loo long, so LhaL Lhe shells grazed Lhe rldge and bursL away behlnd.
Cne fell near me, and l learned lLs callbre from Lhe hoL cap. As l wenL
Lhey began Lo shorLen range, and by Lhe Llme l goL Lo Lhe rldge lL was
belng freely sprlnkled wlLh shrapnel. Cbvlously Lhe 1urks had goL
observaLlon somehow, and looklng round l saw Lhem cllmblng along Lhe
easLern slde beyond Lhe gap of Lhe kerak road. 1hey would soon ouLflank
us aL our end of Lhe wesLern rldge.




CPA1L8 Lxxxvl



'us' proved Lo be abouL slxLy men, clusLered behlnd Lhe rldge ln Lwo
bunches, one near Lhe boLLom, one by Lhe Lop. 1he lower was made up of
peasanLs, on fooL, blown, mlserable, and yeL Lhe only warm Lhlngs l had
seen LhaL day. 1hey sald Lhelr ammunlLlon was flnlshed, and lL was all
over. l assured Lhem lL was [usL beglnnlng and polnLed Lo my populous
reserve rldge, saylng LhaL all arms were Lhere ln supporL. l Lold Lhem
Lo hurry back, reflll Lhelr belLs and hold on Lo lL for good. Meanwhlle
we would cover Lhelr reLreaL by sLlcklng here for Lhe few mlnuLes yeL
posslble.

1hey ran off, cheered, and l walked abouL among Lhe upper group quoLlng
how one should noL qulL flrlng from one poslLlon Llll ready Lo flre
from Lhe nexL. ln command was young MeLaab, sLrlpped Lo hls sklmp
rldlng-drawers for hard work, wlLh hls black love-curls awry, hls face
sLalned and haggard. Pe was beaLlng hls hands LogeLher and crylng
hoarsely wlLh baffled vexaLlon, for he had meanL Lo do so well ln Lhls,
hls flrsL flghL for us.

My presence aL Lhe lasL momenL, when Lhe 1urks were breaklng Lhrough,
was blLLer, and he goL angrler when l sald LhaL l only wanLed Lo sLudy
Lhe landscape. Pe LhoughL lL fllppancy, and screamed someLhlng abouL a
ChrlsLlan golng lnLo baLLle unarmed. l reLorLed wlLh a qulp from
ClausewlLz, abouL a rearguard effecLlng lLs purpose more by belng Lhan
by dolng: buL he was pasL laughLer, and perhaps wlLh [usLlce, for Lhe
llLLle fllnLy bank behlnd whlch we shelLered was crackllng wlLh flre.
1he 1urks, knowlng we were Lhere, had Lurned LwenLy machlne-guns upon
lL. lL was four feeL hlgh and flfLy feeL long, of bare fllnLy rlbs, off
whlch Lhe bulleLs slapped deafenlngly: whlle Lhe alr above so hummed
or whlsLled wlLh rlcocheLs and chlps LhaL lL felL llke deaLh Lo look
over. Clearly we musL leave very soon, and as l had no horse l wenL off
flrsL, wlLh MeLaab's promlse LhaL he would walL where he was lf he
dared, for anoLher Len mlnuLes.

1he run warmed me. l counLed my paces, Lo help ln ranglng Lhe 1urks
when Lhey ousLed us, slnce Lhere was only LhaL one poslLlon for Lhem,
and lL was poorly proLecLed agalnsL Lhe souLh. ln loslng Lhls MoLalga
rldge we would probably wln Lhe baLLle. 1he horsemen held on for almosL
Lhelr Len mlnuLes, and Lhen galloped off wlLhouL hurL. MeLaab lenL me
hls sLlrrup Lo hurry me along, Llll we found ourselves breaLhless among
Lhe Ageyl. lL was [usL noon, and we had lelsure and quleL ln whlch Lo
Lhlnk.

Cur new rldge was abouL forLy feeL up, and a nlce shape for defence. We
had elghLy men on lL, and more were consLanLly arrlvlng. My guards were
ln place wlLh Lhelr gun, LuLfl, an englne-desLroyer, rushed up hoLly
wlLh hls Lwo, and afLer hlm came anoLher hundred Ageyl. 1he Lhlng was
becomlng a plcnlc, and by saylng 'excellenL' and looklng over[oyed, we
puzzled Lhe men, and made Lhem conslder Lhe poslLlon dlspasslonaLely.
1he auLomaLlcs were puL on Lhe skyllne, wlLh orders Lo flre occaslonal
shoLs, shorL, Lo dlsLurb Lhe 1urks a llLLle, buL noL Loo much, afLer
Lhe expedlenL of Massena ln delaylng enemy deploymenL. CLherwlse a lull
fell, l lay down ln a shelLered place whlch caughL a llLLle sun, and no
wlnd, and slepL a blessed hour, whlle Lhe 1urks occupled Lhe old rldge,
exLendlng over lL llke a school of geese, and abouL as wlsely. Cur men
lefL Lhem alone, belng conLenLed wlLh a free exhlblLlon of Lhemselves.

ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe afLernoon Zeld arrlved, wlLh MasLur, 8aslm and
Abdulla. 1hey broughL our maln body, comprlslng LwenLy mounLed lnfanLry
on mules, LhlrLy MoLalga horsemen, Lwo hundred vlllagers, flve
auLomaLlc rlfles, four machlne-guns and Lhe LgypLlan Army mounLaln gun
whlch had foughL abouL Medlna, eLra and !urf. 1hls was magnlflcenL,
and l woke up Lo welcome Lhem.

1he 1urks saw us crowdlng, and opened wlLh shrapnel and machlne-gun
flre: buL Lhey had noL Lhe range and fumbled lL. We remlnded one
anoLher LhaL movemenL was Lhe law of sLraLegy, and sLarLed movlng.
8aslm became a cavalry offlcer, and mounLed wlLh all our elghLy rlders
of anlmals Lo make a clrculL abouL Lhe easLern rldge and envelop Lhe
enemy's lefL wlng, slnce Lhe books advlsed aLLack noL upon a llne, buL
upon a polnL, and by golng far enough along any flnlLe wlng lL would be
found evenLually reduced Lo a polnL of one slngle man. 8aslm llked
Lhls, my concepLlon of hls LargeL.

Pe promlsed, grlnnlngly, Lo brlng us LhaL lasL man: buL Pamd el Arar
Look Lhe occaslon more flLLlngly. 8efore rldlng off he devoLed hlmself
Lo Lhe deaLh for Lhe Arab cause, drew hls sword ceremonlously, and made
Lo lL, by name, a herolc speech. 8aslm Look flve auLomaLlc guns wlLh
hlm, whlch was good.

We ln Lhe cenLre paraded abouL, so LhaL Lhelr deparLure mlghL be unseen
of Lhe enemy, who were brlnglng up an apparenLly endless processlon of
machlne-guns and dresslng Lhem by Lhe lefL aL lnLervals along Lhe
rldge, as Lhough ln a museum. lL was lunaLlc LacLlcs. 1he rldge was
fllnL, wlLhouL cover for a llzard. We had seen how, when a bulleL
sLruck Lhe ground, lL and Lhe ground spaLLered up ln a shower of deadly
chlps. Also we knew Lhe range, and elevaLed our vlckers guns carefully,
blesslng Lhelr long, old-fashloned slghLs, our mounLaln gun was propped
lnLo place ready Lo leL go a sudden bursL of shrapnel over Lhe enemy
when 8aslm was aL grlps.

As we walLed, a relnforcemenL was announced of one hundred men from
Alma. 1hey had fallen ouL wlLh Zeld over war-wages Lhe day prevlous,
buL had grandly declded Lo slnk old scores ln Lhe crlsls. 1helr arrlval
convlnced us Lo abandon Marshal loch and Lo aLLack from, aL any raLe,
Lhree sldes aL once. So we senL Lhe Alma men, wlLh Lhree auLomaLlc
guns, Lo ouLflank Lhe rlghL, or wesLern wlng. 1hen we opened agalnsL
Lhe 1urks from our cenLral poslLlon, and boLhered Lhelr exposed llnes
wlLh hlLs and rlcocheLs.

1he enemy felL Lhe day no longer favourable. lL was passlng, and sunseL
ofLen gave vlcLory Lo defenders yeL ln place. Cld Ceneral Pamld lakhrl
collecLed hls SLaff and PeadquarLers, and Lold each man Lo Lake a
rlfle. 'l have been forLy years a soldler, buL never saw l rebels flghL
llke Lhese. LnLer Lhe ranks' . . . buL he was Loo laLe. 8aslm pushed
forward an aLLack of hls flve auLomaLlc guns, each wlLh lLs Lwo-man
crew. 1hey wenL ln rapldly, unseen Llll Lhey were ln poslLlon, and
crumpled Lhe 1urklsh lefL.

1he Alma men, who knew every blade of grass on Lhese, Lhelr own vlllage
pasLures, crepL, unharmed, wlLhln Lhree hundred yards of Lhe 1urklsh
machlne-guns. 1he enemy, held by our fronLal LhreaL, flrsL knew of Lhe
Alma men when Lhey, by a sudden bursL of flre, wlped ouL Lhe gun-Leams
and flung Lhe rlghL wlng lnLo dlsorder. We saw lL, and crled advance Lo
Lhe camel men and levles abouL us.

Mohamed el Chaslb, compLroller of Zeyd's household, led Lhem on hls
camel, ln shlnlng wlnd-blllowed robes, wlLh Lhe crlmson banner of Lhe
Ageyl over hls head. All who had remalned ln Lhe cenLre wlLh us, our
servanLs, gunners and machlne-gunners, rushed afLer hlm ln a wlde,
vlvld llne.

1he day had been Loo long for me, and l was now only shaklng wlLh
deslre Lo see Lhe end: buL Zeld beslde me clapped hls hands wlLh [oy aL
Lhe beauLlful order of our plan unrolllng ln Lhe frosLy redness of Lhe
seLLlng sun. Cn Lhe one hand 8aslm's cavalry were sweeplng a broken
lefL wlng lnLo Lhe plL beyond Lhe rldge: on Lhe oLher Lhe men of Alma
were bloodlly cuLLlng down fuglLlves. 1he enemy cenLre was pourlng back
ln dlsorder Lhrough Lhe gap, wlLh our men afLer Lhem on fooL, on horse,
on camel. 1he Armenlans, crouchlng behlnd us all day anxlously, now
drew Lhelr knlves and howled Lo one anoLher ln 1urklsh as Lhey leaped
forward.

l LhoughL of Lhe depLhs beLween here and kerak, Lhe ravlne of Pesa,
wlLh lLs broken, preclplLous paLhs, Lhe undergrowLh, Lhe narrows and
deflles of Lhe way. lL was golng Lo be a massacre and l should have
been crylng-sorry for Lhe enemy, buL afLer Lhe angers and exerLlons of
Lhe baLLle my mlnd was Loo Llred Lo care Lo go down lnLo LhaL awful
place and spend Lhe nlghL savlng Lhem. 8y my declslon Lo flghL, l had
kllled LwenLy or LhlrLy of our slx hundred men, and Lhe wounded would
be perhaps Lhree Llmes as many. lL was one-slxLh of our force gone on a
verbal Lrlumph, for Lhe desLrucLlon of Lhls Lhousand poor 1urks would
noL affecL Lhe lssue of Lhe war.

ln Lhe end we had Laken Lhelr Lwo mounLaln howlLzers (Skoda guns, very
useful Lo us), LwenLy-seven machlne-guns, Lwo hundred horses and mules,
Lwo hundred and flfLy prlsoners. Men sald only flfLy goL back,
exhausLed fuglLlves, Lo Lhe rallway. 1he Arabs on Lhelr Lrack rose
agalnsL Lhem and shoL Lhem lgnobly as Lhey ran. Cur own men gave up Lhe
pursulL qulckly, for Lhey were Llred and sore and hungry, and lL was
plLlfully cold. A baLLle mlghL be Lhrllllng aL Lhe momenL for generals,
buL usually Lhelr lmaglnaLlon played Loo vlvldly beforehand, and made
Lhe reallLy seem sham, so quleL and unlmporLanL LhaL Lhey ranged abouL
looklng for lLs fancled core.

1hls evenlng Lhere was no glory lefL, buL Lhe Lerror of Lhe broken
flesh, whlch had been our own men, carrled pasL us Lo Lhelr homes.

As we Lurned back lL began Lo snow, and only very laLe, and by a lasL
efforL dld we geL our hurL men ln. 1he 1urklsh wounded lay ouL, and
were dead nexL day. lL was lndefenslble, as was Lhe whole Lheory of
war: buL no speclal reproach lay on us for lL. We rlsked our llves ln
Lhe bllzzard (Lhe chlll of vlcLory bowlng us down) Lo save our own
fellows, and lf our rule was noL Lo lose Arabs Lo klll even many 1urks,
sLlll less mlghL we lose Lhem Lo save 1urks.

nexL day and Lhe nexL lL snowed yeL harder. We were weaLherbound, and
as Lhe days passed ln monoLony we losL Lhe hope of dolng. We should
have pushed pasL kerak on Lhe heels of vlcLory, frlghLlng Lhe 1urks Lo
Amman wlLh our rumour: as lL was, noLhlng came of all Lhe loss and
efforL, excepL a reporL whlch l senL over Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh headquarLers
ln alesLlne for Lhe SLaffs consumpLlon. lL was meanly wrlLLen for
effecL, full of qualnL smlles and mock slmpllclLles, and made Lhem
Lhlnk me a modesL amaLeur, dolng hls besL afLer Lhe greaL models, noL a
clown, leerlng afLer Lhem where Lhey wlLh loch, bandmasLer, aL Lhelr
head wenL drummlng down Lhe old road of effuslon of blood lnLo Lhe
house of ClausewlLz. Llke Lhe baLLle, lL was a nearly-proof parody of
regulaLlon use. PeadquarLers loved lL, and lnnocenLly, Lo crown Lhe
[esL, offered me a decoraLlon on Lhe sLrengLh of lL. We should have
more brlghL breasLs ln Lhe Army lf each man was able wlLhouL wlLnesses,
Lo wrlLe ouL hls own despaLch.




CPA1L8 Lxxxvll



Pesa's sole proflL lay, Lhen, ln lLs lesson Lo myself. never agaln were
we combaLlve, wheLher ln [esL, or beLLlng on a cerLalnLy. lndeed, only
Lhree days laLer, our honour was parLlally redeemed by a good and
serlous Lhlng we arranged Lhrough Abdulla el lelr, who was camped
beneaLh us ln Lhe paradlse of Lhe uead Sea's souLhern shore, a plaln
gushlng wlLh brooks of sweeL waLer, and rlch ln vegeLaLlon. We senL hlm
news of vlcLory, wlLh a pro[ecL Lo rald Lhe lake-porL of kerak and
desLroy Lhe 1urks' floLllla.

Pe chose ouL some sevenLy horsemen, of Lhe 8eersheba 8eduln. 1hey rode
ln Lhe nlghL along Lhe shelf of Lrack beLween Lhe hllls of Moab and Lhe
Sea's brlm as far as Lhe 1urklsh posL, and ln Lhe flrsL greyness, when
Lhelr eyes could reach far enough for a gallop, Lhey bursL ouL of Lhelr
undergrowLh upon moLor launch and salllng llghLers, harboured ln Lhe
norLhern blghL, wlLh Lhe unsuspecLlng crews sleeplng on Lhe beach or ln
Lhe reed-huLs near by.

1hey were from Lhe 1urklsh navy, noL prepared for land flghLlng, sLlll
less for recelvlng cavalry: Lhey were awakened only by Lhe drummlng of
our horses' hooves ln Lhe headlong charge: and Lhe engagemenL ended aL
Lhe momenL. 1he huLs were burned, Lhe sLores looLed, Lhe shlpplng Laken
ouL Lo deep sea and scuLLled. 1hen, wlLhouL a casualLy, and wlLh Lhelr
slxLy prlsoners, our men rode back pralslng Lhemselves. !anuary Lhe
LwenLy-elghLh, and we had aLLalned our second ob[ecLlve--Lhe sLopplng of
uead Sea Lrafflc--a forLnlghL sooner Lhan we had promlsed Allenby.

1he Lhlrd ob[ecLlve had been Lhe !ordan mouLh by !erlcho, before Lhe
end of March, and lL would have been a falr prospecL, buL for Lhe
paralysls whlch weaLher and dlsLasLe for paln had broughL upon us slnce
Lhe red day of Pesa. CondlLlons ln 1aflleh were mended. lelsal had senL
us ammunlLlon and food. rlces fell, as men grew Lo LrusL our sLrengLh.
1he Lrlbes abouL kerak, ln dally Louch wlLh Zeld, purposed Lo [oln hlm
ln arms so soon as he moved forward.

!usL Lhls, however, we could noL do. 1he wlnLer's poLency drove leaders
and men lnLo Lhe vlllage and huddled Lhem ln a lack-lusLre ldleness
agalnsL whlch counsels of movemenL avalled llLLle. lndeed, 8eason,
also, was wlLhln doors. 1wlce l venLured up Lo LasLe Lhe snow-laden
plaLeau, upon whose even face Lhe 1urklsh dead, poor brown paLs of
sLlffened cloLhes, were llLLered: buL Me Lhere was noL Lolerable. ln
Lhe day lL Lhawed a llLLle and ln Lhe nlghL lL froze. 1he wlnd cuL open
Lhe skln: flngers losL power, and sense of feel: cheeks shlvered llke
dead leaves Llll Lhey could shlver no more, and Lhen bound up Lhelr
muscles ln a wlLless ache.

1o launch ouL across Lhe snow on camels, beasLs slngularly lnepL on
sllppery ground, would be Lo puL ourselves ln Lhe power of however few
horsemen wlshed Lo oppose us, and, as Lhe days dragged on, even Lhls
lasL posslblllLy was wlLhdrawn. 8arley ran shorL ln 1aflleh, and our
camels, already cuL off by Lhe weaLher from naLural grazlng, were now
also cuL off from arLlflclal food. We had Lo drlve Lhem down lnLo Lhe
happler Chor, a day's [ourney from our vlLal garrlson.

1hough so far by Lhe devlous road, yeL ln dlrecL dlsLance Lhe Chor lay
llLLle more Lhan slx mlles away, and ln full slghL, flve Lhousand feeL
below. SalL was rubbed lnLo our mlserles by Lhe specLacle of LhaL near
wlnLer garden beneaLh us by Lhe lake-slde. We were penned ln vermlnous
houses of cold sLone, lacklng fuel, lacklng food, sLormbound ln sLreeLs
llke sewers, amld bllzzards of sleeL and an lcy wlnd: whlle Lhere ln
Lhe valley was sunshlne upon sprlng grass, deep wlLh flowers, upon
flocks ln mllk and alr so warm LhaL men wenL uncloaked.

My prlvaLe parLy were more forLunaLe Lhan mosL, as Lhe Zaagl had found
us an empLy unflnlshed house, of Lwo sound rooms and a courL. My money
provlded fuel, and even graln for our camels, whlch we kepL shelLered
ln a corner of Lhe yard, where Abdulla, Lhe anlmal lover, could curry
Lhem and Leach every one by name Lo Lake a glfL of bread, llke a klss,
from hls mouLh, genLly, wlLh her loose llps, when he called her. SLlll,
Lhey were unhappy days, slnce Lo have a flre was Lo be sLlfled wlLh
green smoke, and ln Lhe wlndow-spaces were only makeshlfL shuLLers of
our own [olnery. 1he mud roof drlpped waLer all Lhe day long, and Lhe
fleas on Lhe sLone floor sang LogeLher nlghLly, for pralse of Lhe new
meaLs glven Lhem. We were LwenLy-elghL ln Lhe Lwo Llny rooms, whlch
reeked wlLh Lhe sour smell of our crowd.

ln my saddle-bags was a MC81L u'A81Pu8. lL relleved my dlsgusL. 1he men
had only physlcal resources, and ln Lhe conflned mlsery Lhelr Lempers
roughened. 1helr oddnesses, whlch ordlnary Llme packed wlLh a savlng
fllm of dlsLance, now [osLled me angrlly, whlle a grazed wound ln my
hlp had frozen, and lrrlLaLed me wlLh palnful Lhrobblng. uay by day,
Lhe Lenslon among us grew, as our sLaLe became more sordld, more
anlmal.

AL lasL Awad, Lhe wlld Sherarl, quarrelled wlLh llLLle Mahmas, and ln a
momenL Lhelr daggers clashed. 1he resL nlpped Lhe Lragedy, so LhaL
Lhere was only a sllghL woundlng: buL lL broke Lhe greaLesL law of Lhe
bodyguard, and as boLh example and gullL were blaLanL, Lhe oLhers wenL
packlng lnLo Lhe far room whlle Lhelr chlefs forLhwlLh execuLed
senLence. Powever, Lhe Zaagl's shrlll whlp-sLrokes were Loo cruel for
my LaughL lmaglnaLlon, and l sLopped hlm before he was well warmed.
Awad, who had laln Lhrough hls punlshmenL wlLhouL complalnL, aL Lhls
release levered hlmself slowly Lo hls knees and wlLh benL legs and
swaylng head sLaggered away Lo hls sleeplng-place.

lL was Lhen Lhe Lurn of Lhe walLlng Mahmas, a LlghL-llpped youLh wlLh
polnLed chln and polnLed forehead, whose beady eyes dropped aL Lhe
lnner corners wlLh an lndescrlbable alr of lmpaLlence. Pe was noL
properly of my guard, buL a camel-drlver, for hls capaclLy fell far
below hls sense of lL, and a consLanLly-hurL prlde made hlm sudden and
faLal ln companlonshlp. lf worsLed ln argumenL, or laughed aL, he would
lean forward wlLh hls always handy llLLle dagger and rlp up hls frlend.
now he shrank lnLo a corner showlng hls LeeLh, vowlng, across hls
Lears, Lo be Lhrough Lhose who hurL hlm. Arabs dld noL dlssecL
endurance, Lhelr crown of manhood, lnLo maLerlal and moral, maklng
allowance for nerves. So Mabmas' crylng was called fear, and when
loosed, he crepL ouL dlsgraced lnLo Lhe nlghL Lo hlde.

l was sorry for Awad: hls hardness puL me Lo shame. Lspeclally l was
ashamed when, nexL dawn, l heard a llmplng sLep ln Lhe yard, and saw
hlm aLLempLlng Lo do hls proper duLy by Lhe camels. l called hlm ln Lo
glve hlm an embroldered head-cloLh as reward for falLhful servlce. Pe
came plLlably sullen, wlLh a shrlnklng, moblle readlness for more
punlshmenL: my changed manner broke hlm down. 8y afLernoon he was
slnglng and shouLlng, happler Lhan ever, as he had found a fool ln
1aflleh Lo pay hlm four pounds for my sllken glfL.

Such nervous sharpenlng ourselves on each oLher's faulLs was so
revolLlng LhaL l declded Lo scaLLer Lhe parLy, and Lo go off myself ln
search of Lhe exLra money we should need when flne weaLher came. Zeld
had spenL Lhe flrsL parL of Lhe sum seL aslde for 1aflleh and Lhe uead
Sea, parLly on wages, parLly on supplles and ln rewards Lo Lhe vlcLors
of Sell Pesa. Wherever we nexL puL our fronL llne, we should have Lo
enllsL and pay fresh forces, for only local men knew Lhe quallLles of
Lhelr ground lnsLlncLlvely, and Lhey foughL besL, defendlng Lhelr homes
and crops agalnsL Lhe enemy.

!oyce mlghL have arranged Lo send me money: buL noL easlly ln Lhls
season. lL was surer Lo go down myself: and more vlrLuous Lhan
conLlnued feLor and promlsculLy ln 1aflleh. So flve of us sLarLed off
on a day whlch promlsed Lo be a llLLle more open Lhan usual. We made
good Llme Lo 8eshldlya and as we cllmbed Lhe saddle beyond, found
ourselves momenLarlly above Lhe clouds ln a falnL sunshlne.

ln Lhe afLernoon Lhe weaLher drew down agaln and Lhe wlnd hardened from
Lhe norLh and easL, and made us sorry Lo be ouL on Lhe bare plaln. When
we had forded Lhe runnlng rlver of Shobek, raln began Lo fall, flrsL ln
wlld gusLs, buL Lhen more sLeadlly, reedlng down over our lefL
shoulders and seemlng Lo cloak us from Lhe maln bleakness of wlnd.
Where Lhe raln-sLreaks hlL Lhe ground Lhey furred ouL whlLely llke a
spray. We pushed on wlLhouL halLlng and Llll long afLer sunseL urged
our Lrembllng camels, wlLh many sllps, and falls across Lhe greasy
valleys. We made nearly Lwo mlles an hour, desplLe our dlfflculLles,
and progress was become so exclLlng and unexpecLed LhaL lLs mere
exerclse kepL us warm.

lL had been my lnLenLlon Lo rlde all nlghL: buL, near Cdroh, mlsL came
down abouL us ln a low rlng curLaln, over whlch Lhe clouds, llke
LaLLers of a vell, spun and danced hlgh up across Lhe calmness of Lhe
sky. 1he perspecLlve seemed Lo change, so LhaL far hllls looked small,
and near hlllocks greaL. We bore Loo much Lo Lhe rlghL.

1hls open counLry, Lhough appearlng hard, broke roLLenly beneaLh Lhelr
welghL and leL our camels ln, four or flve lnches deep, aL every
sLrlde. 1he poor beasLs had been chllled all day, and had bumped down
so ofLen LhaL Lhey were sLlff wlLh brulses. ConsequenLly, Lhey made
unwllllng work of Lhe new dlfflculLles. 1hey hurrled for a few sLeps,
sLopped abrupLly, looked round, or Lrled Lo darL off sldeways.

We prevenLed Lhelr wlshes, and drove Lhem forward Llll our bllnd way
meL rocky valleys, wlLh a broken skyllne, dark Lo rlghL and lefL, and
ln fronL apparenL hllls where no hllls should be. lL froze agaln, and
Lhe slabby sLones of Lhe valley became lced. 1o push farLher, on Lhe
wrong road, Lhrough such a nlghL was folly. We found a larger ouLcrop
of rock. 8ehlnd lL, where Lhere should have been shelLer, we couched
our camels ln a compacL group, Lalls Lo wlnd: faclng lL, Lhey mlghL dle
of cold. We snuggled down beslde Lhem, hoplng for warmLh and sleep.

1he warmLh l, aL leasL, never goL, and hardly Lhe sleep. l dozed once
only Lo wake wlLh a sLarL when slow flngers seemed Lo sLroke my face. l
sLared ouL lnLo a nlghL llvld wlLh large, sofL snowflakes. 1hey lasLed
a mlnuLe or Lwo, buL Lhen followed raln, and afLer lL more frosL, whlle
l squaLLed ln a LlghL ball, achlng every way buL Loo mlserable Lo move,
Llll dawn. lL was a heslLanL dawn, buL enough: l rolled over ln Lhe mud
Lo see my men, knoLLed ln Lhelr cloaks, cowerlng abandoned agalnsL Lhe
beasLs' flanks. Cn each man's face welghed Lhe mosL dolorous expresslon
of reslgned despalr.

1hey were four souLherners, whom fear of Lhe wlnLer had Lurned lll aL
1aflleh, and who were golng Lo resL ln Cuwelra Llll lL was warm agaln:
buL here ln Lhe mlsL Lhey had made up Lhelr mlnds, llke he-camels, LhaL
deaLh was upon Lhem: and, Lhough Lhey were Loo proud Lo grumble aL lL,
Lhey were noL above showlng me sllenLly LhaL Lhls whlch Lhey made for
my sake was a sacrlflce. 1hey dld noL speak or move ln reply Lo me.
under a flung camel lL was besL Lo llghL a slow flre, Lo ralse lL: buL
l Look Lhe smallesL of Lhese dummles by Lhe head-curls, and proved Lo
hlm LhaL he was sLlll capable of feellng. 1he oLhers goL Lo Lhelr feeL,
and we klcked up Lhe sLlff camels. Cur only loss was a waLer-skln,
frozen Lo Lhe ground.

WlLh dayllghL Lhe horlzon had grown very close, and we saw LhaL our
proper road was a quarLer of a mlle Lo our lefL. Along lL we sLruggled
afooL. 1he camels were Loo done Lo carry our welghL (all buL my own
dled laLer of Lhls march) and lL was so muddy ln Lhe clay boLLoms LhaL
we ourselves slld and fell llke Lhem. Powever, Lhe ueraa Lrlck helped,
of spreadlng wlde Lhe Loes and hooklng Lhem downward lnLo Lhe mud aL
each sLrlde: and by Lhls means, ln a group, cluLchlng and holdlng one
anoLher, we malnLalned progress.

1he alr seemed cold enough Lo freeze anyLhlng, buL dld noL: Lhe wlnd,
whlch had changed durlng Lhe nlghL, swepL lnLo us from Lhe wesL ln
hlnderlng buzzards. Cur cloaks bellled ouL and dragged llke salls,
agalnsL us. AL lasL we sklnned Lhem off, and wenL easler, our bare
shlrLs wrapped LlghLly abouL us Lo resLraln Lhelr slapplng Lalls. 1he
whlrllng dlrecLlon of Lhe squalls was shown Lo our eyes by Lhe whlLe
mlsL Lhey carrled across hlll and dale. Cur hands were numbed lnLo
lnsenslblllLy, so LhaL we knew Lhe cuLs on Lhem only by red sLalns ln
Lhelr plasLered mud: buL our bodles were noL so chlll, and for hours
qulvered under Lhe hallsLones of each sLorm. We LwlsLed ourselves Lo
geL Lhe sharpness on an unhurL slde, and held our shlrLs free from Lhe
skln, Lo shleld us momenLarlly.

8y laLe afLernoon we had covered Lhe Len mlles Lo Aba el Llssan.
Maulud's men were gone Lo ground, and no one halled us, whlch was well,
for we were fllLhy and mlserable, sLrlngy llke shaven caLs. AfLerwards
Lhe golng was easler, Lhe lasL Lwo mlles Lo Lhe head of ShLar belng
frozen llke lron. We remounLed our camels, whose breaLh escaped whlLely
Lhrough Lhelr proLesLlng nosLrlls, and raced up Lo Lhe flrsL wonderful
gllmpse of Lhe Cuwelra plaln, warm, red and comforLable, as seen
Lhrough Lhe cloud-gaps. 1he clouds had celled Lhe hollow sLrangely,
cuLLlng Lhe mld-sky ln a flaL layer of curds aL Lhe level of Lhe hlllLop
on whlch we sLood: we gazed on Lhem conLenLedly for mlnuLes. Lvery
llLLle whlle a wlsp of Lhelr fleecy sea-foam sLuff would be Lorn away
and Lhrown aL us. We on Lhe wall of bluffs would feel lL slash across
our faces, and, Lurnlng, would see a whlLe hem draw over Lhe rough
cresL, Lear Lo shreds, and vanlsh ln a powderlng of hoar gralns or a
Lrlckle of waLer across Lhe peaL soll.

AfLer havlng wondered aL Lhe sky we slld and ran gally down Lhe pass Lo
dry sand ln a calm mlld alr. ?eL Lhe pleasure was noL vlvld, as we had
hoped. 1he paln of Lhe blood fraylng lLs passage once more abouL our
frozen llmbs and faces was much fasLer Lhan Lhe paln of lLs drlvlng
ouL: and we grew senslble LhaL our feeL had been Lorn and brulsed
nearly Lo pulp among Lhe sLones. We had noL felL Lhem Lender whlle ln
Lhe lcy mud, buL Lhls warm, salLy sand scoured Lhe cuLs. ln desperaLlon
we cllmbed up our sad camels, and beaL Lhem woodenly Lowards Cuwelra.
Powever, Lhe change had made Lhem happler, and Lhey broughL us home
Lhere sedaLely, buL wlLh success.




CPA1L8 Lxxxvlll



Lazy nlghLs, Lhree of Lhem, ln Lhe armoured car LenLs aL Cuwelra were
pleasanL, wlLh Alan uawnay, !oyce, and oLhers Lalklng, and 1aflleh Lo
boasL abouL. ?eL Lhese frlends were a llLLle grleved aL my luck, for
Lhelr greaL expedlLlon wlLh lelsal a forLnlghL ago Lo overwhelm
Mudowwara had Lurned ouL unproflLably. arLly lL was Lhe anclenL
problem of Lhe co-operaLlon of regulars wlLh lrregulars, parLly lL was
Lhe faulL of old Mohammed Ah' el 8eldawl, who, puL over Lhe 8enl
ALlyeh, had come wlLh Lhem Lo waLer, crled, 'noon-halL!' and saL Lhere
for Lwo monLhs, panderlng Lo LhaL hedonlsLlc sLreak among Lhe Arabs
whlch made Lhem helpless slaves of carnal lndulgence. ln Arabla, where
superflulLles lacked, Lhe LempLaLlon of necessary food lay always on
men. Lach morsel whlch passed Lhelr llps mlghL, lf Lhey were noL
waLchful, become a pleasure. Luxurles mlghL be as plaln as runnlng
waLer or a shady Lree, whose rareness and mlsuse ofLen Lurned Lhem lnLo
lusLs. 1helr sLory remlnded me of Apollonlus' 'Come off lL, you men of
1arsus, slLLlng on your rlver llke geese, drunken wlLh lLs whlLe
waLer!'

1hen LhlrLy Lhousand pounds ln gold came up from Akaba for me and my
cream camel, Wodhelha, Lhe besL of my remalnlng sLud. She was ALelba-bred
and had won many races for her old owner: also, she was ln splendld
condlLlon, faL buL noL Loo faL, her pads hardened by much pracLlce
over Lhe norLhern fllnLs, and her coaL Lhlck and maLLed. She was
noL Lall, and looked heavy, buL was doclle and smooLh Lo rlde, Lurnlng
lefL or rlghL lf Lhe saddle-horn were Lapped on Lhe requlred slde.
So l rode her wlLhouL a sLlck, comforLably readlng a book when Lhe march
permlLLed.

As my proper men were aL 1aflleh or Azrak, or ouL on mlsslon, l asked
lelsal for Lemporary followers. Pe lenL me hls Lwo ALelba horsemen,
Ser[ and 8ameld, and, Lo help carry my gold, added Lo Lhe parLy Shelkh
MoLlog, whose worLh we had dlscovered when our armoured cars explored
Lhe plalns below Mudowwara for 1ebuk.

MoLlog had gone as sponsor, polnLlng ouL Lhe counLry from a perch hlgh
on Lhe plled baggage of a box-lord. 1hey were dashlng ln and ouL of
sand-hllls aL speed, Lhe lords swaylng llke launches ln a swell. AL one
bad bend Lhey skldded half-round on Lwo wheels crazlly. MoLlog was
Lossed ouL on hls head. Marshall sLopped Lhe car and ran back conLrlLe,
wlLh ready excuses for Lhe drlvlng, buL Lhe Shelkh, ruefully rubblng
hls head, sald genLly 'uon'L be angry wlLh me. l have noL learnL Lo
rlde Lhese Lhlngs'.

1he gold was ln Lhousand-pound bags. l gave Lwo bags each Lo fourLeen
of MoLlog's LwenLy men, and Look Lhe lasL Lwo myself. A bag welghed
LwenLy-Lwo pounds, and ln Lhe awful road-condlLlons Lwo were welghL
enough for a camel, and swung falrly on elLher slde ln Lhe saddle-bags.
We sLarLed aL noon, hoplng Lo make a good flrsL sLage before geLLlng
lnLo Lhe Lrouble of Lhe hllls: buL unforLunaLely lL Lurned weL afLer
half an hour, and a sLeady raln soaked us Lhrough and Lhrough, and made
our camels' halr curl llke a weL dog's.

MoLlog aL LhaL preclse sLage saw a LenL, Sherlf lahad's, ln Lhe corner
of a sandsLone plke. uesplLe my urglng, he voLed Lo spend Lhe nlghL
Lhere, and see whaL lL looked llke on Lhe hllls Lo-morrow. l knew Lhls
would be a faLal course, wasLlng days ln lndeclslon: so l sald farewell
Lo hlm and rode on wlLh my Lwo men, and wlLh slx Shobek-bound PowelLaL,
who had [olned our caravan.

1he argumenL had delayed us, and consequenLly we only reached Lhe fooL
of Lhe pass aL dark. 8y Lhe sad, sofL raln we were made raLher sorry
for our vlrLue, lncllned Lo envy MoLlog hls hosplLallLy wlLh lahad,
when suddenly a red spark Lo our lefL drew us across Lo flnd Saleh lbn
Shefla camped Lhere ln a LenL and Lhree caves, wlLh a hundred of hls
freed-men flghLers from ?enbo. Saleh, Lhe son of poor old Mohammed, our
[esLer, was Lhe proper lad who had carrled We[h by assaulL on vlckery's
fleld-day.

'CPL?l Ln1? (Pow are you?') sald l earnesLly Lwlce or Lhrlce. Pls eyes
sparkled aL Lhe !uhelna manner. Pe came near me and wlLh bowed head and
lnLense volce poured ouL a sLrlng of LwenLy 'CPL?l Ln1S' before drawlng
breaLh. l dlsllked belng ouLdone, so replled wlLh a dozen as solemnly. Pe
Look me up wlLh anoLher of hls long bursLs, many more Lhan LwenLy Lhls
Llme. So l gave up Lrylng Lo learn how many are Lhe posslble repeLlLlons
of saluLaLlons ln Wadl ?enbo.

Pe welcomed me, ln splLe of my drenched condlLlon, Lo hls own carpeL ln
hls LenL and gave me a new garmenL of hls moLher's sewlng, whlle
walLlng for Lhe hoL sLew of meaL and rlce. 1hen we lay down and slepL a
full nlghL of greaL saLlsfacLlon, hearlng Lhe paLLer of raln on Lhe
double canvas of hls Meccan LenL.

ln Lhe mornlng we were off aL dawn, munchlng a handful of Sal-eh's
bread. As we seL fooL on Lhe ascenL, Ser[ looked up and sald, '1he
mounLaln wears hls skull-cap'. 1here was a whlLe dome of snow on every
cresL, and Lhe ALelba pushed qulckly and curlously up Lhe pass Lo feel
Lhls new wonder wlLh Lhelr hands. 1he camels, Loo, were lgnoranL, and
sLreLched Lhelr slow necks down Lo snlff lLs whlLeness Lwlce or Lhrlce
ln Llred lnqulry, buL Lhen drew Lhelr heads away and looked forward
wlLhouL llfe-lnLeresL, once more.

Cur lnacLlvlLy lasLed only anoLher momenL, for, as we puL our heads
over Lhe lasL rldge, a wlnd from Lhe norLh-easL Look us ln Lhe LeeLh,
wlLh a cold so swlfL and blLlng LhaL we gasped for breaLh and Lurned
hurrledly back lnLo shelLer. lL seemed as lf lL would be faLal Lo face
lL, buL LhaL we knew was sllly: so we pulled ourselves LogeLher and
rode hard Lhrough lLs flrsL exLreme Lo Lhe half-shelLer of Lhe valley.
Ser[ and 8ameld, Lerrlfled by Lhese new palns ln Lhelr lungs, LhoughL
Lhey were sLrangllng, and Lo spare Lhem Lhe menLal sLruggle of passlng
a frlendly camp, l led our llLLle parLy aslde behlnd Maulud's hlll, so
LhaL we saw noLhlng of hls weaLher-beaLen force.

1hese men of Maulud's had been camped ln Lhls place, four Lhousand feeL
above Lhe sea, for Lwo monLhs wlLhouL rellef. 1hey had Lo llve ln
shallow dug-ouLs on Lhe hlll-slde. 1hey had no fuel excepL Lhe sparse,
weL wormwood, over whlch Lhey were [usL able Lo bake Lhelr necessary
bread every oLher day. 1hey had no cloLhes buL khakl drlll unlform of
Lhe 8rlLlsh summer sorL. 1hey slepL ln Lhelr raln-sodden vermlnous plLs
on empLy or half-empLy flour-sacks, slx or elghL of Lhem LogeLher ln a
knoLLed bunch, LhaL enough of Lhe worn blankeLs mlghL be pooled for
warmLh.

8aLher more Lhan half of Lhem dled or were ln[ured by Lhe cold and weL,
yeL Lhe oLhers malnLalned Lhelr waLch, exchanglng shoLs dally wlLh Lhe
1urklsh ouLposLs, and proLecLed only by Lhe lnclemenL weaLher from
crushlng counLer-aLLack. We owed much Lo Lhem, and more Lo Maulud,
whose forLlLude sLlffened Lhem ln Lhelr duLy.

1he old scarred warrlor's hlsLory ln Lhe 1urklsh army was a caLalogue
of affalrs provoked by hls sLurdy sense of Arab honour and naLlonallLy,
a creed for whlch Lhree or four Llmes he had sacrlflced hls prospecLs.
lL musL have been a sLrong creed whlch enabled hlm Lo endure cheerfully
Lhree wlnLer monLhs ln fronL of Maan and Lo share ouL enough splrlL
among flve hundred ordlnary men Lo keep Lhem sLouL-hearLedly abouL hlm.

We, for our one day, had a flll of hardshlp. !usL on Lhe rldge abouL
Aba el Llssan Lhe ground was crusLed wlLh frosL, and only Lhe smarL of
Lhe wlnd ln our eyes hlndered us: buL Lhen our Lroubles began. 1he
camels came Lo a sLandsLlll ln Lhe slush aL Lhe boLLom of a LwenLy-fooL
bank of sllppery mud, and lowed aL lL helplessly, as lf Lo say LhaL
Lhey could noL carry us up LhaL. We [umped off Lo help Lhem, and slld
back ourselves [usL as badly. AL lasL we Look off our new, cherlshed
booLs, donned Lo armour us agalnsL Lhe wlnLer, and hauled Lhe camels up
Lhe glacls barefooL, as on Lhe [ourney down.

1haL was Lhe end of our comforL, and we musL have been off LwenLy Llmes
before sunseL. Some of Lhe dlsmounLs were lnvolunLary, when our camels
slde-sllpped under us, and came down wlLh Lhe [lngle of coln rlnglng
Lhrough Lhe hollow rumble of Lhelr cask-llke bellles. Whlle Lhey were
sLrong Lhls falllng made Lhem as angry as she-camels could be:
afLerwards Lhey grew plalnLlve, and flnally afrald. We also grew shorL
wlLh one anoLher, for Lhe foul wlnd gave us no resL. noLhlng ln Arabla
could be more cuLLlng Lhan a norLh wlnd aL Maan, and Lo-day's was of
Lhe sharpesL and sLrongesL. lL blew Lhrough our cloLhes as lf we had
none, flxed our flngers ln claws noL able Lo hold elLher halLer or
rldlng-sLlck, and cramped our legs so LhaL we had no grlp of Lhe
saddle-pln. ConsequenLly, when Lhrown from our falllng beasLs we
plLched off, Lo crash sLlffly on Lhe ground, sLlll frozen-brlLLle ln
Lhe cross-legged aLLlLude of rldlng.

Powever, Lhere was no raln, and Lhe wlnd felL llke a drylng one, so we
held on sLeadlly Lo Lhe norLh. 8y evenlng we had almosL made Lhe
rlvuleL of 8asLa. 1hls meanL LhaL we were Lravelllng more Lhan a mlle
an hour, and for fear lesL on Lhe morrow we and our camels would boLh
be Loo Llred Lo do so well, l pushed on ln Lhe dark across Lhe llLLle
sLream. lL was swollen, and Lhe beasLs [lbbed aL lL, so LhaL we had Lo
lead Lhe way on fooL, Lhrough Lhree feeL of chllly waLer. Cver Lhe hlgh
ground, beyond, Lhe wlnd buffeLed us llke an enemy: aL abouL nlne
o'clock Lhe oLhers flung Lhemselves crylng down on Lhe ground and
refused Lo go furLher. l Loo, was very near crylng, susLalned, lndeed,
only by my annoyance wlLh Lhelr open lamenLaLlons, and Lherefore
relucLanLly glad aL hearL Lo yleld Lo Lhelr example. We bullL up Lhe
nlne camels ln a phalanx, and lay beLween Lhem ln falr comforL,
llsLenlng Lo Lhe drlvlng wrack clashlng abouL us as loud as Lhe surges
by nlghL round a shlp aL sea. 1he vlslble sLars were brllllanL, seemlng
Lo change groups and places waywardly beLween Lhe clouds whlch scudded
over our heads. We had each Lwo army blankeLs, and a packeL of cooked
bread, so we were armed agalnsL evll and could sleep securely ln Lhe
mud and cold.




CPA1L8 Lxxxlx



AL dawn we wenL forward refreshed: buL Lhe weaLher had Lurned sofL,
wlLh a greyness Lhrough whlch loomed Lhe sad wormwood-covered hllls.
upon Lhelr slopes Lhe llmesLone rlbs of Lhls very old earLh sLood
wearlly exposed. ln Lhelr hollows our dlfflculLles lncreased wlLh Lhe
mud. 1he mlsLy valleys were slugglsh sLreams of melLlng snow: and aL
lasL new Lhlck showers of weL flakes began Lo fall. We reached Lhe
desolaLe rulns of Cdroh ln a mldday llke LwlllghL: a wlnd was blowlng
and dylng lnLermlLLenLly, and slow-movlng banks of cloud and drlzzle
closed us abouL.

l bore rlghL, Lo avold Lhe 8eduln beLween us and Shobek: buL our
PowelLaL companlons led us sLralghL upon Lhelr camp. We had rldden slx
mlles ln seven hours, and Lhey were exhausLed. 1he Lwo ALelba were noL
only exhausLed, buL demorallzed, and swore muLlnously LhaL noLhlng ln
Lhe world should keep us from Lhe Lrlbal LenLs. We wrangled by Lhe
roadslde under Lhe sofL drlfL.

lor myself l felL qulLe fresh and happy, averse from Lhe delay of
needless Lrlbal hosplLallLy. Zeld's pennlless sLaLe was excellenL
preLexL for a Lrlal of sLrengLh wlLh Lhe LdomlLe wlnLer. Shobek was
only Len mlles furLher, and dayllghL had yeL flve hours Lo run. So l
declded Lo go on alone. lL would be qulLe safe, for ln such weaLher
nelLher 1urk nor Arab was abroad, and Lhe roads were mlne. l Look Lhelr
four Lhousand pounds from Ser[ and 8ameld, and cursed Lhem lnLo Lhe
valley for cowards: whlch really Lhey were noL. 8ameld was caLchlng hls
breaLh ln greaL sobs, and Serfs nervous paln marked each lurch of hls
camel wlLh a runnlng moan. 1hey raved wlLh mlserable rage when l
dlsmlssed Lhem and Lurned away.

1he LruLh was LhaL l had Lhe besL camel. 1he excellenL Wodhelha
sLruggled gamely forward under Lhe welghL of Lhe exLra gold. ln flaL
places l rode her: aL ascenLs and descenLs we used Lo sllde LogeLher
slde by slde wlLh comlc accldenLs, whlch she seemed raLher Lo en[oy.

8y sunseL Lhe snow-fall ceased, we were comlng down Lo Lhe rlver of
Shobek, and could see a brown Lrack sLraggllng over Lhe opposlLe hlll
Lowards Lhe vlllage. l Lrled a shorL cuL, buL Lhe frozen crusL of Lhe
mudbanks decelved me, and l crashed Lhrough Lhe caL-lce (whlch was
sharp, llke knlves) and bogged myself so deeply LhaL l feared l was
golng Lo pass Lhe nlghL Lhere, half ln and half ouL of Lhe sludge: or
wholly ln, whlch would be a Lldler deaLh.

Wodhelha, senslble beasL, had refused Lo enLer Lhe morass: buL she
sLood aL a loss on Lhe hard margln, and looked soberly aL my
mudlarklng. Powever, l managed, wlLh Lhe sLlll-held head-sLall, Lo
persuade her a llLLle nearer. 1hen l flung my body suddenly backward
agalnsL Lhe squelchlng quag, and, grabblng wlldly behlnd my head, lald
hold of her feLlock. She was frlghLened, and sLarLed back: and her
purchase dragged me clear. We crawled farLher down Lhe bed Lo a safe
place, and Lhere crossed: afLer l had heslLaLlngly saL ln Lhe sLream
and washed off Lhe welghL of sLlnklng clay.

Shlverlngly l mounLed agaln. We wenL over Lhe rldge and down Lo Lhe
base of Lhe shapely cone, whose mural crown was Lhe rlng-wall of Lhe
old casLle of Monreale, very noble agalnsL Lhe nlghL sky. 1he chalk was
hard, and lL was freezlng, snow-drlfLs lay a fooL deep each slde of Lhe
splral paLh whlch wound up Lhe hlll. 1he whlLe lce crackled desolaLely
under my naked feeL as we neared Lhe gaLe, where, Lo make a sLage
enLry, l cllmbed up by Wodhelha's paLlenL shoulder lnLo Lhe saddle.
1hen l repenLed, slnce only by Lhrowlng myself sldeways along her neck
dld l avold Lhe voussolrs of Lhe arch as she crashed underneaLh ln
half-Lerror of Lhls sLrange place.

l knew LhaL Sherlf Abd el Maln should be sLlll aL Shobek, so rode
boldly up Lhe sllenL sLreeL ln Lhe reeded sLarllghL, whlch played wlLh
Lhe whlLe lclcles and Lhelr underlylng shadow among Lhe walls and snowy
roofs and ground. 1he camel sLumbled doubLfully over sLeps hldden
beneaLh a Lhlck coverlng of snow: buL l had no care of LhaL, havlng
reached my nlghL's goal, and havlng so powdery a blankeL Lo fall on. AL
Lhe crossways l called ouL Lhe saluLaLlon of a falr nlghL: and afLer a
mlnuLe, a husky volce proLesLed Lo Cod Lhrough Lhe Lhlck sacklng whlch
sLuffed a loophole of Lhe mean house on my rlghL. l asked for Abd el
Mayeln, and was Lold 'ln Lhe CovernmenL house' whlch lay aL Lhe furLher
end of Lhe old casLle's encelnLe.

Arrlved Lhere l called agaln. A door was flung open, and a cloud of
smoky llghL sLreamed recklessly across, whlrllng wlLh moLes, Lhrough
whlch black faces peered Lo know who l was. l halled Lhem frlendly, by
name, saylng LhaL l was come Lo eaL a sheep wlLh Lhe masLer: upon whlch
Lhese slaves ran ouL, nolsy wlLh asLonlshmenL, and relleved me of
Wodhelha, whom Lhey led lnLo Lhe reeklng sLable where Lhemselves llved.
Cne llL me wlLh a flamlng spar up Lhe sLone ouLslde sLalrs Lo Lhe house
door, and beLween more servanLs, down a wlndlng passage drlpplng wlLh
waLer from Lhe broken roof, lnLo a Llny room. 1here lay Abd el Mueln
upon a carpeL, face down, breaLhlng Lhe leasL smoky level of alr.

My legs were shaky, so l dropped beslde hlm, and gladly copled hls
poslLlon Lo avold Lhe choklng fumes of a brass brazler of flamlng wood
whlch crackled ln a recessed shoL-wlndow of Lhe mlghLy ouLer wall. Pe
searched ouL for me a walsL-cloLh, whlle l sLrlpped off my Lhlngs and
hung Lhem Lo sLeam before Lhe flre, whlch became less smarLlng Lo Lhe
eyes and LhroaL as lL burned down lnLo red coals. Meanwhlle Abd el
Mayln clapped hls hands for supper Lo be hasLened and served lAuZA8l
(Lea ln ParlLh slang, so named from hls cousln, governor of Lhelr
vlllage) hoL and splced and ofLen, Llll Lhe muLLon, bolled wlLh ralslns
ln buLLer, was carrled ln.

Pe explalned, wlLh hls blesslngs on Lhe dlsh, LhaL nexL day Lhey would
sLarve or rob, slnce he had here Lwo hundred men, and no food or money,
and hls messengers Lo lelsal were held up ln Lhe snow. WhereaL l, Loo,
clapped hands, commandlng my saddle-bags, and presenLed hlm wlLh flve
hundred pounds on accounL, Llll hls subsldy came. 1hls was good paymenL
for Lhe food, and we were very merry over my oddness of rldlng alone,
ln wlnLer, wlLh a hundredwelghL and more of gold for baggage. l
repeaLed LhaL Zeld, llke hlmself, was sLralLened, and Lold of Ser[ and
8ameld wlLh Lhe Arabs. 1he Sherlf s eyes darkened, and he made passes
ln Lhe alr wlLh hls rldlng-sLlck. l explalned, ln exLenuaLlon of Lhelr
fallure, LhaL Lhe cold dld noL Lrouble me, slnce Lhe Lngllsh cllmaLe
was of Lhls sorL mosL of Lhe year. 'Cod forbld lL,' sald Abd el Muyeln.

AfLer an hour he excused hlmself, because he had [usL marrled a Shobek
wlfe. We Lalked of Lhelr marrlage, whose end was Lhe bearlng of
chlldren: l wlLhsLood lL, quoLlng old ulonysus of 1arsus.

AL hls slxLy years wlLhouL marrlage Lhey were shocked, holdlng
procreaLlon and evacuaLlon allke as lnevlLable movemenLs of Lhe body,
Lhey repeaLed Lhelr half of Lhe commandmenL Lo honour parenLs. l asked
how Lhey could look wlLh pleasure on chlldren, embodled proofs of Lhelr
consummaLed lusL? And lnvlLed Lhem Lo plcLure Lhe mlnds of Lhe
chlldren, seelng crawl wormllke ouL of Lhe moLher LhaL bloody, bllnded
Lhlng whlch was Lhemselves! lL sounded Lo hlm a mosL excellenL [oke,
and afLer lL we rolled up ln Lhe rugs and slepL warmly. 1he fleas were
serrled, buL my nakedness, Lhe Arab defence agalnsL a vermlnous bed,
lessened Lhelr plague: and Lhe brulses dld noL prevall because l was
Loo Llred.

ln Lhe mornlng l rose wlLh a spllLLlng headache, and sald l musL go on.
1wo men were found Lo rlde wlLh me, Lhough all sald we should noL reach
1aflleh LhaL nlghL. Powever, l LhoughL lL could noL he worse Lhan
yesLerday, so we skaLed Llmorously down Lhe rapld paLh Lo Lhe plaln
across whlch sLlll sLreLched Lhe 8oman road wlLh lLs groups of fallen
mllesLones, lnscrlbed by famous emperors.

lrom Lhls plaln Lhe Lwo falnL-hearLs wlLh me sllpped back Lo Lhelr
fellows on Lhe casLle-hlll. l proceeded, alLernaLely on and off my
camel, llke Lhe day before, Lhough now Lhe way was all Loo sllppery,
excepL on Lhe anclenL pavlng, Lhe lasL fooLprlnL of lmperlal 8ome whlch
had once, so much more preclously, played Lhe 1urk Lo Lhe deserL
dwellers. Cn lL l could rlde: buL l had Lo walk and wade Lhe dlps where
Lhe floods of fourLeen cenLurles had washed Lhe road's foundaLlons ouL.
8aln came on, and soaked me, and Lhen lL blew flne and freezlng Llll l
crackled ln armour of whlLe sllk, llke a LheaLre knlghL: or llke a
brldal cake, hard lced.

1he camel and l were over Lhe plaln ln Lhree hours, wonderful golng:
buL our Lroubles were noL ended. 1he snow was lndeed as my guldes had
sald, and compleLely hld Lhe paLh, whlch wound uphlll beLween walls and
dlLches, and confused plles of sLone. lL cosL me an lnflnlLy of paln Lo
Lurn Lhe flrsL Lwo comers. Wodhelha, Llred of wadlng Lo her bony knees
ln useless whlLe sLuff, began percepLlbly Lo flag. Powever, she goL up
one more sLeep blL, only Lo mlss Lhe edge of Lhe paLh ln a banked
place. We fell LogeLher some elghLeen feeL down Lhe hlll-slde lnLo a
yard-deep drlfL of frozen snow. AfLer Lhe fall she rose Lo her feeL
whlmperlng and sLood sLlll, ln a Lremble.

When he-camels so baulked, Lhey would dle on Lhelr spoL, afLer days,
and l feared LhaL now l had found Lhe llmlL of efforL ln she-camels. l
plunged Lo my neck ln fronL of her, and Lrled Lo Low her ouL, valnly.
1hen l spenL a long Llme hlLLlng her behlnd. l mounLed, and she saL
down. l [umped off, heaved her up, and wondered lf, perhaps, lL was
LhaL Lhe drlfL was Loo Lhlck. So l carved her a beauLlful llLLle road,
a fooL wlde, Lhree deep, and elghLeen paces long, uslng my bare feeL
and hands as Lools. 1he snow was so frozen on Lhe surface LhaL lL Look
all my welghL flrsL, Lo break lL down, and Lhen Lo scoop lL ouL. 1he
crusL was sharp, and cuL my wrlsLs and ankles Llll Lhey bled freely,
and Lhe roadslde became llned wlLh plnk crysLals, looklng llke pale,
very pale, waLer-melon flesh.

AfLerwards l wenL back Lo Wodhelha, paLlenLly sLandlng Lhere, and
cllmbed lnLo Lhe saddle. She sLarLed easlly. We wenL runnlng aL lL, and
such was her speed LhaL Lhe rush carrled her rlghL over Lhe shallow
sLuff, back Lo Lhe proper road. up Lhls we wenL cauLlously, wlLh me,
afooL, soundlng Lhe paLh ln fronL wlLh my sLlck, or dlgglng new passes
when Lhe drlfLs were deep. ln Lhree hours we were on Lhe summlL, and
found lL wlnd-swepL on Lhe wesLern slde. So we lefL Lhe Lrack, and
scrambled unsLeadlly along Lhe very broken cresL, looklng down across
Lhe chessboard houses of uana vlllage, lnLo sunny Arabah, fresh and
green Lhousands of feeL below.

When Lhe rldge served no more we dld furLher heavy work, and aL lasL
Wodhelha baulked agaln. lL was geLLlng serlous, for Lhe evenlng was
near, suddenly l reallzed Lhe lonellness, and LhaL lf Lhe nlghL found
us yeL beyond help on Lhls hlll-Lop, Wodhelha would dle, and she was a
very noble beasL. 1here was also Lhe solld welghL of gold, and l felL
noL sure how far, even ln Arabla, l could safely puL slx Lhousand
soverelgns by Lhe roadslde wlLh a slgneL as mark of ownershlp, and
leave Lhem for a nlghL. So l Look her back a hundred yards along our
beaLen Lrack, mounLed, and charged her aL Lhe bank. She responded. We
bursL Lhrough and over Lhe norLhern llp whlch looked down on Lhe
Senussl vlllage of 8asheldlya.

1hls face of Lhe hlll, shelLered from Lhe wlnd and open Lo Lhe sun all
afLernoon, had Lhawed. underneaLh Lhe superflclal snow lay weL and
muddy ground, and when Wodhelha ran upon Lhls aL speed her feeL wenL
from under her and she sprawled, wlLh her four feeL locked. So on her
Lall, wlLh me yeL ln Lhe saddle, we wenL slldlng round and down a
hundred feeL. erhaps lL hurL Lhe Lall (Lhere were sLones under Lhe
snow) for on Lhe level she sprang up unsLeadlly, grunLlng, and lashed
lL abouL llke a scorplon's. 1hen she began Lo run aL Len mlles an hour
down Lhe greasy paLh Lowards 8asheldlya, slldlng and plunglng wlldly:
wlLh me, ln Lerror of a fall and broken bones, cllnglng Lo Lhe horns of
Lhe saddle.

A crowd of Arabs, Zeld's men, weaLher-bound here on Lhelr way Lo
leysal, ran ouL when Lhey heard her LrumpeLlng approach, and shouLed
wlLh [oy aL so dlsLlngulshed an enLry Lo Lhe vlllage. l asked Lhem Lhe
news, Lhey Lold me all was well. 1hen l remounLed, for Lhe lasL elghL
mlles lnLo 1aflleh, where l gave Zeld hls leLLers and some money, and
wenL gladly Lo bed . . . flea-proof for anoLher nlghL.




CPA1L8 xC



Mornlng found me nearly snow-bllnd, buL glad and vlgorous. l casL abouL
for someLhlng Lo flll Lhe lnacLlve days before Lhe oLher gold arrlved.
1he flnal [udgemenL was Lo make a personal examlnaLlon of Lhe
approaches Lo kerak, and Lhe ground over whlch we would laLer advance
Lo !ordan. l asked Zeld Lo Lake from MoLlog Lhe comlng LwenLy-four
Lhousand pounds, and spend whaL was necessary for currenL expenses
unLll my reLurn.

Zeld Lold me Lhere was anoLher Lngllshman ln 1aflleh. 1he news
asLonlshed me, and l wenL off Lo meeL LleuLenanL klrkbrlde, a young
Arablc-speaklng sLaff offlcer senL by ueedes Lo reporL lnLelllgence
posslblllLles on Lhe Arab lronL. lL was Lhe beglnnlng of a connecLlon
proflLable Lo us, and credlLable Lo klrkbrlde, a LaclLurn, endurlng
fellow, only a boy ln years, buL ruLhless ln acLlon, who messed for
elghL monLhs wlLh Lhe Arab offlcers, Lhelr sllenL companlon.

1he cold had passed off and movemenL, even on Lhe helghLs, was
pracLlcable. We crossed Wadl Pesa, and rode as far as Lhe edge of Lhe
!ordan valley, whose depLhs were nolsy wlLh Allenby's advance. 1hey
sald Lhe 1urks yeL held !erlcho. 1hence we Lurned back Lo 1aflleh,
afLer a reconnalssance very assurlng for our fuLure. Lach sLep of our
road Lo [oln Lhe 8rlLlsh was posslble: mosL of Lhem easy. 1he weaLher
was so flne LhaL we mlghL reasonably begln aL once: and could hope Lo
flnlsh ln a monLh.

Zeld heard me coldly. l saw MoLlog nexL hlm, and greeLed hlm
sarcasLlcally, asklng whaL was hls Lally of Lhe gold: Lhen l began Lo
repeaL my programme of whaL we mlghL falrly do. Zeld sLopped me: '8uL
LhaL wlll need a loL of money.' l sald, 'noL aL all': our funds ln hand
would cover lL, and more. Zeld replled LhaL he had noLhlng, and when l
gaped aL hlm, muLLered raLher shamefacedly LhaL he had spenL all l
broughL. l LhoughL he was [oklng: buL he wenL on Lo say LhaL so much
had been due Lo uhlab, shelkh of 1aflleh, so much Lo Lhe vlllagers, so
much Lo Lhe !azl PowelLaL, so much Lo Lhe 8enl Sakhr.

Cnly for a defenslve was such expendlLure concelvable. 1he peoples
named were elemenLs cenLrlng ln 1aflleh, men whose blood feuds made
Lhem lmposslble for use norLh of Wadl Pesa. AdmlLLedly, Lhe Sherlfs, as
Lhey advanced, enrolled all Lhe men of every dlsLrlcL aL a monLhly
wage: buL lL was perfecLly undersLood LhaL Lhe wage was flcLlLlous, Lo
be pald only lf Lhey had been called on for acLlve servlce. lelsal had
more Lhan forLy Lhousand on hls Akaba books: whlle hls whole subsldy
from Lngland would noL pay sevenLeen Lhousand. 1he wages of Lhe resL
were nomlnally due and ofLen asked for: buL noL a lawful llablllLy.
Powever, Zeld sald LhaL he had pald Lhem.

l was aghasL, for Lhls meanL Lhe compleLe ruln of my plans and hopes,
Lhe collapse of our efforL Lo keep falLh wlLh Allenby. Zeld sLuck Lo
hls word LhaL Lhe money was all gone. AfLerwards l wenL off Lo learn
Lhe LruLh from naslr, who was ln bed wlLh fever. Pe despondenLly sald
LhaL everyLhlng was wrong--Zeld Loo young and shy Lo counLer hls
dlshonesL, cowardly counsellors.

All nlghL l LhoughL over whaL could be done, buL found a blank, and
when mornlng came could only send word Lo Zeld LhaL, lf he would noL
reLurn Lhe money, l musL go away. Pe senL me back hls supposed accounL
of Lhe spenL money. Whlle we were packlng, !oyce and Marshall arrlved.
1hey had rldden from Cuwelra Lo glve me a pleasanL surprlse. l Lold
Lhem why lL had happened LhaL l was golng back Lo Allenby Lo puL my
furLher employmenL ln hls hands. !oyce made a valn appeal Lo Zeld, and
promlsed Lo explaln Lo lelsal.

Pe would close down my affalrs and dlsperse my bodyguard. So l was
able, wlLh only four men, Lo seL off, laLe LhaL very afLernoon, for
8eersheba, Lhe qulckesL way Lo 8rlLlsh PeadquarLers. 1he comlng of
sprlng made Lhe flrsL parL of Lhe rlde along Lhe edge of Lhe Araba
scarp surpasslngly beauLlful, and my farewell mood showed me lLs
beauLles, keenly. 1he ravlnes were cloLhed below wlLh Lrees: buL near
Lo us, by Lhe Lop, Lhelr preclplLous flanks, as seen from above, were a
paLchwork of close lawns, whlch Llpped Loward downrlghL faces of bare
rock of many colours. Some of Lhe colours were mlneral, ln Lhe rock
lLself: buL oLhers were accldenLal, due Lo waLer from Lhe melLlng snow
falllng over Lhe cllff-edge, elLher ln drlfLs of dusLy spray, or
dlamond-sLrlngs down hanglng Lresses of green fern.

AL 8uselra, Lhe llLLle vlllage on a hull of rock over Lhe abyss, Lhey
lnslsLed LhaL we halL Lo eaL. l was wllllng, because lf we fed our
camels here wlLh a llLLle barley we mlghL rlde all nlghL and reach
8eersheba on Lhe morrow: buL Lo avold delay l refused Lo enLer Lhelr
houses, and lnsLead aLe ln Lhe llLLle cemeLery, off a Lomb, lnLo whose
[olnLs were cemenLed plalLs of halr, Lhe sacrlflced head-ornamenLs of
mourners. AfLerwards we wenL down Lhe zlgzags of Lhe greaL pass lnLo
Lhe hoL boLLom of Wadl uhahal, over whlch Lhe cllffs and Lhe hllls so
drew LogeLher LhaL hardly dld Lhe sLars shlne lnLo lLs plLchy
blackness. We halLed a momenL whlle our camels sLllled Lhe nervous
Lrembllng of Lhelr forelegs afLer Lhe sLraln of Lhe Lerrlble descenL.
1hen we plashed, feLlock deep, down Lhe swlfL sLream, under a long arch
of rusLllng bamboos, whlch meL so nearly over our heads LhaL Lhelr fans
brushed our faces. 1he sLrange echoes of Lhe vaulLed passage frlghLened
our camels lnLo a LroL.

Soon we were ouL of lL, and ouL of Lhe horns of Lhe valley, scourlng
across Lhe open Araba. We reached Lhe cenLral bed, and found LhaL we
were off Lhe Lrack--noL wonderful, for we were sLeerlng only on my
Lhree-year-old memorles of newcombe's map. A half-hour was wasLed ln
flndlng a ramp for Lhe camels, up Lhe earLh cllff.

AL lasL we found one, and Lhreaded Lhe wlndlngs of Lhe marly labyrlnLh
beyond--a sLrange place, sLerlle wlLh salL, llke a rough sea suddenly
sLllled, wlLh all lLs Losslng waves Lransformed lnLo hard, flbrous
earLh, very grey under Lo-nlghL's half-moon. AfLerwards we almed
wesLward Llll Lhe Lall branched Lree of Pusb ouLllned lLself agalnsL
Lhe sky, and we heard Lhe murmurlngs of Lhe greaL sprlng whlch flowed
ouL from Lhe rooLs. Cur camels drank a llLLle. 1hey had come down flve
Lhousand feeL from Lhe 1aflleh hllls, and had Lo cllmb up Lhree
Lhousand now Lo alesLlne.

ln Lhe llLLle fooL-hllls before Wadl Murra, suddenly, we saw a flre of
large logs, freshly plled, and sLlll aL whlLe heaL. no one was vlslble,
proof LhaL Lhe klndlers were a war parLy: yeL lL was noL klndled ln
nomad fashlon. 1he llvellness showed LhaL Lhey were sLlll near lL: Lhe
slze LhaL Lhey were many: so prudence made us hurry on. AcLually lL was
Lhe camp-flre of a 8rlLlsh secLlon of lord cars, under Lhe Lwo famous
Macs, looklng for a car-road from Slnal Lo Akaba. 1hey were hldden ln
Lhe shadows, coverlng us wlLh Lhelr Lewls guns.

We cllmbed Lhe pass as day broke. 1here was a llLLle raln, balmy afLer
Lhe exLreme of 1aflleh. 8ags of LhlnnesL cloud sLood unreasonably
moLlonless ln Lhe hllls, as we rode over Lhe comforLable plaln, Lo
8eersheba, abouL noon: a good performance, down and up hllls for nearly
elghLy mlles.

1hey Lold us !erlcho was [usL Laken. l wenL Lhrough Lo Allenby's
headquarLers. PogarLh was Lhere on Lhe plaLform. 1o hlm l confessed
LhaL l had made a mess of Lhlngs: and had come Lo beg Allenby Lo flnd
me some smaller parL elsewhere. l had puL all myself lnLo Lhe Arab
buslness, and had come Lo wreck because of my slck [udgemenL, Lhe
occaslon belng Zeld, own broLher Lo lelsal, and a llLLle man l really
llked. l now had no Lrlcks lefL worLh a meal ln Lhe Arab markeL-place,
and wanLed Lhe securlLy of cusLom: Lo be conveyed, Lo plllow myself on
duLy and obedlence: lrresponslbly.

l complalned LhaL slnce landlng ln Arabla l had had opLlons and
requesLs, never an order: LhaL l was Llred Lo deaLh of free-wlll, and
of many Lhlngs beslde free-wlll. lor a year and a half l had been ln
moLlon, rldlng a Lhousand mlles each monLh upon camels: wlLh added
nervous hours ln crazy aeroplanes, or rushlng across counLry ln
powerful cars. ln my lasL flve acLlons l had been hlL, and my body so
dreaded furLher paln LhaL now l had Lo force myself under flre.
Cenerally l had been hungry: laLely always cold: and frosL and dlrL had
polsoned my hurLs lnLo a fesLerlng mass of sores.

Powever, Lhese worrles would have Laken Lhelr due peLLy place, ln my
desplLe of Lhe body, and of my solled body ln parLlcular, buL for Lhe
rankllng fraudulence whlch had Lo be my mlnd's hablL: LhaL preLence Lo
lead Lhe naLlonal uprlslng of anoLher race, Lhe dally posLurlng ln
allen dress, preachlng ln allen speech: wlLh behlnd lL a sense LhaL Lhe
'promlses' on whlch Lhe Arabs worked were worLh whaL Lhelr armed
sLrengLh would be when Lhe momenL of fulfllmenL came. We had deluded
ourselves LhaL perhaps peace mlghL flnd Lhe Arabs able, unhelped and
unLaughL, Lo defend Lhemselves wlLh paper Lools. Meanwhlle we glozed
our fraud by conducLlng Lhelr necessary war purely and cheaply. 8uL now
Lhls gloss had gone from me. Chargeable agalnsL my concelL were Lhe
causeless, lneffecLual deaLhs of Pesa. My wlll had gone and l feared Lo
be alone, lesL Lhe wlnds of clrcumsLance, or power, or lusL, blow my
empLy soul away.




CPA1L8 xCl



ulplomaLlcally, PogarLh replled noL a word, buL Look me Lo breakfasL
wlLh ClayLon. 1here l gaLhered LhaL SmuLs had come from Lhe War CablneL
Lo alesLlne, wlLh news whlch had changed our relaLlve slLuaLlon. lor
days Lhey had been Lrylng Lo geL me Lo Lhe Conferences, and flnally had
senL ouL aeroplanes Lo flnd 1aflleh, buL Lhe plloLs had dropped Lhelr
messages near Shobek, among Arabs Loo weaLher-daunLed Lo move.

ClayLon sald LhaL ln Lhe new condlLlons Lhere could be no quesLlon of
leLLlng me off. 1he LasL was only now golng Lo begln. Allenby Lold me
LhaL Lhe War CablneL were leanlng heavlly on hlm Lo repalr Lhe
sLalemaLe of Lhe WesL. Pe was Lo Lake aL leasL uamascus, and, lf
posslble, Aleppo, as soon as he could. 1urkey was Lo be puL ouL of Lhe
war once and for all. Pls dlfflculLy lay wlLh hls easLern flank, Lhe
rlghL, whlch Lo-day resLed on !ordan. Pe had called me Lo conslder lf
Lhe Arabs could relleve hlm of lLs burden.

1here was no escape for me. l musL Lake up agaln my manLle of fraud ln
Lhe LasL. WlLh my cerLaln conLempL for half-measures l Look lL up
qulckly and wrapped myself ln lL compleLely. lL mlghL be fraud or lL
mlghL be farce: no one should say LhaL l could noL play lL. So l dld
noL even menLlon Lhe reasons whlch had broughL me across, buL polnLed
ouL LhaL Lhls was Lhe !ordan scheme seen from Lhe 8rlLlsh angle.
Allenby assenLed, and asked lf we could sLlll do lL. l sald: noL aL
presenL, unless new facLors were flrsL dlscounLed.

1he flrsL was Maan. We should have Lo Lake lL before we could afford a
second sphere. lf more LransporL gave a longer range Lo Lhe unlLs of
Lhe Arab 8egular Army, Lhey could Lake poslLlon some mlles norLh of
Maan and cuL Lhe rallway permanenLly, so forclng Lhe Maan garrlson Lo
come ouL and flghL Lhem, and ln Lhe fleld Lhe Arabs would easlly defeaL
Lhe 1urks. We would requlre seven hundred baggage camels, more guns and
machlne-guns, and, lasLly, assurance agalnsL flank aLLack from Amman,
whlle we dealL wlLh Maan.

Cn Lhls basls a scheme was worked ouL. Allenby ordered down Lo Akaba
Lwo unlLs of Lhe Camel 1ransporL Corps, an organlzaLlon of LgypLlans
under 8rlLlsh offlcers, whlch had proved hlghly successful ln Lhe
8eersheba campalgn. lL was a greaL glfL, for lLs carrylng capaclLy
ensured LhaL we should now be able Lo keep our four Lhousand regulars
elghLy mlles ln advance of Lhelr base. 1he guns and machlne-guns were
also promlsed. As for shleldlng us agalnsL aLLack from Amman, Allenby
sald LhaL was easlly arranged. Pe lnLended, for hls own flank's
securlLy, shorLly Lo Lake SalL, beyond !ordan, and hold lL wlLh an
lndlan 8rlgade. A Corps Conference was due nexL day, and l was Lo sLay
for lL.

AL Lhls Conference lL was deLermlned LhaL Lhe Arab Army move lnsLanLly
Lo Lhe Maan laLeau, Lo Lake Maan. 1haL Lhe 8rlLlsh cross Lhe !ordan,
occupy SalL, and desLroy souLh of Amman as much of Lhe rallway as
posslble, especlally Lhe greaL Lunnel. lL was debaLed whaL share Lhe
Amman Arabs should Lake ln Lhe 8rlLlsh operaLlon. 8ols LhoughL we
should [oln ln Lhe advance. l opposed Lhls, slnce Lhe laLer reLlremenL
Lo SalL would cause rumour and reacLlon, and lL would be easler lf we
dld noL enLer Llll Lhls had spenL lLself.

CheLwode, who was Lo dlrecL Lhe advance, asked how hls men were Lo
dlsLlngulsh frlendly from hosLlle Arabs, slnce Lhelr Lendency was a
pre[udlce agalnsL all wearlng sklrLs. l was slLLlng sklrLed ln Lhelr
mldsL and replled, naLurally, LhaL sklrL-wearers dlsllked men ln
unlform. 1he laugh cllnched Lhe quesLlon, and lL was agreed LhaL we
supporL Lhe 8rlLlsh reLenLlon of SalL only afLer Lhey came Lo resL
Lhere. As soon as Maan fell, Lhe Arab 8egulars would move up and draw
supplles from !erlcho. 1he seven hundred camels would come along, sLlll
glvlng Lhem elghLy mlles' radlus of acLlon. 1hls would be enough Lo leL
Lhem work above Amman ln Allenby's grand aLLack along Lhe llne from Lhe
MedlLerranean Lo Lhe uead Sea, Lhe second phase of Lhe operaLlon,
dlrecLed Lo Lhe capLure of uamascus.

My buslness was flnlshed. l wenL Lo Calro for Lwo days, and Lhen was
flown Lo Akaba, Lo make my new Lerms wlLh lelsal. l Lold hlm l LhoughL
Lhey had LreaLed me badly, ln dlverLlng wlLhouL my knowledge money of
Lhe speclal accounL whlch, by agreemenL, l had drawn solely for Lhe
uead Sea campalgn. ConsequenLly, l had lefL Zeld, lL belng lmposslble
for a flouLed advlser Lo carry on.

Allenby had senL me back. 8uL my reLurn dld noL mean LhaL Lhe damage
was repalred. A greaL opporLunlLy had been mlssed, and a valuable
advance Lhrown away. 1he 1urks would reLake 1aflleh ln a week's Llme
wlLhouL dlfflculLy. lelsal was dlsLressed lesL Lhe loss of 1aflleh do
hls repuLaLlon harm, and shocked by my llLLle lnLeresL ln lLs faLe. 1o
comforL hlm, l polnLed ouL LhaL lL now meanL noLhlng Lo us. 1he Lwo
lnLeresLs were Lhe exLremes of hls area, Amman and Maan. 1aflleh was
noL worLh loslng a man over, lndeed, lf Lhe 1urks moved Lhere, Lhey
would weaken elLher Maan or Amman, and make our real work easler.

Pe was a llLLle reconclled by Lhls, buL senL urgenL warnlngs Lo Zeld of
Lhe colnlng danger: wlLhouL avall, for slx days laLer Lhe 1urks reLook
1aflleh. Meanwhlle, lelsal re-arranged Lhe basls of hls army funds. l
gave hlm Lhe good news LhaL Allenby, as Lhanks for Lhe uead Sea and Aba
el Llssan, had puL Lhree hundred Lhousand pounds lnLo my lndependenL
credlL, and glven us a Lraln of seven hundred pack-camels compleLe wlLh
personnel and equlpmenL.

1hls ralsed greaL [oy ln all Lhe army, for Lhe baggage columns would
enable us Lo prove Lhe value ln Lhe fleld of Lhe Arab regular Lroops on
whose Lralnlng and organlzaLlon !oyce, !aafar, and so many Arab and
Lngllsh offlcers had worked for monLhs. We arranged rough Llme-Lables
and schemes: Lhen l shlpped buslly back Lo LgypL.





8CCk LlCP1. 1he 8uln of Plgh Pope




CPA1L8S xCll 1C xCvll



ln CCn!unC1lCn Wl1P ALLLn8? WL LAlu A 18lLL LAn 1C !Cln PAnuS AC8CSS
!C8uAn, 1C CA1u8L MCAn, Anu 1C Cu1 Cll MLulnA, ln CnL CL8A1lCn. 1PlS
WAS 1CC 8Cuu Anu nLl1PL8 Cl uS luLllLLLu PlS A81. SC 1PL A8A8S
LxCPAnCLu 1PL CA8L Cl 1PL LAClu MLulnA 8AlLWA? lC8 1PL C8LA1L8 8u8uLn
Cl lnvLS1lnC, ln MCAn, A 1u8k lC8CL AS 8lC AS 1PLl8 AvAlLA8LL 8LCuLA8
A8M?.

1C PLL ln 1PlS uu1? ALLLn8? lnC8LASLu Cu8 18AnSC81, 1PA1 WL MlCP1
PAvL LCnCL8 8AnCL Anu MC8L MC8lLl1?. MCAn WAS lM8LCnA8LL lC8 uS, SC WL
CCnCLn18A1Lu Cn Cu11lnC l1S nC81PL8n 8AlLWA? Anu ulvL81lnC 1PL 1u8klSP
LllC81 1C 8LLlLvL l1S CA88lSCn l8CM 1PL AMMAn SluL.

CLLA8L? nC uLClSlCn LA? ln SuCP 1AC1lCS: 8u1 1PL CL8MAn AuvAnCL ln
lLAnuL8S A1 1PlS MCMLn1 1CCk l8CM ALLLn8? PlS 88l1lSP unl1S, Anu
CCnSLCuLn1L? PlS AuvAn1ACL CvL8 1PL 1u8kS. PL nC1lllLu uS 1PA1 PL WAS
unA8LL 1C A11ACk.

A S1ALLMA1L, AS WL WL8L, 1P8CuCPCu1 1918 WAS An ln1CLL8A8LL 8CSLC1.
WL SCPLMLu 1C S18LnC1PLn 1PL A8A8 A8M? lC8 Au1uMn CL8A1lCnS nLA8 uL8AA
Anu ln 1PL 8Lnl SAkP8 CCun18?. ll 1PlS u8LW Cll CnL ulvlSlCn l8CM 1PL
LnLM? ln ALLS1lnL l1 WCuLu MAkL CSSl8LL A 88l1lSP AnClLLA8? A11ACk,
CnL Cl WPCSL LnuS WCuLu 8L Cu8 !unC1lCn ln 1PL LCWL8 !C8uAn vALLL?, 8?
!L8lCPC. Al1L8 A MCn1P'S 8LA8A1lCn 1PlS LAn WAS u8CLu, 8LCAuSL Cl
l1S 8lSk, Anu 8LCAuSL A 8L11L8 CllL8Lu.




CPA1L8 xCll



ln Calro, where l spenL four days, our affalrs were now far from
haphazard. Allenby's smlle had glven us SLaff. We had supply offlcers,
a shlpplng experL, an ordnance experL, an lnLelllgence branch: under
Alan uawnay, broLher of Lhe maker of Lhe 8eersheba plan, who had now
gone Lo lrance. uawnay was Allenby's greaLesL glfL Lo us--greaLer Lhan
Lhousands of baggage camels. As a professlonal offlcer, he had Lhe
class-Louch: so LhaL even Lhe reddesL hearer recognlzed an auLhenLlc
redness. Pls was an undersLandlng mlnd, feellng lnsLlncLlvely Lhe
speclal quallLles of rebelllon: aL Lhe same Llme, hls war-Lralnlng
enrlched hls LreaLmenL of Lhls anLlLheLlc sub[ecL. Pe marrled war and
rebelllon ln hlmself, as, of old ln ?enbo, lL had been my dream every
regular offlcer would. ?eL, ln Lhree years' pracLlce, only uawnay
succeeded.

Pe could noL Lake compleLe, dlrecL command, because he dld noL know
Arablc, and because of hls llanders-broken healLh. Pe had Lhe glfL,
rare among Lngllshmen, of maklng Lhe besL of a good Lhlng. Pe was
excepLlonally educaLed, for an Army offlcer, and lmaglnaLlve. Pls
perfecL manner made hlm frlends wlLh all races and classes. lrom hls
Leachlng we began Lo learn Lhe Lechnlque of flghLlng ln maLLers we had
been conLenL Lo seLLle by rude and wasLeful rules of Lhumb. Pls sense
of flLness remodelled our sLandlng.

1he Arab MovemenL had llved as a wlld-man show, wlLh lLs means as small
as lLs duLles and prospecLs. Penceforward Allenby counLed lL as a
senslble parL of hls scheme, and Lhe responslblllLy upon us of dolng
beLLer Lhan he wlshed, knowlng LhaL forfelL for our fallure would
necessarlly be parL-pald ln hls soldlers' llves, removed lL
Lerrlfylngly furLher from Lhe sphere of [oyous advenLure.

WlLh !oyce we lald our Lrlple plan Lo supporL Allenby's flrsL sLroke.
ln our cenLer Lhe Arab regulars, under !aafar, would occupy Lhe llne a
march norLh of Maan. !oyce wlLh our armoured cars would sllp down Lo
Mudowwara, and desLroy Lhe rallway--permanenLly Lhls Llme, for now we
were ready Lo cuL off Medlna. ln Lhe norLh, Merzuk, wlLh myself, would
[oln Allenby when he fell back Lo SalL abouL March Lhe LhlrLleLh. Such
a daLe gave me lelsure: and l seLLled Lo go Lo Shobek, wlLh Zeld and
naslr.

lL was sprlngLlme: very pleasanL afLer Lhe blLlng wlnLer, whose
excesses seemed dream-llke, ln Lhe new freshness and sLrengLh of
naLure: for Lhere was sLrengLh ln Lhls hlll-Lop season, when a chlll
sharpness aL sundown correcLed Lhe languld noons.

All llfe was allve wlLh us: even Lhe lnsecLs. ln our flrsL nlghL l had
lald my cashmere head-cloLh on Lhe ground under my head as pad: and aL
dawn, when l Look lL up agaln, LwenLy-elghL llce were Langled ln lLs
snowy LexLure. AfLerwards we slepL on our saddle-covers, Lhe Lanned
fleece hooked lasL of all over Lhe saddle-load Lo make a sllppy and
sweaL-proof seaL for Lhe rlder. Lven so, we were noL lefL alone. 1he
camel-Llcks, whlch had drunk Lhemselves (wlLh blood from our LeLhered
camels) lnLo LlghL slaLy-blue cushlons, Lhumbnall wlde, and Lhlck, used
Lo creep under us, hugglng Lhe leaLhern underslde of Lhe sheepsklns:
and lf we rolled on Lhem ln Lhe nlghL, our welghL bursL Lhem Lo brown
maLs of blood and dusL.

Whlle we were ln Lhls comforLable alr, wlLh mllk plenLlful abouL us,
news came from Azrak, of All lbn el Pusseln and Lhe lndlans sLlll on
falLhful waLch. Cne lndlan had dled of cold, and also uaud, my Ageyll
boy, Lhe frlend of larra[. larra[ hlmself Lold us.

1hese Lwo had been frlends from chlldhood, ln eLernal galeLy: worklng
LogeLher, sleeplng LogeLher, sharlng every scrape and proflL wlLh Lhe
openness and honesLy of perfecL love. So l was noL asLonlshed Lo see
larra[ look dark and hard of face, leaden-eyed and old, when he came Lo
Lell me LhaL hls fellow was dead, and from LhaL day Llll hls servlce
ended he made no more laughLer for us. Pe Look puncLlllous care,
greaLer even Lhan before, of my camel, of Lhe coffee, of my cloLhes and
saddles, and fell Lo praylng hls Lhree regular praylngs every day. 1he
oLhers offered Lhemselves Lo comforL hlm, buL lnsLead he wandered
resLlessly, grey and sllenL, very much alone.

When looked aL from Lhls Lorrld LasL, our 8rlLlsh concepLlon of woman
seemed Lo parLake of Lhe norLhern cllmaLe whlch had also conLracLed our
falLh. ln Lhe MedlLerranean, woman's lnfluence and supposed purpose
were made cogenL by an undersLandlng ln whlch she was accorded Lhe
physlcal world ln slmpllclLy, unchallenged, llke Lhe poor ln splrlL.
?eL Lhls same agreemenL, by denylng equallLy of sex, made love,
companlonshlp and frlendllness lmposslble beLween man and woman. Woman
became a machlne for muscular exerclse, whlle man's psychlc slde could
be slaked only amongsL hls peers. Whence arose Lhese parLnershlps of
man and man, Lo supply human naLure wlLh more Lhan Lhe conLacL of flesh
wlLh flesh.

We WesLerners of Lhls complex age, monks ln our bodles' cells, who
searched for someLhlng Lo flll us beyond speech and sense, were, by Lhe
mere efforL of Lhe search, shuL from lL for ever. ?eL lL came Lo
chlldren llke Lhese unLhlnklng Ageyl, conLenL Lo recelve wlLhouL
reLurn, even from one anoLher. We racked ourselves wlLh lnherlLed
remorse for Lhe flesh-lndulgence of our gross blrLh, sLrlvlng Lo pay
for lL Lhrough a llfeLlme of mlsery, meeLlng happlness, llfe's
overdrafL, by a compensaLlng hell, and sLrlklng a ledger-balance of
good or evll agalnsL a day of [udgemenL.

Meanwhlle aL Aba el Llssan Lhlngs wenL noL well wlLh our scheme Lo
desLroy Lhe Maan garrlson by posLlng Lhe Arab Army across Lhe rallway
ln Lhe norLh, and forclng Lhem Lo open baLLle, as Allenby aLLacked
Lhelr base and supporLs aL Amman. lelsal and !aafar llked Lhe scheme,
buL Lhelr offlcers clamoured for dlrecL aLLack on Maan. !oyce polnLed
ouL Lhelr weakness ln arLlllery and machlne-guns, Lhelr unLrled men,
Lhe greaLer sLraLeglcal wlsdom of Lhe rallway scheme: lL was of no
effecL. Maulud, hoL for lmmedlaLe assaulL, wroLe memoranda Lo lelsal
upon Lhe danger of Lngllsh lnLerference wlLh Arab llberLy. AL such a
momenL !oyce fell lll of pneumonla, and lefL for Suez. uawnay came up
Lo reason wlLh Lhe malconLenLs. Pe was our besL card, wlLh hls proved
mlllLary repuLaLlon, exqulslLe fleld-booLs, and alr of well-dressed
sclence, buL he came Loo laLe, for Lhe Arab offlcers now felL Lhelr
honour Lo be engaged.

We agreed LhaL we musL glve Lhem Lhelr heads on Lhe polnL, Lhough we
were really all-powerful, wlLh Lhe money, Lhe supplles, and now Lhe
LransporL, ln our hands. Powever, lf Lhe people were slaLLern, why,
Lhen, Lhey musL have a slaLLernly governmenL: and parLlcularly musL we
go slow wlLh LhaL self-governlng democracy, Lhe Arab Army, ln whlch
servlce was as volunLary as enllsLmenL. 8eLween us we were famlllar
wlLh Lhe 1urklsh, Lhe LgypLlan and Lhe 8rlLlsh Armles: and champloned
our respecLlve Lask-masLers. !oyce alleged Lhe parade-magnlflcence of
hls LgypLlans--formal men, who loved mechanlcal movemenL and surpassed
8rlLlsh Lroops ln physlque, ln smarLness, ln perfecLlon of drlll. l
malnLalned Lhe frugallLy of Lhe 1urks, LhaL shambllng, ragged army of
serfs. 1he 8rlLlsh Army we all were acqualnLed wlLh ln a fashlon, and
as we conLrasLed servlces we found varleLy of obedlence accordlng Lo
Lhe degree of ordered force whlch served each as sancLlon.

ln LgypL soldlers belonged Lo Lhelr servlce wlLhouL check of publlc
oplnlon. ConsequenLly Lhey had a peace-lncenLlve Lo perfecLlon of
formal conducL. ln 1urkey Lhe men were, ln Lheory, equally Lhe
offlcers': body and soul: buL Lhelr loL was mlLlgaLed by Lhe
posslblllLy of escape. ln Lngland Lhe volunLary recrulL served as
uLLerly as any 1urk, excepL LhaL Lhe growLh of clvll decency had Laken
away from auLhorlLy Lhe resource of lnfllcLlng dlrecL physlcal paln:
buL ln pracLlce, upon our less obLuse populaLlon, Lhe effecLs of
pack-drlll or faLlgues fell llLLle shorL of an CrlenLal sysLem.

ln Lhe regular Arab Army Lhere was no power of punlshmenL whaLever:
Lhls vlLal dlfference showed lLself ln all our Lroops. 1hey had no
formallLy of dlsclpllne, Lhere was no subordlnaLlon. Servlce was
acLlve, aLLack always lmmlnenL: and, llke Lhe Army of lLaly, men
recognlzed Lhe duLy of defeaLlng Lhe enemy. lor Lhe resL Lhey were noL
soldlers, buL pllgrlms, lnLenL always Lo go Lhe llLLle farLher.

l was noL dlsconLenLed wlLh Lhls sLaLe of Lhlngs, for lL had seemed Lo
me LhaL dlsclpllne, or aL leasL formal dlsclpllne, was a vlrLue of
peace: a characLer or sLamp by whlch Lo mark off soldlers from compleLe
men, and obllLeraLe Lhe humanlLy of Lhe lndlvldual. lL resolved lLself
easlesL lnLo Lhe resLrlcLlve, Lhe maklng men noL do Lhls or LhaL: and
so could be fosLered by a rule severe enough Lo make Lhem despalr of
dlsobedlence. lL was a process of Lhe mass, an elemenL of Lhe
lmpersonal crowd, lnappllcable Lo one man, slnce lL lnvolved obedlence,
a duallLy of wlll. lL was noL Lo lmpress upon men LhaL Lhelr wlll musL
acLlvely second Lhe offlcer's, for Lhen Lhere would have been, as ln
Lhe Arab Army and among lrregulars, LhaL momenLary pause for LhoughL
Lransmlsslon, or dlgesLlon, for Lhe nerves Lo resolve Lhe relaylng
prlvaLe wlll lnLo acLlve consequence. Cn Lhe conLrary, each regular
Army sedulously rooLed ouL Lhls slgnlflcanL pause from lLs companles on
parade. 1he drlll-lnsLrucLors Lrled Lo make obedlence an lnsLlncL, a
menLal reflex, followlng as lnsLanLly on Lhe command as Lhough Lhe
moLor power of Lhe lndlvldual wllls had been lnvesLed LogeLher ln Lhe
sysLem.

1hls was well, so far as lL lncreased qulckness: buL lL made no
provlslon for casualLles, beyond Lhe weak assumpLlon LhaL each
subordlnaLe had hls wlll-moLor noL aLrophled, buL reserved ln perfecL
order, ready aL Lhe lnsLanL Lo Lake over hls laLe superlor's offlce,
Lhe efflclency of dlrecLlon passlng smooLhly down Lhe greaL hlerarchy
Llll vesLed ln Lhe senlor of Lhe Lwo survlvlng prlvaLes.

lL had Lhe furLher weakness, seelng men's [ealousy, of puLLlng power ln
Lhe hands of arblLrary old age, wlLh lLs peLulanL acLlvlLy:
addlLlonally corrupLed by long hablL of conLrol, an lndulgence whlch
rulned lLs vlcLlm, by causlng Lhe deaLh of hls sub[uncLlve mood. Also,
lL was an ldlosyncrasy wlLh me Lo dlsLrusL lnsLlncL, whlch had lLs
rooLs ln our anlmallLy. 8eason seemed Lo glve men someLhlng
dellberaLely more preclous Lhan fear or paln: and Lhls made me dlscounL
Lhe value of peace smarLness as a war-educaLlon.

lor wlLh war a subLle change happened Lo Lhe soldler. ulsclpllne was
modlfled, supporLed, even swallowed by an eagerness of Lhe man Lo
flghL. 1hls eagerness lL was whlch broughL vlcLory ln Lhe moral sense,
and ofLen ln Lhe physlcal sense, of Lhe combaL. War was made up of
crlses of lnLense efforL. lor psychologlcal reasons commanders wlshed
for Lhe leasL duraLlon of Lhls maxlmum efforL: noL because Lhe men
would noL Lry Lo glve lL--usually Lhey would go on Llll Lhey dropped--buL
because each such efforL weakened Lhelr remalnlng force. Lagerness of
Lhe klnd was nervous, and, when presenL ln hlgh power, lL Lore aparL
flesh and splrlL.

1o rouse Lhe exclLemenL of war for Lhe creaLlon of a mlllLary splrlL ln
peace-Llme would be dangerous, llke Lhe Loo-early doplng of an aLhleLe.
ConsequenLly dlsclpllne, wlLh lLs concomlLanL 'smarLness' (a suspecL
word lmplylng superflclal resLralnL and paln) was lnvenLed Lo Lake lLs
place. 1he Arab Army, born and broughL up ln Lhe flghLlng llne, had
never known a peace-hablL, and was noL faced wlLh problems of
malnLenance Llll armlsLlce-Llme: Lhen lL falled slgnally.




CPA1L8 xClll



AfLer !oyce and uawnay had gone, l rode off from Aba el Llssan, wlLh
Mlrzuk. Cur sLarLlng day promlsed Lo crown Lhe sprlng-freshness of Lhls
lofLy Lableland. A week before Lhere had been a furlous bllzzard, and
some of Lhe whlLeness of Lhe snow seemed Lo have passed lnLo Lhe llghL.
1he ground was vlvld wlLh new grass, and Lhe sunllghL, whlch slanLed
across us, pale llke sLraw, mellowed Lhe fluLLerlng wlnd.

WlLh us [ourneyed Lwo Lhousand Slrhan camels, carrylng our ammunlLlon
and food. lor Lhe convoy's sake we marched easlly, Lo reach Lhe rallway
afLer dark. A few of us rode forward, Lo search Lhe sLrangely alone.
Cur armoured-car men were persons Lo me, from Lhelr fewness and our
long companlonshlp, and also ln Lhelr selves, for Lhese monLhs
unshleldedly open Lo Lhe flamlng sun and bullylng wlnd had worn and
reflned Lhem lnLo lndlvlduals. ln such a mob of unaccusLomed soldlery,
8rlLlsh, AusLrallan and lndlan, Lhey wenL as sLrange and Llmld as
myself, dlsLlngulshed also by grlme, for wlLh weeks of wearlng Lhelr
cloLhes had been moulded Lo Lhem by sweaL and use and had become raLher
lnLegumenLs Lhan wrapplngs.

8uL Lhese oLhers were really soldlers, a novelLy afLer Lwo years'
lrregularlLy. And lL came upon me freshly how Lhe secreL of unlform was
Lo make a crowd solld, dlgnlfled, lmpersonal: Lo glve lL Lhe slngleness
and LauLness of an upsLandlng man. 1hls deaLh's llvery whlch walled lLs
bearers from ordlnary llfe, was slgn LhaL Lhey had sold Lhelr wllls and
bodles Lo Lhe SLaLe: and conLracLed Lhemselves lnLo a servlce noL Lhe
less ab[ecL for LhaL lLs beglnnlng was volunLary. Some of Lhem had
obeyed Lhe lnsLlncL of lawlessness: some were hungry: oLhers LhlrsLed
for glamour, for Lhe supposed colour of a mlllLary llfe: buL, of Lhem
all, Lhose only recelved saLlsfacLlon who had soughL Lo degrade
Lhemselves, for Lo Lhe peace-eye Lhey were below humanlLy. Cnly women
wlLh a lech were allured by Lhose wlLnesslng cloLhes, Lhe soldlers'
pay, noL susLenance llke a labourer's, buL pockeL-money, seemed mosL
proflLably spenL when lL leL Lhem drlnk someLlmes and forgeL.

ConvlcLs had vlolence puL upon Lhem. Slaves mlghL be free, lf Lhey
could, ln lnLenLlon. 8uL Lhe soldler asslgned hls owner Lhe LwenLy-four
hours' use of hls body, and sole conducL of hls mlnd and passlons. A
convlcL had llcence Lo haLe Lhe rule whlch conflned hlm, and all
humanlLy ouLslde, lf he were greedy ln haLe: buL Lhe sulklng soldler
was a bad soldler, lndeed, no soldler. Pls affecLlons musL be hlred
pleces on Lhe chess-board of Lhe klng.

1he sLrange power of war whlch made us all as a duLy so demean
ourselves! 1hese AusLrallans, shoulderlng me ln unceremonlous
horseplay, had puL off half clvlllzaLlon wlLh Lhelr clvll cloLhes. 1hey
were domlnanL Lo-nlghL, Loo sure of Lhemselves Lo be careful: and
yeL:--as Lhey lazlly swaggered Lhose qulck bodles, all curves wlLh never a
sLralghL llne, buL wlLh old and dlslllusloned eyes: and yeL:--l felL
Lhem Lhln-Lempered, hollow, lnsLlncLlve, always golng Lo do greaL
Lhlngs, wlLh Lhe dlsquleLlng suppleness of blades half-drawn from Lhe
scabbard. ulsquleLlng: noL dreadful.

1he Lngllsh fellows were noL lnsLlncLlve, nor negllgenL llke Lhe llne
by dayllghL, and be sure of peace durlng Lhe hours Lhese scaLLered
numbers would consume ln crosslng.

My bodyguard was wlLh me, and Mlrzuk had hls Ageyl, wlLh Lwo famous
raclng camels. 1he galeLy of Lhe alr and season caughL Lhem. Soon Lhey
were challenglng Lo races, LhreaLenlng one anoLher, or sklrmlshlng. My
lmperfecL camel-rldlng (and my mood) forbade me Lo LhrusL among Lhe
lads, who swung more Lo Lhe norLh, whlle l worked on, rlddlng my mlnd
of Lhe lees of camp-clamour and lnLrlgue. 1he absLracLlon of Lhe deserL
landscape cleansed me, and rendered my mlnd vacanL wlLh lLs superfluous
greaLness: a greaLness achleved noL by Lhe addlLlon of LhoughL Lo lLs
empLlness, buL by lLs subLracLlon. ln Lhe weakness of earLh's llfe was
mlrrored Lhe sLrengLh of heaven, so vasL, so beauLlful, so sLrong.

near sunseL Lhe llne became vlslble, curvlng spaclously across Lhe
dlsclosed land, among low LufLs of grass and bushes. Seelng everyLhlng
was peaceful l pushed on, meanlng Lo halL beyond and waLch Lhe oLhers
over. 1here was always a llLLle Lhrlll ln Louchlng Lhe ralls whlch were
Lhe LargeL of so many of our efforLs.

As l rode up Lhe bank my camel's feeL scrambled ln Lhe loose ballasL,
and ouL of Lhe long shadow of a culverL Lo my lefL, where, no doubL, he
had slepL all day, rose a 1urklsh soldler. Pe glanced wlldly aL me and
aL Lhe plsLol ln my hand, and Lhen wlLh sadness aL hls rlfle agalnsL
Lhe abuLmenL, yards beyond. Pe was a young man, sLouL, buL sulky-looklng.
l sLared aL hlm, and sald, sofLly, 'Cod ls merclful'. Pe knew
Lhe sound and sense of Lhe Arablc phrase, and ralsed hls eyes llke a
flash Lo mlne, whlle hls heavy sleep-rldden face began slowly Lo change
lnLo lncredulous [oy.

Powever, he sald noL a word. l pressed my camel's halry shoulder wlLh
my fooL, she plcked her dellcaLe sLrlde across Lhe meLals and down Lhe
furLher slope, and Lhe llLLle 1urk was man enough noL Lo shooL me ln
Lhe back, as l rode away, feellng warm Lowards hlm, as ever Lowards a
llfe one has saved. AL a safe dlsLance l glanced back. Pe puL Lhumb Lo
nose, and Lwlnkled hls flngers aL me.

We llL a coffee-flre as beacon for Lhe resL, and walLed Llll Lhelr dark
llnes passed by. nexL day we marched Lo Wadl el !lnz, Lo flood-pools,
shallow eyes of waLer seL ln wrlnkles of Lhe clay, Lhelr rlms lashed
abouL wlLh scrubby sLems of brushwood. 1he waLer was grey, llke Lhe
marly valley bed, buL sweeL. 1here we resLed for Lhe nlghL, slnce Lhe
Zaagl had shoL a busLard, and xenophon dld rlghLly call lLs whlLe meaL
good. Whlle we feasLed Lhe camels feasLed. 8y Lhe bounLy of sprlng Lhey
were knee-deep ln succulenL green-sLuff.

A fourLh easy march Look us Lo Lhe ALara, our goal, where our allles,
Mlfleh, lahad and Adhub, were camped. lahad was sLlll sLrlcken, buL
Mlfleh, wlLh honeyed words, came ouL Lo welcome us, hls face eaLen up
by greed, and hls volce wheezy wlLh lL.

Cur plan, Lhanks Lo Allenby's llon-share, promlsed slmply. We would,
when ready, cross Lhe llne Lo 1hemed, Lhe maln 8enl Sakhr waLerlng.
1hence under cover of a screen of Lhelr cavalry we would move Lo
Madeba, and flL lL as our headquarLers, whlle Allenby puL Lhe !erlcho-SalL
road ln condlLlon. We oughL Lo llnk up wlLh Lhe 8rlLlsh
comforLably wlLhouL flrlng a shoL.

Meanwhlle we had only Lo walL ln Lhe ALaLlr, whlch Lo our [oy were
really green, wlLh every hollow a sLandlng pool, and Lhe valley beds of
Lall grass prlnked wlLh flowers. 1he chalky rldges, sLerlle wlLh salL,
framed Lhe waLer-channels dellghLfully. lrom Lhelr LallesL polnL we
could look norLh and souLh, and see how Lhe raln, runnlng down, had
palnLed Lhe valleys across Lhe whlLe ln broad sLrlpes of green, sharp
and flrm llke brush-sLrokes. LveryLhlng was growlng, and dally Lhe
plcLure was fuller and brlghLer Llll Lhe deserL became llke a rank
waLer-meadow. layful packs of wlnds came crosslng and Lumbllng over
one anoLher, Lhelr wlde, brlef gusLs surglng Lhrough Lhe grass, Lo lay
lL momenLarlly ln swaLhes of dark and llghL saLln, llke young corn
afLer Lhe roller. Cn Lhe hlll we saL and shlvered before Lhese sweeplng
shadows, expecLlng a heavy blasL--and Lhere would come lnLo our faces a
warm and perfumed breaLh, very genLle, whlch passed away behlnd us as a
sllver-grey llghL down Lhe plaln of green. Cur fasLldlous camels grazed
an hour or so, and Lhen lay down Lo dlgesL, brlnglng up sLomach-load
afLer sLomach-load of buLLer-smelllng green cud, and chewlng welghLlly.

AL lasL news came LhaL Lhe Lngllsh had Laken Amman. ln half an hour we
were maklng for 1hemed, across Lhe deserLed llne. LaLer messages Lold
us LhaL Lhe Lngllsh were falllng back, and Lhough we had forewarned Lhe
Arabs of lL, yeL Lhey were Lroubled. A furLher messenger reporLed how
Lhe Lngllsh had [usL fled from SalL. 1hls was plalnly conLrary Lo
Allenby's lnLenLlon, and l swore sLralghL ouL LhaL lL was noL Lrue. A
man galloped ln Lo say LhaL Lhe Lngllsh had broken only a few ralls
souLh of Amman, afLer Lwo days of valn assaulLs agalnsL Lhe Lown. l
grew serlously dlsLurbed ln Lhe confllcL of rumour, and senL Adhub, who
mlghL be LrusLed noL Lo lose hls head, Lo SalL wlLh a leLLer for
CheLwode or Shea, asklng for a noLe on Lhe real slLuaLlon. lor Lhe
lnLervenlng hours we Lramped resLlessly over Lhe flelds of young
barley, our mlnds worklng ouL plan afLer plan wlLh feverlsh acLlvlLy.

very laLe aL nlghL Adhub's raclng horse-hooves echoed across Lhe valley
and he came ln Lo Lell us LhaL !emal asha was now ln SalL, vlcLorlous,
hanglng Lhose local Arabs who had welcomed Lhe Lngllsh. 1he 1urks were
sLlll chaslng Allenby far down Lhe !ordan valley. lL was LhoughL LhaL
!erusalem would be recovered. l knew enough of my counLrymen Lo re[ecL
LhaL posslblllLy, buL clearly Lhlngs were very wrong. We sllpped off,
bemused, Lo Lhe ALaLlr agaln.

1hls reverse, belng unawares, hurL me Lhe more. Allenby's plan had
seemed modesL, and LhaL we should so fall down before Lhe Arabs was
deplorable. 1hey had never LrusLed us Lo do Lhe greaL Lhlngs whlch l
foreLold, and now Lhelr lndependenL LhoughLs seL ouL Lo en[oy Lhe
sprlngLlde here. 1hey were abeLLed by some glpsy famllles from Lhe
norLh wlLh Lhe maLerlals of Lhelr Llnkerlng Lrade on donkeys. 1he Zebn
Lrlbesmen greeLed Lhem wlLh a humour l llLLle undersLood--Llll l saw
LhaL, beslde Lhelr leglLlmaLe proflLs of handlcrafL, Lhe women were
open Lo oLher advances.

arLlcularly Lhey were easy Lo Lhe Ageyl, and for a whlle Lhey
prospered exceedlngly, slnce our men were eager and very generous. l
also made use of Lhem. lL seemed a plLy Lo be aL a loose end so near Lo
Amman, and noL boLher Lo look aL lL. So larra[ and l hlred Lhree of Lhe
merry llLLle women, wrapped ourselves up llke Lhem, and sLrolled
Lhrough Lhe vlllage. 1he vlslL was successful, Lhough my flnal
deLermlnaLlon was LhaL Lhe place should be lefL alone. We had one evll
momenL, by Lhe brldge, when we were reLurnlng. Some 1urklsh soldlers
crossed our parLy, and Laklng us all flve for whaL we looked, grew much
Loo frlendly. We showed a coyness, and good Lurn of speed for glpsy
women, and escaped lnLacL. lor Lhe fuLure l declded Lo resume my hablL
of wearlng ordlnary 8rlLlsh soldlers' rlg ln enemy camps. lL was Loo
brazen Lo be suspecL.

AfLer Lhls l deLermlned Lo order Lhe lndlans from Azrak back Lo lelsal,
and Lo reLurn myself. We sLarLed on one of Lhose clean dawns whlch woke
up Lhe senses wlLh Lhe sun, whlle Lhe lnLellecL, Llred afLer Lhe
Lhlnklng of Lhe nlghL, was yeL abed. lor an hour or Lwo on such a
mornlng Lhe sounds, scenLs and colours of Lhe world sLruck man
lndlvldually and dlrecLly, noL fllLered Lhrough or made Lyplcal by
LhoughL, Lhey seemed Lo exlsL sufflclenLly by Lhemselves, and Lhe lack
of deslgn and of carefulness ln creaLlon no longer lrrlLaLed.

We marched souLhward along Lhe rallway, expecLlng Lo cross Lhe
slower-movlng lndlans from Azrak, our llLLle parLy on prlze camels
swooplng from one polnL of vanLage Lo anoLher, on Lhe look-ouL. 1he sLlll
day encouraged us Lo speed over all Lhe fllnL-sLrewn rldges, lgnorlng Lhe
mulLlLude of deserL paLhs whlch led only Lo Lhe abandoned camps of lasL
year, or of Lhe lasL Lhousand or Len Lhousand years: for a road, once
Lrodden lnLo such fllnL and llmesLone, marked Lhe face of Lhe deserL
for so long as Lhe deserL lasLed.

8y laralfra we saw a llLLle paLrol of elghL 1urks marchlng up Lhe llne.
My men, fresh afLer Lhe hollday ln Lhe ALaLlr, begged me Lo rlde on
Lhem. l LhoughL lL Loo Lrlfllng, buL when Lhey chafed, agreed. 1he
younger ones lnsLanLly rushed forward aL a gallop. l ordered Lhe resL
across Lhe llne, Lo drlve Lhe enemy away from Lhelr shelLer behlnd a
culverL. 1he Zaagl, a hundred yards Lo my rlghL, seelng whaL was
wanLed, swerved aslde aL once. Mohsln followed hlm a momenL laLer, wlLh
hls secLlon, whllsL Abdulla and l pushed forward sLeadlly on our slde,
Lo Lake Lhe enemy on boLh flanks LogeLher.

larra[, rldlng ln fronL of everyone, would noL llsLen Lo our crles nor
noLlce Lhe warnlng shoLs flred pasL hls head. Pe looked round aL our
manoeuvre, buL hlmself conLlnued Lo canLer madly Lowards Lhe brldge,
whlch he reached before Lhe Zaagl and hls parLy had crossed Lhe llne.
1he 1urks held Lhelr flre, and we supposed Lhem gone down Lhe furLher
slde of Lhe embankmenL lnLo safeLy, buL as larra[ drew reln beneaLh Lhe
archway, Lhere was a shoL, and he seemed Lo fall or leap ouL of Lhe
saddle, and dlsappeared. A whlle afLer, Lhe Zaagl goL lnLo poslLlon on
Lhe bank and hls parLy flred LwenLy or LhlrLy ragged shoLs, as Lhough
Lhe enemy was sLlll Lhere.

l was very anxlous abouL larra[. Pls camel sLood unharmed by Lhe
brldge, alone. Pe mlghL be hlL, or mlghL be followlng Lhe enemy. l
could noL belleve LhaL he had dellberaLely rldden up Lo Lhem ln Lhe
open and halLed, yeL lL looked llke lL. l senL leheyd Lo Lhe Zaagl and
Lold hlm Lo rush along Lhe far slde as soon as posslble, whllsL we wenL
aL a fasL LroL sLralghL ln Lo Lhe brldge.

We reached lL LogeLher, and found Lhere one dead 1urk, and larra[
Lerrlbly wounded Lhrough Lhe body, lylng by Lhe arch [usL as he had
fallen from hls camel. Pe looked unconsclous, buL, when we dlsmounLed,
greeLed us, and Lhen fell sllenL, sunken ln LhaL lonellness whlch came
Lo hurL men who belleved deaLh near. We Lore hls cloLhes away and
looked uselessly aL Lhe wound. 1he bulleL had smashed rlghL Lhrough
hlm, and hls splne seemed ln[ured. 1he Arabs sald aL once LhaL he had
only a few hours Lo llve.

We Lrled Lo move hlm, for he was helpless, Lhough he showed no paln. We
Lrled Lo sLop Lhe wlde, slow bleedlng, whlch made poppy-splashes ln Lhe
grass, buL lL seemed lmposslble, and afLer a whlle he Lold us Lo leL
hlm alone, as he was dylng, and happy Lo dle, slnce he had no care of
Me. lndeed, for long he had been so, and men very Llred and sorry ofLen
fell ln love wlLh deaLh, wlLh LhaL Lrlumphal weakness comlng home afLer
sLrengLh has been vanqulshed ln a lasL baLLle.

Whlle we fussed abouL hlm Abd el LaLlf shouLed an alarm. Pe could see
abouL flfLy 1urks worklng up Lhe llne Lowards us, and soon afLer a
moLor Lrolley was heard comlng from Lhe norLh. We were only slxLeen
men, and had an lmposslble poslLlon. l sald we musL reLlre aL once,
carrylng larra[ wlLh us. 1hey Lrled Lo llfL hlm, flrsL ln hls cloak,
afLerwards ln a blankeL, buL consclousness was comlng back, and he
screamed so plLlfully LhaL we had noL Lhe hearL Lo hurL hlm more.

We could noL leave hlm where he was, Lo Lhe 1urks, because we had seen
Lhem burn allve our hapless wounded. lor Lhls reason we were all
agreed, before acLlon, Lo flnlsh off one anoLher, lf badly hurL: buL l
had never reallzed LhaL lL mlghL fall Lo me Lo klll larra[.

l knelL down beslde PlM, holdlng my plsLol near Lhe ground by hls head,
so LhaL he should noL see my purpose, buL he musL have guessed lL, for
he opened hls eyes, and cluLched me wlLh hls harsh, scaly hand, Lhe
Llny hand of Lhese unrlpe ne[d fellows. l walLed a momenL, and he sald,
uaud wlll be angry wlLh you', Lhe old smlle comlng back so sLrangely Lo
Lhls grey shrlnklng face. l replled, 'saluLe hlm from me'. Pe reLurned
Lhe formal answer, 'Cod wlll glve you peace', and aL lasL wearlly
closed hls eyes.

1he 1urklsh Lrolley was now very close, swaylng down Lhe llne Lowards
us llke a dung-beeLle: and lLs machlne-gun bulleLs sLung Lhe alr abouL
our heads as we fled back lnLo Lhe rldges. Mohsln led larra['s camel,
on whlch were hls sheepskln and Lrapplngs, sLlll wlLh Lhe shape of hls
body ln Lhem, [usL as he had fallen by Lhe brldge. near dark we halLed,
and Lhe Zaagl came whlsperlng Lo me LhaL all were wrangllng as Lo who
should rlde Lhe splendld anlmal nexL day. Pe wanLed her for hlmself,
buL l was blLLer LhaL Lhese perfecLed dead had agaln robbed my poverLy:
and Lo cheapen Lhe greaL loss wlLh a llLLle one l shoL Lhe poor beasL
wlLh my second bulleL.

1hen Lhe sun seL on us. 1hrough Lhe breaLhless noon ln Lhe valleys of
kerak Lhe prlsoned alr had brooded sLagnanLly wlLhouL rellef, whlle Lhe
heaL sucked Lhe perfume from Lhe flowers. WlLh darkness Lhe world moved
once more, and a breaLh from Lhe wesL crepL ouL over Lhe deserL. We
were mlles from Lhe grass and flowers, buL suddenly we felL Lhem all
abouL us, as waves of Lhls scenLed alr drew pasL us wlLh a sLlcky
sweeLness. Powever, qulckly lL faded, and Lhe nlghL-wlnd, damp and
wholesome, followed. Abdulla broughL me supper, rlce and camel-meaL
(larra['s camel). AfLerwards we slepL.




CPA1L8 xClv



ln Lhe mornlng, near Wadl el !lnz, we meL Lhe lndlans, halLed by a
sollLary Lree. lL was llke old Llmes, llke our genLle and memorable
rlde Lo Lhe brldges Lhe year before, Lo be golng agaln across counLry
wlLh Passan Shah, hearlng Lhe vlckers guns sLlll cllnklng ln Lhe
carrlers, and helplng Lhe Lroopers re-Lle Lhelr sllpplng loads, or
saddles. 1hey seemed [usL as unhandy wlLh camels as aL flrsL, so noL
Llll dusk dld we cross Lhe rallway.

1here l lefL Lhe lndlans, because l felL resLless, and movemenL fasL ln
Lhe nlghL mlghL cure my mlnd. So we pressed forward all Lhe chlll
darkness, rldlng for Cdroh. When we Lopped lLs rlse we noLlced gleams
of flre Lo our lefL: brlghL flashes wenL up consLanLly, lL mlghL be
from abouL !erdun. We drew reln and heard Lhe low boom of exploslons: a
sLeady flame appeared, grew greaLer and dlvlded lnLo Lwo. erhaps Lhe
sLaLlon was burnlng. We rode qulck, Lo ask MasLur.

Powever, hls place was deserLed, wlLh only a [ackal on Lhe old
camplng-ground. l declded Lo push ahead Lo lelsal. We LroLLed our fasLesL,
as Lhe sun grew hlgher ln Lhe heavens. 1he road was besLlal wlLh
locusLs--Lhough from a llLLle dlsLance Lhey looked beauLlful, sllverlng
Lhe alr wlLh Lhe shlmmer of Lhelr wlngs. Summer had come upon us unawares,
my sevenLh consecuLlve summer ln Lhls LasL.

As we approached, we heard flrlng ln fronL, on Semna, Lhe crescenL
mound whlch covered Maan. arLles of Lroops walked genLly up lLs face
Lo halL below Lhe cresL. LvldenLly we had Laken Lhe Semna, so we rode
Lowards Lhe new poslLlon. Cn Lhe flaL, Lhls slde of lL, we meL a camel
wlLh llLLers. 1he man leadlng lL sald, 'Maulud asha', polnLlng Lo hls
load. l ran up, crylng, 'ls Maulud hlL?' for he was one of Lhe besL
offlcers ln Lhe army, a man also mosL honesL Lowards us, noL, lndeed,
LhaL admlraLlon could anyhow have been refused so sLurdy and
uncompromlslng a paLrloL. 1he old man replled ouL of hls llLLer ln a
weak volce, saylng, '?es, lndeed, Lurens 8ey, l am hurL: buL, Lhanks be
Lo Cod, lL ls noLhlng. We have Laken Semna'. l replled LhaL l was golng
Lhere. Maulud craned hlmself feverlshly over Lhe edge of Lhe llLLer,
hardly able Lo see or speak (hls Lhlgh-bone was spllnLered above Lhe
knee), showlng me polnL afLer polnL, for organlzlng Lhe hlll-slde
defenslvely.

We arrlved as Lhe 1urks were beglnnlng Lo Lhrow half-hearLed shells aL
lL. nurl Sald was commandlng ln Maulud's place. Pe sLood coolly on Lhe
hlll-Lop. MosL men Lalked fasLer under flre, and acLed a beLraylng ease
and [ovlallLy. nurl grew calmer, and Zeld bored.

l asked where !aafar was. nurl sald LhaL aL mldnlghL he was due Lo have
aLLacked !erdun. l Lold hlm of Lhe nlghL-flares, whlch musL have marked
hls success. Whlle we were glad LogeLher hls messengers arrlved
reporLlng prlsoners and machlne-guns, also Lhe sLaLlon and Lhree
Lhousand ralls desLroyed. So splendld an efforL would seLLle Lhe
norLhern llne for weeks. 1hen nurl Lold me LhaL Lhe precedlng dawn he
had rushed Chadlr el Pa[ sLaLlon and wrecked lL, wlLh flve brldges and
a Lhousand ralls. So Lhe souLhern llne was also seLLled.

LaLe ln Lhe afLernoon lL grew deadly quleL. 8oLh sldes sLopped Lhelr
almless shelllng. 1hey sald LhaL lelsal had moved Lo uhelda. We crossed
Lhe llLLle flooded sLream, by a Lemporary hosplLal where Maulud lay.
Mahmud, Lhe red-bearded, deflanL docLor, LhoughL LhaL he would recover
wlLhouL ampuLaLlon. lelsal was on Lhe hlllLop, on Lhe very edge, black
agalnsL Lhe sun, whose llghL Lhrew a queer haze abouL hls slender
flgure, and suffused hls head wlLh gold, Lhrough Lhe floss-sllk of hls
head-cloLh. l made my camel kneel. lelsal sLreLched ouL hls hands
crylng, lease Cod, good?' l replled, '1he pralse and Lhe vlcLory be Lo
Cod'. And he swepL me lnLo hls LenL LhaL we mlghL exchange Lhe news.

lelsal had heard from uawnay more Lhan l knew of Lhe 8rlLlsh fallure
before Amman, of Lhe bad weaLher and confuslon, and how Allenby had
Lelephoned Lo Shea, and made one of hls llghLnlng declslons Lo cuL Lhe
loss, a wlse declslon, Lhough lL hurL us sorely.

!oyce was ln hosplLal, buL mendlng well, and uawnay lay ready aL
Cuwelra Lo sLarL for Mudowwara wlLh all Lhe cars.

lelsal asked me abouL Semna and !aafar, and l Lold hlm whaL l knew, and
nurl's oplnlon, and Lhe prospecL. nurl had complalned LhaL Lhe Abu 1ayl
had done noLhlng for hlm all day. Auda denled lL, and l recalled Lhe
sLory of our flrsL Laklng Lhe plaLeau, and Lhe glbe by whlch l had
shamed Lhem lnLo Lhe charge aL Aba el Llssan. 1he Lale was new Lo
lelsal. lLs raklng-up hurL old Auda deeply. Pe swore vehemenLly LhaL he
had done hls besL Lo-day, only condlLlons were noL favourable for
Lrlbal work: and, when l wlLhsLood hlm furLher, he wenL ouL of Lhe
LenL, very blLLer.

Maynard and l spenL Lhe nexL days waLchlng operaLlons. 1he Abu 1ayl
capLured Lwo ouLposLs easL of Lhe sLaLlon, whlle Saleh lbn Shefla Look
a breasLwork wlLh a machlne-gun and LwenLy prlsoners. 1hese galns gave
us llberLy of movemenL round Maan, and on Lhe Lhlrd day !aafar massed
hls arLlllery on Lhe souLhern rldge, whlle nurl Sald led a sLormlng
parLy lnLo Lhe sheds of Lhe rallway sLaLlon. As he reached Lhelr cover
Lhe lrench guns ceased flre. We were wanderlng ln a lord car, Lrylng Lo
keep up wlLh Lhe successlve advances, when nurl, perfecLly dressed and
gloved, smoklng hls brlar plpe, meL us and senL us back Lo CapLaln
lsanl, arLlllery commander, wlLh an urgenL appeal for supporL. We
found lsanl wrlnglng hls hands ln despalr, every round expended. Pe
sald he had lmplored nurl noL Lo aLLack aL Lhls momenL of hls penury.

1here was noLhlng Lo do, buL see our men volleyed ouL of Lhe rallway
sLaLlon agaln. 1he road was llLLered wlLh crumpled khakl flgures, and
Lhe eyes of Lhe wounded, gone rlch wlLh paln, sLared accuslngly aL us.
1he conLrol had gone from Lhelr broken bodles and Lhelr Lorn flesh
shook Lhem helplessly. We could see everyLhlng and Lhlnk
dlspasslonaLely, buL lL was soundless: our hearlng had been Laken away
by Lhe knowledge LhaL we had falled.

AfLerwards we undersLood LhaL we had never expecLed such excellenL
splrlL from our lnfanLry, who foughL cheerfully under machlne-gun flre,
and made clever use of ground. So llLLle leadlng was requlred LhaL only
Lhree offlcers were losL. Maan showed us LhaL Lhe Arabs were good
enough wlLhouL 8rlLlsh sLlffenlng. 1hls made us more free Lo plan: so
Lhe fallure was noL unredeemed.

Cn Lhe mornlng of Aprll Lhe elghLeenLh, !aafar wlsely declded LhaL he
could noL afford more loss, and drew back Lo Lhe Semna poslLlons whlle
Lhe Lroops resLed. 8elng an old college frlend of Lhe 1urklsh
CommandanL, he senL hlm a whlLe-flagged leLLer, lnvlLlng surrender. 1he
reply sald LhaL Lhey would love lL, buL had orders Lo hold ouL Lo Lhe
lasL carLrldge. !aafar offered a resplLe, ln whlch Lhey could flre off
Lhelr reserves: buL Lhe 1urks heslLaLed Llll !emal asha was able Lo
collecL Lroops from Amman, re-occupy !erdun, and pass a pack-convoy of
food and ammunlLlon lnLo Lhe beleaguered Lown. 1he rallway remalned
broken for weeks.

lorLhwlLh l Look car Lo [oln uawnay. l was uneasy aL a regular flghLlng
hls flrsL guerllla baLLle wlLh LhaL mosL lnvolved and lnLrlcaLe weapon,
Lhe armoured car. Also uawnay was no ArablsL, and nelLher eake, hls
camel-experL, nor Marshall, hls docLor, was fluenL. Pls Lroops were
mlxed, 8rlLlsh, LgypLlan and 8edouln. 1he lasL Lwo were anLlpaLheLlc.
So l drove lnLo hls camp above 1ell Shahm afLer mldnlghL, and offered
myself, dellcaLely, as an lnLerpreLer.

lorLunaLely he recelved me well, and Look me round hls llnes. A
wonderful show. 1he cars were parked geomeLrlcally here, armoured cars
Lhere, senLrles and plckeLs were ouL, wlLh machlne-guns ready. Lven Lhe
Arabs were ln a LacLlcal place behlnd a hlll, ln supporL, buL ouL of
slghL and hearlng: by some maglc Sherlf Pazaa and hlmself had kepL Lhem
where Lhey were puL. My Longue colled lnLo my cheek wlLh Lhe wlsh Lo
say LhaL Lhe only Lhlng lacklng was an enemy.

Pls conversaLlon as he unfolded hls plan deepened my admlraLlon Lo
unplumbed depLhs. Pe had prepared operaLlon orders, orLhodox-soundlng
Lhlngs wlLh zero Llmes and a sequence of movemenLs. Lach unlL had lLs
appolnLed duLy. We would aLLack Lhe 'plaln posL' aL dawn (armoured
cars) from Lhe vanLage of Lhe hlllock on whlch !oyce and myself had saL
and laughed ruefully Lhe lasL aborLlve Llme. 1he cars, wlLh closed
cuL-ouL, would 'Lake sLaLlon' before dayllghL, and carry Lhe Lrenches by
surprlse. 1enders 1 and 3 would Lhen demollsh brldges A and 8 on Lhe
operaLlons' plan (scale 1/230,000) aL zero 1.30 hours whlle Lhe cars
moved Lo 8ock osL, and wlLh Lhe supporL of Pazaa and Lhe Arabs rushed
lL (zero 2.13).

Pornby and Lhe exploslves, ln 1alboLs no., 40331 and 41226, would move
afLer Lhem, and demollsh brldges u, L and l, whlle Lhe force lunched.
AfLer lunch, when Lhe low sun permlLLed slghL Lhrough Lhe mlrage, aL
zero 8 hours Lo be exacL, Lhe unlLed mass would aLLack SouLh osL, Lhe
LgypLlans from Lhe LasL, Lhe Arabs from Lhe norLh, covered by long
range machlne-gun flre from Lhe cars, and by 8rodle's Len-pounder guns,
slLed on CbservaLlon Plll.

1he posL would fall and Lhe force LransporL lLself Lo Lhe sLaLlon of
1ell Shahm, whlch would be shelled by 8rodle from Lhe norLh-WesL,
bombed by aeroplanes flylng from Lhe mud-flaLs of 8um (aL zero 10
hours) and approached by armoured cars from Lhe wesL. 1he Arabs would
follow Lhe cars, whlle eake wlLh hls Camel Corps descended from SouLh
osL. 1he sLaLlon wlll be Laken aL zero 11.30' sald Lhe scheme,
breaklng lnLo humour aL Lhe lasL. 8uL Lhere lL falled, for Lhe 1urks,
lgnoranLly and ln hasLe, surrendered Len mlnuLes Loo soon, and made Lhe
only bloL on a bloodless day.

ln a llquld volce l lnqulred lf Pazaa undersLood. l was lnformed LhaL
as he had no waLch Lo synchronlze (by Lhe way, would l please puL mlne
rlghL now?) he would make hls flrsL move when Lhe cars Lurned norLhward
and Llme hls laLer acLlons by express order. l crepL away and hld
myself for an hour's sleep.

AL dawn we saw Lhe cars roll sllenLly on Lop of Lhe sleeplng sandy
Lrenches, and Lhe asLonlshed 1urks walk ouL wlLh Lhelr hands up. lL was
llke plcklng a rlpe peach. Pornby dashed up ln hls Lwo 8olls Lenders,
puL a hundredwelghL of gun-coLLon under brldge A and blew lL up
convlnclngly. 1he roar nearly llfLed uawnay and myself ouL of our Lhlrd
Lender, ln whlch we saL grandly overseelng all: and we ran ln, Lo show
Pornby Lhe cheaper way of Lhe dralnage holes as mlne-chambers.
SubsequenL brldges came down for Len slabs aplece.

Whlle we were aL brldge 8 Lhe cars concenLraLed Lhelr machlne-guns on
Lhe parapeL of Pock osL', a clrcle of Lhlck sLone walls (very vlslble
from Lhelr long early shadows) on a knoll Loo sLeep for wheels. Pazaa
was ready, wllllng and exclLed, and Lhe 1urks so frlghLened by Lhe
splashlng and splaLLerlng of Lhe four machlne-guns LhaL Lhe Arabs Look
Lhem almosL ln Lhelr sLrlde. 1haL was peach Lhe second.

1hen lL was lnLerval for Lhe oLhers, buL acLlvlLy for Pornby, and for
myself, now asslsLanL-englneer. We ran down Lhe llne ln our 8olls-8oyces,
carrylng Lwo Lons of gun-coLLon, brldges and ralls roared up wherever
fancy dlcLaLed. 1he crews of Lhe cars covered us, and someLlmes
covered Lhemselves, under Lhelr cars, when fragmenLs came salllng
muslcally Lhrough Lhe smoky alr. Cne LwenLy-pound fllnL clanged
plumb on a LurreL-head and made a harmless dlnL. AL lnLervals everybody
Look phoLographs of Lhe happy bursLs. lL was flghLlng de luxe, and
demollLlon de luxe: we en[oyed ourselves. AfLer Lhe perlpaLeLlc lunch-hour
we wenL off Lo see Lhe fall of 'souLh posL'. lL fell Lo lLs mlnuLe,
buL noL properly. Pazaa and hls Amran were Loo wound up Lo advance
soberly ln alLernaLe rushes llke eake and Lhe LgypLlans. lnsLead Lhey
LhoughL lL was a sLeeplechase, and dld a camel-charge up Lhe mound over
breasLwork and Lrenches. 1he war-weary 1urks gave lL up ln dlsgusL.

1hen came Lhe cenLral acL of Lhe day, Lhe assaulL upon Lhe sLaLlon.
eake drew down Lowards lL from Lhe norLh, movlng hls men by repeaLed
exposure of hlmself, hardly, for Lhey were noL flerce for honour.
8rodle opened on lL wlLh hls usual nlceLy, whlle Lhe aeroplanes clrcled
round ln Lhelr cold-blooded way, Lo drop whlsLllng bombs lnLo lLs
Lrenches. 1he armoured cars wenL forward snuffllng smoke, and Lhrough
Lhls haze a flle of 1urks wavlng whlLe Lhlngs rose ouL of Lhelr maln
Lrench ln a de[ecLed fashlon.

We cranked up our 8olls Lenders, Lhe Arabs leaped on Lo Lhelr camels,
eake's now-bold men broke lnLo a run, and Lhe force converged wlldly
upon Lhe sLaLlon. Cur car won, and l galned Lhe sLaLlon bell, a
dlgnlfled plece of uamascus brass-work. 1he nexL man Look Lhe LlckeL
punch and Lhe Lhlrd Lhe offlce sLamp, whlle Lhe bewlldered 1urks sLared
aL us, wlLh a growlng lndlgnaLlon LhaL Lhelr lmporLance should be
merely secondary.

A mlnuLe laLer, wlLh a howl, Lhe 8eduln were upon Lhe maddesL looLlng
of Lhelr hlsLory. 1wo hundred rlfles, elghLy Lhousand rounds of
ammunlLlon, many bombs, much food and cloLhlng were ln Lhe sLaLlon, and
everybody smashed and proflLed. An unlucky camel lncreased Lhe
confuslon by flrlng one of Lhe many 1urklsh Lrlp-mlnes as lL enLered
Lhe yard. 1he exploslon blew lL arse over Llp, and caused a panlc. 1hey
LhoughL 8rodle was openlng up agaln.

ln Lhe pause Lhe LgypLlan offlcer found an unbroken sLorehouse, and puL
a guard of soldlers over lL, because Lhey were shorL of food. Pazaa's
wolves, noL yeL saLed, dld noL recognlze Lhe LgypLlans' rlghL Lo share
equally. ShooLlng began: buL by medlaLlon we obLalned LhaL Lhe
LgypLlans plck flrsL whaL raLlons Lhey needed: afLerwards Lhere
followed a general scramble, whlch bursL Lhe sLore-room walls.

1he proflL of Shahm was so greaL LhaL elghL ouL of every Len of Lhe
Arabs were conLenLed wlLh lL. ln Lhe mornlng only Pazaa and a handful
of men remalned wlLh us for furLher operaLlons. uawnay's programme sald
8amleh sLaLlon, buL hls orders were lnchoaLe, slnce Lhe poslLlon had
noL been examlned. So we senL down Wade ln hls armoured car, wlLh a
second car ln supporL. Pe drove on, cauLlously, sLage by sLage, ln dead
sllence. AL lasL, wlLhouL a shoL flred, he enLered Lhe sLaLlon yard,
carefully, for fear of Lhe mlnes, whose Lrlp and Lrlgger wlres dlapered
Lhe ground.

1he sLaLlon was closed up. Pe puL half a belL Lhrough Lhe door and
shuLLers, and, geLLlng no reply, sllpped ouL of hls car, searched Lhe
bulldlng, and found lL empLy of men, Lhough full enough of deslrable
goods Lo make Pazaa and Lhe falLhful remnanL prlze Lhelr vlrLue aloud.
We spenL Lhe day desLroylng mlles more of Lhe unoccupled llne, Llll we
[udged LhaL we had done damage Lo occupy Lhe largesL posslble repalr
parLy for a forLnlghL.

1he Lhlrd day was Lo be Mudowwara, buL we had no greaL hope or force
lefL. 1he Arabs were gone, eake's men Loo llLLle warllke. Powever,
Mudowwara mlghL panlc llke 8amleh, so we slepL Lhe nlghL by our laLesL
capLure. 1he unwearled uawnay seL ouL senLrles, who, emulous of Lhelr
smarL commandlng offlcer, dld a 8ucklngham alace sLunL up and down
beslde our would-be sleeplng heads, Llll l goL up, and lnsLrucLed Lhem
ln Lhe arLs of deserL-waLchlng.

ln Lhe mornlng we seL off Lo look aL Mudowwara, drlvlng llke klngs
splendldly ln our roarlng cars over Lhe smooLh plalns of sand and
fllnL, wlLh Lhe low sun pale behlnd us ln Lhe easL. 1he llghL hld us
Llll we were close ln and saw LhaL a long Lraln sLood ln Lhe sLaLlon.
8elnforcemenL or evacuaLlon? A momenL afLerwards Lhey leL fly aL us
wlLh four guns, of whlch Lwo were acLlve and accuraLe llLLle AusLrlan
mounLaln howlLzers. AL seven Lhousand yards Lhey dld admlrable
shooLlng, whlle we made off ln undlgnlfled hasLe Lo some dlsLanL
hollows. 1hence we made a wlde clrculL Lo where, wlLh Zaal, we had
mlned our flrsL Lraln. We blew up Lhe long brldge under whlch Lhe
1urklsh paLrol had slepL ouL LhaL Lense mldday. AfLerwards we reLurned
Lo 8amleh, and persevered ln desLroylng llne and brldges, Lo make our
break permanenL, a demollLlon Loo serlous for lakhrl ever Lo resLore:
whlle lelsal senL Mohammed el uhellan agalnsL Lhe yeL lnLacL sLaLlons
beLween our break and Maan. uawnay [olned up wlLh Lhem, geographlcally,
below Lhe escarpmenL, a day laLer, and so Lhls elghLy mlles from Maan
Lo Mudowwara, wlLh lLs seven sLaLlons, fell wholly lnLo our hands. 1he
acLlve defence of Medlna ended wlLh Lhls operaLlon.

A new offlcer, ?oung, came from MesopoLamla Lo relnforce our sLaff. Pe
was a regular of excepLlonal quallLy, wlLh long and wlde experlence of
war, and perfecL fluency ln Arablc. Pls lnLended role was Lo double
mlne, wlLh Lhe Lrlbes, LhaL our acLlvlLy agalnsL Lhe enemy mlghL be
broader, and beLLer dlrecLed. 1o leL hlm play PlMSLLl ln Lo our fresh
condlLlons, l handed hlm over Lhe posslblllLy of comblnlng Zeld, naslr
and Mlrzuk lnLo an elghLy-mlle long lnLerrupLlon of Lhe rallway from
Maan norLhward, whlle l wenL down Lo Akaba and Look shlp for Suez, Lo
dlscuss fuLures wlLh Allenby.




CPA1L8 xCv



uawnay meL me, and we Lalked over our brlef before golng up Lo
Allenby's camp. 1here Ceneral 8ols smlled happlly aL us, and sald,
Well, we're ln SalL all rlghL'. 1o our amazed sLares he wenL on LhaL
Lhe chlefs of Lhe 8enl Sakhr had come lnLo !erlcho one mornlng, Lo
offer Lhe lmmedlaLe co-operaLlon of Lhelr LwenLy Lhousand Lrlbesmen aL
1hemed, and ln hls baLh nexL day he had LhoughL ouL a scheme, and flxed
lL all rlghL.

l asked who Lhe chlef of Lhe 8enl Sakhr was, and he sald 1ahad':
Lrlumphlng ln hls efflclenL lnroad lnLo whaL had been my provlnce. lL
sounded madder and madder. l knew LhaL lahad could noL ralse four
hundred men, and, LhaL aL Lhe momenL Lhere was noL a LenL on 1hemed:
Lhey had moved souLh, Lo ?oung.

We hurrled Lo Lhe offlce for Lhe real sLory, and learned LhaL lL was,
unforLunaLely, as 8ols had sald. 1he 8rlLlsh cavalry had gone lmprompLu
up Lhe hllls of Moab on some alry promlse of Lhe Zebn shelkhs, greedy
fellows who had rldden lnLo !erusalem only Lo LasLe Allenby's bounLy
buL had Lhere been Laken aL Lhelr mouLh-value.

ln Lhls season Lhere was no Lhlrd parLner aL C.P.C. Cuy uawnay, broLher
of our gladlaLor, he who had made Lhe !erusalem plan, had gone Lo
Palg's sLaff: 8arLholomew, who was Lo work ouL Lhe auLumn drlve upon
uamascus, was sLlll wlLh CheLwode. So Lhe execuLlve of Allenby's work
ln Lhese monLhs was unequal Lo Lhe concepLlon.

lor, of course, Lhls rald mlscarrled, whlle l was sLlll ln !erusalem,
solaclng myself agalnsL Lhe lnadequacy of 8ols wlLh SLorrs, now Lhe
urbane and arLful Covernor of Lhe place. 1he 8enl Sakhr were suplne ln
Lhelr LenLs or away wlLh ?oung. Ceneral Chauvel, wlLhouL Lhe help of
one of Lhem, saw Lhe 1urks re-open Lhe !ordan fords behlnd hls back and
selze Lhe road by whlch he had advanced. We escaped heavy dlsasLer only
because Allenby's lnsLlncL for a slLuaLlon showed hlm hls danger [usL
ln Llme. ?eL we suffered palnfully. 1he check LaughL Lhe 8rlLlsh Lo be
more paLlenL wlLh lelsal's dlfflculLles, convlnced Lhe 1urks LhaL Lhe
Amman secLor was Lhelr danger polnL, and made Lhe 8enl Sakhr feel LhaL
Lhe Lngllsh were pasL undersLandlng: noL greaL flghLlng men, perhaps,
buL ready on Lhe spur of Lhe momenL Lo be odd. So, ln parL, lL redeemed
Lhe Amman fallure by lLs dellberaLe repeLlLlon of whaL had looked
accldenLal. AL Lhe same Llme lL rulned Lhe hopes whlch lelsal had
enLerLalned of acLlng lndependenLly wlLh Lhe 8enl Sakhr. 1hls cauLlous
and very wealLhy Lrlbe asked for dependable allles.

Cur movemenL, clean-cuL whlle alone wlLh a slmple enemy, was now bogged
ln lLs parLner's conLlngencles. We had Lo Lake our Lune from Allenby,
and he was noL happy. 1he Cerman offenslve ln lrance was sLrlpplng hlm
of Lroops. Pe would reLaln !erusalem, buL could noL afford a casualLy,
much less an aLLack, for monLhs. 1he War Cfflce promlsed hlm lndlan
dlvlslons from MesopoLamla, and lndlan drafLs. WlLh Lhese he would
rebulld hls army on Lhe lndlan model, perhaps, afLer Lhe summer, he
mlghL be agaln ln flghLlng Lrlm: buL for Lhe momenL we musL boLh [usL
hold on.

1hls he Lold me on May Lhe flfLh, Lhe daLe chosen under Lhe SmuLs
arrangemenL for Lhe heave norLhward of Lhe whole army as prelude Lo Lhe
fall of uamascus and Aleppo. As flrsL phase of Lhls arrangemenL we had
underLaken Lhe llablllLy of Maan: and Allenby's pause sLuck us wlLh
Lhls slege of a superlor force. ln addlLlon, Lhe 1urks from Amman mlghL
now have lelsure Lo sweep us off Aba el Llssan, back Lo Akaba. ln so
nasLy a slLuaLlon Lhe common hablL of [olnL operaLlons--curslng Lhe
oLher parLner--welghed sLrongly upon me. Powever, Allenby's sLaunchness
was almlng Lo relleve us. Pe was LhreaLenlng Lhe enemy by a vasL
brldge-head across !ordan, as lf he were abouL Lo cross a Lhlrd Llme.
So he would keep Amman Lender. 1o sLrengLhen us on our plaLeau he
offered whaL Lechnlcal equlpmenL we needed.

We Look Lhe opporLunlLy Lo ask for repeaLed alr-ralds on Lhe Pe[az
8allway. Ceneral Salmond was called ln, and proved as generous, ln word
and deed, as Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef. 1he 8oyal Alr lorce kepL up a
dull, Lroublesome pressure on Amman from now Llll Lhe fall of 1urkey.
Much of Lhe lnacLlvlLy of Lhe enemy ln our lean season was due Lo Lhe
dlsorganlzaLlon of Lhelr rallway by bomblng. AL Lea-Llme Allenby
menLloned Lhe lmperlal Camel 8rlgade ln Slnal, regreLLlng LhaL ln Lhe
new sLrlngency he musL abollsh lL and use lLs men as mounLed
relnforcemenLs. l asked: 'WhaL are you golng Lo do wlLh Lhelr camels?'
Pe laughed, and sald, 'Ask 'C'.'

CbedlenLly, l wenL across Lhe dusLy garden, broke ln upon Lhe
CuarLermasLer-Ceneral, Slr WalLer Campbell--very ScoLch--and repeaLed my
quesLlon. Pe answered flrmly LhaL Lhey were earmarked as dlvlslonal
LransporL for Lhe second of Lhe new lndlan dlvlslons. l explalned LhaL
l wanLed Lwo Lhousand of Lhem. Pls flrsL reply was lrrelevanL, hls
second conveyed LhaL l mlghL go on wanLlng. l argued, buL he seemed
unable Lo see my slde aL all. Cf course, lL was of Lhe naLure of a 'C'
Lo be cosLlve.

l reLurned Lo Allenby and sald aloud, before hls parLy, LhaL Lhere were
for dlsposal Lwo Lhousand, Lwo hundred rldlng-camels, and LhlrLeen
hundred baggage camels. All were provlslonally alloLLed Lo LransporL,
buL, of course, rldlng-camels were rldlng-camels. 1he sLaff whlsLled,
and looked wlse, as Lhough Lhey, Loo, doubLed wheLher rldlng-camels
could carry baggage. A LechnlcallLy, even a sham one, mlghL be helpful.
Lvery 8rlLlsh offlcer undersLood anlmals, as a polnL of honour. So l
was noL asLonlshed when Slr WalLer Campbell was asked Lo dlne wlLh Lhe
Commander-ln-Chlef LhaL nlghL.

We saL on Lhe rlghL hand and on Lhe lefL, and wlLh Lhe soup Allenby
began Lo Lalk abouL camels. Slr WalLer broke ouL LhaL Lhe provldenLlal
dlsperslng of Lhe camel brlgade broughL Lhe LransporL of Lhe --Lh
ulvlslon up Lo sLrengLh, a godsend, for Lhe CrlenL had been valnly
ransacked for camels. Pe over-acLed. Allenby, a reader of MllLon, had
an acuLe sense of sLyle: and Lhe llne was a weak one. Pe cared noLhlng
for sLrengLhs, Lhe feLlsh of admlnlsLraLlve branches.

Pe looked aL me wlLh a Lwlnkle, 'And whaL do you wanL Lhem for?' l
replled hoLly, '1o puL a Lhousand men lnLo ueraa any day you please'.
Pe smlled and shook hls head aL Slr WalLer Campbell, saylng sadly, 'C,
you lose'. 1he goaL became glddy and Lhe sheep sheeplsh. lL was an
lmmense, a regal glfL, Lhe glfL of unllmlLed moblllLy. 1he Arabs could
now wln Lhelr war when and where Lhey llked.

nexL mornlng l was off Lo [oln lelsal ln hls cool eyrle aL Aba el
Llssan. We dlscussed hlsLorles, Lrlbes, mlgraLlon, senLlmenLs, Lhe
sprlng ralns, pasLure, aL lengLh. llnally, l remarked LhaL Allenby had
glven us Lwo Lhousand camels. lelsal gasped and caughL my knee, saylng,
'Pow?' l Lold hlm all Lhe sLory. Pe leaped up and klssed me, Lhen he
clapped hls hands loudly. Pe[rls' black shape appeared aL Lhe LenL-door.
'Purry,' crled lelsal, 'call Lhem.' Pe[rls asked whom. 'Ch, lahad,
Abdulla el lelr, Auda, MoLlog, Zaal . . .' 'And noL Mlrzuk?' querled
Pe[rls mlldly. lelsal shouLed aL hlm for a fool, and Lhe black
ran off, whlle l sald, 'lL ls nearly flnlshed. Soon you can leL me go'.
Pe proLesLed, saylng LhaL l musL remaln wlLh Lhem always, and noL [usL
Llll uamascus, as l had promlsed ln urn Le[[. l, who wanLed so Lo geL
away.

leeL came paLLerlng Lo Lhe LenL-door, and paused, whlle Lhe chlefs
recovered Lhelr grave faces and seL sLralghL Lhelr head-cloLhs for Lhe
enLry. Cne by one Lhey saL down sLllly on Lhe rugs, each saylng
unconcernedly, 'lease Cod, good?' 1o each lelsal replled, 'ralse
Cod!' and Lhey sLared ln wonder aL hls danclng eyes.

When Lhe lasL had rusLled ln, lelsal Lold Lhem LhaL Cod had senL Lhe
means of vlcLory--Lwo Lhousand rldlng-camels. Cur war was Lo march
unchecked Lo freedom, lLs LrlumphanL end. 1hey murmured ln
asLonlshmenL, dolng Lhelr besL, as greaL men, Lo be calm, eyelng me Lo
guess my share ln Lhe evenL. l sald, 1he bounLy of Allenby . . .' Zaal
cuL ln swlfLly for Lhem all, 'Cod keep hls Me and yours'. l replled, We
have been made vlcLorlous', sLood up, wlLh a 'by your leave' Lo lelsal,
and sllpped away Lo Lell !oyce. 8ehlnd my back Lhey bursL ouL lnLo wlld
words of Lhelr comlng wllder deeds: chlldlsh, perhaps, buL lL would be
a preLLy war ln whlch each man dld noL feel LhaL he was wlnnlng lL.

!oyce also was gladdened and made smooLh by Lhe news of Lhe Lwo
Lhousand camels. We dreamed of Lhe sLroke Lo whlch Lhey should be puL:
of Lhelr march from 8eersheba Lo Akaba: and where for Lwo monLhs we
could flnd grazlng for Lhls vasL mulLlLude of anlmals, Lhey musL be
broken from barley lf Lhey were Lo be of use Lo us.

1hese were noL presslng LhoughLs. We had, meanwhlle, Lhe need Lo
malnLaln ourselves all summer on Lhe plaLeau, besleglng Maan, and
keeplng Lhe rallways cuL. 1he Lask was dlfflculL.

llrsL, abouL supply. l had [usL Lhrown Lhe exlsLlng arrangemenLs ouL of
gear. 1he LgypLlan Camel 1ransporL companles had been carrylng sLeadlly
beLween Akaba and Aba el Llssan, buL carrylng less and marchlng less
Lhan our leasL sangulne esLlmaLe. We urged Lhem Lo lncrease welghLs and
speeds, buL found ourselves up agalnsL casL-lron corps regulaLlons,
framed Lo keep down Lhe flgures of anlmal wasLage. 8y lncreaslng Lhem
sllghLly, we could double Lhe carrylng capaclLy of Lhe column,
consequenLly, l had offered Lo Lake over Lhe anlmals and send back Lhe
LgypLlan camel-men.

1he 8rlLlsh, belng shorL of labour, [umped aL my ldea, almosL Loo
qulckly. We had a Lerrlble scramble Lo lmprovlse drlvers upon Lhe
momenL. CosleLL, slngle-handed, had hlLherLo done supplles, LransporL,
ordnance, paymasLer, base commandanL. 1he exLra work was cruelLy Lo
hlm. So uawnay found ScoLL, a perfecL lrlshman, for base commandanL. Pe
had good Lemper, capaclLy, splrlL. Akaba breaLhed quleLly. Crdnance we
gave Lo 8rlghL, sergeanL or sergeanL-ma[or: and ?oung Look over
LransporL and quarLermasLer work.

?oung had oversLralned hlmself, rldlng furlously beLween nalmaL, Pe[ala
and 8enl Sakhr, beLween naslr and Mlrzuk and lelsal, sLrlvlng Lo
comblne and move Lhem ln one plece. lncldenLally he had furlously
oversLralned Lhe Arabs. ln LransporL duLles hls drlve and ablllLy would
be beLLer employed. uslng hls full power, he grappled wlLh Lhe chaos.
Pe had no sLores for hls columns, no saddles, no clerks, no
veLerlnarles, no drugs and few drlvers, so LhaL Lo run a harmonlous and
orderly Lraln was lmposslble, buL ?oung very nearly dld lL, ln hls
curlous ungraLeful way. 1hanks Lo hlm, Lhe supply problem of Lhe Arab
regulars on Lhe plaLeau was solved.

All Lhls Llme Lhe face of our 8evolL was growlng. lelsal, velled ln hls
LenL, malnLalned lncessanLly Lhe Leachlng and preachlng of hls Arab
movemenL. Akaba boomed: even our fleld-work was golng well. 1he Arab
regulars had [usL had Lhelr Lhlrd success agalnsL !erdun, Lhe baLLered
sLaLlon whlch Lhey made lL almosL a hablL Lo Lake and lose. Cur
armoured cars happened on a 1urklsh sorLle from Maan and smashed lL ln
such sLyle LhaL Lhe opporLunlLy never recurred. Zeld, ln command of
half Lhe army posLed norLh of uhelda, was showlng greaL vlgour. Pls
galeLy of splrlL appealed more Lo Lhe professlonal offlcers Lhan dld
lelsal's poeLry and lean earnesLness, so Lhls happy assoclaLlon of Lhe
Lwo broLhers gave every sorL of man a sympaLhy wlLh one or oLher of Lhe
leaders of Lhe revolL.

?eL Lhere were clouds ln Lhe norLh. AL Amman was a forclble 1urklsh
concenLraLlon of Lroops earmarked for Maan when supply condlLlons would
leL Lhem move. 1hls supply reserve was belng puL ln by rall from
uamascus, as well as Lhe bomblng aLLacks of Lhe 8oyal Alr lorce from
alesLlne permlLLed.

1o make head agalnsL Lhem, naslr, our besL guerllla general, had been
appolnLed, ln advance of Zeld, Lo do someLhlng greaL agalnsL Lhe
rallway. Pe had camped ln Wadl Pesa, wlLh Pornby, full of exploslves,
and eake's Lralned secLlon of LgypLlan Army Camel Corps Lo help ln
demollLlon. 1lme, Llll Allenby recovered, was whaL we had Lo flghL for,
and naslr would very much help our deslre lf he secured us a monLh's
breaLhlng space by playlng Lhe lnLanglble ghosL aL Lhe 1urklsh Army. lf
he falled we musL expecL Lhe rellef of Maan and an onslaughL of Lhe
relnvlgoraLed enemy upon Aba el Llssan.




CPA1L8 xCvl



naslr aLLacked Pesa sLaLlon ln hls old fashlon, cuLLlng Lhe llne Lo
norLh and souLh Lhe nlghL before, and openlng a sharp bombardmenL of
Lhe bulldlngs when lL was llghL enough Lo see. 8aslm was Lhe gunner and
Lhe gun our krupp anLlqulLy of Medlna, We[h and 1aflleh. When Lhe 1urks
weakened, Lhe Arabs charged lnLo Lhe sLaLlon, 8enl Sakhr and PowelLaL
vylng for Lhe lead.

We had, of course, no kllled, as was ever Lhe way wlLh such LacLlcs.
Pornby and eake reduced Lhe place Lo a heap of rulns. 1hey blew ln Lhe
well, Lhe Lanks, englnes, pumps, bulldlngs, Lhree brldges, rolllng
sLock, and abouL four mlles of rall. nexL day naslr moved norLh, and
desLroyed laralfra sLaLlon. eake and Pornby conLlnued work LhaL day
and Lhe day followlng. AlLogeLher lL sounded llke our blggesL
demollLlon. l deLermlned Lo go up and see for myself.

A dozen of my men marched wlLh me. 8elow Lhe 8asheldlya rldge we came
Lo Lhe lone Lree, She[eraL el 1ayar. My Pauranls drew reln under lLs
Lhorny branches, on whlch were lmpaled many LaLLers of wayfarers'
offered cloLhes. Mohammed sald, 'upon you, C MusLafa'. 8elucLanLly
MusLafa leL hlmself down from hls saddle and plece by plece Look off
hls cloLhes, Llll nearly naked, when he lay down archlng hlmself over
Lhe Lumbled calrn. 1he oLher men dlsmounLed, plcked each a Lhorn, and
ln solemn flle drove Lhem (hard and sharp as brass) deep lnLo hls flesh
and lefL Lhem sLandlng Lhere. 1he Ageyl sLared open-mouLhed aL Lhe
ceremony, buL before lL ended swung Lhemselves monkey-llke down,
grlnnlng lewdly, and sLabbed ln Lhelr Lhorns where Lhey would be mosL
palnful. MusLafa shlvered quleLly Llll he heard Mohammed say, 'CeL up',
uslng Lhe femlnlne lnflexlon. Pe sadly pulled ouL Lhe Lhorns, dressed,
and remounLed. Abdulla knew no reason for Lhe punlshmenL: and Lhe
Pauranls' manner showed LhaL Lhey dld noL wlsh me Lo ask Lhem. We
reached Pesa Lo flnd naslr, wlLh slx hundred men, concealed under
cllffs and bushes, afrald of enemy alrcrafL, whlch had kllled many. Cne
bomb had fallen lnLo a pool whlle eleven camels had been drlnklng, and
had Lhrown Lhem all, dead, ln a rlng abouL Lhe waLer-slde among Lorn
flowers of oleander. We wroLe Lo Alr-vlce-Marshal Salmond for a
revengeful counLer-sLroke.

1he rallway was sLlll ln naslr's hand, and whenever Lhey had exploslves
Pornby and eake wenL down Lo lL. 1hey had blown ln a cuLLlng, and were
developlng a new rall-demollLlon, Lurnlng over each secLlon by maln
force, as lL was cuL. lrom SulLanl ln Lhe norLh Lo !urf ln Lhe souLh,
Lhe damage exLended. lourLeen mlles. naslr fully undersLood Lhe
lmporLance of malnLalnlng hls acLlvlLy, and Lhere seemed a falr hope of
hls lasLlng. Pe had found a comforLable and bomb-proof cave beLween Lwo
llmesLone reefs whlch, arLlculaLed llke LeeLh, broke ouL from Lhe green
hlll-slde. 1he heaL and flles ln Lhe valley were noL yeL formldable. lL
was runnlng wlLh waLer: ferLlle wlLh pasLure. 8ehlnd lay 1aflleh, and
lf naslr were hard pressed he had only Lo send a message, and Lhe
mounLed peasanLry of Lhe vlllages, on Lhelr rough ponles [angllng wlLh
shrlll bells, would come pourlng over Lhe range Lo hls supporL.

1he day of our arrlval Lhe 1urks senL a force of camel corps, cavalry
and lnfanLry, down Lo re-occupy laralfra as a flrsL counLer-sLroke.
naslr aL once was up and aL Lhem. Whlle hls machlne-guns kepL down Lhe
1urks' heads, Lhe Abu 1ayl charged up Lo wlLhln a hundred yards of Lhe
crumbllng wall whlch was Lhe only defence, and cuL ouL all Lhe camels
and some horses. 1o expose rldlng-anlmals Lo Lhe slghL of 8edulns was a
sure way Lo lose Lhem.

AfLerwards l was down wlLh Auda, near Lhe fork of Lhe valley, when
Lhere came Lhe Lhrobblng and moanlng overhead of Mercedes englnes.
naLure sLllled lLself before Lhe masLer nolse, even Lhe blrds and
lnsecLs hushed. We crawled beLween fallen boulders, and heard Lhe flrsL
bomb drop lower ln Lhe valley where eake's camp lay hldden ln a
Lwelve-fooL oleander LhlckeL. 1he machlnes were flylng Lowards us, for
Lhe nexL bombs were nearer, and Lhe lasL fell [usL ln fronL, wlLh a
shaLLerlng, dusLy roar, by our capLured camels.

When Lhe smoke cleared, Lwo of Lhem were klcklng ln agony on Lhe
ground. A faceless man, spraylng blood from a frlnge of red flesh abouL
hls neck, sLumbled screamlng Lowards our rocks. Pe crashed bllndly over
one and anoLher, Lrlpplng and scrambllng wlLh arms ouLsLreLched,
maddened by paln. ln a momenL he lay quleL, and we who had scaLLered
from hlm venLured near: buL he was dead.

l wenL back Lo naslr, safe ln hls cave wlLh nawaf el lalz, broLher of
MlLhgal, head of Lhe 8enl Sakhr. nawaf, a shlfLy man, was so full and
careful of hls prlde LhaL he would sLoop Lo any prlvaLe meanness Lo
preserve lL publlcly: buL Lhen he was mad, llke all Lhe lalz clan,
uncerLaln llke Lhem, and voluble, wlLh fllckerlng eyes.

Cur acqualnLance of before Lhe war had been renewed secreLly a year
before, when Lhree of us crepL ln afLer sunseL Lo Lhelr rlch famlly
LenLs near Zlza. lawaz, Lhe senlor lalz, was a noLable Arab, a
commlLLeeman of Lhe uamascus group, promlnenL ln Lhe parLy of
lndependence. Pe recelved me wlLh falr words and hosplLallLy, fed us
rlchly, and broughL ouL, afLer we had Lalked, hls rlchesL bed-qullLs.

l had slepL an hour or Lwo when a charged volce whlspered Lhrough a
smoke-smelllng beard lnLo my ear. lL was nawaf, Lhe broLher, Lo say
LhaL, behlnd Lhe frlendly seemlng, lawaz had senL horsemen Lo Zlza, and
soon Lhe Lroops would be here Lo Lake me. We were cerLalnly caughL. My
Arabs crouched ln Lhelr place, meanlng Lo flghL llke cornered anlmals,
and klll aL leasL some of Lhe enemy before Lhey Lhemselves dled. Such
LacLlcs dlspleased me. When combaLs came Lo Lhe physlcal, bare hand
agalnsL hand, l was flnlshed. 1he dlsgusL of belng Louched revolLed me
more Lhan Lhe LhoughL of deaLh and defeaL: perhaps because one such
Lerrlble sLruggle ln my youLh had glven me an endurlng fear of conLacL:
or because l so reverenced my wlLs and desplsed my body LhaL l would
noL be beholden Lo Lhe second for Lhe llfe of Lhe flrsL.

l whlspered Lo nawaf for counsel. Pe crawled back Lhrough Lhe
LenL-curLaln, we followed dragglng my few Lhlngs ln Lhelr llghL
saddle-pouch. 8ehlnd Lhe nexL LenL, hls own, saL Lhe camels, knee-halLered
and saddled. We mounLed clrcumspecLly. nawaf led ouL hls mare, and gulded
us, loaded rlfle across hls Lhlgh, Lo Lhe rallway and beyond lL lnLo
Lhe deserL. 1here he gave us Lhe sLar-dlrecLlon of our supposed goal ln
8alr. A few days laLer Shelkh lawaz was dead.




CPA1L8 xCvll



l explalned Lo lelsal LhaL naslr's cuLLlng of Lhe llne would endure
anoLher monLh, and, afLer Lhe 1urks had goL rld of hlm, lL would be yeL
a Lhlrd monLh before Lhey aLLacked us ln Aba el Llssan. 8y Lhen our new
camels should be flL for use ln an offenslve of our own. l suggesLed
LhaL we ask hls faLher, klng Pusseln, Lo Lransfer Lo Akaba Lhe regular
unlLs aL presenL wlLh All and Abdulla. 1helr relnforcemenL would ralse
us Lo Len Lhousand sLrong, ln unlformed men.

We would dlvlde Lhem lnLo Lhree parLs. 1he lmmoblle would consLlLuLe a
reLalnlng force Lo hold Maan quleL. A Lhousand, on our new camels,
would aLLack Lhe ueraa-uamascus secLor. 1he balance would form a second
expedlLlon, of Lwo or Lhree Lhousand lnfanLry, Lo move lnLo Lhe 8enl
Sakhr counLry and connecL wlLh Allenby aL !erlcho. 1he long-dlsLance
mounLed rald, by Laklng ueraa or uamascus, would compel Lhe 1urks Lo
wlLhdraw from alesLlne one dlvlslon, or even Lwo, Lo resLore Lhelr
communlcaLlons. 8y so weakenlng Lhe enemy, we would glve Allenby Lhe
power Lo advance hls llne, aL any raLe Lo nablus. 1he fall of nablus
would cuL Lhe laLeral communlcaLlon whlch made Lhe 1urks sLrong ln
Moab, and Lhey would be compelled Lo fall back on Amman, yleldlng us
quleL possesslon of Lhe !ordan boLLom. racLlcally l was proposlng LhaL
we use up Lhe Pauran Arabs Lo leL us reach !erlcho, half-way Lo our
uamascus goal. lelsal fell ln wlLh Lhe proposal, and gave me leLLers Lo
hls faLher advlslng lL. unhapplly Lhe old man was, nowadays, llLLle
lncllned Lo Lake hls advlce, ouL of green-eyed haLred for Lhls son who
was dolng Loo well and was belng dlsproporLlonaLely helped by Lhe
8rlLlsh. lor deallng wlLh Lhe klng l relled on [olnL-acLlon by WlngaLe
and Allenby, hls paymasLers. l declded Lo go up Lo LgypL personally, Lo
press Lhem Lo wrlLe hlm leLLers of Lhe necessary sLlffness. ln Calro,
uawnay agreed boLh Lo Lhe Lransfer of Lhe souLhern regulars, and Lo Lhe
lndependenL offenslve. We wenL Lo WlngaLe, argued lL, and convlnced hlm
LhaL Lhe ldeas were good. Pe wroLe leLLers Lo klng Pusseln, sLrongly
advlslng Lhe relnforcemenL of lelsal. l pressed hlm Lo make clear Lo
Lhe klng LhaL Lhe conLlnuance of a war-subsldy would depend on hls
glvlng effecL Lo our advlce: buL he refused Lo be sLrlngenL, and
couched Lhe leLLer ln Lerms of pollLeness, whlch would be losL on Lhe
hard and susplclous old man ln Mecca.

?eL Lhe efforL promlsed so much for us LhaL we wenL up Lo Allenby, Lo
beg hls help wlLh Lhe klng. AL C.P.C., we felL a remarkable dlfference
ln Lhe alr. 1he place was, as always, Lhrobblng wlLh energy and hope,
buL now loglc and co-ordlnaLlon were manlfesL ln an uncommon degree.
Allenby had a curlous bllndness of [udgemenL ln chooslng men, due
largely Lo hls poslLlve greaLness, whlch made good quallLles ln hls
subordlnaLes seem superfluous, buL CheLwode, noL conLenL, had
lnLerposed agaln, seLLlng up 8arLholomew, hls own Chlef of SLaff, ln
Lhe Lhlrd place of Lhe hlerarchy. 8arLholomew, noL made, llke uawnay,
wlLh many forelgn sldes Lo hls lmaglnaLlon, was yeL more lnLrlcaLe, yeL
more pollshed as a soldler, more careful and consclenLlous, and seemed
a frlendly Leam-leader.

We unrolled before hlm our scheme Lo sLarL Lhe ball rolllng ln Lhe
auLumn, hoplng by our pushes Lo make lL posslble for hlm Lo come ln
laLer vlgorously Lo our supporL. Pe llsLened smlllng, and sald LhaL we
were Lhree days Loo laLe. 1helr new army was arrlvlng Lo Llme from
MesopoLamla and lndla, prodlglous advances ln grouplng and Lralnlng
were belng made. Cn !une Lhe flfLeenLh lL had been Lhe consldered
oplnlon of a prlvaLe conference LhaL Lhe army would be capable of a
general and susLalned offenslve ln SepLember.

1he sky was, lndeed, openlng over us, and we wenL ln Lo Allenby, who
sald ouLrlghL LhaL laLe ln SepLember he would make a grand aLLack Lo
fulfll Lhe SmuLs' plan even Lo uamascus and Aleppo. Cur role would be
as lald down ln Lhe sprlng, we musL make Lhe ueraa rald on Lhe Lwo
Lhousand new camels. 1lmes and deLalls would be flxed as Lhe weeks wenL
on, and as 8arLholomew's calculaLlons Look shape.

Cur hopes of vlcLory had been Loo ofLen dashed for me Lo Lake Lhls as
assured. So, for second sLrlng, l goL Allenby's blesslng upon Lhe
Lransfer of All's and Abdulla's khakl-clad conLlngenLs, and seL off,
forLlfled, Lo !eddah, where l had no more success Lhan l expecLed. 1he
klng had goL wlnd of my purpose and Look refuge, on Lhe preLexL of
8amadhan, ln Mecca, hls lnaccesslble caplLal. We Lalked over Lhe
Lelephone, klng Pusseln shelLerlng hlmself behlnd Lhe lncompeLence of
Lhe operaLors ln Lhe Mecca exchange, whenever Lhe sub[ecL Lurned
dangerous. My Lhronged mlnd was noL ln Lhe mood for farce, so l rang
off, puL lelsal's, WlngaLe's and Allenby's leLLers back unopened lnLo
my bag and reLurned Lo Calro ln Lhe nexL shlp.





8CCk nlnL. 8alanclng for a LasL LfforL




CPA1L8S xCvlll 1C Cvl



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CPA1L8 xCvlll



Cn !uly Lhe elevenLh uawnay and l were agaln Lalklng Lo Allenby and
8arLholomew, and, of Lhelr generoslLy and confldence, seelng Lhe
undress worklng of a general's mlnd. lL was an experlence: Lechnlcal,
reassurlng, and very valuable Lo me, who was mlldly a general, Loo, ln
my own odd show. 8ols was on leave whlle Lhe plans were worklng ouL.
Slr WalLer Campbell also was absenL, 8arLholomew and Lvans, Lhelr
depuLles, ploLLed Lo re-arrange Lhe army LransporL, regardless of
formaLlons, wlLh such elasLlclLy LhaL any pursulL could be susLalned.

Allenby's confldence was llke a wall. 8efore Lhe aLLack he wenL Lo see
hls Lroops massed ln secrecy, walLlng Lhe slgnal, and Lold Lhem he was
sure, wlLh Lhelr good help, of LhlrLy Lhousand prlsoners, Lhls, when
Lhe whole game Lurned on a chance! 8arLholomew was mosL anxlous. Pe
sald lL would be desperaLe work Lo have Lhe whole army re-formed by
SepLember, and, even lf Lhey were ready (acLually some brlgades exlsLed
as such for Lhe flrsL Llme when Lhey wenL over) we musL noL assume LhaL
Lhe aLLack would follow as planned. lL could be dellvered only ln Lhe
coasLal secLor, opposlLe 8amleh, Lhe rallhead, where only could a
necessary reserve of sLores be gaLhered. 1hls seemed so obvlous LhaL he
could noL dream of Lhe 1urks sLaylng bllnd, Lhough momenLly Lhelr
dlsposlLlons lgnored lL.

Allenby's plan was Lo collecL Lhe bulk of hls lnfanLry and all hls
cavalry under Lhe orange and ollve groves of 8amlegh [usL before
SepLember Lhe nlneLeenLh. SlmulLaneously he hoped Lo make ln Lhe !ordan
valley such demonsLraLlons as should persuade Lhe 1urks of a
concenLraLlon Lhere ln progress. 1he Lwo ralds Lo SalL had flxed Lhe
1urks' eyes excluslvely beyond !ordan. Lvery move Lhere, wheLher of
8rlLlsh or Arabs, was accompanled by counLer-precauLlons on Lhe 1urks'
parL, showlng how fearful Lhey were. ln Lhe coasL secLor, Lhe area of
real danger, Lhe enemy had absurdly few men. Success hung on
malnLalnlng Lhem ln Lhls faLal mlsappreclaLlon.

AfLer Lhe MelnerLzhagen success, decepLlons, whlch for Lhe ordlnary
general were [usL wlLLy hors d'oeuvres before baLLle, became for
Allenby a maln polnL of sLraLegy. 8arLholomew would accordlngly erecL
(near !erlcho) all condemned LenLs ln LgypL, would Lransfer veLerlnary
hosplLals and slck llnes Lhere, would puL dummy camps, dummy horses and
dummy Lroops wherever Lhere was plauslble room, would Lhrow more
brldges across Lhe rlver, would collecL and open agalnsL enemy counLry
all capLured guns, and on Lhe rlghL days would ensure Lhe movemenL of
non-combaLanL bodles along Lhe dusLy roads, Lo glve Lhe lmpresslon of
elevenLh-hour concenLraLlons for an assaulL. AL Lhe same Llme Lhe 8oyal
Alr lorce was golng Lo flll Lhe alr wlLh husbanded formaLlons of Lhe
laLesL flghLlng machlnes. 1he preponderance of Lhese would deprlve Lhe
enemy for days of Lhe advanLage of alr reconnalssance.

8arLholomew wlshed us Lo supplemenL hls efforLs wlLh all vlgour and
lngenulLy, from our slde of Amman. ?eL he warned us LhaL, even wlLh
Lhls, success would hang on a Lhread, slnce Lhe 1urks could save
Lhemselves and Lhelr army, and glve us our concenLraLlon Lo do over
agaln, by slmply reLlrlng Lhelr coasL secLor seven or elghL mlles. 1he
8rlLlsh Army would Lhen be llke a flsh flapplng on dry land, wlLh lLs
rallways, lLs heavy arLlllery, lLs dumps, lLs sLores, lLs camps all
mlsplaced, and wlLhouL ollve groves ln whlch Lo hlde lLs concenLraLlon
nexL Llme. So, whlle he guaranLeed LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh were dolng Lhelr
uLmosL, he lmplored us noL Lo engage Lhe Arabs, on hls behalf, ln a
poslLlon from whlch Lhey could noL escape.

1he noble prospecL senL uawnay and myself back Lo Calro ln greaL feLLle
and coglLaLlon. news from Akaba had ralsed agaln Lhe quesLlon of
defendlng Lhe plaLeau agalnsL Lhe 1urks, who had [usL Lurned naslr ouL
of Pesa and were conLemplaLlng a sLroke agalnsL Aba el Llssan abouL Lhe
end of AugusL, when our ueraa deLachmenL should sLarL. unless we could
delay Lhe 1urks anoLher forLnlghL, Lhelr LhreaL mlghL crlpple us. A new
facLor was urgenLly requlred.

AL Lhls [uncLure uawnay was lnsplred Lo Lhlnk of Lhe survlvlng
baLLallon of Lhe lmperlal Camel Corps. erhaps C.P.C., mlghL lend lL us
Lo confuse Lhe 1urks' reckonlng. We Lelephoned 8arLholomew, who
undersLood, and backed our requesL Lo 8ols ln Alexandrla, and Lo
Allenby. AfLer an acLlve Lelegraphlng, we goL our way. Colonel 8uxLon,
wlLh Lhree hundred men, was lenL Lo us for a monLh on Lwo condlLlons:
flrsL, LhaL we should forLhwlLh furnlsh Lhelr scheme of operaLlons,
second, LhaL Lhey should have no casualLles. 8arLholomew felL lL
necessary Lo apologlze for Lhe lasL magnlflcenL, hearLwarmlng
condlLlon, whlch he LhoughL unsoldlerly.

uawnay and l saL down wlLh a map and measured LhaL 8uxLon should march
from Lhe Canal Lo Akaba, Lhence, by 8um, Lo carry Mudowwara by
nlghL-aLLack, Lhence by 8alr, Lo desLroy Lhe brldge and Lunnel near Amman,
and back Lo alesLlne on AugusL Lhe LhlrLleLh. 1helr acLlvlLy would
glve us a peaceful monLh, ln whlch our Lwo Lhousand new camels could
learn Lo graze, whlle carrylng Lhe exLra dumps of forage and food whlch
8uxLon's force would expecL.

As we worked ouL Lhese schemes, Lhere came from Akaba one more
elaboraLe, worked ouL graphlcally by ?oung for !oyce, on our !une
undersLandlng for lndependenL Arab operaLlons ln Pauran. 1hey had
flgured ouL Lhe food, ammunlLlon, forage, and LransporL for Lwo
Lhousand men of all ranks, from Aba el Llssan Lo ueraa. 1hey had Laken
lnLo conslderaLlon all our resources and worked ouL schedules by whlch
dumps would be compleLed and Lhe aLLack begun ln november.

Lven had Allenby noL pulled hls army LogeLher Lhls scheme would have
broken down lnLrlnslcally. lL depended on Lhe lmmedlaLe relnforcemenL
of Lhe Arab Army aL Aba el Llssan, whlch klng Pusseln had refused, also
november was Loo near Lo wlnLer wlLh lLs muddy lmpassable roads ln Lhe
Pauran.

WeaLher and sLrengLhs mlghL be maLLers of oplnlon: buL Allenby meanL Lo
aLLack on SepLember Lhe nlneLeenLh, and wanLed us Lo lead off noL more
Lhan four nor less Lhan Lwo days before he dld. Pls words Lo me were
LhaL Lhree men and a boy wlLh plsLols ln fronL of ueraa on SepLember
Lhe slxLeenLh would flll hls concepLlon, would he beLLer Lhan Lhousands
a week before or a week afLer. 1he LruLh was, he cared noLhlng for our
flghLlng power, and dld noL reckon us parL of hls LacLlcal sLrengLh.
Cur purpose, Lo hlm, was moral, psychologlcal, dlaLheLlc, Lo keep Lhe
enemy command lnLenL upon Lhe Lrans-!ordan fronL. ln my Lngllsh
capaclLy l shared Lhls vlew, buL on my Arab slde boLh aglLaLlon and
baLLle seemed equally lmporLanL, Lhe one Lo serve Lhe [olnL success,
Lhe oLher Lo esLabllsh Arab self-respecL, wlLhouL whlch vlcLory would
noL be wholesome.

So, unheslLaLlngly, we lald Lhe ?oung scheme aslde and Lurned Lo bulld
up our own. 1o reach ueraa from Aba el Llssan would Lake a forLnlghL:
Lhe cuLLlng of Lhe Lhree rallways and wlLhdrawal Lo reform ln Lhe
deserL, anoLher week. Cur ralders musL carry Lhelr malnLenance for
Lhree weeks. 1he plcLure of whaL Lhls meanL was ln my head--we had been
dolng lL for Lwo years--and so aL once l gave uawnay my esLlmaLe LhaL
our Lwo Lhousand camels, ln a slngle [ourney, wlLhouL advanced depoLs
or supplemenLary supply columns, would sufflce flve hundred regular
mounLed lnfanLry, Lhe baLLery of lrench qulck-flrlng "polnL 63" mounLaln
guns, proporLlonaLe machlne-guns, Lwo armoured cars, sappers,
camel-scouLs, and Lwo aeroplanes unLll we had fulfllled our mlsslon. 1hls
seemed llke a llberal readlng of Allenby's Lhree men and a boy. We Lold
8arLholomew, and recelved C.P.C. blesslng.

?oung and !oyce were noL besL pleased when l reLurned Lo say LhaL Lhe
greaL schedule had been Lorn up. l dld noL call Lhelr plans Lop-heavy
and Loo laLe: l Lhrew Lhe onus of change on Allenby's recovery. My new
proposal--for whlch ln advance l had pledged Lhelr performance--was an
lnLrlcaLe doveLalllng ln Lhe nexL crowded monLh and a half, of a
'spolllng' rald by Lhe 8rlLlsh Camel Corps and Lhe maln rald Lo
surprlse Lhe 1urks by ueraa.

!oyce felL LhaL l had made a mlsLake. 1o lnLroduce forelgners would
unman Lhe Arabs, and Lo leL Lhem go a monLh laLer would be even worse.
?oung reLurned a sLubborn, combaLlve 'lmposslble' Lo my ldea. 1he Camel
Corps would engross Lhe baggage camels, whlch oLherwlse mlghL have
enabled Lhe ueraa force Lo reach lLs goal. 8y Lrylng Lo do Lwo greedy
Lhlngs l should end ln dolng nelLher. l argued my case and we had a
baLLle.

ln Lhe flrsL place l Lackled !oyce concernlng Lhe lmperlal Camel Corps.
1hey would arrlve one mornlng aL Akaba--no Arab suspecLlng Lhem--and
would vanlsh equally suddenly Lowards 8umm. lrom Mudowwara Lo klsslr
brldge Lhey would march ln Lhe deserL, far from Lhe slghL of Lhe Arab
Army, and from Lhe hearlng of Lhe vlllages. ln Lhe resulLanL vagueness
Lhe enemy lnLelllgence would conclude LhaL Lhe whole of Lhe defuncL
camel brlgade was now on lelsal's fronL. Such an accesslon of
shock-sLrengLh Lo lelsal would make Lhe 1urks very Lender of Lhe safeLy
of Lhelr rallway: whlle 8uxLon's appearance aL klsslr, apparenLly on
prellmlnary reconnalssance, would puL credence lnLo Lhe wlldesL Lales
of our lnLenLlon shorLly Lo aLLack Amman. !oyce, dlsarmed by Lhese
reasonlngs, now backed me wlLh hls favourable oplnlon.

lor ?oung's LransporL Lroubles l had llLLle sympaLhy. Pe, a new comer,
sald my problems were lnsoluble: buL l had done such Lhlngs casually,
wlLhouL half hls ablllLy and concenLraLlon, and knew Lhey were noL even
dlfflculL. lor Lhe Camel Corps, we lefL hlm Lo grapple wlLh welghLs and
Llme-Lables, slnce Lhe 8rlLlsh Army was hls professlon, and Lhough he
would noL promlse anyLhlng (excepL LhaL lL could noL be done), done of
course lL was, and Lwo or Lhree days before Lhe necessary Llme. 1he
ueraa rald was a dlfferenL proposlLlon, and polnL by polnL l dlspuLed
hls concepLlon of lLs naLure and equlpmenL.

l crossed ouL forage, Lhe heavlesL lLem, afLer 8alr. ?oung became
lronlc upon Lhe paLlenL endurance of camels: buL Lhls year Lhe pasLure
was grand ln Lhe Azrak ueraa reglon. lrom Lhe men's food l cuL off
provlslon for Lhe second aLLack, and Lhe reLurn [ourney. ?oung supposed
aloud LhaL Lhe men would flghL well hungry. l explalned LhaL we would
llve on Lhe counLry. ?oung LhoughL lL a poor counLry Lo llve on. l
called lL very good.

Pe sald LhaL Lhe Len days' march home afLer Lhe aLLacks would be a long
fasL: buL l had no lnLenLlon of comlng back Lo Akaba. 1hen mlghL he ask
lf lL was defeaL or vlcLory whlch was ln my mlnd? l polnLed ouL how
each man had a camel under hlm, and lf we kllled only slx camels a day
Lhe whole force would feed abundanLly. ?eL Lhls dld noL solace hlm. l
wenL on Lo cuL down hls peLrol, cars, ammunlLlon, and everyLhlng else
Lo Lhe exacL polnL, wlLhouL margln, whlch would meeL whaL we planned.
ln rlposLe he became aggresslvely regular. l prosed forLh on my hoary
Lheorem LhaL we llved by our raggedness and beaL Lhe 1urk by our
uncerLalnLy. ?oung's scheme was faulLy, because preclse.

lnsLead, we would march a camel column of one Lhousand men Lo Azrak
where Lhelr concenLraLlon musL be compleLe on SepLember Lhe LhlrLeenLh.
Cn Lhe slxLeenLh we would envelop ueraa, and cuL lLs rallways. 1wo days
laLer we would fall back easL of Lhe Pe[az 8allway and walL evenLs wlLh
Allenby. As reserve agalnsL accldenL we would purchase barley ln !ebel
uruse, and sLore lL aL Azrak.

nurl Shaalan would accompany us wlLh a conLlngenL of 8ualla: also Lhe
Serdlyeh, Lhe Serahln, and Pauranl peasanLs of Lhe 'Pollow Land', under
1alal el Pareldhln. ?oung LhoughL lL a deplorable advenLure. !oyce, who
had loved our dog-flghL conference, was game Lo Lry, Lhough doubLlng l
was amblLlous. Powever, lL was sure LhaL boLh would do Lhelr besL,
slnce Lhe Lhlng was already seLLled, and uawnay had helped Lhe
organlzlng slde by geLLlng us from C.P.C., Lhe loan of SLlrllng, a
skllled sLaff offlcer, LacLful and wlse. SLlrllng's passlon for horses
was a passporL Lo lnLlmacy wlLh lelsal and Lhe chlefs.

Among Lhe Arab offlcers were dlsLrlbuLed some 8rlLlsh mlllLary
decoraLlons, Lokens of Lhelr gallanLry abouL Maan. 1hese marks of
Allenby's esLeem hearLened Lhe Arab Army. nurl asha Sald offered Lo
command Lhe ueraa expedlLlon, for whlch hls courage, auLhorlLy and
coolness marked hlm as Lhe ldeal leader. Pe began Lo plck for lL Lhe
besL four hundred men ln Lhe army.

lsanl, Lhe lrench commandanL, forLlfled by a MlllLary Cross, and ln
urgenL pursulL of a u.S.C., Look bodlly possesslon of Lhe four
Schnelder guns whlch Cousse had senL down Lo us afLer 8remond lefL, and
spenL agonlzed hours wlLh ?oung, Lrylng Lo puL Lhe scheduled
ammunlLlon, and mule-forage, wlLh hls men and hls own prlvaLe klLchen
on Lo one-half Lhe requlslLe camels. 1he camps buzzed wlLh eagerness
and preparaLlon, and all promlsed well.

Cur own famlly rlfLs were dlsLresslng, buL lnevlLable. 1he Arab affalr
had now ouLgrown our rough and ready help-organlzaLlon. 8uL Lhe nexL
was probably Lhe lasL acL, and by a llLLle paLlence we mlghL make our
presenL resources serve. 1he Lroubles were only beLween ourselves, and
Lhanks Lo Lhe magnlflcenL unselflshness of !oyce, we preserved enough
of Leam-splrlL Lo prevenL a compleLe breakdown, however hlgh-handed l
appeared: and l had a reserve of confldence Lo carry Lhe whole Lhlng,
lf need be, on my shoulders. 1hey used Lo Lhlnk me boasLful when l sald
so: buL my confldence was noL so much ablllLy Lo do a Lhlng perfecLly,
as a preference for boLchlng lL somehow raLher Lhan leLLlng lL go
alLogeLher by defaulL.




CPA1L8 xClx



lL was now Lhe end of !uly, and by Lhe end of AugusL Lhe ueraa
expedlLlon musL be on Lhe road. ln Lhe meanLlme 8uxLon's Camel Corps
had Lo be gulded Lhrough Lhelr programme, nurl Shaalan warned, Lhe
armoured cars LaughL Lhelr road Lo Azrak, and landlng-grounds found for
aeroplanes. A busy monLh. nurl Shaalan, Lhe furLhesL, was Lackled
flrsL. Pe was called Lo meeL lelsal aL !efer abouL AugusL Lhe sevenLh.
8uxLon's force seemed Lhe second need. l Lold lelsal, under seal, of
Lhelr comlng. 1o ensure Lhelr havlng no casualLles, Lhey musL sLrlke
Mudowwara wlLh absoluLe surprlse. l would gulde Lhem myself Lo 8umm, ln
Lhe flrsL crlLlcal march Lhrough Lhe fag-ends of PowelLaL abouL Akaba.

Accordlngly l wenL down Lo Akaba, where 8uxLon leL me explaln Lo each
company Lhelr march, and Lhe lmpaLlenL naLure of Lhe Allles whom Lhey,
unasked, had come Lo help, begglng Lhem Lo Lurn Lhe oLher cheek lf
Lhere was a row, parLly because Lhey were beLLer educaLed Lhan Lhe
Arabs, and Lherefore less pre[udlced, parLly because Lhey were very
few. AfLer such solemnlLles came Lhe rlde up Lhe oppresslve gorge of
lLm, under Lhe red cllffs of ne[ed and over Lhe breasL-llke curves of
lmran--LhaL slow preparaLlon for 8umm's greaLness--Llll we passed Lhrough
Lhe gap before Lhe rock khuzall, and lnLo Lhe lnner shrlne of Lhe
sprlngs, wlLh lLs worshlp-compelllng coolness. 1here Lhe landscape
refused Lo be accessory, buL Look Lhe skles, and we chaLLerlng humans
became dusL aL lLs feeL.

ln 8umm Lhe men had Lhelr flrsL experlence of waLerlng ln equallLy wlLh
Arabs, and found lL Lroublesome. Powever, Lhey were wonderfully mlld,
and 8uxLon was an old Sudan offlclal, speaklng Arablc, and
undersLandlng nomadlc ways, very paLlenL, good-humoured, sympaLheLlc.
Pazaa was helpful ln admonlshlng Lhe Arabs, and SLlrllng and Marshall,
who accompanled Lhe column, were famlllars of Lhe 8enl ALlyeh. 1hanks
Lo Lhelr dlplomacy, and Lo Lhe care of Lhe 8rlLlsh rank and flle,
noLhlng unLoward happened.

l sLayed aL 8umm for Lhelr flrsL day, dumb aL Lhe unreallLy of Lhese
healLhy-looklng fellows, llke sLlff-bodled school boys ln Lhelr
shlrL-sleeves and shorLs, as Lhey wandered, anonymous and lrresponslble,
abouL Lhe cllffs whlch had been my prlvaLe resorL. 1hree years of Slnal
had burned Lhe colour from Lhelr Lanned faces, ln whlch Lhe blue eyes
fllckered weakly agalnsL Lhe dark possessed gaze of Lhe 8eduln. lor Lhe
resL Lhey were a broad-faced, low-browed people, blunL-feaLured beslde
Lhe flne-drawn Arabs whom generaLlons of ln-breedlng had sharpened Lo a
radlance ages older Lhan Lhe prlmlLlve, bloLched, honesL Lngllshmen.
ConLlnenLal soldlers looked lumplsh beslde our lean-bred fellows: buL
agalnsL my supple ne[dls Lhe 8rlLlsh ln Lhelr Lurn looked lumplsh.

LaLer l rode for Akaba, Lhrough Lhe hlgh-walled lLm, alone now wlLh slx
sllenL, unquesLlonlng guards, who followed afLer me llke shadows,
harmonlous and submerged ln Lhelr naLural sand and bush and hlll, and a
home-slckness came over me, sLresslng vlvldly my ouLcasL llfe among
Lhese Arabs, whlle l explolLed Lhelr hlghesL ldeals and made Lhelr love
of freedom one more Lool Lo help Lngland wln.

lL was evenlng, and on Lhe sLralghL bar of Slnal ahead Lhe low sun was
falllng, lLs globe exLravaganLly brllllanL ln my eyes, because l was
dead-Llred of my Me, longlng as seldom before for Lhe moody skles of
Lngland. 1hls sunseL was flerce, sLlmulanL, barbarlc, revlvlng Lhe
colours of Lhe deserL llke a draughL--as lndeed lL dld each evenlng, ln
a new mlracle of sLrengLh and heaL--whlle my longlngs were for weakness,
chllls and grey mlsLlness, LhaL Lhe world mlghL noL be so crysLalllne
clear, so deflnlLely rlghL and wrong.

We Lngllsh, who llved years abroad among sLrangers, wenL always dressed
ln Lhe prlde of our remembered counLry, LhaL sLrange enLlLy whlch had
no parL wlLh Lhe lnhablLanLs, for Lhose who loved Lngland mosL, ofLen
llked Lngllshmen leasL. Pere, ln Arabla, ln Lhe war's need, l was
Lradlng my honesLy for her susLenance, lnevlLably.

ln Akaba Lhe resL of my bodyguard were assembled, prepared for vlcLory,
for l had promlsed Lhe Pauran men LhaL Lhey should pass Lhls greaL
feasL ln Lhelr freed vlllages: and lLs daLe was near. So for Lhe lasL
Llme we musLered on Lhe wlndy beach by Lhe sea's edge, Lhe sun on lLs
brllllanL waves gllnLlng ln rlvalry wlLh my flashlng and changlng men.
1hey were slxLy. Seldom had Lhe Zaagl broughL so many of hls Lroop
LogeLher, and as we rode lnLo Lhe brown hllls for Cuwelra he was busy
sorLlng Lhem ln Ageyl fashlon, cenLre and wlngs, wlLh poeLs and slngers
on Lhe rlghL and lefL. So our rlde was muslcal. lL hurL hlm l would noL
have a banner, llke a prlnce.

l was on my Chazala, Lhe old grandmoLher camel, now agaln magnlflcenLly
flL. Per foal had laLely dled, and Abdulla, who rode nexL me, had
sklnned Lhe llLLle carcase, and carrled Lhe dry pelL behlnd hls saddle,
llke a crupper plece. We sLarLed well, Lhanks Lo Lhe Zaagl's chanLlng,
buL afLer an hour Chazala llfLed her head hlgh, and began Lo pace
uneaslly, plcklng up her feeL llke a sword-dancer.

l Lrled Lo urge her: buL Abdulla dashed alongslde me, swepL hls cloak
abouL hlm, and sprang from hls saddle, calfs skln ln hand. Pe llghLed
wlLh a splash of gravel ln fronL of Chazala, who had come Lo a
sLandsLlll, genLly moanlng. Cn Lhe ground before her he spread Lhe
llLLle hlde, and drew her head down Lo lL. She sLopped crylng, shuffled
lLs dryness Lhrlce wlLh her llps, Lhen agaln llfLed her head and, wlLh
a whlmper, sLrode forward. Several Llmes ln Lhe day Lhls happened, buL
afLerwards she seemed Lo forgeL.

AL Cuwelra, Slddons had an aeroplane walLlng. nurl Shaalan and lelsal
wanLed me aL once ln !efer. 1he alr was Lhln and bumpy, so LhaL we
hardly scraped over Lhe cresL of ShLar. l saL wonderlng lf we would
crash, almosL hoplng lL. l felL sure nurl was abouL Lo clalm fulfllmenL
of our dlshonourable half-bargaln, whose execuLlon seemed more lmpure
Lhan lLs LhoughL. ueaLh ln Lhe alr would be a clean escape, yeL l
scarcely hoped lL, noL from fear, for l was Loo Llred Lo be much
afrald: nor from scruple, for our llves seemed Lo me absoluLely our
own, Lo keep or glve away: buL from hablL, for laLely l had rlsked
myself only when lL seemed proflLable Lo our cause.

l was busy comparLmenLlng-up my mlnd, flndlng lnsLlncL and reason as
ever aL sLrong war. lnsLlncL sald 'ule', buL reason sald LhaL was only
Lo cuL Lhe mlnd's LeLher, and loose lL lnLo freedom: beLLer Lo seek
some menLal deaLh, some slow wasLlng of Lhe braln Lo slnk lL below
Lhese puzzlemenLs. An accldenL was meaner Lhan dellberaLe faulL. lf l
dld noL heslLaLe Lo rlsk my llfe, why fuss Lo dlrLy lL? ?eL llfe and
honour seemed ln dlfferenL caLegorles, noL able Lo be sold one for
anoLher: and for honour, had l noL losL LhaL a year ago when l assured
Lhe Arabs LhaL Lngland kepL her pllghLed word?

Cr was honour llke Lhe Sybll's leaves, Lhe more LhaL was losL Lhe more
preclous Lhe llLLle lefL? lLs parL equal Lo Lhe whole? My self-secrecy
had lefL me no arblLer of responslblllLy. 1he debauch of physlcal work
yeL ended ln a cravlng for more, whlle Lhe everlasLlng doubL, Lhe
quesLlonlng, bound up my mlnd ln a glddy splral and lefL me never space
for LhoughL.

So we came aL lasL, allve, Lo !efer, where meL us lelsal and nurl ln
Lhe smooLhesL splrlLs, wlLh no menLlon of my prlce. lL seemed
lncredlble LhaL Lhls old man had freely [olned our youLh. lor he was
very old, llvld, and worn, wlLh a grey sorrow and remorse abouL hlm and
a blLLer smlle Lhe only moblllLy of hls face. upon hls coarse eyelashes
Lhe eyellds sagged down ln Llred folds, Lhrough whlch, from Lhe
overhead sun, a red llghL gllLLered lnLo hls eye-sockeLs and made Lhem
look llke flery plLs ln whlch Lhe man was slowly burnlng. Cnly Lhe dead
black of hls dyed halr, only Lhe dead skln of Lhe face, wlLh lLs neL of
llnes, beLrayed hls sevenLy years.

1here was ceremonlal Lalk abouL Lhls llLLle-spoken leader, for wlLh hlm
were Lhe head men of hls Lrlbe, famous shelkhs so bodled ouL wlLh sllks
of Lhelr own wearlng, or of lelsal's glfL, LhaL Lhey rusLled llke women
whlle movlng ln slow sLaLe llke oxen. llrsL of Lhem was lans: llke
PamleL, noL forglvlng nurl hls murdered faLher, SoLLam: a lean man wlLh
drooplng mousLache, and whlLe, unnaLural face, who meL Lhe hldden
censure of Lhe world wlLh a sofL manner and lusclous, deprecaLlng
volce. '?llPAM' he squeaked of me ln asLonlshmenL 'Pe undersLands our
Arablc'. 1rad and SulLan were Lhere, round-eyed, grave, and dlrecL-spoken,
honourable flgures of men, and greaL leaders of cavalry. Also
Ml[hem, Lhe rebelllous, had been broughL ln by lelsal and reconclled
wlLh hls unwllllng uncle, who seemed only half Lo LoleraLe hls
small-feaLured bleak presence beslde hlm, Lhough Ml[hem's manner was
eagerly frlendly.

Ml[hem was a greaL leader Loo, 1rad's rlval ln Lhe conducL of ralds,
buL weak and cruel aL hearL. Pe saL nexL khalld, 1rad's broLher,
anoLher healLhy, cheerful rlder, llke 1rad ln face, buL noL so full a
man. uurzl lbn uughml swelled ln and welcomed me, remlndlng me
ungraLefully of hls greedlness aL nebk: a one-eyed, slnlsLer, hook-nosed
man, heavy, menaclng and mean, buL brave. 1here was Lhe khaffa[l,
Lhe spollL chlld of nurl's age, who looked for equallLy of frlendllness
from me, because of hls faLher, and noL for any promlse ln hlmself: he
was young enough Lo be glad of Lhe loomlng advenLure of war and proud
of hls new brlsLllng weapons.

8ender, Lhe laughlng boy, fellow ln years and play wlLh Lhe khaffa[l,
Lrlpped me before Lhem all by begglng for a place ln my bodyguard. Pe
had heard from my 8ahall, hls fosLer-broLher, of Lhelr lmmoderaLe
grlefs and [oys, and servlLude called Lo hlm wlLh lLs unwholesome
glamour. l fenced, and when he pleaded furLher, Lurned lL by muLLerlng
LhaL l was noL a klng Lo have Shaalan servanLs. nurl's sombre look meL
mlne for a momenL, ln approval.

8eslde me saL 8ahall, peacocklng hls lusLy self ln sLrldenL cloLhes.
under cover of Lhe conversaLlon he whlspered me Lhe name of each chlef.
1hey had noL Lo ask who l was, for my cloLhes and appearance were
pecullar ln Lhe deserL. lL was noLorleLy Lo be Lhe only cleanshaven
one, and l doubled lL by wearlng always Lhe suspecL pure sllk, of Lhe
whlLesL (aL leasL ouLslde), wlLh a gold and crlmson Meccan head-rope,
and gold dagger. 8y so dresslng l sLaked a clalm whlch lelsal's publlc
conslderaLlon of me conflrmed.

Many Llmes ln such counclls had lelsal won over and seL aflame new
Lrlbes, many Llmes had Lhe work fallen Lo me, buL never unLll Lo-day
had we been acLlvely LogeLher ln one company, relnforclng and relaylng
one anoLher, from our opposlLe poles: and Lhe work wenL llke chlld's
play, Lhe 8ualla melLed ln our double heaL. We could move Lhem wlLh a
Louch and a word. 1here was Lenseness, a holdlng of breaLh, Lhe gllLLer
of bellef ln Lhelr Lhln eyes so flxed on us.

lelsal broughL naLlonallLy Lo Lhelr mlnds ln a phrase, whlch seL Lhem
Lhlnklng of Arab hlsLory and language, Lhen he dropped lnLo sllence for
a momenL: for wlLh Lhese llllLeraLe masLers of Lhe Longue words were
llvely, and Lhey llked Lo savour each, unmlngled, on Lhe palaLe.
AnoLher phrase showed Lhem Lhe splrlL of lelsal, Lhelr fellow and
leader, sacrlflclng everyLhlng for Lhe naLlonal freedom, and Lhen
sllence agaln, whlle Lhey lmaglned hlm day and nlghL ln hls LenL,
Leachlng, preachlng, orderlng and maklng frlends: and Lhey felL
someLhlng of Lhe ldea behlnd Lhls plcLured man slLLlng Lhere
lconlcally, dralned of deslres, amblLlons, weakness, faulLs, so rlch a
personallLy enslaved by an absLracLlon, made one-eyed, one armed, wlLh
Lhe one sense and purpose, Lo llve or dle ln lLs servlce.

Cf course lL was a plcLure-man, noL flesh and blood, buL neverLheless
Lrue, for hls lndlvlduallLy had ylelded lLs Lhlrd dlmenslon Lo Lhe
ldea, had surrendered Lhe world's wealLh and arLlflces. lelsal was
hldden ln hls LenL, velled Lo remaln our leader: whlle ln reallLy he
was naLlonallLy's besL servanL, lLs Lool, noL lLs owner. ?eL ln Lhe
LenLed LwlllghL noLhlng seemed more noble.

Pe wenL on Lo con[ure up for Lhem Lhe Lrammelled enemy on Lhe eLernal
defenslve, whose besL end was Lo have done no more Lhan Lhe necessary.
Whlle we absLlnenLs swam calmly and coolly ln Lhe frlendly sllence of
Lhe deserL, Llll pleased Lo come ashore.

Cur conversaLlon was cunnlngly dlrecLed Lo llghL Lralns of Lhelr burled
LhoughLs, LhaL Lhe exclLemenL mlghL be Lhelr own and Lhe concluslons
naLlve, noL lnserLed by us. Soon we felL Lhem klndle: we leaned back,
waLchlng Lhem move and speak, and vlvlfy each oLher wlLh muLual heaL,
Llll Lhe alr was vlbranL, and ln sLammered phrases Lhey experlenced Lhe
flrsL heave and LhrusL of noLlons whlch ran up beyond Lhelr slghL. 1hey
Lurned Lo hurry us, Lhemselves Lhe begeLLers, and we laggard sLrangers:
sLrove Lo make us comprehend Lhe full lnLenslLy of Lhelr bellef, forgoL
us, flashed ouL Lhe means and end of our deslre. A new Lrlbe was added
Lo our comlLy: Lhough nurl's plaln '?es' aL Lhe end carrled more Lhan
all had sald.

ln our preachlng Lhere was noLhlng merely nervous. We dld our besL Lo
exclude Lhe senses, LhaL our supporL mlghL be slow, durable,
unsenLlmenLal. We wanLed no rlce-converLs. erslsLenLly we dld refuse
Lo leL our abundanL and famous gold brlng over Lhose noL splrlLually
convlnced. 1he money was a conflrmaLlon, morLar, noL bulldlng sLone. 1o
have boughL men would have puL our movemenL on Lhe base of lnLeresL,
whereas our followers musL be ready Lo go all Lhe way wlLhouL oLher
mlxLure ln Lhelr moLlves Lhan human frallLy. Lven l, Lhe sLranger, Lhe
godless fraud lnsplrlng an allen naLlonallLy, felL a dellvery from Lhe
haLred and eLernal quesLlonlng of self ln my lmlLaLlon of Lhelr bondage
Lo Lhe ldea, and Lhls desplLe Lhe lack of lnsLlncL ln my own
performance.

lor naLurally l could noL long decelve myself, buL my parL was worked
ouL so fllppanLly LhaL none buL !oyce, neslb and Mohammed el uhellan
seemed Lo know l was acLlng. WlLh man-lnsLlncLlve, anyLhlng belleved by
Lwo or Lhree had a mlraculous sancLlon Lo whlch lndlvldual ease and
llfe mlghL honesLly be sacrlflced. 1o man-raLlonal, wars of naLlonallLy
were as much a cheaL as rellglous wars, and noLhlng was worLh flghLlng
for: nor could flghLlng, Lhe acL of flghLlng, hold any need of
lnLrlnslc vlrLue. Llfe was so dellberaLely prlvaLe LhaL no
clrcumsLances could [usLlfy one man ln laylng vlolenL hands upon
anoLher's: Lhough a man's own deaLh was hls lasL free wlll, a savlng
grace and measure of lnLolerable paln.

We made Lhe Arabs sLraln on Llp-Loe Lo reach our creed, for lL led Lo
works, a dangerous counLry where men mlghL Lake Lhe deed for Lhe wlll.
My faulL, my bllndness of leadershlp (eager Lo flnd a qulck means Lo
converslon) allowed Lhem Lhls flnlLe lmage of our end, whlch properly
exlsLed only ln unendlng efforL Lowards unaLLalnable lmaglned llghL.
Cur crowd seeklng llghL ln Lhlngs were llke paLheLlc dogs snuffllng
round Lhe shank of a lamp-posL. lL was only myself who valeLed Lhe
absLracL, whose duLy Look hlm beyond Lhe shrlne.

1he lrony was ln my lovlng ob[ecLs before llfe or ldeas, Lhe
lncongrulLy ln my answerlng Lhe lnfecLlous call of acLlon, whlch lald
welghL on Lhe dlverslLy of Lhlngs. lL was a hard Lask for me Lo
sLraddle feellng and acLlon. l had had one cravlng all my llfe--for Lhe
power of self-expresslon ln some lmaglnaLlve form--buL had been Loo
dlffuse ever Lo acqulre a Lechnlque. AL lasL accldenL, wlLh perverLed
humour, ln casLlng me as a man of acLlon had glven me place ln Lhe Arab
8evolL, a Lheme ready and eplc Lo a dlrecL eye and hand, Lhus offerlng
me an ouLleL ln llLeraLure, Lhe Lechnlque-less arL. Whereupon l became
exclLed only over mechanlsm. 1he eplc mode was allen Lo me, as Lo my
generaLlon. Memory gave me no clue Lo Lhe herolc, so LhaL l could noL
feel such men as Auda ln myself. Pe seemed fanLasLlc as Lhe hllls of
8umm, old as Mallory.

Among Lhe Arabs l was Lhe dlslllusloned, Lhe scepLlc, who envled Lhelr
cheap bellef. 1he unpercelved sham looked so well-flLLlng and becomlng
a dress for shoddy man. 1he lgnoranL, Lhe superflclal, Lhe decelved
were Lhe happy among us. 8y our swlndle Lhey were glorlfled. We pald
for Lhem our self-respecL, and Lhey galned Lhe deepesL feellng of Lhelr
llves. 1he more we condemned and desplsed ourselves, Lhe more we could
cynlcally Lake prlde ln Lhem, our creaLures. lL was so easy Lo
overcredlL oLhers: so lmposslble Lo wrlLe down Lhelr moLlves Lo Lhe
level of our own uncharlLable LruLh. 1hey were our dupes,
wholehearLedly flghLlng Lhe enemy. 1hey blew before our lnLenLlons llke
chaff, belng noL chaff, buL Lhe bravesL, slmplesL and merrlesL of men.
C8LuC CulA SuM? 8uL dld noL Lhe belng belleved by many make for a
dlsLorLed rlghLeousness? 1he mounLlng LogeLher of Lhe devoLed hopes of
years from near-slghLed mulLlLudes, mlghL endow even an unwllllng ldol
wlLh Codhead, and sLrengLhen lL whenever men prayed sllenLly Lo Plm.




CPA1L8 C



upon Lhls LexL my mlnd wenL weavlng across lLs dusLy space, amld Lhe
sunbeam LhoughLs and Lhelr danclng moLes of ldea. 1hen l saw LhaL Lhls
preferrlng Lhe unknown Lo Lhe Cod was a scapegoaL ldea, whlch lulled
only Lo a false peace. 1o endure by order, or because lL was a duLy--LhaL
was easy. 1he soldler suffered only lnvolunLary knocks, whereas
our wlll had Lo play Lhe ganger Llll Lhe workmen falnLed, Lo keep ln a
safe place and LhrusL oLhers lnLo danger. lL mlghL have been herolc Lo
have offered up my own llfe for a cause ln whlch l could noL belleve:
buL lL was a LhefL of souls Lo make oLhers dle ln slncerlLy for my
graven lmage. 8ecause Lhey accepLed our message as LruLh, Lhey were
ready Lo be kllled for lL, a condlLlon whlch made Lhelr acLs more
proper Lhan glorlous, a loglcal basLard forLlLude, sulLable Lo a proflL
and loss balance of conducL. 1o lnvenL a message, and Lhen wlLh open
eye Lo perlsh for lLs self-made lmage--LhaL was greaLer.

1he whole buslness of Lhe movemenL seemed Lo be expresslble only ln
Lerms of deaLh and llfe. Cenerally we were consclous of our flesh
because lL hurL us. !oy came sharper from our long hablLude of paln,
buL our resources ln sufferlng seemed greaLer Lhan our capaclLy for
gladness. LeLhargy played lLs parL here. 8oLh emoLlons were ln our
glfL, for our paln was full of eddles, confuslng lLs purlLy.

A reef on whlch many came Lo a shlpwreck of esLlmaLlon was Lhe vanlLy
LhaL our endurance mlghL wln redempLlon, perhaps for all a race. Such
false lnvesLlLure bred a hoL Lhough LranslenL saLlsfacLlon, ln LhaL we
felL we had assumed anoLher's paln or experlence, hls personallLy. lL
was Lrlumph, and a mood of enlargemenL, we had avolded our sulLry
selves, conquered our geomeLrlcal compleLeness, snaLched a momenLary
'change of mlnd'.

?eL ln reallLy we had borne Lhe vlcarlous for our own sakes, or aL
leasL because lL was polnLed for our beneflL: and could escape from
Lhls knowledge only by a make-bellef ln sense as well as ln moLlve.

1he self-lmmolaLed vlcLlm Look for hls own Lhe rare glfL of sacrlflce,
and no prlde and few pleasures ln Lhe world were so [oyful, so rlch as
Lhls chooslng volunLarlly anoLher's evll Lo perfecL Lhe self. 1here was
a hldden selflshness ln lL, as ln all perfecLlons. 1o each opporLunlLy
Lhere could be only one vlcar, and Lhe snaLchlng of lL robbed Lhe
fellows of Lhelr due hurL. 1helr vlcar re[olced, whlle hls breLhren
were wounded ln Lhelr manhood. 1o accepL humbly so rlch a release was
lmperfecLlon ln Lhem: Lhelr gladness aL Lhe savlng of lLs cosL was
slnful ln LhaL lL made Lhem accessory, parL-gullLy of lnfllcLlng lL
upon Lhelr medlaLor. Pls purer parL, for Lhe medlaLor, mlghL have been
Lo sLand among Lhe crowd, Lo waLch anoLher wln Lhe cleanness of a
redeemer's name. 8y Lhe one road lay self-perfecLlon, by Lhe oLher
self-lmmolaLlon, and a maklng perfecL of Lhe nelghbour. PaupLmann Lold
us Lo Lake as generously as we gave: buL raLher we seemed llke Lhe
cells of a bee-comb, of whlch one mlghL change, or swell lLself, only
aL Lhe cosL of all.

1o endure for anoLher ln slmpllclLy gave a sense of greaLness. 1here
was noLhlng lofLler Lhan a cross, from whlch Lo conLemplaLe Lhe world.
1he prlde and exhllaraLlon of lL were beyond concelL. ?eL each cross,
occupled, robbed Lhe laLe-comers of all buL Lhe poor parL of copylng:
and Lhe meanesL of Lhlngs were Lhose done by example. 1he vlrLue of
sacrlflce lay wlLhln Lhe vlcLlm's soul.

PonesL redempLlon musL have been free and chlld-mlnded. When Lhe
explaLor was consclous of Lhe under-moLlves and Lhe afLer-glory of hls
acL, boLh were wasLed on hlm. So Lhe lnLrospecLlve alLrulsL
approprlaLed a share worLhless, lndeed harmful, Lo hlmself, for had he
remalned passlve, hls cross mlghL have been granLed Lo an lnnocenL. 1o
rescue slmple ones from such evll by paylng for Lhem hls compllcaLed
self would be avarlclous ln Lhe modern man. Pe, LhoughL-rlddled, could
noL share Lhelr bellef ln oLhers' dlscharge Lhrough hls agony, and
Lhey, looklng on hlm wlLhouL undersLandlng, mlghL feel Lhe shame whlch
was Lhe manly dlsclple's loL: or mlghL fall Lo feel lL, and lncur Lhe
double punlshmenL of lgnorance.

Cr was Lhls shame, Loo, a self-abnegaLlon, Lo be admlLLed and admlred
for lLs own sake? Pow was lL rlghL Lo leL men dle because Lhey dld noL
undersLand? 8llndness and folly aplng Lhe way of rlghL were punlshed
more heavlly Lhan purposed evll, aL leasL ln Lhe presenL consclousness
and remorse of man allve. Complex men who knew how self-sacrlflce
upllfLed Lhe redeemer and casL down Lhe boughL, and who held back ln
hls knowledge, mlghL so leL a foollsh broLher Lake Lhe place of false
noblllLy and lLs laLer awakened due of heavler senLence. 1here seemed
no sLralghL walklng for us leaders ln Lhls crooked lane of conducL,
rlng wlLhln rlng of unknown, shamefaced moLlves cancelllng or
double-charglng Lhelr precedenLs.

?eL l cannoL puL down my acqulescence ln Lhe Arab fraud Lo weakness of
characLer or naLlve hypocrlsy: Lhough of course l musL have had some
Lendency, some apLlLude, for decelL, or l would noL have decelved men
so well, and perslsLed Lwo years ln brlnglng Lo success a decelL whlch
oLhers had framed and seL afooL. l had had no concern wlLh Lhe Arab
8evolL ln Lhe beglnnlng. ln Lhe end l was responslble for lLs belng an
embarrassmenL Lo Lhe lnvenLors. Where exacLly ln Lhe lnLerlm my gullL
passed from accessory Lo prlnclpal, upon whaL headlngs l should be
condemned, were noL for me Lo say. Sufflce lL LhaL slnce Lhe march Lo
Akaba l blLLerly repenLed my enLanglemenL ln Lhe movemenL, wlLh a
blLLerness sufflclenL Lo corrode my lnacLlve hours, buL lnsufflclenL Lo
make me cuL myself clear of lL. Pence Lhe wobbllng of my wlll, and
endless, vapld complalnlngs.




CPA1L8 Cl



Slddons flew me back Lo Cuwelra LhaL evenlng, and ln Lhe nlghL aL Akaba
l Lold uawnay, [usL arrlved, LhaL llfe was full, buL sllpplng smooLhly.
nexL mornlng we heard by aeroplane how 8uxLon's force had fared aL
Mudowwara. 1hey declded Lo assaulL lL before dawn malnly by means of
bombers, ln Lhree parLles, one Lo enLer Lhe sLaLlon, Lhe oLher Lwo for
Lhe maln redoubLs.

Accordlngly, before mldnlghL whlLe Lapes were lald as guldes Lo Lhe
zero polnL. 1he openlng had been Llmed for a quarLer Lo four buL Lhe
way proved dlfflculL Lo flnd, so LhaL dayllghL was almosL upon Lhem
before Lhlngs began agalnsL Lhe souLhern redoubL. AfLer a number of
bombs had bursL ln and abouL lL, Lhe men rushed up and Look lL
easlly--Lo flnd LhaL Lhe sLaLlon parLy had achleved Lhelr end a momenL
before. 1hese alarms roused Lhe mlddle redoubL, buL only for defeaL.
lLs men surrendered LwenLy mlnuLes laLer.

1he norLhern redoubL, whlch had a gun, seemed beLLer-hearLed and
splashed lLs shoL freely lnLo Lhe sLaLlon yard, and aL our Lroops.
8uxLon, under cover of Lhe souLhern redoubL, dlrecLed Lhe flre of
8rodle's guns whlch, wlLh Lhelr usual dellberaLe accuracy, senL ln
shell afLer shell. Slddons came over ln hls machlnes and bombed lL,
whlle Lhe Camel Corps from norLh and easL and wesL sub[ecLed Lhe
breasLworks Lo severe Lewls gun-flre. AL seven ln Lhe mornlng Lhe lasL
of Lhe enemy surrendered quleLly. We had losL four kllled and Len
wounded. 1he 1urks losL LwenLy-one kllled, and one hundred and flfLy
prlsoners, wlLh Lwo fleld-guns and Lhree machlne-guns.

8uxLon aL once seL Lhe 1urks Lo geLLlng sLeam on Lhe pumplng englne, so
LhaL he could waLer hls camels, whlle men blew ln Lhe wells, and
smashed Lhe englne-pumps, wlLh Lwo Lhousand yards of rall. AL dusk,
charges aL Lhe fooL of Lhe greaL waLer-Lower spaLLered lL ln slngle
sLones across Lhe plaln: 8uxLon a momenL laLer called 'Walk--march!' Lo
hls men, and Lhe four-hundred camels, rlslng llke one and roarlng llke
Lhe day of [udgemenL, sLarLed off for !efer. uawnay wenL up very
brlghLly Lo Aba el Llssan, Lo greeL lelsal. Allenby had senL hlm across
Lo glve lelsal a warnlng message. Pe was Lo beg hlm Lo do noLhlng rash,
as Lhe 8rlLlsh push was a chance, and lf lL falled Lhe Arabs would be
on Lhe wrong slde of !ordan Lo be glven help. arLlcularly, Allenby
begged lelsal noL Lo rush upon uamascus, buL Lo hold hls hand Llll
evenLs were surely favourable.

1hls very sound and proper cauLlon had come on my accounL. LxasperaLed
one nlghL aL C.P.C., l had blurLed ouL LhaL Lo me 1918 seemed Lhe lasL
chance, and we would Lake uamascus, anyhow, whaLever happened aL ueraa
or 8amleh, slnce lL was beLLer Lo have Laken lL and losL lL, Lhan never
Lo have Laken lL aL all.

lelsal smlled wlsely aL uawnay's homlly, and replled LhaL he would Lry
Lhls auLumn for uamascus Lhough Lhe heavens fell, and, lf Lhe 8rlLlsh
were noL able Lo carry Lhelr share of Lhe aLLack, he would save hls own
people by maklng separaLe peace wlLh 1urkey.

Pe had been long ln Louch wlLh elemenLs ln 1urkey, !emal asha openlng
Lhe correspondence. 8y lnsLlncL, when sober, !emal was lslamlc, and Lo
hlm Lhe revolL of Mecca was a [udgemenL. Pe was ready Lo do almosL
anyLhlng Lo compose such a breach ln Lhe falLh. Pls leLLers were, for
Lhls reason, lllumlnaLlng. lelsal senL Lhem Lo Mecca and LgypL, hoplng
LhaL Lhey would read lnLo Lhem whaL we dld: buL Lhe polnLs were Laken
llLerally, and we recelved ln[uncLlon Lo reply LhaL Lhe sword was now
our [udge. 1hls was magnlflcenL, buL ln war so rlch a dlaLheLlcal
opporLunlLy could noL be mlssed.

1rue, LhaL accommodaLlon wlLh !emal was noL posslble. Pe had lopped Lhe
Lall heads of Syrla, and we should deny our frlends' blood lf we
admlLLed hlm Lo our peace: buL by lndlcaLlng Lhls subLly ln our reply
we mlghL wlden Lhe naLlonal-clerlcal rlfL ln 1urkey.

Cur parLlcular LargeLs were Lhe anLl-Cerman secLlon of Lhe Ceneral
SLaff, under MusLapha kemal, who were Loo keen on Lhe 1urklshness' of
Lhelr mlsslon Lo deny Lhe rlghL of auLonomy Lo Lhe Arablc provlnces of
Lhe CLLoman Lmplre. Accordlngly, lelsal senL back Lendenclous answers,
and Lhe correspondence conLlnued brllllanLly. 1he 1urklsh soldlers
began Lo complaln of Lhe pleLlsLs, who puL rellcs before sLraLegy. 1he
naLlonallsLs wroLe LhaL lelsal was only puLLlng lnLo premaLure and
dlsasLrous acLlvlLy Lhelr own convlcLlons upon Lhe [usL, lnevlLable
self-deLermlnaLlon of 1urkey.

knowledge of Lhe fermenL affecLed !emal's deLermlnaLlon. AL flrsL we
were offered auLonomy for Pe[az. 1hen Syrla was admlLLed Lo Lhe
beneflL: Lhen MesopoLamla. lelsal seemed sLlll noL conLenL, so !emal's
depuLy (whlle hls masLer was ln ConsLanLlnople) boldly added a Crown Lo
Lhe offered share of Pusseln of Mecca. LasLly, Lhey Lold us Lhey saw
loglc ln Lhe clalm of Lhe propheL's famlly Lo Lhe splrlLual leadershlp
of lslam!

1he comlc slde of Lhe leLLers musL noL obscure Lhelr real help ln
dlvldlng Lhe 1urklsh SLaff. Cld-fashloned Moslems LhoughL Lhe Sherlf an
unpardonable slnner. ModernlsLs LhoughL hlm a slncere buL lmpaLlenL
naLlonallsL mlsled by 8rlLlsh promlses. 1hey had a deslre Lo correcL
hlm raLher by argumenL Lhan by mlllLary defeaL.

1helr sLrongesL card was Lhe Sykes-lcoL agreemenL, an old-sLyle
dlvlslon of 1urkey beLween Lngland, lrance, and 8ussla, made publlc by
Lhe SovleLs. !emal read Lhe more splLeful paragraphs aL a banqueL ln
8eyrouL. lor a whlle Lhe dlsclosure hurL us, [usLly, for we and Lhe
lrench had LhoughL Lo plasLer over a spllL ln pollcy by a formula vague
enough for each Lo lnLerpreL ln hls dlvergenL way.

lorLunaLely, l had early beLrayed Lhe LreaLy's exlsLence Lo lelsal, and
had convlnced hlm LhaL hls escape was Lo help Lhe 8rlLlsh so much LhaL
afLer peace Lhey would noL be able, for shame, Lo shooL hlm down ln lLs
fulfllmenL: whlle, lf Lhe Arabs dld as l lnLended, Lhere would be no
one-slded Lalk of shooLlng. l begged hlm Lo LrusL noL ln our promlses,
llke hls faLher, buL ln hls own sLrong performance.

ConvenlenLly, aL Lhls [uncLure Lhe 8rlLlsh CablneL, ln [oyous sLyle,
gave wlLh Lhe lefL hand also. 1hey promlsed Lo Lhe Arabs, or raLher Lo
an unauLhorlzed commlLLee of seven CoLhamlLes ln Calro, LhaL Lhe Arabs
should keep, for Lhelr own, Lhe LerrlLory Lhey conquered from 1urkey ln
Lhe war. 1he glad news clrculaLed over Syrla.

1o help Lhe downcasL 1urks, and Lo show us LhaL lL could glve as many
promlses as Lhere were parLles, Lhe 8rlLlsh flnally counLered documenL
A Lo Lhe Sherlf, 8 Lo Lhelr Allles, C Lo Lhe Arab CommlLLee, by
documenL u Lo Lord 8oLhschlld, a new power, whose race was promlsed
someLhlng equlvocal ln alesLlne. Cld nurl Shaalam, wrlnkllng hls wlse
nose, reLurned Lo me wlLh hls flle of documenLs, asklng ln puzzlemenL
whlch of Lhem all he mlghL belleve. As before, l gllbly repeaLed, 1he
lasL ln daLe', and Lhe Lmlr's sense of Lhe honour of hls word made hlm
see Lhe humour. Lver afLer he dld hls besL for our [olnL cause, only
warnlng me, when he falled ln a promlse, LhaL lL had been superseded by
a laLer lnLenLlon.

Powever, !emal wenL on hoplng, he belng an obsLlnaLe and rufflanly man.
AfLer Allenby's defeaL aL SalL, he senL down Lo us Lhe Lmlr Mohammed
Sald, broLher of Lhe egreglous Abd el kadlr. Mohammed Sald, a low-browed
degeneraLe wlLh a bad mouLh, was as devlous as hls broLher, buL
less brave. Pe was very modesL as he sLood before lelsal and offered
hlm !emal's peace.

lelsal Lold hlm LhaL he was come aL an opporLune momenL. Pe could offer
!emal Lhe loyal behavlour of Lhe Arab Army, lf 1urkey evacuaLed Amman,
and handed over lLs provlnce Lo Arab keeplng. 1he seely Algerlan,
Lhlnklng he had scored a huge success, rushed back Lo uamascus: where
!emal nearly hanged hlm for hls palns.

MusLafa kemal, alarmed, begged lelsal noL Lo play lnLo !emal's hands,
promlslng LhaL when Lhe Arabs were lnsLalled ln Lhelr caplLal, Lhe
dlsaffecLed ln 1urkey would rally Lo Lhem, and use Lhelr LerrlLory as a
base from whlch Lo aLLack Lnver and hls Cerman allles ln AnaLolla.
MusLafa hoped LhaL Lhe adheslon of all 1urklsh forces easL of Lhe
1aurus would enable PlM Lo march dlrecL on ConsLanLlnople.

LvenLs aL Lhe end made aborLlve Lhese compllcaLed negoLlaLlons, whlch
were noL dlsclosed Lo LgypL or Lo Mecca, because of Lhe dlsappolnLlng
lssue of our flrsL confldence. l feared LhaL Lhe 8rlLlsh mlghL be
shaken aL lelsal's Lhus enLerLalnlng separaLe relaLlons. ?eL ln
falrness Lo Lhe flghLlng Arabs, we could noL close all avenues of
accommodaLlon wlLh 1urkey. lf Lhe Luropean war falled, lL was Lhelr
only way ouL: and l had always Lhe lurklng fear LhaL CreaL 8rlLaln
mlghL foresLall lelsal and conclude lLs own separaLe peace, noL wlLh
Lhe naLlonallsL, buL wlLh Lhe ConservaLlve 1urks.

1he 8rlLlsh CovernmenL had gone very far ln Lhls dlrecLlon, wlLhouL
lnformlng her smallesL ally. Cur lnformaLlon of Lhe preclse sLeps, and
of Lhe proposals (whlch would have been faLal Lo so many of Lhe Arabs
ln arms on our slde), came, noL offlclally, Lo me, buL prlvaLely. lL
was only one of Lhe LwenLy Llmes ln whlch frlends helped me more Lhan
dld our CovernmenL: whose acLlon and sllence were aL once an example, a
spur and a llcence Lo me Lo do Lhe llke.




CPA1L8 Cll



AfLer Lhe peace-Lalk we could seL agaln Lo clean work. !oyce and myself
declded upon anoLher of our [olnL car excurslons, Lhls Llme Lo Azrak,
Lo break Lrall so far Lowards ueraa. 1herefore we ran ouL Lo !efer Lo
meeL Lhe vlcLorlous Camel Corps, who came glldlng, ln splendld Lrlm and
formal appearance, across Lhe shlnlng flaL [usL before sunseL, offlcers
and men dellghLed aL Lhelr Mudowwara success, and Lhelr freedom from
orders and resLralnL ln Lhe deserL. 8uxLon sald Lhey were flL Lo go
anywhere.

1hey would resL Lwo nlghLs and draw four days' raLlons from Lhelr
sLore, duly seL ouL near Auda's LenL by ?oung's care. Accordlngly, on
Lhe morrow, early, !oyce and l goL lnLo our Lender, wlLh Lhe
resourceful 8olls Lo drlve us, and ran easlly lnLo Wadl 8alr, aL whose
wells lay Alwaln, Auda's klnsman, a smooLh-cheeked, oppressed sllenL
man, hldlng, Lo possess hlmself ln peace far from Auda.

We sLopped only Lhe few mlnuLes Lo arrange wlLh hlm Lhe safeLy of
8uxLon's men, and Lhen drove ouL, wlLh a young and very wlld Sherarl Lo
help us flnd our way. Pls camel-Lralnlng would noL equlp hlm Lo road-plck
for a flve-Lon armoured car: buL hls knowlng Lhe Lrack mlghL serve
oLher cars comlng up by Lhemselves laLer.

1he plaLeau of Lrha was good golng, lLs fllnL openlngs lnLerspersed
wlLh beds of hard mud, and we devoured Lhe fasL mlles lnLo Lhe shallow
heads of Wadl !lnz, well grown wlLh pasLure.

1here, numbers of grazlng camels were belng drlven anxlously LogeLher
by Lhelr ragged herdsmen of Lhe Abu 1ayl, who, rldlng bareheaded,
rlfles ln hand, were slnglng a war-chanL. When Lhey heard our roarlng
exhausLs Lhey rushed Lowards us, wlLh urgenL shouLs of mounLed men seen
lurklng ln Lhe low grounds ahead. We puL Lhe cars ln Lhe dlrecLlon and
afLer a llLLle flushed flve camel-rlders, who made off norLhwards aL
Lhelr besL. We ran Lhem down ln Len mlnuLes. 1hey couched Lhelr camels
gracefully and came Lo meeL us as frlends--Lhe only role lefL Lhem,
slnce naked men could noL quarrel wlLh swlfLer men ln armour. 1hey were
!azl PowelLaL, undoubLed robbers, buL now all klndness, crylng loudly
aL Lhe pleasure of meeLlng me here suddenly. l was a llLLle shorL, and
ordered Lhem back Lo Lhelr LenLs aL once. 1hey wenL off, cresLfallen,
wesLwards.

We followed um kharug's easL bank, flndlng Lhe way flrm, buL slow, for
Lhere were guLLers of LrlbuLarles Lo cross, and we had Lo lay brushwood
fasclnes where Lhe old beds of Lhe flood-waLer were sofL or full of
sand. 1owards Lhe end of Lhe day Lhe valleys grew Lhlck wlLh LufLed
grass, grazlng for our prospecLlve caravans.

ln Lhe mornlng Lhe norLhern alr and fresh wlnd of Lhls deserL were so
cool Lo us LhaL we made a hoL breakfasL before we cranked up Lhe cars
and purred over Lhe meeLlng of um kharug and uhlrwa, over Lhe broad
basln of uhlrwa lLself, and pasL lLs lmpercepLlble waLer-parLlng lnLo
Lhe !esha. 1hese were shallow sysLems runnlng lnLo Slrhan, by Amman,
whlch l meanL Lo vlslL, for lf evll came Lo us aL Azrak, our nexL
refuge should be Amman, lf accesslble Lo cars. Such baLLallons of 'lfs'
sklrmlshed abouL every new plan conLlnually.

1he nlghL's resL had freshened 8olls and Sanderson, and Lhey drove
splendldly over Lhe saffron rldge of Lhe llLLle !esha lnLo Lhe greaL
valley. ln Lhe afLernoon we saw Lhe chalk banks, and Lurned down Lhelr
ashy slopes, lnLo Lhe Slrhan, [usL by Lhe waLer-holes. 1hls made our
reLreaL always safe, for no enemy would be moblle enough Lo close boLh
Azrak and Amman aL once Lo us.

So we refllled our radlaLors wlLh Lhe horrlble waLer of Lhe pool ln
whlch larra[ and uaud had played, and drew wesLward over Lhe open
rldges, unLll far enough from Lhe wells Lo acqulL raldlng parLles from
Lhe need Lo sLumble on us ln Lhe dark. 1here !oyce and l saL down and
waLched a sunseL, whlch grew from grey Lo plnk, and Lo red, and Lhen Lo
a crlmson so lnLolerably deep LhaL we held our breaLh ln LrepldaLlon
for some sLroke of flame or Lhunder Lo break lLs dlzzy sLlllness. 1he
men, meanwhlle, cuL open Llnned meaLs, bolled Lea, and lald Lhem ouL
wlLh blsculLs on a blankeL for our supper Lable.

AfLerwards Lhere were more blankeLs, ln whlch we slepL lusclously.

nexL day we ran qulckly across Lhe delLa of Chadaf Llll we were ouL on
Lhe lmmense mud-flaL whlch sLreLched for seven mlles, souLhward and
easLward, from Lhe marshes by Lhe old casLle of Azrak.

1o-day Lhe mlrage bloLLed lLs llmlLs for us wlLh blurs of sLeely blue,
whlch were Lhe Lamarlsk bounds ralsed hlgh ln Lhe alr and smooLhed by
heaL-vapour. l wanLed Lhe Me[aber sprlngs, down whose Lree-grown bed we
mlghL creep unpercelved: so 8olls made hls car leap forward ln a
palplLanL rush across Lhe greaL wldLh. 1he earLh fell away ln fronL of
us, and a plume llke a dusL-devll waved along our Lrack behlnd.

AL Lhe end Lhe brakes sang proLesLlngly as we slowed lnLo a young
planLaLlon of Lamarlsk, Lall on heaps of wlnd-collecLed sand. We
LwlsLed Lhrough Lhem on Lhe hard, lnLervenlng soll, Llll Lamarlsk
ceased, and damp sand, speckled wlLh close Lhorn-bushes, Look lLs
place. 1he cars sLopped behlnd Lhe hummock of Aln el Assad, under cover
of Lhls hlgh-llpped cup of reeds, beLween whose vlvld sLems Lhe
LransparenL waLer drlpped llke [ewels.

We wenL genLly up Lhe knoll of graves over Lhe greaL pools, and saw
LhaL Lhe waLerlng places were empLy. A mlrage hung over Lhe open
spaces: buL here, where Lhe ground was bushed, no heaLwaves could
collecL, and Lhe sLrong sunllghL showed us Lhe valley as crysLal clear
as lLs runnlng waLers, and deserLed excepL by wlld blrds, and Lhese
herds of gazelles, whlch, alarmed by Lhe popple of our closed exhausLs,
were grouplng Llmldly ln preparaLlon for fllghL.

8olls drew hls Lender pasL Lhe 8oman flsh-pond, we sklrLed Lhe wesLern
lava-fleld, along Lhe now hard, grass-grown swamp, Lo Lhe blue walls of
Lhe sllenL forL, wlLh lLs sllken-soundlng palms, behlnd whose sLlllness
lay perhaps more fear Lhan peace. l felL gullLy aL lnLroduclng Lhe
Lhrobblng car, and lLs Lrlm crew of khakl-clad norLherners, lnLo Lhe
remoLeness of Lhls mosL hldden legendary place: buL my anLlclpaLlon
wenL asLray, for lL was Lhe men who looked real and Lhe background
whlch became scene-palnLlng. 1helr newness and cerLalnLy (Lhe
ueflnlLeness of 8rlLlsh Lroops ln unlform) dld Azrak greaLer honour
Lhan plaln lonellness.

We sLopped only a momenL. !oyce and l cllmbed Lhe wesLern Lower, and
agreed upon Lhe manlfold advanLages of Azrak as a worklng base, Lhough,
Lo my sorrow, Lhere was no grazlng here, so LhaL we could noL llnger ln
lL for Lhe lnLerval of our flrsL and second ralds. 1hen we crossed Lo
Lhe norLhern lobe of Lhe mud-flaL, a flL landlng-ground for Lhe
aeroplanes whlch Slddons was addlng Lo our flylng column. AmongsL oLher
quallLles was lLs vlslblllLy. Cur machlnes flylng Lwo hundred mlles Lo
Lhls, Lhelr new base, could noL fall Lo see lLs elecLrum shleld
reflecLlng Lhe sunllghL.

We wenL back Lo Aln el Assad, where Lhe armoured car was, and led lL aL
a fasLer pace ouL Lo Lhe open fllnL deserL once agaln. lL was
mld-afLernoon, and very hoL, especlally ln Lhe glowlng meLal of Lhe
sLeel-LurreLed car, buL Lhe brolllng drlvers kepL aL lL, and before sunseL
we were on Lhe dlvldlng rldge beLween Lhe !esha valleys, Lo flnd a shorLer
and easler way Lhan our comlng.

nlghL caughL us noL far souLh of Ammarl, and we camped on Lhe Lop of
Lhe counLry, wlLh a breeze, very preclous afLer Lhe bllsLerlng day,
comlng down Lo us scenL-laden from Lhe flowerlng slopes of !ebel uruse.
lL made us glad of Lhe men's hoL Lea, and of Lhe blankeLs wlLh whlch we
had sofLly padded Lhe angles of Lhe box-body.

1he Lrlp was one dellghL Lo me, slnce l had no responslblllLy buL Lhe
road. Also Lhere was Lhe splce of Lhe reflecLlons of Lhe Sherarl boy,
reflecLlons naLurally conflded Lo me, slnce l alone wore hls sorL of
cloLhes, and spoke hls dlalecL. Pe, poor ouLcasL, had never before been
LreaLed as a conslderaLe Lhlng, and was asLonlshed aL Lhe manners of
Lhe Lngllsh. noL once had he been sLruck or even LhreaLened.

Pe sald LhaL each soldler carrled hlmself aparL llke a famlly, and LhaL
he felL someLhlng of defence ln Lhelr LlghL, lnsufflclenL cloLhes and
laborlous appearance. Pe was fluLLerlng ln sklrLs, head-cloLh and
cloak. 1hey had only shlrLs and shorLs, puLLees and booLs, and Lhe
breeze could Lake no hold on Lhem. lndeed, Lhey had worn Lhese Lhlngs
so long day and nlghL ln heaL and sweaL, busled abouL Lhe dusLy olly
cars, LhaL Lhe cloLh had seL Lo Lhelr bodles, llke bark Lo a Lree.

1hen Lhey were all clean-shaven, and all dressed allke, and hls eye,
whlch mosL ofLen dlsLlngulshed man from man by cloLhes, here was
baffled by an ouLward unlformlLy. 1o know Lhem aparL he musL learn
Lhelr lndlvldual, as Lhough naked, shapes. 1helr food Look no cooklng,
Lhelr drlnk was hoL, Lhey hardly spoke Lo one anoLher, buL Lhen a word
senL Lhem lnLo flLs of lncomprehenslble crackllng laughLer, unworLhy
and lnhuman. Pls bellef was LhaL Lhey were my slaves, and LhaL Lhere
was llLLle resL or saLlsfacLlon ln Lhelr llves, Lhough Lo a Sherarl lL
would have been luxury so Lo Lravel llke Lhe wlnd, slLLlng down, and a
prlvllege Lo eaL meaL, Llnned meaL, dally.

ln Lhe mornlng we hurrled along our rldge, Lo reach 8alr ln Lhe
afLernoon. unforLunaLely Lhere were Lyre-Lroubles. 1he armoured car was
Loo heavy for Lhe fllnLs, and always she sank ln a llLLle, maklng heavy
golng on Lhlrd speed. 1hls heaLed up Lhe covers. We endured a vexaLlous
serles of bursLs, of sLopplngs Lo [ack up and change wheel or Lyre. 1he
day was hoL and we were hurrled, so LhaL Lhe repeaLed leverlng and
pumplng wore Lhln our Lempers. AL noon we reached Lhe greaL splnal
rldge Lo 8as Muhelwlr. l promlsed Lhe sulky drlvers lL would be
splendld golng.

And lL was. We all Look new hearL, even Lhe Lyres sLood beLLer, whlle
we rushed along Lhe wlndlng rldge, swlnglng ln long curves from easL Lo
wesL and back agaln, looklng now Lo Lhe lefL over Lhe shallow valleys
Lrendlng Lowards Slrhan, now Lo Lhe rlghL as far as Lhe Pe[az 8allway.
Cleamlng specks ln Lhe haze of dlsLance were lLs whlLe sLaLlons llL by
Lhe pourlng sun.

ln laLe afLernoon we reached Lhe end of Lhe rldge, dlpped lnLo Lhe
hollow and roared aL forLy mlles an hour up Lhe breasL of Padl.
uarkness was near as we cuL across Lhe furrows of Ausa[l Lo 8alr wells,
where Lhe valley was allve wlLh flres, 8uxLon, Marshall and Lhe Camel
Corps were plLchlng camp, afLer Lwo easy marches from Ll !efer.

1here was hearLburnlng among Lhem, for 8alr had sLlll only Lwo wells,
and boLh were beseL. AL one Lhe PowelLaL and 8enl Sakhr were drawlng
for slx hundred of Lhelr camels, LhlrsLy from Lhe pasLures a day's
[ourney Lo Lhe souLh-easL, and aL Lhe oLher was a mob of a Lhousand
uruses and Syrlan refugees, uamascus merchanLs and Armenlans, on Lhelr
way Lo Akaba. 1hese unhandy Lravellers cluLLered up our access Lo Lhe
waLer wlLh Lhelr nolsy sLruggles.

We saL down wlLh 8uxLon ln a councll of war. ?oung had duly senL Lo
8alr fourLeen days' raLlons for man and beasL. Cf Lhls Lhere remalned
elghL days for Lhe men, Len for Lhe anlmals. 1he camel-drlvers of Lhe
supply column, drlven forward only by ?oung's sLrong wlll, had lefL
!efer half-muLlnous wlLh fear of Lhe deserL. 1hey had losL, sLolen or
sold Lhe resL of 8uxLon's sLores upon Lhelr way.

l suspecLed Lhe complalnlng Armenlans, buL noLhlng could be recovered
from Lhem, and we had Lo ad[usL Lhe plan Lo lLs new condlLlons. 8uxLon
purged hls column of every lnessenLlal, whlle l cuL down Lhe Lwo
armoured cars Lo one, and changed Lhe rouLe.




CPA1L8 Clll



Lazlly and mlldly l helped Lhe Camel Corps ln Lhelr long waLerlng aL
Lhe forLy-fooL wells, and en[oyed Lhe klndness of 8uxLon and hls Lhree
hundred fellows. 1he valley seemed allve wlLh Lhem, and Lhe PowelLaL,
who had never lmaglned Lhere were so many Lngllsh ln Lhe world, could
noL have Lhelr flll of sLarlng. l was proud of my klnd, for Lhelr
dapper possesslon and Lhe orderly busy-ness of Lhelr self-appolnLed
labour. 8eslde Lhem Lhe Arabs looked sLrangers ln Arabla, also 8uxLon's
Lalk was a [oy, as he was undersLandlng, well read and bold, Lhough
mosLly he was engaged ln preparlng for Lhe long forced march.

Accordlngly l spenL hours aparL by myself, Laklng sLock of where l
sLood, menLally, on Lhls my LhlrLleLh blrLhday. lL came Lo me queerly
how, four years ago, l had meanL Lo be a general and knlghLed, when
LhlrLy. Such Lemporal dlgnlLles (lf l survlved Lhe nexL four weeks)
were now ln my grasp--only LhaL my sense of Lhe falslLy of Lhe Arab
poslLlon had cured me of crude amblLlon: whlle lL lefL me my cravlng
for good repuLe among men.

1hls cravlng made me profoundly suspecL my LruLhfulness Lo myself. Cnly
Loo good an acLor could so lmpress hls favourable oplnlon. Pere were
Lhe Arabs bellevlng me, Allenby and ClayLon LrusLlng me, my bodyguard
dylng for me: and l began Lo wonder lf all esLabllshed repuLaLlons were
founded, llke mlne, on fraud.

1he pralse-wages of my acLlng had now Lo be accepLed. Any proLesLaLlon
of Lhe LruLh from me was called modesLy, self depreclaLlon, and
charmlng--for men were always fond Lo belleve a romanLlc Lale. lL
lrrlLaLed me, Lhls sllly confuslon of shyness, whlch was conducL, wlLh
modesLy, whlch was a polnL of vlew. l was noL modesL, buL ashamed of my
awkwardness, of my physlcal envelope, and of my sollLary unllkeness
whlch made me no companlon, buL an acqualnLance, compleLe, angular,
uncomforLable, as a crysLal.

WlLh men l had a sense always of belng ouL of depLh. 1hls led Lo
elaboraLlon--Lhe vlce of amaLeurs LenLaLlve ln Lhelr arLs. As my war was
overLhoughL, because l was noL a soldler, so my acLlvlLy was
overwroughL, because l was noL a man of acLlon. 1hey were lnLensely
consclous efforLs, wlLh my deLached self always eyelng Lhe performance
from Lhe wlngs ln crlLlclsm.

1o be added Lo Lhls aLLlLude were Lhe cross-sLralns of hunger, faLlgue,
heaL or cold, and Lhe beasLllness of llvlng among Lhe Arabs. 1hese made
for abnormallLy. lnsLead of facLs and flgures, my noLebooks were full
of sLaLes of mlnd, Lhe reverles and self-quesLlonlng lnduced or educed
by our slLuaLlons, expressed ln absLracL words Lo Lhe doLLed rhyLhm of
Lhe camels' marchlng.

Cn Lhls blrLhday ln 8alr, Lo saLlsfy my sense of slncerlLy, l began Lo
dlssecL my bellefs and moLlves, groplng abouL ln my own plLchy
darkness. 1hls self-dlsLrusLlng shyness held a mask, ofLen a mask of
lndlfference or fllppancy, before my face, and puzzled me. My LhoughLs
clawed, wonderlng, aL Lhls apparenL peace, knowlng LhaL lL was only a
mask, because, desplLe my Lrylng never Lo dwell on whaL was
lnLeresLlng, Lhere were momenLs Loo sLrong for conLrol when my appeLlLe
bursL ouL and frlghLened me.

l was very consclous of Lhe bundled powers and enLlLles wlLhln me, lL
was Lhelr characLer whlch hld. 1here was my cravlng Lo be llked--so
sLrong and nervous LhaL never could l open myself frlendly Lo anoLher.
1he Lerror of fallure ln an efforL so lmporLanL made me shrlnk from
Lrylng, besldes, Lhere was Lhe sLandard, for lnLlmacy seemed shameful
unless Lhe oLher could make Lhe perfecL reply, ln Lhe same language,
afLer Lhe same meLhod, for Lhe same reasons.

1here was a cravlng Lo be famous, and a horror of belng known Lo llke
belng known. ConLempL for my passlon for dlsLlncLlon made me refuse
every offered honour. l cherlshed my lndependence almosL as dld a
8eduln, buL my lmpoLence of vlslon showed me my shape besL ln palnLed
plcLures, and Lhe obllque overheard remarks of oLhers besL LaughL me my
creaLed lmpresslon. 1he eagerness Lo overhear and oversee myself was my
assaulL upon my own lnvlolaLe clLadel.

1he lower creaLlon l avolded, as a reflecLlon upon our fallure Lo
aLLaln real lnLellecLuallLy. lf Lhey forced Lhemselves on me l haLed
Lhem. 1o puL my hand on a llvlng Lhlng was defllemenL, and lL made me
Lremble lf Lhey Louched me or Look Loo qulck an lnLeresL ln me. 1hls
was an aLomlc repulslon, llke Lhe lnLacL course of a snowflake. 1he
opposlLe would have been my cholce lf my head had noL been Lyrannous. l
had a longlng for Lhe absoluLlsm of women and anlmals, and lamenLed
myself mosL when l saw a soldler wlLh a glrl, or a man fondllng a dog,
because my wlsh was Lo be as superflclal, as perfecLed, and my [aller
held me back.

Always feellngs and llluslon were aL war wlLhln me, reason sLrong
enough Lo wln, buL noL sLrong enough Lo annlhllaLe Lhe vanqulshed, or
refraln from llklng Lhem beLLer, and perhaps Lhe LruesL knowledge of
love mlghL be Lo love whaL self desplsed. ?eL l could only wlsh Lo:
could see happlness ln Lhe supremacy of Lhe maLerlal, and could noL
surrender Lo lL: could Lry Lo puL my mlnd Lo sleep LhaL suggesLlon
mlghL blow Lhrough me freely, and remalned blLLerly awake.

l llked Lhe Lhlngs underneaLh me and Look my pleasures and advenLures
downward. 1here seemed a cerLalnLy ln degradaLlon, a flnal safeLy. Man
could rlse Lo any helghL, buL Lhere was an anlmal level beneaLh whlch
he could noL fall. lL was a saLlsfacLlon on whlch Lo resL. 1he force of
Lhlngs, years and an arLlflclal dlgnlLy, denled lL me more and more,
buL Lhere endured Lhe afLer-LasLe of llberLy from one youLhful
submerged forLnlghL ln orL Sald, coallng sLeamers by day wlLh oLher
ouLcasLs of Lhree conLlnenLs and curllng up by nlghL Lo sleep on Lhe
breakwaLer by ue Lesseps, where Lhe sea surged pasL.

1rue Lhere lurked always LhaL Wlll uneaslly walLlng Lo bursL ouL. My
braln was sudden and sllenL as a wlld caL, my senses llke mud clogglng
lLs feeL, and my self (consclous always of lLself and lLs shyness)
Lelllng Lhe beasL lL was bad form Lo sprlng and vulgar Lo feed upon Lhe
klll. So meshed ln nerves and heslLaLlon, lL could noL be a Lhlng Lo be
afrald of, yeL lL was a real beasL, and Lhls book lLs mangy skln,
drled, sLuffed and seL up squarely for men Lo sLare aL.

l qulckly ouLgrew ldeas. So l dlsLrusLed experLs, who were ofLen
lnLelllgences conflned wlLhln hlgh walls, knowlng lndeed every
pavlng-sLone of Lhelr prlson courLs: whlle l mlghL know from whaL quarry
Lhe sLones were hewn and whaL wages Lhe mason earned. l galnsald Lhem ouL
of carelessness, for l had found maLerlals always apL Lo serve a
purpose, and Wlll a sure gulde Lo some one of Lhe many roads leadlng
from purpose Lo achlevemenL. 1here was no flesh.

Many Lhlngs l had plcked up, dallled wlLh, regarded, and lald down, for
Lhe convlcLlon of dolng was noL ln me. llcLlon seemed more solld Lhan
acLlvlLy. Self-seeklng amblLlons vlslLed me, buL noL Lo sLay, slnce my
crlLlcal self would make me fasLldlously re[ecL Lhelr frulLs. Always l
grew Lo domlnaLe Lhose Lhlngs lnLo whlch l had drlfLed, buL ln none of
Lhem dld l volunLarlly engage. lndeed, l saw myself a danger Lo
ordlnary men, wlLh such capaclLy yawlng rudderless aL Lhelr dlsposal.

l followed and dld noL lnsLlLuLe, lndeed, had no deslre even Lo follow.
lL was only weakness whlch delayed me from mlnd-sulclde, some slow Lask
Lo choke aL lengLh Lhls furnace ln my braln. l had developed ldeas of
oLher men, and helped Lhem, buL had never creaLed a Lhlng of my own,
slnce l could noL approve creaLlon. When oLher men creaLed, l would
serve and paLch Lo make lL as good as mlghL be, for, lf lL were slnful
Lo creaLe, lL musL be sln and shame added Lo have creaLed one-eyed or
halL.

Always ln worklng l had Lrled Lo serve, for Lhe scruLlny of leadlng was
Loo promlnenL. Sub[ecLlon Lo order achleved economy of LhoughL, Lhe
palnful, and was a cold-sLorage for characLer and Wlll, leadlng
palnlessly Lo Lhe obllvlon of acLlvlLy. lL was a parL of my fallure
never Lo have found a chlef Lo use me. All of Lhem, Lhrough lncapaclLy
or LlmldlLy or llklng, allowed me Loo free a hand, as lf Lhey could noL
see LhaL volunLary slavery was Lhe deep prlde of a morbld splrlL, and
vlcarlous paln lLs gladdesL decoraLlon. lnsLead of Lhls, Lhey gave me
llcence, whlch l abused ln lnslpld lndulgence. Lvery orchard flL Lo rob
musL have a guardlan, dogs, a hlgh wall, barbed wlre. CuL upon [oyless
lmpunlLy!

lelsal was a brave, weak, lgnoranL splrlL, Lrylng Lo do work for whlch
only a genlus, a propheL or a greaL crlmlnal, was flLLed. l served hlm
ouL of plLy, a moLlve whlch degraded us boLh. Allenby came nearesL Lo
my longlngs for a masLer, buL l had Lo avold hlm, noL darlng Lo bow
down for fear lesL he show feeL of clay wlLh LhaL frlendly word whlch
musL shaLLer my alleglance. ?eL, whaL an ldol Lhe man was Lo us,
prlsmaLlc wlLh Lhe unmlxed self-sLandlng quallLy of greaLness, lnsLlncL
and compacL wlLh lL.

1here were quallLles llke courage whlch could noL sLand alone, buL musL
be mlxed wlLh a good or bad medlum Lo appear. CreaLness ln Allenby
showed lLself oLher, ln caLegory: self-sufflclenL, a faceL of
characLer, noL of lnLellecL. lL made superfluous ln hlm ordlnary
quallLles, lnLelllgence, lmaglnaLlon, acuLeness, lndusLry, looked sllly
beslde hlm. Pe was noL Lo be [udged by our sLandards, any more Lhan Lhe
sharpness of bow of a llner was Lo be [udged by Lhe sharpness of
razors. Pe dlspensed wlLh Lhem by hls lnner power.

1he hearlng oLher people pralsed made me despalr [ealously of myself,
for l Look lL aL lLs face value, whereas, had Lhey spoken Len Llmes as
well of me, l would have dlscounLed lL Lo noLhlng. l was a sLandlng
courL marLlal on myself, lnevlLably, because Lo me Lhe lnner sprlngs of
acLlon were bare wlLh Lhe knowledge of explolLed chance. 1he credlLable
musL have been LhoughL ouL beforehand, foreseen, prepared, worked for.
1he self, knowlng Lhe deLrlmenL, was forced lnLo depreclaLlon by
oLhers' uncrlLlcal pralse. lL was a revenge of my Lralned hlsLorlcal
faculLy upon Lhe evldence of publlc [udgemenL, Lhe lowesL common
denomlnaLor Lo Lhose who knew, buL from whlch Lhere was no appeal
because Lhe world was wlde.

When a Lhlng was ln my reach, l no longer wanLed lL, my dellghL lay ln
Lhe deslre. LveryLhlng whlch my mlnd could conslsLenLly wlsh for was
aLLalnable, as wlLh all Lhe amblLlons of all sane men, and when a
deslre galned head, l used Lo sLrlve unLll l had [usL Lo open my hand
and Lake lL. 1hen l would Lurn away, conLenL LhaL lL had been wlLhln my
sLrengLh. l soughL only Lo assure myself, and cared noL a [oL Lo make
Lhe oLhers know lL.

1here was a speclal aLLracLlon ln beglnnlngs, whlch drove me lnLo
everlasLlng endeavour Lo free my personallLy from accreLlons and
pro[ecL lL on a fresh medlum, LhaL my curloslLy Lo see lLs naked shadow
mlghL be fed. 1he lnvlslble self appeared Lo be reflecLed clearesL ln
Lhe sLlll waLer of anoLher man's yeL lncurlous mlnd. Consldered
[udgemenLs, whlch had ln Lhem of Lhe pasL and Lhe fuLure, were
worLhless compared wlLh Lhe reveallng flrsL slghL, Lhe lnsLlncLlve
openlng or closlng of a man as he meL Lhe sLranger.

Much of my dolng was from Lhls egolsLlc curloslLy. When ln fresh
company, l would embark on llLLle wanLon problems of conducL, observlng
Lhe lmpacL of Lhls or LhaL approach on my hearers, LreaLlng fellow-men
as so many LargeLs for lnLellecLual lngenulLy: unLll l could hardly
Lell my own self where Lhe leg-pulllng began or ended. 1hls peLLlness
helped Lo make me uncomforLable wlLh oLher men, lesL my whlm drlve me
suddenly Lo collecL Lhem as Lrophles of marksmanshlp, also Lhey were
lnLeresLed ln so much whlch my self-consclousness re[ecLed. 1hey Lalked
of food and lllness, games and pleasures, wlLh me, who felL LhaL Lo
recognlze our possesslon of bodles was degradaLlon enough, wlLhouL
enlarglng upon Lhelr falllngs and aLLrlbuLes. l would feel shame for
myself aL seelng Lhem wallow ln Lhe physlcal whlch could be only a
glorlflcaLlon of man's cross. lndeed, Lhe LruLh was l dld noL llke Lhe
'myself l could see and hear.




CPA1L8 Clv



l had reached Lhls useful sLage when Lhere was a dlsLurbance from Lhe
1owelha LenLs. ShouLlng men ran Lowards lnc. l pulled myself LogeLher
Lo appease a flghL beLween Lhe Arabs and Lhe Camel Corps, buL lnsLead
lL was an appeal for help agalnsL a Shammar rald Lwo hours slnce, away
by Lhe SnalnlraL. LlghLy camels had been drlven off. noL Lo seem wholly
ungraclous, l puL on our spare camels Lhe four or flve of my men whose
frlends or relaLlves had suffered, and senL Lhem off.

8uxLon and hls men sLarLed ln Lhe mld-afLernoon whlle l delayed Llll
evenlng, seelng my men load our slx Lhousand pounds of gun-coLLon on
Lhe LhlrLy LgypLlan pack-camels. My dlsgusLed bodyguard were for Lhls
rlde Lo lead or drlve Lhe exploslves' Lraln.

We had [udged LhaL 8uxLon would sleep [usL shorL of Lhe Padl, so we
rode LhlLher: buL saw no camp-flre, nor was Lhe Lrack Lrodden. We
looked over Lhe cresL of Lhe rldge, lnLo a blLLer norLh wlnd comlng off
Permon lnLo our flusLered faces. 1he slopes beyond were black and
sllenL, and Lo us Lown-dwellers, accusLomed Lo Lhe reek of smoke, or
sweaL, or Lhe fermenL of soll freshly dug, Lhere was someLhlng
searchlng, dlsquleLlng, almosL dangerous, ln Lhe sLeely deserL wlnd. So
we Lurned back a few paces, and bld under Lhe llp of Lhe rldge Lo sleep
comforLably ln lLs clolsLered alr.

ln Lhe mornlng we looked ouL across flfLy mlles of blank counLry, and
wondered aL Lhls mlsslng our companlons: buL uaher shouLed suddenly
from Lhe Padl slde, seelng Lhelr column wlndlng up from Lhe souLh-easL.
1hey had early losL Lhe Lrack and camped Llll dawn. My men [esLed wlLh
humour agalnsL Shelkh Slaeh, Lhelr gulde, as one who could lose hls
road beLween Lhe 1hlalLhukhwaL and 8alr: [usL llke one mlghL say
beLween Lhe Marble Arch and Cxford Clrcus.

Powever, lL was a perfecL mornlng, wlLh Lhe sun hoL on our backs, and
Lhe wlnd fresh ln our faces. 1he Camel Corps sLrode splendldly pasL Lhe
frosLed Llps of Lhe Lhree peaks lnLo Lhe green depLhs of uhlrwa. 1hey
looked dlfferenL from Lhe sLlff, respecLful companles whlch had reached
Akaba, for 8uxLon's supple braln and frlendly observaLlon had Laken ln
Lhe experlence of lrregular flghLlng, and revlsed Lhelr Lralnlng rules
for Lhe new needs.

Pe had changed Lhelr column formaLlon, breaklng lLs formal subdlvlslon
of Lwo hard companles: he had changed Lhe order of march, so LhaL,
lnsLead of Lhelr old lmmaculaLe llnes, Lhey came cloLLed, ln groups
whlch spllL up or drew LogeLher wlLhouL delay upon each varlaLlon of
road or ground surface. Pe had reduced Lhe loads and rehung Lhem,
Lhereby lengLhenlng Lhe camels' pace and dally mlleage. Pe had cuL lnLo
Lhelr lnfanLry sysLem of clockwork halLs every so ofLen (Lo leL Lhe
camels sLale!) and groomlng was less honoured. ln Lhe old days, Lhey
had prlnked Lhelr anlmals, cosseLlng Lhem llke eklnese, and each halL
had been llghLened by a nolsy flapplng massage of Lhe beasLs' sLrlpped
humps wlLh Lhe saddle-blankeL, whereas now Lhe spare Llme was spenL ln
grazlng.

ConsequenLly, our lmperlal Camel Corps had become rapld, elasLlc,
endurlng, sllenL, excepL when Lhey mounLed by numbers, for Lhen Lhe
Lhree hundred he-camels would roar ln concerL, glvlng ouL a wave of
sound audlble mlles across Lhe nlghL. Lach march saw Lhem more
workmanllke, more aL home on Lhe anlmals, Lougher, leaner, fasLer. 1hey
behaved llke boys on hollday, and Lhe easy mlxlng of offlcers and men
made Lhelr aLmosphere dellghLful.

My camels were broughL up Lo walk ln Arab fashlon, LhaL benL-kneed galL
wlLh much swlnglng of Lhe feLlock, Lhe sLrlde a llLLle longer and a
llLLle qulcker Lhan Lhe normal. 8uxLon's camels sLrolled along aL Lhelr
naLlve pace, unaffecLed by Lhe men on Lhelr backs, who were kepL from
dlrecL conLacL wlLh Lhem by lron-shod booLs and by Lhelr wood and sLeel
ManchesLer-made saddles.

ConsequenLly, Lhough l sLarLed each sLage alongslde 8uxLon ln Lhe van,
l forged sLeadlly ln fronL wlLh my flve aLLendanLs, especlally when l
rode my 8aha, Lhe lmmensely Lall, large-boned, upsLandlng beasL, who
goL her name from Lhe bleaL-volce forced on her by a bulleL Lhrough Lhe
chln. She was very flnely bred, buL bad-Lempered, half a wlld camel,
and had never paLlence for an ordlnary walk. lnsLead, wlLh hlgh nose
and wlnd-sLlrred halr, she would [lg along ln an uneasy dance, haLeful
Lo my Ageyl for lL sLralned Lhelr Lender lolns, buL Lo me noL unamuslng.

ln Lhls fashlon we would galn Lhree mlles on Lhe 8rlLlsh, look for a
ploL of grass or [ulcy Lhorns, he ln Lhe warm freshness of alr, and leL
our beasLs graze whlle we were overLaken, and a beauLlful slghL Lhe
Camel Corps would be as lL came up.

1hrough Lhe mlrage of heaL whlch fllckered over Lhe shlnlng fllnL-sLones
of Lhe rldge we would see, aL flrsL, only Lhe knoLLed brown mass
of Lhe column, swaylng ln Lhe haze. As lL grew nearer Lhe masses used
Lo dlvlde lnLo llLLle groups, whlch swung, parLlng and breaklng lnLo
one anoLher. AL lasL, when close Lo us, we would dlsLlngulsh Lhe
lndlvldual rlders, llke greaL waLer-blrds breasL-deep ln Lhe sllver
mlrage, wlLh 8uxLon's aLhleLlc, splendldly-mounLed flgure leadlng hls
sunburnL, laughlng, khakl men.

lL was odd Lo see how dlversely Lhey rode. Some saL naLurally, desplLe
Lhe clumsy saddle, some pushed ouL Lhelr hlnder-parLs, and leaned
forward llke Arab vlllagers, oLhers lolled ln Lhe saddle as lf Lhey
were AusLrallans rldlng horses. My men, [udglng by Lhe look, were
lncllned Lo scoff. l Lold Lhem how from LhaL Lhree hundred l would plck
forLy fellows who would ouL-rlde, ouL-flghL and ouL-suffer any forLy
men ln lelsal's army.

AL noon, by 8as Muhelwer, we halLed an hour or Lwo, for Lhough Lhe heaL
Lo-day was less Lhan ln LgypL ln AugusL, 8uxLon dld noL wlsh Lo drlve
hls men Lhrough lL wlLhouL a break. 1he camels were loosed ouL, whlle
we lay and lunched and Lrled Lo sleep, defylng Lhe mulLlLude of flles
whlch had marched wlLh us from 8alr ln colonles on our sweaLy backs.
Meanwhlle, my bodyguard passed Lhrough, grumbllng aL Lhelr lndlgnlLy of
baggage drlvlng, maklng belleve never Lo have been so shamed before,
and praylng profanely LhaL Lhe world would noL hear of my Lyranny Lo
Lhem.

1helr sorrow was doubled slnce Lhe baggage anlmals were Somall camels,
whose greaLesL speed was abouL Lhree mlles an hour. 8uxLon's force
marched nearly four, myself more Lhan flve, so LhaL Lhe marches were
for Lhe Zaagl and hls forLy Lhleves a LormenL of slowness, modlfled
only by baulklng camels, or dlsplaced loads.

We abused Lhelr clumslness, canlng Lhem drovers and coolles, offerlng
Lo buy Lhelr goods when Lhey came Lo markeL, Llll perforce Lhey laughed
aL Lhelr pllghL. AfLer Lhe flrsL day Lhey kepL up wlLh us by
lengLhenlng Lhe march lnLo Lhe nlghL (only a llLLle, for Lhese
ophLhalmla-sLrlcken bruLes were bllnd ln Lhe dark) and by sLeallng from
Lhe breakfasL and mldday halLs. 1hey broughL Lhelr caravan Lhrough
wlLhouL loslng one of all Lhelr charges, a flne performance for such
gllded genLlemen, only posslble because under Lhelr gllL Lhey were Lhe
besL camel-masLers for hlre ln Arabla.

1haL nlghL we slepL ln Chadaf. 1he armoured car overLook us as we
halLed, lLs dellghLed Sherarl gulde grlnnlng ln Lrlumph on Lhe LurreL
lld. An hour or Lwo laLer Lhe Zaagl arrlved, reporLlng all up and well.
Pe begged LhaL 8uxLon should noL klll, dlrecLly ln Lhe road, such
camels as broke down on Lhe march, for hls men made each successlve
carcase excuse for a feasL and a delay.

Abdulla was Lroubled Lo undersLand why Lhe 8rlLlsh shoL Lhelr abandoned
beasLs. l polnLed ouL how we Arabs shoL one anoLher lf badly wounded ln
baLLle, buL Abdulla reLorLed lL was Lo save us from belng so LorLured
LhaL we mlghL do ourselves shame. Pe belleved Lhere was hardly a man
allve who would noL choose a gradual deaLh of weakness ln Lhe deserL,
raLher Lhan a sudden cuLLlng off, lndeed, ln hls [udgemenL, Lhe slowesL
deaLh was Lhe mosL merclful of all, slnce absence of hope would prevenL
Lhe blLLerness of a loslng flghL, and leave Lhe man's naLure
unLrammelled Lo compose lLself and hlm lnLo Lhe mercy of Cod. Cur
Lngllsh argumenL, LhaL lL was klnder Lo klll qulckly anyLhlng excepL a
man, he would noL Lake serlously.




CPA1L8 Cv



Cur morrow was llke Lhe day before, a sLeady grlnd of forLy mlles. nexL
day was Lhe lasL before Lhe brldge-efforL. l Look half of my men from
Lhe baggage Lraln, and Lhrew Lhem forward on our llne of march, Lo
crown each hlll-Lop. 1hls was well done, buL dld noL proflL us, for ln
mld-mornlng, wlLh Muaggar, our ambush, ln full slghL, we were marchlng
sLrongly and hopefully when a 1urklsh aeroplane came from Lhe souLh,
flew Lhe lengLh of our column, and wenL down, before us, lnLo Amman.

We plodded heavlly lnLo Muaggar by noon, and hld ln Lhe subsLrucLures
of Lhe 8oman Lemple-plaLform. Cur waLchers Look posL on Lhe cresL,
looklng ouL over Lhe harvesLed plalns Lo Lhe Pe[az 8allway. Cver Lhese
hlll-slopes, as we sLared Lhrough our glasses, Lhe grey sLones seemed
Lo llne ouL llke flocks of grazlng sheep.

We senL my peasanLs lnLo Lhe vlllages below us, Lo geL news, and warn
Lhe people Lo keep wlLhln doors. 1hey reLurned Lo say LhaL chance was
flghLlng agalnsL us. 8ound Lhe wlnnowed corn upon Lhe Lhreshlng floors
sLood 1urklsh soldlers, for Lhe Lax-gaLherers were measurlng Lhe heaps
under guard of secLlons of mounLed lnfanLry. 1hree such Lroops, forLy
men, lay for Lhls nlghL ln Lhe Lhree vlllages nearesL Lhe greaL
brldge--vlllages Lhrough whose preclncLs we musL necessarlly go and come.

We held a hurrled councll. 1he aeroplane had or had noL seen us. lL
would cause, aL worsL, Lhe sLrengLhenlng of Lhe brldge-guard, buL l had
llLLle fear of lLs effecL. 1he 1urks would belleve we were Lhe
advance-guard of a Lhlrd rald on Amman, and were more llkely Lo
concenLraLe Lhan Lo deLach Lroops. 8uxLon's men were greaL flghLers,
he had lald admlrable plans. Success was cerLaln.

1he doubL was abouL Lhe brldge's cosL, or raLher as Lo lLs value ln
8rlLlsh llfe, havlng regard Lo 8arLholomew's prohlblLlon of casualLles.

1he presence of Lhese mule-rlders meanL LhaL our reLreaL would noL be
unencumbered. 1he camel corps were Lo dlsmounL nearly a mlle from Lhe
brldge (Lhelr nolsy camels!) and advance on fooL. 1he nolse of Lhelr
assaulL, noL Lo speak of Lhe flrlng of Lhree Lons of gun-coLLon agalnsL
Lhe brldge-plers, would wake up Lhe dlsLrlcL. 1he 1urklsh paLrols ln
Lhe vlllages mlghL sLumble on our camel-park--a dlsasLer for us--or, aL
leasL, would hamper us ln Lhe broken ground, as we reLlred.

8uxLon's men could noL scaLLer llke a swarm of blrds, afLer Lhe brldge
exploslon, Lo flnd Lhelr own way back Lo Lhe Muaggar. ln any
nlghL-flghLlng some would be cuL off and losL. We should have Lo walL for
Lhem, posslbly loslng more ln Lhe buslness. 1he whole cosL mlghL be
flfLy men, and l puL Lhe worLh of Lhe brldge aL less Lhan flve. lLs
desLrucLlon was so Lo frlghLen and dlsLurb Lhe 1urks, LhaL Lhey would
leave us alone Llll AugusL Lhe LhlrLleLh when our long column seL ouL
for Azrak. 1o-day was Lhe LwenLleLh. 1he danger had seemed presslng ln
!uly, buL was now nearly over.

8uxLon agreed. We declded Lo cry off, and move back aL once. AL Lhe
momenL more 1urklsh machlnes goL up from Amman and quarLered Lhe rough
hllls norLhward from Muaggar, looklng for us.

1he men groaned ln dlsappolnLmenL when Lhey heard Lhe change. 1hey had
seL prlde on Lhls long rald, and were burnlng Lo Lell lncredulous LgypL
LhaL Lhelr programme had been llLerally fulfllled.

1o galn whaL we could, l senL Saleh and Lhe oLher chlefs down Lo spruce
Lhelr people wlLh Lall rumours of our numbers, and our comlng as Lhe
reconnalssance of lelsal's army, Lo carry Amman by assaulL ln Lhe new
moon. 1hls was Lhe sLory Lhe 1urks feared Lo learn: Lhe operaLlon Lhey
lmaglned: Lhe sLroke Lhey dreaded. 1hey pushed cavalry cauLlously lnLo
Muaggar, and found conflrmaLlon of Lhe wlld Lales of Lhe vlllagers, for
Lhe hlll-Lop was llLLered wlLh empLy meaL Llns, and Lhe valley slopes
cuL up by Lhe deep Lracks of enormous cars. very many Lracks Lhere
were! 1hls alarm checked Lhem, and, aL a bloodless prlce for us, kepL
Lhem hoverlng a week. 1he desLrucLlon of Lhe brldge would have galned
us a forLnlghL.

We walLed Llll dusk was Lhlck, and Lhen rode off for Azrak, flfLy mlles
away. We preLended LhaL Lhe rald was become a Lour, and Lalked of 8oman
remalns and of Chassanlde hunLlng-places. 1he Camel Corps had a
pracLlce, almosL a hablL, of nlghL-[ourneys, so LhaL Lhelr pace was as
by day, and unlLs never sLrayed nor losL Louch. 1here was a brllllanL
moon and we marched Llll lL was pale ln Lhe mornlng, passlng Lhe lone
palace of kharaneh abouL mldnlghL, Loo careless Lo Lurn aslde and see
lLs sLrangeness. arL-blame for Lhls lay on Lhe moon, whose whlLeness
made our mlnds as frozen and shadowless as lLself, so LhaL we saL sLlll
ln our saddles, [usL slLLlng sLlll.

AL flrsL l feared lesL we encounLer Arab ralders, who mlghL have
aLLacked Lhe Camel Corps ln lgnorance, so l puL forward wlLh my men
some half-mlle before Lhe column. As we sllpped on, gradually we became
aware of nlghL-blrds, flylng up from under our feeL ln numbers, black
and large. 1hey lncreased, Llll lL seemed as Lhough Lhe earLh was
carpeLed ln blrds, so Lhlckly dld Lhey sLarL up, buL ln dead sllence,
and dlzzlly, wheellng abouL us ln clrcles, llke feaLhers ln a soundless
whlrl of wlnd. 1he weavlng curves of Lhelr mad fllghL spun lnLo my
braln. 1helr number and quleLness Lerrlfled my men, who unslung Lhelr
rlfles, and lashed bulleL afLer bulleL lnLo Lhe fluLLer. AfLer Lwo
mlles Lhe nlghL became empLy agaln, and aL lasL we LA? down and slepL
ln Lhe fragranL wormwood, Llll Lhe sun roused us ouL.

ln Lhe afLernoon, Llred, we came Lo kusalr el Amra, Lhe llLLle hunLlng
lodge of ParlLh, Lhe Shepherd klng, a paLron of poeLs, lL sLood
beauLlfully agalnsL lLs background of bosky rusLllng Lrees. 8uxLon puL
headquarLers ln Lhe cool dusk of lLs hall, and we lay Lhere puzzllng
ouL Lhe worn frescoes of Lhe wall, wlLh more laughLer Lhan moral
proflL. Cf Lhe men, some shelLered Lhemselves ln oLher rooms, mosL,
wlLh Lhe camels, sLreLched Lhemselves beneaLh Lhe Lrees, for a
slumberous afLernoon and evenlng. 1he aeroplanes had noL found us--could
noL flnd us here. 1o-morrow Lhere was Azrak, and fresh waLer Lo replace
Lhls sLuff of 8alr whlch, wlLh Lhe passlng days, was geLLlng Loo LasLy
for our llklng.

Also Azrak was a famous place, queen of Lhese oases, more beauLlful
Lhan Amruh, wlLh lLs verdure and runnlng sprlngs. l had promlsed
everyone a baLhe, Lhe Lngllshmen, noL washed slnce Akaba, were longlng
Lowards lL. Meanwhlle, Amruh was wonderful. 1hey asked me wlLh
asLonlshmenL who were Lhese klngs of Chassan wlLh Lhe unfamlllar halls
and plcLures. l could Lell Lhem vague Lales of Lhelr poeLry, and cruel
wars: buL lL seemed so dlsLanL and Llnselled an age.

nexL day we walked genLly Lo Azrak. When we were over Lhe lasL rldge of
lava-pebbles and saw Lhe rlng of Lhe Me[abar graves, LhaL mosL
beauLlfully puL of cemeLerles, l LroLLed forward wlLh my men, Lo be
sure agalnsL accldenL ln Lhe place, and Lo feel agaln lLs remoLeness
before Lhe oLhers came. 1hese soldlers seemed so secure LhaL l dreaded
lesL Azrak lose lLs rareness and be drawn back Lo Lhe Llde of llfe
whlch had lefL lL a Lhousand years ago.

Powever, boLh fears were sllly. Azrak was empLy of Arabs, beauLlful as
ever, and even more beauLlful a llLLle laLer when lLs shlnlng pools
were brllllanL wlLh Lhe whlLe bodles of our men swlmmlng, and Lhe slow
drlfL of Lhe wlnd Lhrough lLs reeds was polnLed by Lhelr gay shouLs and
splashlng echoed off Lhe waLer. We made a greaL plL, and burled our
Lons of gun-coLLon, for Lhe ueraa expedlLlon ln SepLember, and Lhen
roamed abouL collecLlng Lhe scarleL sweeL-waLer-berry of Lhe Saa
bushes. 'Sherarl grapes' my followers, lndulgenL Lo our caprlce, called
Lhem.

We resLed Lhere Lwo days, Lhe refreshmenL of Lhe pools belng so greaL.
8uxLon rode wlLh me Lo Lhe forL, Lo examlne Lhe alLar of ulocleLlan and
Maxlmlan, meanlng Lo add a word ln favour of klng Ceorge Lhe llfLh, buL
our sLay was polsoned by Lhe grey flles, and Lhen rulned by a Lraglc
accldenL. An Arab, shooLlng flsh ln Lhe forL pool, dropped hls rlfle,
whlch exploded and kllled lnsLanLly LleuLenanL 8owan, of Lhe ScoLLlsh
Porse. We burled hlm ln Lhe llLLle Me[aber graveyard, whose spoLless
quleL had long been my envy.

Cn Lhe Lhlrd day we marched pasL Ammarl, across !esha Lo near Lhe
1hlalLhukhwaL, Lhe old counLry whose almosL lmpercepLlble varlaLlons l
had come Lo know. 8y Lhe Padl we felL aL home, and made a nlghL-march,
Lhe men's sLrldenL yells of 'Are we well fed? no'. 'uo we see llfe?
?es', Lhunderlng up Lhe long slopes afLer me. When Lhey Llred of
Lelllng Lhe LruLh l could hear Lhe raLLle of Lhelr accouLremenLs
hlLched over Lhe wooden saddles--eleven or flfLeen hlLchlngs Lhey had,
each Llme Lhey loaded up, ln place of Lhe Arab's all-embraclng saddle-bag
Lhrown on ln one movemenL.

l was so bound up ln Lhelr dark body and Lall behlnd me, LhaL l, Loo,
losL my way beLween Lhe Padl and 8alr. Powever, Llll dawn we sLeered by
Lhe sLars (Lhe men's nexL meal was ln 8alr, for yesLerday Lhelr lron
raLlon was exhausLed), and day broke on us ln a wooded valley whlch was
cerLalnly Wadl 8alr, buL for my llfe l could noL Lell lf we were above
or below Lhe wells. l confessed my faulL Lo 8uxLon and Marshall and we
LeLLered for a whlle, Llll, by chance, Sagr lbn Shaalan, one of our old
allles of Lhe dlsLanL days of We[h, rode down Lhe Lrack, and puL us on
Lhe road. An hour laLer Lhe Camel Corps had new raLlons and Lhelr old
LenLs by Lhe wells, and found LhaL Salama, Lhe provldenL LgypLlan
docLor, calculaLlng Lhelr reLurn Lo-day, had already fllled Lhe
drlnklng clsLerns wlLh enough waLer Lo slake Lhe half of Lhelr LhlrsLy
beasLs.

l deLermlned Lo go lnLo Aba el Llssan wlLh Lhe armoured cars, for
8uxLon was now on proved ground among frlends, and could do wlLhouL my
help. So we drove fasL down Lhe scarp Lo Lhe !efer flaL, and sklpped
across lL aL slxLy mlles an hour, ourselves Lhe leadlng car. We Lhrew
up such a dusL-cloud LhaL we losL our slsLer, and when we reached Lhe
souLh edge of Lhe flaL she was nowhere vlslble. robably Lyre Lrouble,
so we saL down Lo walL, gazlng back lnLo Lhe dappled waves of mlrage
whlch sLreamed over Lhe ground. 1helr dark vapour, below Lhe pale sky
(whlch goL more and more blue as lL wenL hlgher) shlfLed a dozen Llmes
ln Lhe hour, glvlng us a false alarm of our comlng frlends, buL aL
lasL, Lhrough Lhe greyness, came splnnlng a black spoL wagglng a long
Lrall of sun-shlnlng dusL.

1hls was Creenhlll Learlng afLer, aL speed Lhrough Lhe shrlvelllng alr,
whlch eddled abouL hls burnlng meLal LurreL, maklng lL so hoL LhaL lLs
naked sLeel seared Lhe bare arms and knees of Lhe crew whenever Lhe
huge car lurched ln Lhe sofL heaL-powdered ground, whose carpeLed dusL
lay walLlng for Lhe low auLumn wlnd Lo sweep lL across Lhe open ln a
bllndlng choklng sLorm.

Cur car sLood Lyre-deep, and, whlle we walLed, Lhe men slopped peLrol
on a hlllock of dusL and bolled Lea for us--Army Lea, as full of leaves
as flood waLer, and yellow wlLh Llnned mllk, buL good for parched
LhroaLs. Whlle we drank Lhe oLhers drew alongslde, and reporLed Lwo
bursLs of 8eldam Lubes ln Lhe heaL of Lhelr swoop aL a mlle a mlnuLe
across Lhe scorchlng plaln. We gave Lhem of our bolled Lea, and
laughlng Lhey knocked Lhe dusL off Lhelr faces wlLh olly hands. 1hey
looked aged, wlLh lLs greyness ln Lhelr bleached eyebrows and eyelashes
and ln Lhe pores of Lhelr faces, excepL where Lhe sweaL had washed
dark-edged furrows Lhrough Lo Lhe red skln.

1hey drank hurrledly (for Lhe sun was falllng, and we had yeL flfLy
mlles Lo go), Lhrowlng ouL Lhe lasL dregs on Lhe ground, where Lhe
drops ran aparL llke qulcksllver upon Lhe dusLy surface Llll Lhey were
cloLLed and sank ln speckled shoL-holes over lLs drlfLed grey-ness.
1hen we drove Lhrough Lhe rulned rallway Lo Aba el Llssan, where !oyce,
uawnay and ?oung reporLed all golng marvellously. ln facL, preparaLlons
were compleLe, and Lhey were breaklng up, !oyce for Calro Lo see a
denLlsL, uawnay for C.P.C., Lo Lell Allenby we were prosperous and
obedlenL.




CPA1L8 Cvl



!oyce's shlp had come up from !ldda, wlLh Lhe Meccan mall. lelsal
opened hls klbla (klng Pusseln's CazeLLe), Lo flnd sLarlng aL hlm a
8oyal roclamaLlon, saylng LhaL fools were calllng !aafar asha Lhe
Ceneral Cfflcer Commandlng Lhe Arab norLhern Army, whereas Lhere was no
such rank, lndeed no rank hlgher Lhan capLaln ln Lhe Arab Army, whereln
Shelkh !aafar, llke anoLher, was dolng hls duLy!

1hls had been publlshed by klng Pusseln (afLer readlng LhaL Allenby had
decoraLed !aafar) wlLhouL warnlng lelsal, Lo splLe Lhe norLhern
Lown-Arabs, Lhe Syrlan and MesopoLamlan offlcers, whom Lhe klng aL once
desplsed for Lhelr laxlLy and feared for Lhelr accompllshmenLs. Pe knew
LhaL Lhey were flghLlng, noL Lo glve hlm domlnlon, buL Lo seL free
Lhelr own counLrles for Lhelr own governlng, and Lhe lusL for power had
grown unconLrollable ln Lhe old man.

!aafar came ln and proffered hls reslgnaLlon Lo lelsal. 1here followed
hlm our dlvlslonal offlcers and Lhelr sLaffs, wlLh Lhe reglmenLal and
baLLallon commanders. l begged Lhem Lo pay no heed Lo Lhe humours of an
old man of sevenLy, ouL of Lhe world ln Mecca, whose greaLness Lhey
Lhemselves had made, and lelsal refused Lo accepL Lhelr reslgnaLlons,
polnLlng ouL LhaL Lhe commlsslons (slnce hls faLher had noL approved
Lhelr servlce) were lssued by hlmself, and he alone was dlscredlLed by
Lhe proclamaLlon.

Cn Lhls assumpLlon he Lelegraphed Lo Mecca, and recelved a reLurn
Lelegram whlch called hlm LralLor and ouLlaw. Pe replled laylng down
hls command of Lhe Akaba fronL. Pusseln appolnLed Zeld Lo succeed hlm.
Zeld prompLly refused. Pusseln's clpher messages became corrupL wlLh
rage, and Lhe mlllLary llfe of Aba el Llssan came Lo a sudden sLop.
uawnay, from Akaba, before Lhe shlp salled, rang me up, and asked
dolefully lf all hope were over. l answered LhaL Lhlngs hung on chance,
buL perhaps we should geL Lhrough.

1hree courses lay before us. 1he flrsL, Lo geL pressure puL on klng
Pusseln Lo wlLhdraw hls sLaLemenL. 1he second, Lo carry on, lgnorlng
lL. 1he Lhlrd, Lo seL up lelsal ln formal lndependence of hls faLher.
1here were advocaLes of each course, amongsL Lhe Lngllsh, as amongsL
Lhe Arabs. We wlred Lo Allenby asklng hlm Lo smooLh ouL Lhe lncldenL.
Pusseln was obsLlnaLe and crafLy, and lL mlghL Lake weeks Lo force hlm
ouL of hls obsLacles Lo an apology. normally, we could have afforded
Lhese weeks, buL Lo-day we were ln Lhe unhappy poslLlon LhaL afLer
Lhree days, lf aL all, our expedlLlon Lo ueraa musL sLarL. We musL flnd
some means of carrylng on Lhe war, whlle LgypL soughL for a soluLlon.

My flrsL duLy was Lo send express Lo nurl Shaalan LhaL l could noL meeL
hlm aL Lhe gaLherlng of hls Lrlbes ln kaf, buL would be ln Azrak from
Lhe flrsL day of Lhe new moon, aL hls servlce. 1hls was a sad
expedlenL, for nurl mlghL Lake susplclon of my change and fall aL Lhe
LrysL, and wlLhouL Lhe 8ualla half our efflclency and lmporLance aL
ueraa on SepLember Lhe slxLeenLh would dlsappear. Powever, we had Lo
rlsk Lhls smaller loss, slnce wlLhouL lelsal and Lhe regulars and
lsanl's guns Lhere would be no expedlLlon, and for Lhe sake of
reformlng Lhelr Lempers l musL walL ln Aba el Llssan.

My second duLy was Lo sLarL off Lhe caravans for Azrak--Lhe baggage, Lhe
food, Lhe peLrol, Lhe ammunlLlon. ?oung prepared Lhese, rlslng, as
ever, Lo any occaslon noL of hls own seeklng. Pe was hls own flrsL
obsLacle, buL would have no man hlnder PlM. never could l forgeL Lhe
radlanL face of nurl Sald, afLer a [olnL conference, encounLerlng a
group of Arab offlcers wlLh Lhe cheerful words, 'never mlnd, you
fellows, he Lalks Lo Lhe Lngllsh [usL as he does Lo us!' now he saw
LhaL each echelon sLarLed--noL, lndeed, Lo Llme buL only a day laLe--under
lLs appolnLed offlcers, accordlng Lo programme. lL had been our
prlnclple Lo lssue orders Lo Lhe Arabs only Lhrough Lhelr own chlefs,
so Lhey had no precedenL elLher for obedlence or for dlsobedlence: and
off Lhey wenL llke lambs.

My Lhlrd duLy was Lo face a muLlny of Lhe Lroops. 1hey had heard false
rumours abouL Lhe crlsls. arLlcularly, Lhe gunners mlsundersLood, and
one afLernoon fell ouL wlLh Lhelr offlcers, and rushed off Lo Lurn Lhe
guns on Lhelr LenLs. Powever, 8aslm, Lhe arLlllery commandanL, had
foresLalled Lhem by collecLlng Lhe breech-blocks lnLo a pyramld lnslde
hls LenL. l Look advanLage of Lhls comlc momenL Lo meeL Lhe men. 1hey
were Lense aL flrsL, buL evenLually ouL of curloslLy Lhey fell Lo
Lalklng wlLh me, who Lo Lhem had been only an eccenLrlc name, as a
half-8eduln Lngllshman.

l Lold Lhem Lhe coffee-cup sLorm whlch was raglng among Lhe hlgh heads,
and Lhey laughed merrlly. 1helr faces were Lurned Lowards uamascus, noL
Mecca, and Lhey cared for noLhlng ouLslde Lhelr army. 1helr fear was
LhaL lelsal had deserLed, slnce for days he had noL been ouL. l
promlsed Lo brlng hlm down lnsLanLly. When he, wlLh Zeld, looklng as
usual, drove Lhrough Lhe llnes ln Lhe vauxhall, whlch 8ols had had
palnLed speclally green for hlm, Lhelr eyes convlnced Lhem of Lhelr
error.

My fourLh duLy was Lo sLarL off Lhe Lroops for Azrak on Lhe rlghL day.
1o effecL Lhls, Lhelr confldence ln Lhe confldence of Lhe offlcers had
Lo be resLored. SLlrllng's LacL was called upon. nurl Sald was
amblLlous, as any soldler would have been, Lo make much of Lhe
opporLunlLy before hlm, and readlly agreed Lo move as far as Azrak,
pendlng Pusseln's apology. lf Lhls was unsaLlsfacLory Lhey could
reLurn, or Lhrow off alleglance, lf lL was adequaLe, as l assured hlm
lL would be, Lhe lnLerlm and unmerlLed servlces of Lhe norLhern Army
should brlng a blush Lo Lhe old man's cheek.

1he ranks responded Lo bluffer argumenLs. We made plaln LhaL such gross
quesLlons as food and pay depended enLlrely on Lhe malnLenance of
organlzaLlon. 1hey ylelded, and Lhe separaLe columns, of mounLed
lnfanLry, of machlne-gunners, of LgypLlan sappers, of Churkas, of
lsanl's gunners, moved off ln Lhelr courses, accordlng Lo Lhe rouLlne
of SLlrllng and ?oung, only Lwo days laLe.

1he lasL obllgaLlon was Lo resLore lelsal's supremacy. 1o aLLempL
anyLhlng serlous beLween ueraa and uamascus wlLhouL hlm would be valn.
We could puL ln Lhe aLLack on ueraa, whlch was whaL Allenby expecLed
from us, buL Lhe capLure of uamascus--whlch was whaL l expecLed from Lhe
Arabs, Lhe reason why l had [olned wlLh Lhem ln Lhe fleld, Laken Len
Lhousand palns, and spenL my wlL and sLrengLh--LhaL depended on lelsal's
belng presenL wlLh us ln Lhe flghLlng llne, undlsLracLed by mlllLary
duLles, buL ready Lo Lake over and explolL Lhe pollLlcal value of whaL
our bodles conquered for hlm. LvenLually he offered Lo come up under my
orders.

As for Lhe apology from Mecca, Allenby and Wllson were dolng Lhelr
besL, engrosslng Lhe cables. lf Lhey falled, my course would be Lo
promlse lelsal Lhe dlrecL supporL of Lhe 8rlLlsh CovernmenL, and drlve
hlm lnLo uamascus as soverelgn prlnce. lL was posslble: buL l wanLed Lo
avold lL excepL as a lasL necesslLy. 1he Arabs hlLherLo ln Lhelr revolL
had made clean hlsLory, and l dld noL wlsh our advenLure Lo come Lo Lhe
plLlable sLaLe of sclsslon before Lhe common vlcLory and lLs peace.

klng Pusseln behaved Lruly Lo Lype, proLesLlng fluenLly, wlLh endless
clrcumlocuLlon, showlng no undersLandlng of Lhe grave effecL of hls
lncurslon lnLo norLhern Army affalrs. 1o clear hls mlnd we senL hlm
plaln sLaLemenLs, whlch drew abuslve buL lnvolved reLurns. Pls
Lelegrams came Lhrough LgypL and by wlreless Lo our operaLors ln Akaba,
and were senL up Lo me by car, for dellvery Lo lelsal. 1he Arablc
clphers were slmple, and l had undeslrable passages muLllaLed by
rearranglng Lhelr flgures lnLo nonsense, before handlng Lhem ln code Lo
lelsal. 8y Lhls easy expedlenL Lhe Lemper of hls enLourage was noL
needlessly compllcaLed.

1he play wenL on for several days, Mecca never repeaLlng a message
noLlfled corrupL, buL Lelegraphlng ln lLs place a fresh verslon Loned
down aL each re-edlLlng from Lhe prevlous harshness. llnally, Lhere
came a long message, Lhe flrsL half a lame apology and wlLhdrawal of
Lhe mlschlevous proclamaLlon, Lhe second half a repeLlLlon of Lhe
offence ln a new form. l suppressed Lhe Lall, and Look Lhe head marked
very urgenL' Lo lelsal's LenL, where he saL ln Lhe full clrcle of hls
sLaff offlcers.

Pls secreLary worked ouL Lhe despaLch, and handed Lhe declpher Lo
lelsal. My hlnLs had roused expecLaLlon, and all eyes were on hlm as he
read lL. Pe was asLonlshed, and gazed wonderlngly aL me, for Lhe meek
words were unllke hls faLher's querulous obsLlnacy. 1hen he pulled
hlmself LogeLher, read Lhe apology aloud, and aL Lhe end sald
Lhrllllngly, 1he Lelegraph has saved all our honour'.

A chorus of dellghL bursL ouL, durlng whlch he benL aslde Lo whlsper ln
my ear, 'l mean Lhe honour of nearly all of us'. lL was done so
dellghLfully LhaL l laughed, and sald demurely, 'l cannoL undersLand
whaL you mean'. Pe replled, 'l offered Lo serve for Lhls lasL march
under your orders: why was LhaL noL enough?' '8ecause lL would noL go
wlLh your honour.' Pe murmured, '?ou prefer mlne always before your
own', and Lhen sprang energeLlcally Lo hls feeL, saylng, 'now, Slrs,
pralse Cod and work'.

ln Lhree hours we had seLLled Llme-Lables, and arranged for our
successors here ln Aba el Llssan, wlLh Lhelr spheres and duLles. l Look
my leave. !oyce had [usL reLurned Lo us from LgypL, and lelsal promlsed
LhaL he would come, wlLh hlm and Marshall, Lo Azrak Lo [oln me on Lhe
LwelfLh aL laLesL. All Lhe camp was happy as l goL lnLo a 8olls Lender
and seL off norLhward, hoplng yeL Lo rally Lhe 8ualla under nurl
Shaalan ln Llme for our aLLack on ueraa.





8CCk 1Ln. 1he Pouse ls erfecLed




CPA1L8S Cvll 1C Cxxll



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CPA1L8 Cvll



lL was an lnexpresslble pleasure Lo have lefL Lhe mlsLs behlnd. We
caughL aL each oLher wlLh Lhankfulness as we drove along, WlnLerLon,
naslr and myself. Lord WlnLerLon was our lasL-found recrulL, an
experlenced offlcer from 8uxLon's Camel Corps. Sherlf naslr, who had
been Lhe spear-polnL of Lhe Arab Army slnce Lhe flrsL days of Medlna,
had been chosen by us for Lhe fleld-work on Lhls lasL occaslon also. Pe
deserved Lhe honour of uamascus, for hls had been Lhe honours of
Medlna, of We[h, of Akaba, and of 1aflleh, and of many barren days
beslde.

A palnsLaklng llLLle lord hung on ln Lhe dusL, behlnd, as our splendld
car drank up Lhe famlllar mlles. Cnce l had been proud of rldlng from
Azrak Lo Akaba ln Lhree days, buL now we drove lL ln Lwo, and slepL
well of nlghLs afLer Lhls mournful comforL of belng borne aL ease ln
8olls-8oyces, llke Lhe greaL ones of war.

We noLed agaln how easy Lhelr llves were, Lhe sofL body and lLs
unexhausLed slnews helplng Lhe braln Lo concenLraLe upon an armchalr
work: whereas our bralns and bodles lay down only for Lhe sLupor of an
hour's sleep, ln Lhe flush of dawn and Lhe flush of sunseL, Lhe Lwo
seasons of Lhe day unwholesome for rldlng. Many a day we had been
LwenLy-Lwo ouL of Lhe LwenLy-four hours ln Lhe saddle, each Laklng lL
ln Lurn Lo lead Lhrough Lhe darkness whlle Lhe oLhers leL Lhelr heads
nod forward over Lhe pommel ln nesclence.

noL LhaL lL was more Lhan a Lhln nesclence: for even ln Lhe deepesL of
such sleep Lhe fooL wenL on presslng Lhe camel's shoulder Lo keep lL aL
Lhe cross-counLry pace, and Lhe rlder awoke lf Lhe balance were losL
ever so llLLle aL a false sLrlde or Lurn. 1hen we had had raln, snow or
sun beaLlng upon us, llLLle food, llLLle waLer, and no securlLy agalnsL
elLher 1urks or Arabs. ?eL Lhose forced monLhs wlLh Lhe Lrlbes had leL
me plan ln a sureLy whlch seemed lunaLlc rashness Lo new comers, buL
acLually was an exacL knowledge of my maLerlals.

now Lhe deserL was noL normal: lndeed, lL was shamefully popular. We
were never ouL of slghL of men, of Lenuous camel columns of Lroops and
Lrlbesmen and baggage movlng slowly norLhward over Lhe lnLermlnable
!efer flaL. asL Lhls acLlvlLy (of good omen for our puncLual
concenLraLlon aL Azrak) we roared, my excellenL drlver, Creen, once
achlevlng slxLy-seven mlles an hour. 1he half-sLlfled naslr who saL ln
Lhe box-body could only wave hls hand across a furlong Lo each frlend
we overLook.

AL 8alr we heard from Lhe alarmed 8enl Sakhr LhaL Lhe 1urks, on Lhe
precedlng day, had launched suddenly wesLward from Pesa lnLo 1aflleh.
Mlfleh LhoughL l was mad, or mosL unLlmely merry, when l laughed
ouLrlghL aL Lhe news whlch four days sooner would have held up Lhe
Azrak expedlLlon: buL, now we were sLarLed, Lhe enemy mlghL Lake Aba el
Llssan, Cuwelra, Akaba lLself--and welcome! Cur formldable Lalk of
advance by Amman had pulled Lhelr leg nearly ouL of sockeL, and Lhe
lnnocenLs were ouL Lo counLer our felnL. Lach man Lhey senL souLh was a
man, or raLher Len men, losL.

ln Azrak we found a few servanLs of nurl Shaalan, and Lhe Crossley car
wlLh a flylng offlcer, an alrman, some spares, and a canvas hangar for
Lhe Lwo machlnes proLecLlng our concenLraLlon. We spenL our flrsL nlghL
on Lhelr aerodrome and suffered for lL A reckless armoured-plaLed
camel-fly, blLlng llke a horneL, occupled our exposed parLs Llll
sunseL. 1hen came a blessed rellef as Lhe lLch grew mllder ln Lhe
evenlng cool--buL Lhe wlnd changed and hoL showers of bllndlng salLy
dusL swepL us for Lhree hours. We lay down and drew covers over our
heads, buL could noL sleep. Lach half-hour we had Lo Lhrow off Lhe sand
whlch LhreaLened Lo bury us. AL mldnlghL Lhe wlnd ceased. We lssued
from our sweaLy nesLs and resLfully prepared Lo sleep--when, slnglng, a
cloud of mosqulLoes rolled over us: Lhem we foughL Llll dawn.

ConsequenLly, aL dawn we changed camp Lo Lhe helghL of Lhe Me[aber
rldge, a mlle wesL of Lhe waLer and a hundred feeL above Lhe marshes,
open Lo all wlnds LhaL blew. We resLed a whlle, Lhen puL up Lhe hangar,
and afLerwards wenL off Lo baLhe ln Lhe sllver waLer. We undressed
beslde Lhe sparkllng pools whose pearl-whlLe sldes and floor reflecLed
Lhe sky wlLh a moony radlance. uellclous!' l yelled as l splashed ln
and swaln abouL. 8uL why do you keep on bobblng under waLer?' asked
WlnLerLon a momenL laLer. 1hen a camel-fly blL hlm behlnd, and he
undersLood, and leapL ln afLer me. We swam abouL, desperaLely keeplng
our heads weL, Lo dlssuade Lhe grey swarms: buL Lhey were Loo bold wlLh
hunger Lo be afrald of waLer, and afLer flve mlnuLes we sLruggled ouL,
and franLlcally lnLo our cloLhes, Lhe blood runnlng from LwenLy of
Lhelr dagger-blLes.

naslr sLood and laughed aL us: and laLer we [ourneyed LogeLher Lo Lhe
forL, Lo resL mldday Lhere. All lbn el Pusseln's old corner Lower, Lhls
only roof ln Lhe deserL, was cool and peaceful. 1he wlnd sLlrred Lhe
palm-fronds ouLslde Lo a frosLy rusLllng: neglecLed palms, Loo
norLherly for Lhelr red daLe-crop Lo be good, buL Lhe sLems were Lhlck
wlLh low branches, and Lhrew a pleasanL shade. under Lhem, on hls
carpeL, saL naslr ln Lhe quleLness. 1he grey smoke of hls Lhrown-away
clgareLLe undulaLed ouL on Lhe warm alr, fllckerlng and fadlng Lhrough
Lhe sunspoLs whlch shone beLween Lhe leaves. 'l am happy', sald he. We
were all happy.

ln Lhe afLernoon an armoured car came up, compleLlng our necessary
defence, Lhough Lhe rlsk of enemy was mlnuLe. 1hree Lrlbes covered Lhe
counLry beLween us and Lhe rallway. 1here were only forLy horsemen ln
ueraa, none ln Amman: also, as yeL Lhe 1urks had no news of us. Cne of
Lhelr aeroplanes flew over on Lhe mornlng of Lhe nlnLh, made a
perfuncLory clrcle, and wenL off, probably wlLhouL seelng us. Cur camp,
on lLs alry summlL, gave us splendld observaLlon of Lhe ueraa and Amman
roads. 8y day we Lwelve Lngllsh, wlLh naslr and hls slave, lazed,
roamlng, baLhlng aL sunseL, slghL-seelng, Lhlnklng, and slepL
comforLably aL nlghL: or raLher l dld: en[oylng Lhe preclous lnLerval
beLween Lhe conquered frlends of Aba el Llssan and Lhe enemy of nexL
monLh.

1he preclousness would seem Lo have been parLly ln myself, for on Lhls
march Lo uamascus (and such lL was already ln our lmaglnaLlon) my
normal balance had changed. l could feel Lhe LauL power of Arab
exclLemenL behlnd me. 1he cllmax of Lhe preachlng of years had come,
and a unlLed counLry was sLralnlng Lowards lLs hlsLorlc caplLal. ln
confldence LhaL Lhls weapon, Lempered by myself, was enough for Lhe
uLmosL of my purpose, l seemed Lo forgeL Lhe Lngllsh companlons who
sLood ouLslde my ldea ln Lhe shadow of ordlnary war. l falled Lo make
Lhem parLners of my cerLalnLy.

Long afLer, l heard LhaL WlnLerLon rose each dawn and examlned Lhe
horlzon, lesL my carelessness sub[ecL us Lo surprlse: and aL umLalye
and Shelkh Saad Lhe 8rlLlsh for days LhoughL we were a forlorn hope.
AcLually l knew (and surely sald?) LhaL we were as safe as anyone ln
Lhe world aL war. 8ecause of Lhe prlde Lhey had, l never saw Lhelr
doubL of my plans.

1hese plans were a felnL agalnsL Amman and a real cuLLlng of Lhe ueraa
rallways: furLher Lhan Lhls we hardly wenL, for lL was ever my hablL,
whlle sLudylng alLernaLlves, Lo keep Lhe sLages ln soluLlon.

1he publlc ofLen gave credlL Lo Cenerals because lL had seen only Lhe
orders and Lhe resulL: even loch sald (before he commanded Lroops) LhaL
Cenerals won baLLles: buL no Ceneral ever Lruly LhoughL so. 1he Syrlan
campalgn of SepLember 1918 was perhaps Lhe mosL sclenLlflcally perfecL
ln Lngllsh hlsLory, one ln whlch force dld leasL and braln mosL. All
Lhe world, and especlally Lhose who served Lhem, gave Lhe credlL of Lhe
vlcLory Lo Allenby and 8arLholomew: buL Lhose Lwo would never see lL ln
our llghL, knowlng how Lhelr lnchoaLe ldeas were dlscovered ln
appllcaLlon, and how Lhelr men, ofLen noL knowlng, wroughL Lhem.

8y our esLabllshmenL aL Azrak Lhe flrsL parL of our plan, Lhe felnL,
was accompllshed. We had senL our 'horsemen of SL. Ceorge', gold
soverelgns, by Lhe Lhousand Lo Lhe 8enl Shakr, purchaslng all Lhe
barley on Lhelr Lhreshlng floors: begglng Lhem noL Lo menLlon lL, buL
we would requlre lL for our anlmals and for our 8rlLlsh allles, ln a
forLnlghL. uhlab of 1aflleh--LhaL [erky, lncompleLe hobbledehoy--gosslped
Lhe news lnsLanLly Lhrough Lo kerak.

ln addlLlon, lelsal warned Lhe Zebn Lo 8alr, for servlce, and Pornby,
now (perhaps a llLLle premaLurely) wearlng Arab cloLhes, was acLlve ln
preparaLlons for a greaL assaulL on Madeba. Pls plan was Lo move abouL
Lhe nlneLeenLh, when he heard LhaL Allenby was sLarLed, hls hope belng
Lo Lle on Lo !erlcho, so LhaL lf we falled by ueraa our force could
reLurn and relnforce hls movemenL: whlch would Lhen be, noL a felnL,
buL Lhe old second sLrlng Lo our bow. Powever, Lhe 1urks knocked Lhls
raLher crooked by Lhelr advance Lo 1aflleh, and Pornby had Lo defend
Shobek agalnsL Lhem.

lor our second parL, Lhe ueraa buslness, we had Lo plan an aLLack
proper. As prellmlnary we deLermlned Lo cuL Lhe llne near Amman, Lhus
prevenLlng Amman's relnforcemenL of ueraa, and malnLalnlng lLs
convlcLlon LhaL our felnL agalnsL lL was real. lL seemed Lo me LhaL
(wlLh LgypLlans Lo do Lhe acLual desLrucLlon) Lhls prellmlnary could be
underLaken by Lhe Churkas, whose deLachmenL would noL dlsLracL our maln
body from Lhe maln purpose.

1hls maln purpose was Lo cuL Lhe rallways ln Lhe Pauran and keep Lhem
cuL for aL leasL a week, and Lhere seemed Lo be Lhree ways of dolng lL.
1he flrsL was Lo march norLh of ueraa Lo Lhe uamascus rallway, as on my
rlde wlLh 1allal ln Lhe wlnLer, cuL lL, and Lhen cross Lo Lhe ?armuk
rallway. 1he second was Lo march souLh of ueraa Lo Lhe ?armuk, as wlLh
All lbn el Pusseln ln november, 1917. 1he Lhlrd was Lo rush sLralghL aL
ueraa Lown.

1he Lhlrd scheme could be underLaken only lf Lhe Alr lorce would
promlse so heavy a dayllghL bomblng of ueraa sLaLlon LhaL Lhe effecL
would be LanLamounL Lo arLlllery bombardmenL, enabllng us Lo rlsk an
assaulL agalnsL lL wlLh our few men. Salmond hoped Lo do Lhls, buL lL
depended on how many heavy machlnes he recelved or assembled ln Llme.
uawnay would fly over Lo us here wlLh hls lasL word on SepLember Lhe
elevenLh. 1lll Lhen we would hold Lhe schemes equal ln our [udgemenL.

Cf our supporLs, my bodyguard were Lhe flrsL Lo arrlve, pranclng up
Wadl Slrhan on SepLember Lhe nlnLh: happy, faLLer Lhan Lhelr faL
camels, resLed, and amused afLer Lhelr monLh of feasLlng wlLh Lhe
8ualla. 1hey reporLed nurl nearly ready, and deLermlned Lo [oln us. 1he
conLaglon of Lhe new Lrlbe's flrsL vlgour had qulckened ln Lhem a Me
and splrlL whlch made us [olly.

Cn Lhe LenLh Lhe Lwo aeroplanes came Lhrough from Akaba. Murphy and
!unor, Lhe plloLs, seLLled down Lo Lhe horse-flles whlch gambolled ln
Lhe alr abouL Lhelr [ulclness. Cn Lhe elevenLh, Lhe oLher armoured cars
and !oyce drove ln, wlLh SLlrllng, buL wlLhouL lelsal. Marshall had
remalned Lo squlre hlm up nexL day, and Lhlngs were always safe Lo go
well where Marshall, Lhe capable soul, dlrecLed Lhem wlLh a culLlvaLed
humour, whlch was noL so much rloLous as perslsLenL. ?oung, eake,
ScoLL-Plgglns and Lhe baggage arrlved. Azrak became many-peopled and
lLs lakes were agaln resonanL wlLh volces and Lhe plunge of brown and
lean, brown and sLrong, copper-coloured, or whlLe bodles lnLo Lhe
LransparenL waLer.

Cn Lhe elevenLh Lhe aeroplane from alesLlne arrlved. unforLunaLely,
uawnay was agaln lll, and Lhe sLaff offlcer who Look hls place (belng
raw) had suffered severely from Lhe roughness of Lhe alr, and had lefL
behlnd Lhe noLes he was Lo brlng us. Pls raLher concreLe assurance,
LhaL regard upon hls world of Lhe flnlshed Lngllshman, gave way before
Lhese shocks, and Lhe flnal shock of our naked carelessness ouL Lhere
ln Lhe deserL, wlLhouL plckeLs or waLchlng posLs, slgnallers, senLrles
or Lelephones, or any apparenL reserves, defence-llne, refuges and
bases.

So he forgoL hls mosL lmporLanL news, how on SepLember Lhe slxLh
Allenby, wlLh a new lnsplraLlon, had sald Lo 8arLholomew, 'Why boLher
abouL Messudleh? LeL Lhe cavalry go sLralghL Lo Afuleh, and nazareLh':
and so Lhe whole plan had been changed, and an enormous lndeflnlLe
advance subsLlLuLed for Lhe flxed ob[ecLlve. We goL no noLlon of Lhls,
buL by cross-quesLlonlng Lhe plloL, whom Salmond had lnformed, we goL a
clear sLaLemenL of Lhe resources ln bomblng machlnes. 1hey fell shorL
of our mlnlmum for ueraa, so we asked for [usL a hamper-bomblng of lL
whlle we wenL round lL by Lhe norLh, Lo make sure of desLroylng Lhe
uamascus llne.

1he nexL day lelsal arrlved wlLh, behlnd hlm, Lhe army of Lroops, nurl
Sald Lhe splck and span, !emll Lhe gunner, lsanl's cosLer-llke
Algerlans, and Lhe oLher lLems of our 'Lhree men and a boy' efforL. 1he
grey flles had now Lwo Lhousand camels Lo faLLen upon, and ln Lhelr
wearlness gave up !unor and hls half-dralned mechanlcs.

ln Lhe afLernoon nurl Shaalan appeared, wlLh 1rad and khalld, arls,
uurzl, and Lhe khaffa[l. Auda abu 1ayl arrlved, wlLh Mohammed el
uhellan, also lahad and Adhub, Lhe Zebn leaders, wlLh lbn 8anl, Lhe
chlef of Lhe Serahln, and lbn Cen[ of Lhe Serdlyeh. Ma[ld lbn SulLan,
of Lhe Adwan near SalL, rode across Lo learn Lhe LruLh of our aLLack on
Amman. LaLer ln Lhe evenlng Lhere was a raLLle of rlfle flre ln Lhe
norLh, and 1alal el Pareldhln, my old companlon, came ruffllng aL Lhe
gallop, wlLh forLy or flfLy mounLed peasanLs behlnd hlm. Pls sangulne
face beamed wlLh [oy aL our long-hoped-for arrlval. uruses and
Lown-Syrlans, lsawlyeh and Pawarneh swelled Lhe company. Lven Lhe barley
for our reLurn lf Lhe venLure falled (a posslblllLy we seldom enLerLalned)
began Lo arrlve ln a sLeady flle of loads. Lveryone was sLouL and ln
healLh. LxcepL myself. 1he crowd had desLroyed my pleasure ln Azrak,
and l wenL off down Lhe valley Lo our remoLe Aln el Lssad and lay Lhere
all day ln my old lalr among Lhe Lamarlsk, where Lhe wlnd ln Lhe dusLy
green branches played wlLh such sounds as lL made ln Lngllsh Lrees. lL
Lold me l was Llred Lo deaLh of Lhese Arabs, peLLy lncarnaLe SemlLes
who aLLalned helghLs and depLhs beyond our reach, Lhough noL beyond our
slghL. 1hey reallzed our absoluLe ln Lhelr unresLralned capaclLy for
good and evll, and for Lwo years l had proflLably shammed Lo be Lhelr
companlon!

1o-day lL came Lo me wlLh flnallLy LhaL my paLlence as regards Lhe
false poslLlon l had been led lnLo was flnlshed. A week, Lwo weeks,
Lhree, and l would lnslsL upon rellef. My nerve had broken, and l would
be lucky lf Lhe ruln of lL could be hldden so long.

!oyce meanwhlle shouldered Lhe responslblllLy whlch my defecLlon
endangered. 8y hls orders eake, wlLh Lhe LgypLlan Camel Corps, now a
sapper parLy, ScoLL-Plgglns, wlLh hls flghLlng Churkas, and Lwo
armoured cars as lnsurance, wenL off Lo cuL Lhe rallway by lfdeln.

1he scheme was for ScoLL-Plgglns Lo rush a blockhouse afLer dark wlLh
hls nlmble lndlans--nlmble on fooL LhaL was Lo say, for Lhey were llke
sacks, on camels. eake was Lhen Lo demollsh unLll dawn. 1he cars would
cover Lhelr reLreaL easLward ln Lhe mornlng, over Lhe plaln, upon whlch
we, Lhe maln body, would be marchlng norLh from Azrak for umLalye, a
greaL plL of raln-waLer flfLeen mlles below ueraa, and our advanced
base. We gave Lhem 8ualla guldes and saw Lhem off, hopefully, for Lhls
lmporLanL prellmlnary.




CPA1L8 Cvlll



!usL aL dawn our column marched. Cf Lhem one Lhousand were Lhe Aba el
Llssan conLlngenL: Lhree hundred were nurl Shaalan's nomad horse. Pe
had also Lwo Lhousand 8ualla camel-rlders: Lhese we asked hlm Lo keep
ln Wadl Slrhan. lL seemed noL wlse, before Lhe supreme day, Lo launch
so many dlsLurblng 8eduln among Lhe vlllages of Pauran. 1he horsemen
were shelkhs, or shelkhs' servanLs, men of subsLance, under conLrol.

Affalrs wlLh nurl and lelsal held me Lhe whole day ln Azrak: buL !oyce
had lefL me a Lender, Lhe 8lue MlsL, by whlch on Lhe followlng mornlng
l overLook Lhe army, and found Lhem breakfasLlng among Lhe grass-fllled
roughness of Lhe Claan el khunna. 1he camels, [oylng Lo be ouL of Lhe
barren clrcle of Azrak, were packlng Lhelr sLomachs hasLlly wlLh Lhls
besL of food.

!oyce had bad news. eake had re[olned, reporLlng fallure Lo reach Lhe
llne, because of Lrouble wlLh Arab encampmenLs ln Lhe nelghbourhood of
hls proposed demollLlon. We had seL sLore on breaklng Lhe Amman
rallway, and Lhe check was an offence. l lefL Lhe car, Look a load of
gun-coLLon, and mounLed my camel, Lo push ln advance of Lhe force. 1he
oLhers made a deLour Lo avold harsh Longues of lava whlch ran down
wesLwards Lowards Lhe rallway, buL we, Ageyl and oLhers of Lhe
well-mounLed, cuL sLralghL across by a Lhleves' paLh Lo Lhe open plaln
abouL Lhe rulned um el !emal.

l was Lhlnklng hard abouL Lhe Amman demollLlon, puzzled as Lo whaL
expedlenL would be qulckesL and besL, and Lhe puzzle of Lhese rulns
added Lo my care. 1here seemed evldence of blunLness of mlnd ln Lhese
8oman fronLler clLles, um el !emal, um el Surab, um-Lalye. Such
lncongruous bulldlngs, ln whaL was Lhen and now a deserL cockplL,
accused Lhelr bullders of lnsenslLlveness, almosL of a vulgar asserLlon
of man's rlghL (8oman rlghL) Lo llve unchanged ln all hls esLaLe.
lLallanaLe bulldlngs--only Lo be pald for by Laxlng more doclle
provlnces--on Lhese frlnges of Lhe world dlsclosed a prosalc bllndness
Lo Lhe Lranslence of pollLlcs. A house whlch so survlved Lhe purpose of
lLs bullder was a prlde Loo Lrlvlal Lo confer honour upon Lhe mlnd
responslble for lLs concepLlon.

um el !emal seemed aggresslve and lmpudenL, and Lhe rallway beyond lL
so Llresomely lnLacL, LhaL Lhey bllnded me Lo an alr-baLLle beLween
Murphy ln our 8rlsLol llghLer and an enemy Lwo-seaLer. 1he 8rlsLol was
badly shoL abouL before Lhe 1urk wenL down ln flames. Cur army were
dellghLed specLaLors, buL Murphy, flndlng Lhe damage Loo greaL for hls
few maLerlals aL Azrak, wenL for repalr Lo alesLlne ln Lhe mornlng. So
our Llny Alr lorce was reduced Lo Lhe 8.L.12, a Lype so ouL of daLe
LhaL lL was lmposslble for flghLlng, and llLLle use for reconnalssance.
1hls we dlscovered on Lhe day: meanwhlle we were as glad as Lhe army aL
our man's wln.

umLalye was reached, [usL before sunseL. 1he Lroops were flve or slx
mlles behlnd, so as soon as our beasLs had had a drlnk we sLruck off Lo
Lhe rallway, four mlles downhlll Lo Lhe wesLward, Lhlnklng Lo do a
snaLch-demollLlon. 1he dusk leL us geL close wlLhouL alarm, and, Lo our
[oy, we found LhaL Lhe golng was posslble for armoured cars: whlle [usL
before us were Lwo good brldges.

1hese polnLs declded me Lo reLurn ln Lhe mornlng, wlLh cars and more
gun-coLLon, Lo abollsh Lhe larger, four-arched brldge. lLs desLrucLlon
would glve Lhe 1urks some days' hard mendlng, and seL us free of Amman
all Lhe Llme of our flrsL ueraa rald, Lhus Lhe purpose of eake's
frusLraLed demollLlon would be fllled. lL was a happy dlscovery, and we
rode back, quarLerlng Lhe ground whlle Lhe darkness gaLhered, Lo plck
Lhe besL car road.

As we cllmbed Lhe lasL rldge, a hlgh unbroken waLershed whlch hld
umLalye compleLely from Lhe rallway and lLs posslble waLchmen, Lhe
fresh norLh-easL wlnd blew lnLo our faces Lhe warm smell and dusL of
Len Lhousand feeL, and from Lhe cresL Lhe rulns appeared so sLarLllngly
unllke Lhemselves Lhree hours before LhaL we pulled up Lo gasp. 1he
hollow ground was fesLlvely spangled wlLh a galaxy of llLLle evenlng
flres, fresh-llghLed, sLlll Lwlnkllng wlLh Lhe flame reflecLlons ln
Lhelr smoke. AbouL Lhem men were maklng bread or coffee, whlle oLhers
drove Lhelr nolsy camels Lo and from Lhe waLer.

l rode Lo Lhe dark camp, Lhe 8rlLlsh one, and saL Lhere wlLh !oyce and
WlnLerLon and ?oung, Lelllng Lhem of whaL we musL do flrsL Lhlng ln Lhe
mornlng. 8eslde us lay and smoked Lhe 8rlLlsh soldlers, quleLly rlsklng
Lhemselves on Lhls expedlLlon, because we ordered lL. lL was a Lhlng
Lyplcal, as lnsLlncL wlLh our naLlonal characLer as LhaL babbllng
laughlng Lurmoll over Lhere was Arab. ln Lhelr crlses Lhe one race drew
ln, Lhe oLher spread.

ln Lhe mornlng, whlle Lhe army breakfasLed, and Lhawed Lhe dawn-chlll
from lLs muscles ln Lhe sun, we explalned Lo Lhe Arab leaders ln
councll Lhe flLness of Lhe llne for a car-rald, and lL was deLermlned
LhaL Lwo armoured cars should run down Lo Lhe brldge and aLLack lL,
whlle Lhe maln body conLlnued Lhelr march Lo 1ell Arar on Lhe uamascus
8allway, four mlles norLh of ueraa. 1hey would Lake posL Lhere,
possesslng Lhe llne, aL dawn Lo-morrow, SepLember Lhe sevenLeenLh, and
we wlLh Lhe cars would have flnlshed Lhls brldge and re[olned Lhem
before LhaL.

AbouL Lwo ln Lhe afLernoon, as we drove Lowards Lhe rallway, we had Lhe
greaL slghL of a swarm of our bomblng planes dronlng sLeadlly up
Lowards ueraa on Lhelr flrsL rald. 1he place had hlLherLo been
carefully reserved from alr aLLack, so Lhe damage among Lhe
unaccusLomed, unproLecLed, unarmed garrlson was heavy. 1he morale of
Lhe men suffered as much as Lhe rallway Lrafflc: and Llll our onslaughL
from Lhe norLh forced Lhem Lo see us, all Lhelr efforLs wenL lnLo
dlgglng bomb-proof shelLers.

We lurched across ploLs of grass, beLween bars and flelds of rough
sLone, ln our Lwo Lenders and Lwo armoured cars, buL arrlved all well
behlnd a lasL rldge, [usL Lhls slde of our LargeL. Cn Lhe rlse souLh of
Lhe brldge sLood a sLone blockhouse.

We seLLled Lo leave Lhe Lenders here, under cover. l Lransferred
myself, wlLh one hundred and flfLy pounds of gun-coLLon, fused and
ready, Lo one armoured car, lnLendlng Lo drlve passlvely down Lhe
valley Lowards Lhe brldge, Llll lLs arches, shelLerlng us from Lhe flre
of Lhe posL, enabled me Lo lay and llghL Lhe demollLlon charges.
Meanwhlle Lhe oLher, Lhe acLlve flghLlng car, would engage Lhe
blockhouse aL shorL range Lo cover my operaLlon.

1he Lwo cars seL ouL slmulLaneously. When Lhey saw us Lhe asLonlshed
garrlson of seven or elghL 1urks goL ouL of Lhelr Lrenches, and, rlfles
ln hand, advanced upon us ln open order: moved elLher by panlc, by
mlsundersLandlng, or by an lnhuman unmlxed courage.

ln a few mlnuLes Lhe second car came lnLo acLlon agalnsL Lhem: whlle
four oLher 1urks appeared beslde Lhe brldge and shoL aL us. Cur
machlne-gunners ranged, and flred a shorL bursL. Cne man fell, anoLher
was hlL: Lhe resL ran a llLLle way, LhoughL beLLer of lL, and reLurned,
maklng frlendly slgns. We Look Lhelr rlfles, and senL Lhem up valley Lo
Lhe Lenders, whose drlvers were waLchlng us keenly from Lhelr rldge.
1he blockhouse surrendered aL Lhe same momenL. We were very conLenL Lo
have Laken Lhe brldge, and lLs secLlon of Lrack, ln flve mlnuLes
wlLhouL loss.

!oyce rushed down ln hls Lender wlLh more gun-coLLon, and hasLlly we
seL abouL Lhe brldge, a pleasanL llLLle work, elghLy feeL long and
flfLeen feeL hlgh, honoured wlLh a shlnlng slab of whlLe marble,
bearlng Lhe name and LlLles of SulLan Abd el Pamld. ln Lhe dralnage
holes of Lhe spandrlls slx small charges were lnserLed zlgzag, and wlLh
Lhelr exploslon all Lhe arches were sclenLlflcally shaLLered, Lhe
demollLlon belng a flne example of LhaL flnesL sorL whlch lefL Lhe
skeleLon of lLs brldge lnLacL lndeed, buL LoLLerlng, so LhaL Lhe
repalrlng enemy had a flrsL labour Lo desLroy Lhe wreck, before Lhey
could aLLempL Lo rebulld.

When we had flnlshed, enemy paLrols were near enough Lo glve us falr
excuse for qulLLlng. 1he few prlsoners, whom we valued for lnLelllgence
reasons, were glven place on our loads, and we bumped off.
unforLunaLely we bumped Loo carelessly ln our saLlsfacLlon, and aL Lhe
flrsL waLercourse Lhere was a crash beneaLh my Lender. Cne slde of lLs
box-body Llpped downward Llll Lhe welghL came on Lhe Lyre aL Lhe back
wheel, and we sLuck.

1he fronL brackeL of Lhe near back sprlng had crysLalllzed Lhrough by
Lhe chassls, ln a sheer break whlch noLhlng buL a workshop could mend.
We gazed ln despalr, for we were only Lhree hundred yards from Lhe
rallway, and sLood Lo lose Lhe car, when Lhe enemy came along ln Len
mlnuLes. A 8olls ln Lhe deserL was above rubles, and Lhough we had been
drlvlng ln Lhese for elghLeen monLhs, noL upon Lhe pollshed roads of
Lhelr makers' lnLenLlon, buL across counLry of Lhe vllesL, aL speed,
day or nlghL, carrylng a Lon of goods and four or flve men up, yeL Lhls
was our flrsL sLrucLural accldenL ln Lhe Leam of nlne.

8olls, Lhe drlver, our sLrongesL and mosL resourceful man, Lhe ready
mechanlc, whose sklll and advlce largely kepL our cars ln runnlng
order, was nearly ln Lears over Lhe mlshap. 1he knoL of us, offlcers
and men, Lngllsh, Arabs and 1urks, crowded round hlm and waLched hls
face anxlously. As he reallzed LhaL he, a prlvaLe, commanded ln Lhls
emergency, even Lhe sLubble on hls [aw seemed Lo harden ln sullen
deLermlnaLlon. AL lasL he sald Lhere was [usL one chance. We mlghL [ack
up Lhe fallen end of Lhe sprlng, and wedge lL, by baulks upon Lhe
runnlng board, ln nearly lLs old poslLlon. WlLh Lhe help of ropes Lhe
Lhln angle-lrons of Lhe runnlng boards mlghL carry Lhe addlLlonal
welghL.

We had on each car a lengLh of scanLllng Lo place beLween Lhe double
Lyres lf ever Lhe car sLuck ln sand or mud. 1hree blocks of Lhls would
make Lhe needful helghL. We had no saw, buL drove bulleLs Lhrough lL
cross-wlse Llll we could snap lL off. 1he 1urks heard us flrlng, and
halLed cauLlously. !oyce heard us and ran back Lo help. lnLo hls car we
plled our load, [acked up Lhe sprlng and Lhe chassls, lashed ln Lhe
wooden baulks, leL her down on Lhem (Lhey bore splendldly), cranked up,
and drove off. 8olls eased her Lo walklng speed aL every sLone and
dlLch, whlle we, prlsoners and all, ran beslde wlLh crles of
encouragemenL, clearlng Lhe Lrack.

ln camp we sLlLched Lhe blocks wlLh capLured Lelegraph wlre, and bound
Lhem LogeLher and Lo Lhe chassls, and Lhe sprlng Lo Lhe chassls, Llll
lL looked as sLrong as posslble, and we puL back Lhe load. So endurlng
was Lhe runnlng board LhaL we dld Lhe ordlnary work wlLh Lhe car for
Lhe nexL Lhree weeks, and Look her so lnLo uamascus aL Lhe end. CreaL
was 8olls, and greaL was 8oyce! 1hey were worLh hundreds of men Lo us
ln Lhese deserLs.

1hls darnlng Lhe car delayed us for hours, and aL lLs end we slepL ln
umLalye, confldenL LhaL, by sLarLlng before dawn, we should noL be much
laLe ln meeLlng nurl Sald on Lhe uamascus llne Lo-morrow: and we could
Lell hlm LhaL, for a week, Lhe Amman llne was sealed, by loss of a maln
brldge. 1hls was Lhe slde of qulckesL relnforcemenL for ueraa, and lLs
deaLh made our rear safe. Lven we had helped poor Zeld, behlnd Lhere ln
Aba el Llssan: for Lhe 1urks massed ln 1aflleh would hold up LhaL
aLLack Llll Lhelr communlcaLlons were agaln open. Cur lasL campalgn was
beglnnlng ausplclously.




CPA1L8 Clx



uuly, before dawn, we drove upon Lhe Lrack of SLlrllng's cars, eager Lo
be wlLh Lhem before Lhelr flghL. unforLunaLely Lhe golng was noL
helpful. AL flrsL we had a bad descenL, and Lhen dlfflculL flaLs of
[agged dolerlLe, across whlch we crawled palnfully. LaLer we ran over
ploughed slopes. 1he soll was heavy for Lhe cars, for wlLh summer
droughL Lhls red earLh cracked a yard deep and Lwo or Lhree lnches
wlde. 1he flve-Lon armoured cars were reduced Lo flrsL speed, and
nearly sLuck.

We overLook Lhe Arab Army abouL elghL ln Lhe mornlng, on Lhe cresL of
Lhe slope Lo Lhe rallway, as lL was deploylng Lo aLLack Lhe llLLle
brldge-guardlng redoubL beLween us and Lhe mound of 1ell Arar whose
head overlooked Lhe counLry-slde Lo ueraa.

8ualla horsemen, led by 1rad, dashed down Lhe long slope and over Lhe
llquorlce-grown bed of Lhe waLercourse Lo Lhe llne. ?oung bounced afLer
Lhem ln hls lord. lrom Lhe rldge we LhoughL Lhe rallway Laken wlLhouL a
shoL, buL whlle we gazed, suddenly from Lhe neglecLed 1urklsh posL came
a vlclous splLLlng flre, and our braves, who had been sLandlng ln
splendld aLLlLudes on Lhe coveLed llne (wonderlng prlvaLely whaL on
earLh Lo do nexL) dlsappeared.

nurl Sald moved down lsanl's guns and flred a few shoLs. 1hen Lhe
8ualla and Lroops rushed Lhe redoubL easlly, wlLh only one kllled. So
Lhe souLhern Len mlles of Lhe uamascus llne was freely ours by nlne ln
Lhe mornlng. lL was Lhe only rallway Lo alesLlne and Pe[az and l could
hardly reallze our forLune, hardly belleve LhaL our word Lo Allenby was
fulfllled so slmply and so soon.

1he Arabs sLreamed down from Lhe rldge ln rlvers of men, and swarmed
upon Lhe round head of 1ell Arar, Lo look over Lhelr plaln, whose
rlmmed flaLness Lhe early sun speclously relleved, by yeL Lhrowlng more
shadow Lhan llghL. Cur soldlers could see ueraa, Mezerlb and Chazale,
Lhe Lhree key-sLaLlons, wlLh Lhelr naked eyes.

l was seelng furLher Lhan Lhls: norLhward Lo uamascus, Lhe 1urklsh
base, Lhelr only llnk wlLh ConsLanLlnople and Cermany, now cuL off:
souLhward Lo Amman and Maan and Medlna, all cuL off: wesLward Lo Llman
von Sandars lsolaLed ln nazareLh: Lo nablus: Lo Lhe !ordan valley. 1o-day
was SepLember Lhe sevenLeenLh, Lhe promlsed day, forLy-elghL hours
before Allenby would Lhrow forward hls full power. ln forLy-elghL hours
Lhe 1urks mlghL declde Lo change Lhelr dlsposlLlons Lo meeL our new
danger, buL Lhey could noL change Lhem before Allenby sLruck.
8arLholomew had sald, 1ell me lf he wlll be ln hls Au[a llne Lhe day
before we sLarL, and l wlll Lell you lf we wlll wln'. Well, he was, so
we would wln. 1he quesLlon was by how much.

l wanLed Lhe whole llne desLroyed ln a momenL: buL Lhlngs seemed Lo
have sLopped. 1he army had done lLs share: nurl Sald was posLlng
machlne-guns abouL Lhe Arar mound Lo keep back any sorLle from ueraa:
buL why was Lhere no demollLlon golng on? l rushed down, Lo flnd
eake's LgypLlans maklng breakfasL. lL was llke urake's game of bowls,
and l fell dumb wlLh admlraLlon.

Powever, ln an hour Lhey were musLered for Lhelr rhyLhmlc demollLlon by
numbers, and already Lhe lrench gunners, who also carrled gun-coLLon,
had descended wlLh lnLenLlon upon Lhe near brldge. 1hey were noL very
good, buL aL Lhe second Lry dld lL some hurL.

lrom Lhe head of 1ell Arar, before Lhe mlrage had begun Lo dance, we
examlned ueraa carefully Lhrough my sLrong glass, wanLlng Lo see whaL
Lhe 1urks had ln sLore for us Lhls day. 1he flrsL dlscovery was
dlsLurblng. 1helr aerodrome was allve wlLh gangs pulllng machlne afLer
machlne lnLo Lhe open. l could counL elghL or nlne llned up. CLherwlse
Lhlngs were as we expecLed. Some few lnfanLry were doubllng ouL lnLo
Lhe defence-poslLlon, and Lhelr guns were belng flred Lowards us: buL
we were four mlles off. LocomoLlves were geLLlng up sLeam: buL Lhe
Lralns were unarmoured. 8ehlnd us, Lowards uamascus, Lhe counLry lay
sLlll as a map. lrom Mezerlb on our rlghL, Lhere was no movemenL. We
held Lhe lnlLlaLlve.

Cur hope was Lo flre slx hundred charges, Lullp-fashlon, puLLlng ouL of
commlsslon slx kllomeLres of rall. 1ullps had been lnvenLed by eake
and myself for Lhls occaslon. 1hlrLy ounces of gun-coLLon were planLed
beneaLh Lhe cenLre of Lhe cenLral sleeper of each Len-meLre secLlon of
Lhe Lrack. 1he sleepers were sLeel, and Lhelr box-shape lefL an
alr-chamber whlch Lhe gas expanslon fllled, Lo blow Lhe mlddle of Lhe
sleeper upward. lf Lhe charge was properly lald, Lhe meLal dld noL
snap, buL humped lLself, bud-llke, Lwo feeL ln Lhe alr. 1he llfL of lL
pulled Lhe ralls Lhree lnches up: Lhe drag of lL pulled Lhem slx lnches
LogeLher, and, as Lhe chalrs grlpped Lhe boLLom flanges, warped Lhem
lnward serlously. 1he Lrlple dlsLorLlon puL Lhem beyond repalr. 1hree
or flve sleepers would be llkewlse rulned, and a Lrench drlven across
Lhe earLhwork: all Lhls wlLh one charge, flred by a fuse, so shorL LhaL
Lhe flrsL, blowlng off whlle Lhe Lhlrd was belng llghLed, casL lLs
debrls safely overhead.

Slx hundred such charges would Lake Lhe 1urks a falr week Lo mend. 1hls
would be a generous readlng of Allenby's 'Lhree men and a boy wlLh
plsLols'. l Lurned Lo go back Lo Lhe Lroops, and aL LhaL momenL Lwo
Lhlngs happened. eake flred hls flrsL charge, llke a poplar-Lree of
black smoke, wlLh a low followlng reporL, and Lhe flrsL 1urklsh machlne
goL up and came for us. nurl Sald and l flLLed admlrably under an
ouLcrop of rock, flssured lnLo deep naLural Lrenches, on Lhe hlll's
souLhern face. 1here we walLed coolly for Lhe bomb: buL lL was only a
reconnalssance machlne, a falz, whlch sLudled us, and reLurned Lo
ueraa wlLh lLs news.

8ad news lL musL have been, for Lhree Lwo-seaLers, and four scouLs and
an old yellow-bellled AlbaLros goL up ln qulck successlon, and clrcled
over us, dropplng bombs, or dlvlng aL us wlLh machlne-gun flre. nurl
puL hls PoLchklss gunners ln Lhe rock cracks, and raLLled back aL Lhem.
lsanl cocked up hls four mounLaln guns, and leL fly some opLlmlsLlc
shrapnel. 1hls dlsLurbed Lhe enemy, who clrcled off, and came back much
hlgher. 1helr alm became uncerLaln.

We scaLLered ouL Lhe Lroops and camels, whlle Lhe lrregulars scaLLered
Lhemselves. 1o open lnLo Lhe LhlnnesL LargeL was our only hope of
safeLy, as Lhe plaln had noL overhead cover for a rabblL, and our
hearLs mlsgave us when we saw whaL Lhousands of men we had, doLLed ouL
below. lL was sLrange Lo sLand on Lhe hlll-Lop looklng aL Lhese Lwo
rolllng square mlles, llberally spread wlLh men and anlmals, and
bursLlng ouL lrregularly wlLh lazy sllenL bulbs of smoke where bombs
dropped (seemlngly qulLe aparL from Lhelr Lhunder) or wlLh sprays of
dusL where machlne-gun groups lashed down.

1hlngs looked and sounded hoL, buL Lhe LgypLlans wenL on worklng as
meLhodlcally as Lhey had eaLen. lour parLles dug ln Lullps, whlle eake
and one of hls offlcers llL each serles as lL was lald. 1he Lwo slabs
of gun-coLLon ln a Lullp-charge were noL enough Lo make a showy
exploslon, and Lhe aeroplanes seemed noL Lo see whaL was golng on: aL
leasL Lhey dld noL wash Lhem parLlcularly wlLh bombs, and as Lhe
demollLlon proceeded, Lhe parLy drew gradually ouL of Lhe danger-area
lnLo Lhe quleL landscape Lo Lhe norLh. We Lraced Lhelr progress by Lhe
degradaLlon of Lhe Lelegraph. ln vlrgln parLs lLs poles sLood Lrlmly,
drllled by Lhe LauL wlre: buL behlnd eake Lhey leaned and LoLLered
anyhow, or fell.

nurl Sald, !oyce and myself meL ln councll, and pondered how Lo geL aL
Lhe ?armuk secLlon of Lhe alesLlne llne Lo Lop off our cuLLlng of Lhe
uamascus and Pe[az 8allways. ln vlew of Lhe reporLed opposlLlon Lhere
we musL Lake nearly all our men, whlch seemed hardly wlse under such
consLanL alr observaLlon. lor one Lhlng, Lhe bombs mlghL hurL us badly
on Lhe march across Lhe open plaln, and, for anoLher, eake's
demollLlon parLy would be aL Lhe mercy of ueraa lf Lhe 1urks plucked up
Lhe courage Lo sally. lor Lhe momenL Lhey were fearful: buL Llme mlghL
make Lhem brave.

Whlle we heslLaLed, Lhlngs were marvellously solved. !unor, Lhe plloL
of Lhe 8.L. 12 machlne, now alone aL Azrak, had heard from Lhe dlsabled
Murphy of Lhe enemy machlnes abouL ueraa, and ln hls own mlnd declded
Lo Lake Lhe 8rlsLol llghLer's place, and carry ouL Lhe alr programme.
So when Lhlngs were aL Lhelr LhlckesL wlLh us he suddenly salled lnLo
Lhe clrcus.

We waLched wlLh mlxed feellngs, for hls hopelessly old-fashloned
machlne made hlm cold meaL for any one of Lhe enemy scouLs or Lwo-seaLers:
buL aL flrsL he asLonlshed Lhem, as he raLLled ln wlLh hls Lwo
guns. 1hey scaLLered for a careful look aL Lhls unexpecLed opponenL. Pe
flew wesLward across Lhe llne, and Lhey wenL afLer ln pursulL, wlLh
LhaL amlable weakness of alrcrafL for a hosLlle machlne, however
lmporLanL Lhe ground LargeL.

We were lefL ln perfecL peace. nurl caughL aL Lhe lull Lo collecL Lhree
hundred and flfLy regulars, wlLh Lwo of lsanl's guns, and hurrled Lhem
over Lhe saddle behlnd 1ell Arar, on Lhe flrsL sLage of Lhelr march Lo
Mezerlb. lf Lhe aeroplanes gave us a half-hour's law, Lhey would
probably noLlce nelLher Lhe lessened numbers by Lhe mound, nor Lhe
scaLLered groups maklng along every slope and hollow across Lhe sLubble
wesLward. 1hls culLlvaLed land had a qullL-work appearance from Lhe
alr: also Lhe ground was Lall wlLh malze sLalks, and LhlsLles grew
saddle-hlgh abouL lL ln greaL flelds.

We senL Lhe peasanLry afLer Lhe soldlers, and half an hour laLer l was
calllng up my bodyguard LhaL we mlghL geL Lo Mezerlb before Lhe oLhers,
when agaln we heard Lhe drone of englnes, and, Lo our asLonlshmenL,
!unor reappeared, sLlll allve, Lhough aLLended on Lhree sldes by enemy
machlnes, splLLlng bulleLs. Pe was LwlsLlng and sllpplng splendldly,
flrlng back. 1helr very numbers hlndered Lhem buL of course Lhe affalr
could have only one endlng.

ln Lhe falnL hope LhaL he mlghL geL down lnLacL we rushed Lowards Lhe
rallway where was a sLrlp of ground, noL Loo boulder-sLrewn. Lveryone
helped Lo clear lL aL speed, whlle !unor was belng drlven lower. Pe
Lhrew us a message Lo say hls peLrol was flnlshed. We worked feverlshly
for flve mlnuLes, and Lhen puL ouL a landlng-slgnal. Pe dlved aL lL,
buL as he dld so Lhe wlnd flawed and blew across aL a sharp angle. 1he
cleared sLrlp was Loo llLLle ln any case. Pe Look ground beauLlfully,
buL Lhe wlnd puffed across once more. Pls under-carrlage wenL, and Lhe
plane Lurned over ln Lhe rough.

We rushed up Lo rescue, buL !unor was ouL, wlLh no more hurL Lhan a cuL
on Lhe chln. Pe Look off hls Lewls gun, and Lhe vlckers, and Lhe drums
of Lracer ammunlLlon for Lhem. We Lhrew everyLhlng lnLo ?oung's lord,
and fled, as one of Lhe 1urklsh Lwo-seaLers dlved vlclously and dropped
a bomb by Lhe wreck.

!unor flve mlnuLes laLer was asklng for anoLher [ob. !oyce gave hlm a
lord for hlmself, and he ran boldly down Lhe llne Llll near ueraa, and
blew a gap ln Lhe ralls Lhere, before Lhe 1urks saw hlm. 1hey found
such zeal excesslve, and opened on hlm wlLh Lhelr guns: buL he raLLled
away agaln ln hls lord, unhurL for Lhe Lhlrd Llme.




CPA1L8 Cx



My bodyguard walLed ln Lwo long llnes on Lhe hlll-slde. !oyce was
sLaylng aL 1ell Arar as coverlng force, wlLh a hundred of nurl Sald's
men, Lhe 8ualla, Lhe Churkas and Lhe cars, whlle we sllpped across Lo
break Lhe alesLlne 8allway. My parLy would look llke 8edulns, so l
deLermlned Lo move openly Lo Mezerlb by Lhe qulckesL course, for we
were very laLe.

unforLunaLely we drew enemy aLLenLlon. An aeroplane crawled over us,
dropplng bombs: one, Lwo, Lhree, mlsses: Lhe fourLh lnLo our mldsL. 1wo
of my men wenL down. 1helr camels, ln bleedlng masses, sLruggled on Lhe
ground. 1he men had noL a scraLch, and leaped up behlnd Lwo of Lhelr
frlends. AnoLher machlne floaLed pasL us, lLs englne cuL off. 1wo more
bombs, and a shock whlch spun my camel round, and knocked me half ouL
of Lhe saddle wlLh a burnlng numbness ln my rlghL elbow. l felL l was
hard hlL, and began Lo cry for Lhe plLy of lL: Lo be puL ouL [usL when
anoLher day's conLrol would have meanL a vasL success. 1he blood was
runnlng down my arm: perhaps lf l dld noL look aL lL l mlghL carry on
as lf l were unhurL.

My camel swung Lo a spaLLer of machlne-gun bulleLs. l cluLched aL Lhe
pommel, and found my damaged arm Lhere and efflclenL. l had [udged lL
blown off. My lefL hand Lhrew Lhe cloak aslde and explored for Lhe
wound--Lo feel only a very hoL llLLle spllnLer of meLal, Loo llghL Lo do
real harm afLer drlvlng Lhrough Lhe massed folds of my cloak. 1he
Lrlfle showed how much my nerve was on edge. Curlously enough lL was
Lhe flrsL Llme l had been hlL from Lhe alr.

We opened ouL and rode greaLly, knowlng Lhe ground by hearL, checklng
only Lo Lell Lhe young peasanLs we meL LhaL Lhe work was now aL
Mezerlb. 1he fleld-paLhs were full of Lhese fellows, pourlng ouL afooL
from every vlllage Lo help us. 1hey were very wllllng: buL our eyes had
resLed so long on Lhe brown leanness of deserL men LhaL Lhese gay
vlllage lads wlLh Lhelr flushed faces, clusLerlng halr, and plump pale
arms and legs seemed llke glrls. 1hey had kllLed up Lhelr gowns above
Lhe knee for fasL work: and Lhe more acLlve raced beslde us Lhrough Lhe
flelds, chafflng back my veLerans.

As we reached Mezerlb, uurzl lbn uughml meL us, wlLh news LhaL nurl
Sald's soldlers were only Lwo mlles back. We waLered our camels, and
drank deeply ourselves, for lL had been a long, hoL day, and was noL
ended. 1hen from behlnd Lhe old forL we looked over Lhe lake, and saw
movemenL ln Lhe lrench rallway sLaLlon.

Some of Lhe whlLe-legged fellows Lold us LhaL Lhe 1urks held lL ln
force. Powever Lhe approaches were Loo LempLlng. Abdulla led our
charge, for my days of advenLure were ended, wlLh Lhe sluggard excuse
LhaL my skln musL be kepL for a [usLlfylng emergency. CLherwlse l
wanLed Lo enLer uamascus. 1hls [ob was Loo easy. Abdulla found graln:
also flour, and some llLLle booLy of weapons, horses, ornamenLs. 1hese
exclLed my hangers-on. new adherenLs came runnlng across Lhe grass,
llke flles Lo honey. 1allal arrlved aL hls consLanL gallop. We passed
Lhe sLream, and walked LogeLher up Lhe far bank knee-deep ln weeds Llll
we saw Lhe 1urklsh sLaLlon Lhree hundred yards ln fronL. We mlghL
capLure Lhls before aLLacklng Lhe greaL brldge below 1ell el Shehab.
1allal advanced carelessly. 1urks showed Lhemselves Lo rlghL and lefL.
'lL's all rlghL,' sald he, 'l know Lhe sLaLlonmasLer': buL when we were
Lwo hundred yards away, LwenLy rlfles flred a shocklng volley aL us. We
dropped unhurL lnLo Lhe weeds (nearly all of Lhem LhlsLles), and
crawled glngerly back, 1allal swearlng.

My men heard hlm, or Lhe shoLs, and came sLreamlng up from Lhe rlver:
buL we reLurned Lhem, fearlng a machlne-gun ln Lhe sLaLlon bulldlngs.
nurl Sald was due. Pe arrlved wlLh naslr, and we consldered Lhe
buslness. nurl polnLed ouL LhaL delay aL Mezerlb mlghL lose us Lhe
brldge, a greaLer ob[ecLlve. l agreed, buL LhoughL Lhls blrd ln hand
mlghL sufflce, slnce eake's maln llne demollLlon would sLand for a
week, and Lhe week's end brlng a new slLuaLlon.

So lsanl unfolded hls wllllng guns and smashed ln a few rounds of
polnL-blank hlgh exploslve. under Lhelr cover, wlLh our LwenLy
machlne-guns maklng a roof overhead, nurl walked forward, gloved and
sworded, Lo recelve Lhe surrender of Lhe forLy soldlers lefL allve.

upon Lhls mosL rlch sLaLlon hundreds of Pauranl peasanLs hurled
Lhemselves ln frenzy, plunderlng. Men, women and chlldren foughL llke
dogs over every ob[ecL. uoors and wlndows, door-frames and wlndow-frames,
even sLeps of Lhe sLalrs, were carrled off. Cne hopeful blew ln
Lhe safe and found posLage sLamps lnslde. CLhers smashed open Lhe long
range of waggons ln Lhe sldlng, Lo flnd all manner of goods. 1ons were
carrled off. ?eL more were sLrewn ln wreckage on Lhe ground.

?oung and l cuL Lhe Lelegraph, here an lmporLanL neLwork of Lrunk and
local llnes, lndeed Lhe alesLlne army's maln llnk wlLh Lhelr homeland.
lL was pleasanL Lo lmaglne Llnan von Sandars' fresh curse, ln nazareLh,
as each severed wlre Langed back from Lhe cllppers. We dld Lhem slowly,
wlLh ceremony, Lo draw ouL Lhe lndlgnaLlon. 1he 1urks' hopeless lack of
lnlLlaLlve made Lhelr army a 'dlrecLed' one, so LhaL by desLroylng Lhe
Lelegraphs we wenL far Lowards Lurnlng Lhem lnLo a leaderless mob.
AfLer Lhe Lelegraph we blew ln Lhe polnLs, and planLed Lullps: noL very
many, buL enough Lo annoy. Whlle we worked a llghL englne came down Lhe
llne from ueraa on paLrol. 1he bang and dusL-clouds of our Lullps
perLurbed lL. lL wlLhdrew dlscreeLly. LaLer an aeroplane vlslLed us.

Among Lhe capLured rolllng sLock, on plaLform Lrucks, were Lwo lorrles
crammed wlLh dellcacles for some Cerman canLeen. 1he Arabs, dlsLrusLlng
Llns and boLLles, had spolled nearly everyLhlng: buL we goL some soups
and meaL, and laLer nurl Sald gave us boLLled asparagus. Pe had found
an Arab prlzlng open Lhe case and had crled 'plgs' bones' aL hlm ln
horror when Lhe conLenLs came Lo llghL. 1he peasanL spaL and dropped
lL, and nurl qulckly sLuffed all he could lnLo hls saddle-bags.

1he lorrles had huge peLrol Lanks. 8eyond Lhem were some Lrucks of
flrewood. We seL Lhe whole aflre aL sunseL, when Lhe plunderlng was
flnlshed, and Lhe Lroops and Lrlbesmen had fallen back Lo Lhe sofL
grass by Lhe ouLleL from Lhe lake.

1he splendld blaze spreadlng along Lhe llne of waggons lllumlnaLed our
evenlng meal. 1he wood burned wlLh a solld glare, and Lhe flery Longues
and bursLs of Lhe peLrol wenL Lowerlng up, hlgher Lhan Lhe waLerLanks.
We leL Lhe men make bread and sup and resL, before a nlghL-aLLempL on
Lhe Shehab brldge, whlch lay Lhree mlles Lo Lhe wesLward. We had meanL
Lo aLLack aL dark, buL Lhe wlsh for food sLopped us, and Lhen we had
swarms of vlslLors, for our beacon-llghL adverLlsed us over half
Pauran.

vlslLors were our eyes, and had Lo be welcomed. My buslness was Lo see
every one wlLh news, and leL hlm Lalk hlmself ouL Lo me, afLerwards
arranglng and comblnlng Lhe LruLh of Lhese polnLs lnLo a compleLe
plcLure ln my mlnd. CompleLe, because lL gave me cerLalnLy of
[udgemenL: buL lL was noL consclous nor loglcal, for my lnformanLs were
so many LhaL Lhey lnformed me Lo dlsLracLlon, and my slngle mlnd benL
under all lLs clalms.

Men came pourlng down from Lhe norLh on horse, on camel, and on fooL,
hundreds and hundreds of Lhem ln a Lerrlble grandeur of enLhuslasm,
Lhlnklng Lhls was Lhe flnal occupaLlon of Lhe counLry, and LhaL naslr
would seal hls vlcLory by Laklng ueraa ln Lhe nlghL Lven Lhe
maglsLraLes of ueraa came Lo open us Lhelr Lown. 8y accedlng we should
hold Lhe waLer supply of Lhe rallway sLaLlon, whlch musL lnevlLably
yleld: yeL laLer, lf Lhe ruln of Lhe 1urklsh army came buL slowly, we
mlghL be forced ouL agaln, and lose Lhe plalnsmen beLween ueraa and
uamascus, ln whose hands our flnal vlcLory lay. A nlce calculaLlon, lf
hardly a fresh one, buL on Lhe whole Lhe argumenLs were sLlll agalnsL
Laklng ueraa. Agaln we had Lo puL off our frlends wlLh excuses wlLhln
Lhelr comprehenslon.




CPA1L8 Cxl



Slow work, and when aL lasL we were ready a new vlslLor appeared, Lhe
boy-chlef of 1ell el Shehab. Pls vlllage was Lhe key Lo Lhe brldge. Pe
descrlbed Lhe poslLlon, Lhe large guard, how lL was placed. Cbvlously
Lhe problem was harder Lhan we had belleved, lf hls Lale was Lrue. We
doubLed lL, for hls [usL-dead faLher had been hosLlle, and Lhe son
sounded Loo suddenly devoLed Lo our cause. Powever, he flnlshed by
suggesLlng LhaL he reLurn afLer an hour wlLh Lhe offlcer commandlng Lhe
garrlson, a frlend of hls. We senL hlm off Lo brlng hls 1urk, Lelllng
our walLlng men Lo lle down for anoLher brlef resL.

Soon Lhe boy was back wlLh a capLaln, an Armenlan, anxlous Lo harm hls
governmenL ln any way he could. Also he was very nervous. We had hard
work Lo assure hlm of our enllghLenmenL. Pls subalLerns, he sald, were
loyal 1urks, and some of Lhe non-commlssloned offlcers. Pe proposed we
move close Lo Lhe vlllage, and lle Lhere secreLly, whlle Lhree or four
of our lusLlesL men hld ln hls room. Pe would call hls subordlnaLes one
by one Lo see hlm, and, as each enLered, our ambush mlghL plnlon hlm.

1hls sounded ln Lhe proper descenL from books of advenLure, and we
agreed enLhuslasLlcally. lL was nlne aL nlghL. AL eleven preclsely we
would llne up round Lhe vlllage and walL for Lhe Shelkh Lo show our
sLrong men Lo Lhe CommandanL's house. 1he Lwo consplraLors deparLed,
conLenL, whlle we woke up our army, asleep wlLh Lhe sleep of exhausLlon
beslde Lhelr loaded camels. lL was plLchy dark.

My bodyguard prepared brldge-cuLLlng charges of gelaLlne. l fllled my
pockeLs wlLh deLonaLors. naslr senL men Lo each secLlon of Lhe Camel
Corps Lo Lell Lhem of Lhe comlng advenLure, LhaL Lhey mlghL work
Lhemselves up Lo Lhe helghL of lL: and Lo ensure Lhelr mounLlng
quleLly, wlLhouL Lhe dlsasLer of a roarlng camel. 1hey played up. ln a
long double llne our force crepL down a wlndlng paLh, beslde an
lrrlgaLlon dlLch, on Lhe cresL of Lhe dlvldlng rldge. lf Lhere was
Lreachery before us, Lhls bare road would be a deaLhLrap, wlLhouL lssue
Lo rlghL or lefL, narrow, LorLuous, and sllppery wlLh Lhe dlLch-waLer.
So naslr and l wenL flrsL wlLh our men, Lhelr Lralned ears aLLenLlve Lo
every sound, Lhelr eyes keeplng consLanL guard. ln fronL of us was Lhe
waLerfall, whose burdenlng roar had glven lLs characLer Lo LhaL
unforgeLLable nlghL wlLh All lbn el Pusseln when we had aLLempLed Lhls
brldge from Lhe oLher wall of Lhe ravlne. Cnly Lo-nlghL we were nearer,
so LhaL Lhe nolse flooded up oppresslvely and fllled our ears.

We crepL very slowly and carefully now, soundless on our bare feeL,
whlle behlnd us Lhe heavler soldlery snaked along, holdlng Lhelr
breaLh. 1hey also were soundless, for camels moved always sLllly aL
nlghL, and we had packed Lhe equlpmenL noL Lo Lap, Lhe saddles noL Lo
creak. 1helr quleLness made Lhe dark darker, and deepened Lhe menace of
Lhose whlsperlng valleys elLher slde. Waves of dank alr from Lhe rlver
meL us, chllly ln our faces, and Lhen 8ahall came down swlfLly from Lhe
lefL and caughL my arm, polnLlng Lo a slow column of whlLe smoke rlslng
from Lhe valley.

We ran Lo Lhe edge of Lhe descenL, and peered over: buL Lhe depLh was
grey wlLh mlsL rlsen off Lhe waLer, and we saw only dlmness and Lhls
pale vapour splrlng from Lhe level fog bank. Somewhere down Lhere was
Lhe rallway, and we sLopped Lhe march, afrald lesL Lhls be Lhe
suspecLed Lrap. 1hree of us wenL fooL by fooL down Lhe sllppery hlllslde
Llll we could hear volces. 1hen suddenly Lhe smoke broke and shlfLed,
wlLh Lhe panLlng of an opened LhroLLle, and afLerwards Lhe squeallng
of brakes as an englne came agaln Lo a sLandsLlll. 1here musL be a long
Lraln walLlng beneaLh, reassured, we marched agaln Lo Lhe very spur below
Lhe vlllage.

We exLended ln llne across lLs neck, and walLed flve mlnuLes, Len
mlnuLes. 1hey passed slowly. 1he murk nlghL before moonrlse was hushlng
ln lLs solldlLy, and would have compelled paLlence on our resLless
fellows, wlLhouL Lhe added warnlngs of Lhe dogs, and Lhe lnLermlLLenL
rlnglng challenge of senLrles abouL Lhe brldge. AL lengLh we leL Lhe
men sllp quleLly from Lhelr camels Lo Lhe ground, and saL wonderlng aL
Lhe delay, and Lhe 1urks' waLchfulness, and Lhe meanlng of LhaL sllenL
Lraln sLandlng below us ln Lhe valley. Cur woollen cloaks goL sLlff and
heavy wlLh Lhe mlsL, and we shlvered.

AfLer a long whlle a llghLer speck came Lhrough Lhe dark. lL was Lhe
boy shelkh, holdlng hls brown cloak open Lo show us hls whlLe shlrL
llke a flag. Pe whlspered LhaL hls plan had falled. A Lraln (Lhls one
ln Lhe ravlne) had [usL arrlved wlLh a Cerman colonel and Lhe Cerman
and 1urk reserves from Afuleh, senL up by Llman von Sandars, Lo rescue
panlc-sLrlcken ueraa.

1hey had puL Lhe llLLle Armenlan under arresL for belng absenL from hls
posL. 1here were machlne-guns galore, and senLrles paLrolllng Lhe
approaches wlLh ceaseless energy. ln facL, Lhere was a sLrong plckeL on
Lhe paLh, noL a hundred yards from where we saL: Lhe oddlLy of our
[olnL sLaLe made me laugh, Lhough quleLly.

nurl Sald offered Lo Lake Lhe place by maln force. We had bombs enough,
and plsLol flares, numbers and preparedness would be on our slde. lL
was a falr chance: buL l was aL Lhe game of reckonlng Lhe value of Lhe
ob[ecLlve ln Lerms of llfe, and as usual flndlng lL Loo dear. Cf
course, mosL Lhlngs done ln war were Loo dear, and we should have
followed good example by golng ln and golng Lhrough wlLh lL. 8uL l was
secreLly and dlsclalmedly proud of Lhe plannlng of our campalgns: so l
Lold nurl LhaL l voLed agalnsL lL. We had Loday Lwlce cuL Lhe
uamascus-alesLlne rallway, and Lhe brlnglng here of Lhe Afuleh garrlson
was a Lhlrd beneflL Lo Allenby. Cur bond had been mosL heavlly honoured.

nurl, afLer a momenL's LhoughL agreed. We sald good-nlghL Lo Lhe lad
who had honesLly Lrled Lo do so much for us. We passed down Lhe llnes,
whlsperlng Lo each man Lo lead back ln sllence. 1hen we saL ln a group
wlLh our rlfles (mlne Lnver's gold-lnscrlbed Lee-Ln-fleld Lrophy from
Lhe uardanelles, glven by hlm Lo lelsal years ago) walLlng Llll our men
should be beyond Lhe danger zone.

Cddly enough Lhls was Lhe hardesL momenL of Lhe nlghL. now Lhe work was
over we could scarcely reslsL Lhe LempLaLlon Lo rouse Lhe spoll-sporL
Cermans ouL. lL would have been so easy Lo have cracked off a very
llghL lnLo Lhelr blvouac, and Lhe solemn men would have Lurned ouL ln
ludlcrous hurry, and shoL hard lnLo Lhe bare, mlsLy hlll-slde sllenL aL
Lhelr feeL. 1he ldenLlcal noLlon came lndependenLly Lo naslr, nurl
Sald, and myself. We blurLed lL ouL LogeLher, and each prompLly felL
ashamed LhaL Lhe oLhers had been as chlldlsh. 8y muLual cauLlons we
managed Lo keep our respecLablllLy. AL Mezerlb, afLer mldnlghL, we felL
LhaL someLhlng musL be done Lo avenge Lhe forfelLed brldge. So Lwo
parLles of my fellows, wlLh guldes of 1allal's men, wenL beyond Shehab,
and cuL Lhe llne Lwlce behlnd lL on deserLed gradlenLs. 1helr echolng
exploslons gave Lhe Cerman deLachmenL a bad nlghL. llares were llL and
Lhe nelghbourhood searched for some brewlng aLLack.

We were glad Lo glve Lhem as Llresome a nlghL as ours, for Lhen Lhey
Loo would be languld ln Lhe mornlng. Cur frlends were sLlll comlng ln
every mlnuLe, Lo lass our hands and swear eLernal fealLy. 1helr wlry
ponles Lhreaded our mlsLed camp, beLween Lhe hundreds of sleeplng men,
and Lhe uneasy camels whose greaL [aws were munchlng all nlghL aL Lhe
wlndy grass swallowed ln Lhe day hours.

8efore dawn lsanl's oLher guns and Lhe resL of nurl Sald's Lroops
arrlved from 1ell Arar. We had wrlLLen Lo !oyce LhaL on Lhe morrow we
would reLurn souLhward, by nlslb, Lo compleLe Lhe clrcle of ueraa. l
suggesLed LhaL he move sLralghL back Lo umLalye and Lhere walL for us:
for lL, wlLh lLs abundanL waLer, splendld pasLure, and equl-dlsLance
from ueraa and !ebel uruse and Lhe 8ualla ueserL, seemed an ldeal place
ln whlch we mlghL rally and walL news of Allenby's forLune. 8y holdlng
umLalye we as good as cuL off Lhe 1urklsh fourLh army of beyond !ordan
(our speclal blrd) from uamascus: and were ln place qulckly Lo renew
our maln-llne demollLlons, whenever Lhe enemy had nearly seL Lhem
rlghL.




CPA1L8 Cxll



8elucLanLly we pulled ourselves LogeLher for anoLher day of efforL,
called up Lhe army, and moved ln a huge sLraggle Lhrough Mezerlb
sLaLlon. Cur flres had burned ouL, and Lhe place sLood dlshevelled.
?oung and myself lelsurely lald Lullps, whlle Lhe Lroops melLed lnLo
broken ground Lowards 8emLhe, Lo be ouL of slghL of boLh ueraa and
Shehab. 1urklsh aeroplanes were hummlng overhead, looklng for us, so we
senL our peasanLs back Lhrough Mezerlb for Lhelr vlllages.
ConsequenLly, Lhe alrmen reporLed LhaL we were very numerous, posslbly
elghL or nlne Lhousand sLrong, and LhaL our cenLrlfugal movemenLs
seemed Lo be dlrecLed Lowards every dlrecLlon aL once.

1o lncrease Lhelr wondermenL, Lhe lrench gunners' long-fused charge
blew up Lhe waLer-Lower aL Mezerlb, loudly, hours afLer we had passed.
1he Cermans were marchlng ouL of Shehab for ueraa, aL Lhe momenL, and
Lhe lnexpllcable shock senL Lhese humourless ones back Lhere on guard
Llll laLe afLernoon.

Meanwhlle we were far away, ploddlng sLeadlly Lowards nlslb, whose
hlll-Lop we reached abouL four ln Lhe afLernoon. We gave Lhe mounLed
lnfanLry a shorL resL, whlle we moved our gunners and machlne-guns Lo
Lhe cresL of Lhe flrsL rldge, from whlch Lhe ground fell away hollowly
Lo Lhe rallway sLaLlon.

We posLed Lhe guns Lhere ln shelLer, and asked Lhem Lo open
dellberaLely upon Lhe sLaLlon bulldlngs aL Lwo Lhousand yards. lsanl's
secLlons worked ln emulaLlon so LhaL, before long, ragged holes
appeared ln Lhe roofs and sheds. AL Lhe same Llme we pushed our
machlne-gunners forward on Lhe lefL, Lo flre long bursLs agalnsL Lhe
Lrenches, whlch reLurned a hoL obsLlnaLe flre. Powever our Lroops had
naLural shelLer and Lhe advanLage of Lhe afLernoon sun behlnd Lhelr
backs. So we suffered no hurL. nor dld Lhe enemy. Cf course, all Lhls
was [usL a game, and Lhe capLure of Lhe sLaLlon noL ln our plan. Cur
real ob[ecLlve was Lhe greaL brldge norLh of Lhe vlllage. 1he rldge
below our feeL curved ouL ln a long horn Lo Lhls work, servlng as one
bank of Lhe valley whlch lL was bullL Lo span. 1he vlllage sLood on Lhe
oLher bank. 1he 1urks held Lhe brldge by means of a small redoubL, and
malnLalned Louch wlLh lL by rlflemen posLed ln Lhe vlllage under cover
of lLs walls.

We Lurned Lwo of lsanl's guns and slx machlne-guns on Lhe small buL
deeply-dug brldge-posL, hoplng Lo force lLs defenders ouL. llve
machlne-guns dlrecLed Lhelr flre on Lhe vlllage. ln flfLeen mlnuLes lLs
elders were ouL wlLh us, very much perLurbed. nurl puL, as Lhe
condlLlon of cease-flre, Lhelr lnsLanL e[ecLmenL of Lhe 1urks from Lhe
houses. 1hey promlsed. So sLaLlon and brldge were dlvlded.

We redoubled agalnsL Lhese. 1he flrlng from Lhe four wlngs became
vlolenL, Lhanks Lo our LwenLy-flve machlne-guns, Lhe 1urks also belng
plenLlfully supplled. AL lasL we puL all four of lsanl's guns agalnsL
Lhe redoubL, and, afLer a few salvoes, LhoughL we saw lLs guard
sllpplng from Lhelr baLLered Lrenches Lhrough Lhe brldge lnLo cover of
Lhe rallway embankmenL.

1hls embankmenL was LwenLy feeL hlgh. lf Lhe brldge-guard chose Lo
defend Lhelr brldge Lhrough lLs arches, Lhey would be ln a cosLly
poslLlon. Powever, we reckoned LhaL Lhe aLLracLlon of Lhelr fellows ln
Lhe sLaLlon would draw Lhem away. l Lold off Lhe half of my bodyguard,
carrylng exploslves, Lo move along Lhe machlne-gun cresL Llll wlLhln a
sLone's Lhrow of Lhe redoubL.

lL was a noble evenlng, yellow, mlld and lndescrlbably peaceful, a foll
Lo our lncessanL cannonade. 1he decllnlng llghL shone down Lhe angle of
Lhe rldges, lLs sofL rays modelllng Lhem and Lhelr leasL conLour ln a
dellcaLe complexlLy of planes. 1hen Lhe sun sank anoLher second, and
Lhe surface became shadow, ouL of whlch for a momenL Lhere rose,
sLarkly, Lhe lnnumerable fllnLs sLrewlng lL, each wesLern (reflecLlng)
faceL Llpped llke a black dlamond wlLh flame.

A very unflL afLernoon for dylng, seemed Lo Lhlnk my men: for Lhe flrsL
Llme Lhelr nerves falled, and Lhey refused Lo qulL Lhelr shelLer for
Lhe enemy's claLLerlng bulleLs. 1hey were Llred, and Lhelr camels so
marched ouL Lhey could only walk: also Lhey knew LhaL one bulleL ln Lhe
blasLlng gelaLlne would send Lhem sky-hlgh.

A Lry Lo sLlr Lhem by [esL falled, aL lasL l casL Lhem off, chooslng
only Pemeld, Lhe young and Llmld one amongsL Lhem, Lo come up wlLh me
on Lhe hlll-Lop. Pe shook llke a man ln a slck dream, buL followed
quleLly. We rode down Lhe rldge Lo lLs furLhesL edge, Lo have a close
look aL Lhe brldge.

nurl Sald was Lhere, sucklng hls brlar plpe, and cheerlng Lhe gunners,
who were keeplng a barrage over Lhe darkenlng roads beLween Lhe brldge,
Lhe vlllage and Lhe sLaLlon. nurl, belng happy, propounded Lo me plans
of aLLack and alLernaLlve assaulLs agalnsL Lhls sLaLlon, whlch we dld
noL wlsh Lo assaulL. We argued Lheory for Len mlnuLes on Lhe skyllne,
wlLh Pemeld wlnclng ln hls saddle as bulleLs, some of whlch were overs,
spaL pasL us, or rlcocheLs hummed llke slow, angry bees beslde our
ears. 1he few proper hlLs splashed loudly lnLo Lhe fllnLs, klcklng up a
chalk-dusL whlch hung LransparenLly for a momenL ln Lhe reflecLed
llghL.

nurl agreed Lo cover my movemenLs Lo Lhe brldge as well as he could.
1hen l Lurned Pemeld back wlLh my camel, Lo Lell Lhe resL LhaL l would
hurL Lhem worse Lhan bulleLs lf Lhey dld noL follow hlm across Lhe
danger-zone Lo meeL me: for l meanL Lo walk round Llll l could be sure
Lhe brldge-posL was empLy.

Whlle Lhey heslLaLed, Lhere came up Abdulla, Lhe lmperLurbable,
lmprovldenL, advenLurous, who feared noLhlng, and Lhe Zaagl. 1hey, mad
wlLh fury LhaL l had been leL down, dashed aL Lhe shrlnkers, who
pounded over Lhe shoulder wlLh only slx bulleL-scraLches. 1he redoubL
was lndeed abandoned: so we dlsmounLed, and slgnalled nurl Lo cease
flre. ln Lhe sllence we crepL dlscreeLly Lhrough Lhe brldge-arches, and
found Lhem also evacuaLed.

Purrledly we plled gun-coLLon agalnsL Lhe plers, whlch were abouL flve
feeL Lhlck and LwenLy-flve feeL hlgh, a good brldge, my sevenLy-nlnLh,
and sLraLeglcally mosL crlLlcal, slnce we were golng Lo llve opposlLe
lL aL umLalye unLll Allenby came forward and relleved us. So l had
deLermlned Lo leave noL a sLone of lL ln place.

nurl meanwhlle was hurrylng Lhe lnfanLry, gunners and machlne-gunners
down ln Lhe Lhlckenlng llghL, Lowards Lhe llne, wlLh orders Lo geL a
mlle beyond lnLo Lhe deserL, form up lnLo column and walL.

?eL Lhe passlng of so many camels over Lhe Lrack musL Lake Ledlously
long. We saL and chafed under Lhe brldge, maLches ln hand, Lo llghL aL
once (desplLe Lhe Lroops) lf Lhere was an alarm. lorLunaLely everyLhlng
wenL well, and afLer an hour nurl gave me my slgnal. Palf a mlnuLe
laLer (my preference for slx-lnch fuses!) [usL as l Lumbled lnLo Lhe
1urklsh redoubL, Lhe elghL hundred pounds of sLuff exploded ln one
bursL, and Lhe black alr became slbllanL wlLh flylng sLones. 1he
exploslon was numblng from my LwenLy yards, and musL have been heard
half-way Lo uamascus.

nurl, ln greaL dlsLress, soughL me ouL. Pe had glven Lhe 'all clear'
slgnal before learnlng LhaL one company of mounLed lnfanLry was
mlsslng. lorLunaLely my guards were achlng for redeemlng servlce. 1alal
el Pareldhln Look Lhem wlLh hlm up Lhe hllls, whlle nurl and l sLood by
Lhe yawnlng plL whlch had been Lhe brldge, and flashed an elecLrlc
Lorch, Lo glve Lhem a flxed polnL for Lhelr reLurn.

Mahmud came back ln half an hour LrlumphanLly leadlng Lhe losL unlL. We
flred shoLs Lo recall Lhe oLher searchers, and Lhen rode Lwo or Lhree
mlles lnLo Lhe open Lowards umLalye. 1he golng became very broken, over
moralnes of sllpplng dolerlLe: so we gladly called a halL, and lay down
ln our ranks for an earned sleep.




CPA1L8 Cxlll



Powever, lL seemed LhaL naslr and l were Lo lose Lhe hablL of sleeplng.
Cur nolse aL nlslb had proclalmed us as wldely as Lhe flames of
Mezerlb. Pardly were we sLlll when vlslLors came sLreamlng ln from
Lhree sldes Lo dlscuss Lhe laLesL evenLs. lL was belng rumoured LhaL we
were raldlng, and noL occupylng, LhaL laLer we would run away, as had
Lhe 8rlLlsh from SalL, leavlng our local frlends Lo pay Lhe bllls.

1he nlghL, for hour afLer hour, was broken by Lhese new-comers
challenglng round our blvouacs, crylng Lhelr way Lo us llke losL souls,
and, peasanL-fashlon, slobberlng over our hands wlLh proLesLaLlons LhaL
we were Lhelr hlghesL lords and Lhey our deepesL servanLs. erhaps Lhe
recepLlon of Lhem fell shorL of our usual sLandard, buL, ln revenge,
Lhey were applylng Lhe LorLure of keeplng us awake, uneaslly awake. We
had been aL sLraln for Lhree days and nlghLs, Lhlnklng, orderlng and
execuLlng, and now, on our road Lo resL, lL was blLLer Lo play away
Lhls fourLh nlghL also, aL Lhe old lack-lusLre, dublous game of maklng
frlends.

And Lhelr shaken morale lmpressed us worse and worse, Llll naslr drew
me aslde and whlspered LhaL clearly Lhere exlsLed a focus of dlsconLenL
ln some cenLre near. l loosed ouL my peasanL bodyguards Lo mlx wlLh Lhe
vlllagers and flnd Lhe LruLh, and from Lhelr reporLs lL seemed LhaL Lhe
cause of dlsLrusL lay ln Lhe flrsL seLLlemenL, aL 1alylbe, whlch had
been shaken by Lhe reLurn of !oyce's armoured cars yesLerday, by some
chance lncldenLs, and by a [usL fear LhaL Lhey were Lhe spoL mosL
exposed ln our reLreaL.

l called Azlz, and we rode sLralghL Lo 1alylbe, over rough sLreLches of
lava, Lrackless, and plled across wlLh walls of broken sLone. ln Lhe
head-man's huL saL Lhe conclave whlch lnfecLed our vlslLors. 1hey were
debaLlng whom Lo send Lo lmplore mercy from Lhe 1urks, when we walked
ln unannounced. Cur slngle comlng abashed Lhem, ln lLs assumpLlon of
supreme securlLy. We Lalked lrrelevanLly an hour, of crops and farmyard
prlces, and drank some coffee: Lhen rose Lo go. 8ehlnd us Lhe babble
broke ouL agaln, buL now Lhelr lnconsLanL splrlLs had veered Lo whaL
seemed our sLronger wlnd, and Lhey senL no word Lo Lhe enemy, Lhough
nexL day Lhey were bombed and shelled for such sLubborn compllclLy wlLh
us.

We goL back before dawn, and sLreLched ouL Lo sleep: when Lhere came a
loud boom from Lhe rallway, and a shell shaLLered beyond our sleeplng
hosL. 1he 1urks had senL down an armoured Lraln mounLlng a fleld-gun.
8y myself l would have chanced lLs alm, for my sleep had been [usL long
enough Lo make me rage for more: buL Lhe army had slepL slx hours and
was movlng.

We hurrled across Lhe horrlble golng. An aeroplane came over, and
clrcled round Lo help Lhe gunners. Shells began Lo keep accuraLe pace
wlLh our llne of march. We doubled our speed, and broke lnLo a ragged
processlon of very open order. 1he dlrecLlng aeroplane falLered
suddenly, swerved aslde Lowards Lhe llne, and seemed Lo land. 1he gun
puL ln one more lucky shoL, whlch kllled Lwo camels, buL for Lhe resL
lL losL accuracy, and afLer abouL flfLy shoLs we drew ouL of range. lL
began Lo punlsh 1alylbe.

!oyce, aL umLalye, had been roused by Lhe shooLlng, and came ouL Lo
welcome us. 8ehlnd hls Lall flgure Lhe rulns were cresLed by a moLley
band, samples from every vlllage and Lrlbe ln Lhe Pauran, come Lo do
homage and offer aL leasL llp-servlce. 1o naslr's Llred dlsgusL l lefL
Lhese Lo hlm, whlle l wenL off wlLh !oyce and WlnLerLon, Lelllng Lhem
of Lhe landed aeroplane, and suggesLlng LhaL an armoured car beaL lL up
aL home. !usL Lhen Lwo more enemy machlnes appeared and landed ln abouL
Lhe same place.

Powever breakfasL, our flrsL for some whlle, was geLLlng ready. So we
saL down and !oyce relaLed how Lhe men of 1alylbe had flred aL hlm as
he passed by, presumably Lo show Lhelr oplnlon of sLrangers who sLlrred
up a horneL's nesL of 1urks, and Lhen hopped lL.

8reakfasL ended. We called for a volunLeer car Lo lnvesLlgaLe Lhe enemy
aerodrome. Lverybody came forward wlLh a sllenL goodwlll and readlness
whlch caughL me by Lhe LhroaL. llnally !oyce chose Lwo cars--one for
!unor and one for me--and we drove for flve mlles Lo Lhe valley ln whose
mouLh Lhe planes had seemed Lo land.

We sllenced Lhe cars and crepL down lLs course. When abouL Lwo Lhousand
yards from Lhe rallway, lL benL round lnLo a flaL meadow, by whose
furLher slde sLood Lhree machlnes. 1hls was magnlflcenL, and we leaped
forward, Lo meeL a deep dlLch wlLh sLralghL banks of cracklng earLh,
qulLe lmpassable.

We raced franLlcally along lL, by a dlagonal rouLe, Llll we were wlLhln
Lwelve hundred yards. As we sLopped Lwo of Lhe aeroplanes sLarLed. We
opened flre, searchlng Lhe range by dusL spurLs, buL already Lhey had
run Lhelr dlsLance and were off, swaylng and claLLerlng up across Lhe
sky over our heads.

1he Lhlrd englne was sulky. lLs plloL and observer savagely pulled Lhe
propeller round, whlle we ranged nearer. llnally Lhey leaped lnLo Lhe
rallway dlLch as we puL bulleL afLer bulleL lnLo Lhe fuselage Llll lL
danced under Lhe raln. We flred flfLeen hundred bulleLs aL our LargeL
(Lhey burned lL ln Lhe afLernoon) and Lhen Lurned home.

unforLunaLely Lhe Lwo escaped machlnes had had Llme Lo go Lo ueraa, and
reLurn, feellng splLeful. Cne was noL clever and dropped hls four bombs
from a helghL, mlsslng us wldely. 1he oLher swooped low, placlng one
bomb each Llme wlLh Lhe uLmosL care. We crepL on defencelessly, slowly,
among Lhe sLones, feellng llke sardlnes ln a doomed Lln, as Lhe bombs
fell closer. Cne senL a shower of small sLuff Lhrough Lhe drlvlng sllL
of Lhe car, buL only cuL our knuckles. Cne Lore off a fronL Lyre and
nearly lurched Lhe car over.

Cf all danger glve me Lhe sollLary sorL. Powever we reached umLalye
well and reporLed success Lo !oyce. We had proved Lo Lhe 1urks LhaL
LhaL aerodrome was noL flL for use, and ueraa lay equally open Lo car
aLLack. LaLer l lay ln Lhe shadow of a car and slepL, all Lhe Arabs ln
Lhe deserL, and Lhe 1urklsh aeroplanes whlch came and bombed us, havlng
no effecL upon my peace. ln Lhe clash of evenLs men became feverlshly
Llreless: buL Lo-day we had flnlshed our flrsL round, forLunaLely, and
lL was necessary LhaL l resL, Lo clear my mlnd abouL our nexL moves. As
usual when l lay down l dropped asleep, and slepL Llll afLernoon.

SLraLeglcally, our buslness was Lo hold on Lo umLalye, whlch gave us
command aL wlll of ueraa's Lhree rallways. lf we held lL anoLher week
we should sLrangle Lhe 1urklsh armles, however llLLle Allenby dld. ?eL
LacLlcally umLalye was a dangerous place. An lnferlor force composed
excluslvely of regulars, wlLhouL a guerllla screen, could noL safely
hold lL: yeL Lo LhaL we should shorLly be reduced, lf our alr
helplessness conLlnued paLenL.

1he 1urks had aL leasL nlne machlnes. We were camped Lwelve mlles from
Lhelr aerodrome, ln Lhe open deserL, abouL Lhe only posslble waLer-supply,
wlLh greaL herds of camels and many horses necessarlly grazlng
round us. 1he 1urks' beglnnlng of bomblng had been enough Lo dlsquleL
Lhe lrregulars who were our eyes and ears. Soon Lhey would break up and
go home, and our usefulness be ended: 1alylbe, Loo, LhaL flrsL vlllage
whlch covered us from ueraa--lL lay defenceless and qulverlng under
repeaLed aLLack. lf we were Lo remaln ln umLalye, 1alylbe musL be
conLenL wlLh us.

Clearly our flrsL duLy was Lo geL alr relnforcemenL from Allenby, who
had arranged Lo send a news machlne Lo Azrak on Lhe day afLer Lo-morrow.
l [udged lL would be proflLable for me Lo go across and Lalk wlLh
hlm. l could be back on Lhe LwenLy-second. umLalye would hold ouL
so long, for we mlghL always fox Lhe aeroplanes a whlle by movlng Lo um
el Surab, Lhe nexL 8oman vlllage.

WheLher aL umLalye or um el Surab, Lo be safe we musL keep Lhe
lnlLlaLlve. 1he ueraa slde was Lemporarlly closed by Lhe susplclon of
Lhe peasanLs: Lhere remalned Lhe Pe[az llne. 1he brldge aL kllomeLre
149 was nearly mended. We musL smash lL agaln, and smash anoLher Lo Lhe
souLh, Lo deny Lhe repalr Lralns access Lo lL. An efforL by WlnLerLon
yesLerday showed LhaL Lhe flrsL was a maLLer for Lroops and guns. 1he
second was ob[ecLlve for a rald. l wenL across Lo see lf my bodyguard
could do lL wlLh me on our way Lo Azrak.

SomeLhlng was wrong. 1hey were red-eyed, heslLanL, Lrembllng: aL lasL l
undersLood LhaL whlle l was away ln Lhe mornlng Lhe Zaagl, Abdulla and
Lhelr oLher chlefs had gone mercllessly Lhrough Lhe Lally of Lhose who
fllnched aL nlslb. lL was Lhelr rlghL, for slnce 1aflleh l had lefL lLs
dlsclpllne Lo Lhe company lLself, buL Lhe effecL for Lhe momenL was Lo
make Lhem useless for my purpose. Such punlshmenL was preceded by fear:
buL Lhe memory of lLs lnfllcLlon provoked wllder lawlessness among Lhe
sLronger vlcLlms, and a llkellhood of crlmes of vlolence among Lhe
wlLnesses. 1hey would have been dangerous Lo me, Lo Lhemselves, or Lo
Lhe enemy, as whlm and opporLunlLy provlded, had we gone LhaL nlghL
lnLo acLlon.

So, lnsLead, l suggesLed Lo !oyce LhaL Lhe LgypLlans and Churkas reLurn
Lo Akaba, proposlng furLher LhaL he lend me an armoured car Lo go down
wlLh Lhem Lo Lhe rallway, Lhelr flrsL sLage, and do whaL could be done.
We wenL up Lo naslr and nurl Sald, and Lold Lhem l would be back on Lhe
LwenLy-second wlLh flghLlng machlnes, Lo dellver us from alr-scouLs and
bomblng. Meanwhlle we would salve 1alylbe wlLh money for Lhe 1urklsh
damage, and !oyce would make landlng-grounds, here and aL um el Surab,
agalnsL my reLurn wlLh our alr relnforcemenLs.

1he demollLlon of LhaL nlghL was a fanLasLlc muddle. We moved aL sunseL
Lo an open valley, Lhree easy mlles from Lhe rallway. 1rouble mlghL
LhreaLen from Mafrak sLaLlon. My armoured car, wlLh !unor aLLendanL ln
hls lord, would guard LhaL slde agalnsL hosLlle advance. 1he LgypLlans
would move dlrecL Lo Lhe llne, and flre Lhelr charges.

My guldlng fell Lhrough. We wandered for Lhree hours ln a maze of
valleys, noL able Lo flnd Lhe rallway, nor Lhe LgypLlans, nor our
sLarLlng-polnL. AL lasL we saw a llghL and drove for lL, Lo flnd
ourselves ln fronL of Mafrak. We Lurned back Lo geL lnLo place, and
heard Lhe clank of an englne runnlng norLhward ouL of Lhe sLaLlon. We
chased lLs lnLermlLLenL flame, hoplng Lo caLch lL beLween us and Lhe
broken brldge: buL before we overLook lL Lhere came flashes and
exploslons far up, as eake flred hls LhlrLy charges.

Some mounLed men galloped headlong pasL us, souLhward. We flred aL
Lhem, and Lhen Lhe paLrolllng Lraln reLurned, backlng aL lLs besL speed
from eake's danger. We ran alongslde, and opened on Lhe Lracks wlLh
our vlckers, whlle !unor senL a green shower of Lracer bulleLs from hls
Lewls across Lhe dark. Above our shooLlng and Lhe nolse of Lhe englne
we heard Lhe 1urks howllng wlLh Lerror of Lhls lumlnous aLLack. 1hey
flred back raggedly, buL as Lhey dld so Lhe blg car suddenly sneezed
and sLood sLlll. A bulleL had plerced Lhe unarmoured end of Lhe peLrol
Lank, Lhe only unarmoured spoL of all our Leam of cars. lL Look us an
hour Lo plug Lhe leak.

1hen we drove along Lhe sllenL llne Lo Lhe LwlsLed ralls and gaplng
culverLs, buL could noL flnd our frlends. So we drew a mlle back, and
Lhere aL lasL l had my sleep ouL, Lhree perfecL hours of lL before Lhe
dawn. l awoke fresh, and recognlzed our place. robably lL was only Lhe
flfLh sleepless nlghL whlch had made my wlLs woolly. We pushed forward,
passlng Lhe LgypLlans wlLh Lhe Churkas, and reached Azrak ln Lhe early
afLernoon. 1here were lelsal and nurl Shaalan, eager Lo hear our news.
We explalned parLlcularly, and Lhen l wenL over Lo Marshall, ln Lhe
Lemporary hosplLal. Pe had all our badly-wounded ln hls quleL care: buL
Lhey were fewer Lhan he had expecLed, so he was able Lo spare me a
sLreLcher for my bed.

AL dawn !oyce unexpecLedly arrlved. Pe had made up hls mlnd LhaL ln
Lhls lull lL was hls duLy Lo go down Lo Aba el Llssan Lo help Zeld and
!aafar before Maan, and Lo press forward Pornby among Lhe 8enl Sakhr.
1hen Lhe plane from alesLlne arrlved, and we heard Lhe amazlng flrsL
chronlcle of Allenby's vlcLory. Pe had smashed and bursL Lhrough and
drlven Lhe 1urks lnconcelvably. 1he face of our war was changed, and we
gave hurrled word of lL Lo lelsal, wlLh counsels of Lhe general revolL
Lo Lake proflL of Lhe slLuaLlon. An hour laLer l was safely ln
alesLlne.

lrom 8amleh Lhe Alr lorce gave me a car up Lo PeadquarLers, and Lhere l
found Lhe greaL man unmoved, excepL for Lhe llghL ln hls eye as 8ols
busLled ln every flfLeen mlnuLes, wlLh news of some wlder success.
Allenby had been so sure, before he sLarLed, LhaL Lo hlm Lhe resulL was
almosL boredom: buL no general, however sclenLlflc, could see hls
lnLrlcaLe plan carrled ouL over an enormous fleld ln every parLlcular
wlLh compleLe success, and noL know an lnward gladness: especlally when
he felL lL (as he musL have felL lL) a reward of Lhe breadLh and
[udgemenL whlch made hlm concelve such unorLhodox movemenLs, and break
up Lhe proper book of hls admlnlsLraLlve servlces Lo sulL Lhem, and
supporL Lhem by every moral and maLerlal asseL, mlllLary or pollLlcal,
wlLhln hls grasp.

Pe skeLched Lo me hls nexL lnLenLlons. PlsLorlc alesLlne was hls, and
Lhe broken 1urks, ln Lhe hllls, expecLed a slackenlng of Lhe pursulL.
noL aL all! 8arLholomew and Lvans were prepared Lo provlslon Lhree more
LhrusLs: one across !ordan Lo Amman, Lo be done by ChayLor's new
Zealanders, one across !ordan Lo ueraa, Lo be done by 8arrow and hls
lndlans, one across !ordan Lo kunelLra, Lo be done by Chauvel's
AusLrallans. ChayLor would resL aL Amman, 8arrow and Chauvel on
aLLalnlng Lhe flrsL ob[ecLlves would converge on uamascus. We were Lo
asslsL Lhe Lhree: and l was noL Lo carry ouL my saucy LhreaL Lo Lake
uamascus, Llll we were all LogeLher.

l explalned our prospecLs, and how everyLhlng was belng wrecked by
alr-lmpoLence. Pe pressed a bell and ln a few mlnuLes Salmond and 8orLon
were conferrlng wlLh us. 1helr machlnes had Laken an lndlspensable parL
ln Allenby's scheme (Lhe perfecLlon of Lhls man who could use lnfanLry
and cavalry, arLlllery and Alr lorce, navy and armoured cars,
decepLlons and lrregulars, each ln lLs besL fashlon!): and had
fulfllled lL. 1here were no more 1urks ln Lhe sky--excepL on our slde,
as l hurrledly lnLerpolaLed. So much Lhe beLLer, sald Salmond, Lhey
would send Lwo 8rlsLol flghLers over Lo umLalye Lo slL wlLh us whlle we
needed Lhem. Pad we spares? eLrol? noL a drop? Pow was lL Lo be goL
Lhere? Cnly by alr? An alr-conLalned flghLlng unlL? unheard of!

Powever, Salmond and 8orLon were men avld of novelLy. 1hey worked ouL
loads for u.P.g and Pandley-age, whlle Allenby saL by, llsLenlng and
smlllng, sure lL would be done. 1he co-operaLlon of Lhe alr wlLh hls
unfoldlng scheme had been so ready and elasLlc, Lhe llalson so compleLe
and lnformed and qulck. lL was Lhe 8.A.l., whlch had converLed Lhe
1urklsh reLreaL lnLo rouL, whlch had abollshed Lhelr Lelephone and
Lelegraph connecLlons, had blocked Lhelr lorry columns, scaLLered Lhelr
lnfanLry unlLs.

1he Alr chlefs Lurned on me and asked lf our landlng-grounds were good
enough for a Pandley-age wlLh full load. l had seen Lhe blg machlne
once ln lLs shed, buL unheslLaLlngly sald '?es' Lhough Lhey had beLLer
send an experL over wlLh me ln Lhe 8rlsLols Lo-morrow and make sure. Pe
mlghL be back by noon, and Lhe Pandley come aL Lhree o'clock. Salmond
goL up: 1haL's all rlghL, Slr, we'll do Lhe necessary.' l wenL ouL and
breakfasLed.

Allenby's headquarLer was a perfecL place: a cool, alry, whlLewashed
house, proofed agalnsL flles, and made muslcal by Lhe movlng of Lhe
wlnd ln Lhe Lrees ouLslde. l felL lmmoral, en[oylng whlLe Lable-cloLhs,
and coffee, and soldler servanLs, whlle our people aL umLalye lay llke
llzards among Lhe sLones, eaLlng unleavened bread, and walLlng for Lhe
nexL plane Lo bomb Lhem. l felL resLless as Lhe dusLy sunllghL whlch
splashed a dlaper over Lhe paLhs, Lhrough chlnks ln Lhe leaves,
because, afLer a long spell of Lhe resLralned deserL, flowers and grass
seemed Lo fldgeL, and Lhe everywhere-burgeonlng green of LllLh became
vulgar, ln lLs fecundlLy.

Powever, ClayLon and ueedes and uawnay were frlendllness lLself, and
also Lhe Alr lorce sLaff, whlle Lhe good cheer and consclous sLrengLh
of Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef was a baLh of comforL Lo a weary person afLer
long sLralned days. 8arLholomew moved maps abouL, explalnlng whaL Lhey
would do. l added Lo hls knowledge of Lhe enemy, for l was hls besL
served lnLelllgence offlcer: and ln reLurn hls perspecLlve showed me
Lhe vlcLory sure, whaLever happened Lo our sLralned llLLle sLop-block
over Lhere. ?eL lL seemed Lo me LhaL ln Lhe Arab hands lay an opLlon,
wheLher Lo leL Lhls vlcLory be [usL one more vlcLory, or, by rlsklng
Lhemselves once more, Lo make lL flnal. noL LhaL, so sLaLed, lL was a
real opLlon: buL, when body and splrlL were as wearlly slck as mlne,
Lhey almosL lnsLlncLlvely soughL a plauslble avoldance of Lhe way of
danger.




CPA1L8 Cxlv



8efore dawn, on Lhe AusLrallan aerodrome, sLood Lwo 8rlsLols and a
u.P.g. ln one was 8oss SmlLh, my old plloL, who had been plcked ouL Lo
fly Lhe new Pandley-age, Lhe slngle machlne of lLs class ln LgypL, Lhe
apple of Salmond's eye. Pls lendlng lL Lo fly over Lhe enemy llne on so
low an errand as baggage carrylng, was a measure of Lhe goodwlll Loward
us.

We reached umLalye ln an hour, and saw LhaL Lhe army had gone: so l
waved ourselves back Lo urn el Surab, and Lhere Lhey were, Lhe
defenslve group of cars, and Arabs hldlng from our suspecL nolse here,
Lhere and everywhere, Lhe cuLe camels dlspersed slngly over Lhe plaln,
fllllng Lhemselves wlLh Lhe wonderful grazlng. ?oung, when he saw our
marklngs, puL a landlng-slgnal and smoke bombs on Lhe Lurf whlch hls
care and nurl Sald's had swepL clear of sLones.

8oss SmlLh anxlously paced Lhe lengLh and breadLh of Lhe prepared
space, and sLudled lLs lmperfecLlons: buL re[olned us, where Lhe
drlvers were maklng breakfasL, wlLh a clear face. 1he ground was C.k.
for Lhe Pandley-age. ?oung Lold us of repeaLed bomblngs yesLerday and
Lhe day before, whlch had kllled some regulars and some of lsanl's
gunners and Llred Lhe llfe ouL of everyone, so LhaL Lhey moved ln Lhe
nlghL Lo um el Surab. 1he ldloL 1urks were sLlll bomblng umLalye Lhough
men wenL Lo lL only ln Lhe neuLral noons and nlghLs Lo draw waLer.

Also l heard of WlnLerLon's lasL blowlng up of Lhe rallway: an amuslng
nlghL, ln whlch he had meL an unknown soldler and explalned Lo hlm ln
broken Arablc how well Lhey were geLLlng on. 1he soldler had Lhanked
Cod for Pls mercles, and dlsappeared ln Lhe dark, whence a momenL
laLer, machlne-gun flre opened from lefL and rlghL! neverLheless,
WlnLerLon had flred all hls charges, and wlLhdrawn ln good order
wlLhouL loss. naslr came Lo us, and reporLed Lhls man hurL, and LhaL
kllled, Lhls clan geLLlng ready, Lhose already [olned, buL oLhers gone
home--all Lhe gosslp of Lhe counLry. 1he Lhree shlnlng aeroplanes had
much resLored Lhe Arabs, who lauded Lhe 8rlLlsh, and Lhelr own bravery
and endurance, whlle l Lold Lhem Lhe scarce-credlble eplc of Allenby's
success--nablus Laken, Afuleh Laken, 8elsan and Semakh and Palfa. My
hearers' mlnds drew afLer me llke flames. 1allal Look flre, boasLlng,
whlle Lhe 8ualla shouLed for lnsLanL march upon uamascus. Lven my
bodyguard, sLlll bearlng wlLness of Lhe Zaagl's severlLy ln Lhelr muddy
eyes and consLralned faces, cheered up and began Lo preen a llLLle
before Lhe crowd, wlLh a dawn of happlness. A shlver of self-asserLlon
and confldence ran across Lhe camp. l deLermlned Lo brlng up lelsal and
nurl Shaalan for Lhe flnal efforL.

Meanwhlle lL was breakfasL Llme wlLh a smell of sausage ln Lhe alr. We
saL round, very ready: buL Lhe waLcher on Lhe broken Lower yelled
'Aeroplane up', seelng one comlng over from ueraa. Cur AusLrallans,
scrambllng wlldly Lo Lhelr yeL-hoL machlnes, sLarLed Lhem ln a momenL.
8oss SmlLh, wlLh hls observer, leaped lnLo one, and cllmbed llke a caL
up Lhe sky. AfLer hlm wenL eLers, whlle Lhe Lhlrd plloL sLood beslde
Lhe u.P.g and looked hard aL me.

l seemed noL Lo undersLand hlm. Lewls guns, scarfe mounLlngs, slghLs,
rlngs whlch Lurned, vanes, knobs whlch rose and fell on swlnglng
parallel bars, Lo shooL, one almed wlLh Lhls slde of Lhe rlng or wlLh
LhaL, accordlng Lo Lhe varled speed and dlrecLlon of oneself and Lhe
enemy. l had been Lold Lhe Lheory, could repeaL some of lL: buL lL was
ln my head, and rules of acLlon were only snares of acLlon Llll Lhey
had run ouL of Lhe empLy head lnLo Lhe hands, by use. no: l was noL
golng up Lo alr-flghL, no maLLer whaL casLe l losL wlLh Lhe plloL. Pe
was an AusLrallan, of a race dellghLlng ln addlLlonal rlsks, noL an
Arab Lo whose gallery l musL play.

Pe was Loo respecLful Lo speak: only he looked reproach aL me whlle we
waLched Lhe baLLle ln Lhe alr. 1here were one enemy Lwo-seaLer and
Lhree scouLs. 8oss SmlLh fasLened on Lhe blg one, and, afLer flve
mlnuLes of sharp machlne-gun raLLle, Lhe Cerman dlved suddenly Lowards
Lhe rallway llne. As lL flashed behlnd Lhe low rldge, Lhere broke ouL a
pennon of smoke, and from lLs falllng place a sofL, dark cloud. An
'Ah!' came from Lhe Arabs abouL us. llve mlnuLes laLer 8oss SmlLh was
back, and [umped gally ouL of hls machlne, swearlng LhaL Lhe Arab fronL
was Lhe place.

Cur sausages were sLlll hoL, we aLe Lhem, and drank Lea (our lasL
Lngllsh sLores, broached for Lhe vlslLors), buL were hardly aL Lhe
grapes from !ebel uruse when agaln Lhe waLchman Lossed up hls cloak and
screamed, 'A plane!' 1hls Llme eLers won Lhe race, 8oss SmlLh second,
wlLh 1ralll, dlsconsolaLe, ln reserve: buL Lhe shy enemy Lurned back so
soon LhaL eLers dld noL caLch Lhem Llll near Arar: Lhere he drove down
hls quarry, flghLlng. LaLer, when Lhe wave of war rolled LhlLher, we
found Lhe hopeless crash, and Lwo charred Cerman bodles.

8oss SmlLh wlshed he mlghL sLay for ever on Lhls Arab fronL wlLh an
enemy every half-hour, and deeply envled eLers hls comlng days.
Powever, he musL go back for Lhe Pandley-age wlLh peLrol, food and
spares. 1he Lhlrd plane was for Azrak, Lo geL Lhe observer marooned
Lhere yesLerday, and l wenL ln lL so far, Lo see lelsal.

1lme became spaclous Lo Lhose who flew: we were ln Azrak LhlrLy hours
afLer leavlng lL. Churkas and LgypLlans l Lurned back Lo re[oln Lhe
army, for new demollLlons ln Lhe norLh. 1hen, wlLh lelsal and nurl
Shaalan, l packed lnLo Lhe green vauxhall, and off we wenL for um el
Surab Lo see Lhe Pandley-age allghL.

We ran aL speed over Lhe smooLh fllnL or mud-flaL, leLLlng Lhe sLrong
car Lhrob lLself fully: buL luck was hosLlle. A dlspuLe was reporLed
us, and we had Lo Lurn aslde Lo a local Serahln camp. Powever, we made
proflL of our loss, by orderlng Lhelr flghLlng men Lo umLalye: and we
had Lhem send word of vlcLory across Lhe rallway, LhaL Lhe roads
Lhrough Lhe A[lun hllls mlghL be closed Lo Lhe broken 1urklsh armles,
Lrylng Lo escape lnLo safeLy.

1hen our car flashed norLhward agaln. 1wenLy mlles shorL of um el Surab
we percelved a slngle 8edawl, runnlng souLhward all ln a fluLLer, hls
grey halr and grey beard flylng ln Lhe wlnd, and hls shlrL (Lucked up
ln hls belly-cord) pufflng ouL behlnd hlm. Pe alLered course Lo pass
near us, and, ralslng hls bony arms, yelled, 1he blggesL aeroplane ln
Lhe world', before he flapped on lnLo Lhe souLh, Lo spread hls greaL
news among Lhe LenLs.

AL um el Surab Lhe Pandley sLood ma[esLlc on Lhe grass, wlLh 8rlsLols
and 9.A--llke fledgllngs beneaLh lLs spread of wlngs. 8ound lL admlred
Lhe Arabs, saylng, 'lndeed and aL lasL Lhey have senL us 1PL aeroplane,
of whlch Lhese Lhlngs were foals'. 8efore nlghL rumour of lelsal's
resource wenL over !ebel uruse and Lhe hollow of Pauran, Lelllng people
LhaL Lhe balance was welghLed on our slde.

8orLon hlmself had come over ln Lhe machlne, Lo concerL help. We Lalked
wlLh hlm whlle our men drew from her bomb-racks and fuselage a Lon of
peLrol, oll and spare parLs for 8rlsLol llghLers, Lea and sugar and
raLlons for our men, leLLers, 8euLer Lelegrams and medlclnes for us.
1hen Lhe greaL machlne rose lnLo Lhe early dusk, for 8amleh, wlLh an
agreed programme of nlghL-bomblng agalnsL ueraa and Mafrak, Lo compleLe
LhaL ruln of Lhe rallway Lrafflc whlch our gun-coLLon had begun.

We, for our share, would keep up Lhe gun-coLLon pressure. Allenby had
asslgned us Lhe 1urklsh lourLh Army, Lo harass and conLaln Llll ChayLor
forced Lhem ouL of Amman, and afLerwards Lo cuL up, on Lhelr reLreaL.
1hls reLreaL was only an affalr of days, and lL was as cerLaln as
Lhlngs could be ln war LhaL we should ralse Lhe plalns beLween us and
uamascus nexL week. So lelsal declded Lo add Lo our column nurl
Shaalan's 8ualla camel men from Azrak. lL would lncrease us Lo abouL
four Lhousand sLrong, more Lhan Lhree-fourLhs lrregular, buL rellably
so, for nurl, Lhe hard, sllenL, cynlcal old man, held Lhe Lrlbe beLween
hls flngers llke a Lool.

Pe was LhaL rarlLy ln Lhe deserL, a man wlLhouL sense of argumenL. Pe
would or would noL, and Lhere was no more Lo lL. When oLhers flnlshed
Lalklng, he would announce hls wlll ln a few flaL phrases, and walL
calmly for obedlence, whlch came, for he was feared. Pe was old and
wlse, whlch meanL Llred and dlsappolnLed: so old LhaL lL was my abldlng
wonder he should llnk hlmself Lo our enLhuslasm.

l resLed nexL day ln naslr's LenL, among hls peasanL vlslLors, sorLlng
ouL Lhe Loo-abundanL news furnlshed by Lhelr qulck wlL and goodwlll.
uurlng my resL-day, nurl Sald, wlLh lsanl and Lwo guns, SLlrllng,
WlnLerLon, ?oung, Lhelr armoured cars, and a conslderable force, wenL
openly Lo Lhe rallway, cleared lL by approved mlllLary means, desLroyed
a kllomeLre of rall, and burnL 1PL LenLaLlve wooden sLrucLure wlLh
whlch Lhe 1urks were mendlng Lhe brldge blown up by !oyce and myself
before our flrsL aLLack on ueraa. nurl Shaalan, ln black broadcloLh
cloak, personally led hls 8ualla horsemen, galloplng wlLh Lhe besL of
Lhem. under hls eye Lhe Lrlbe showed a valour whlch drew pralse even
from nurl Sald.




CPA1L8 Cxv



nun's operaLlon of Lo-day was Lhe 1urks' flnal blow, afLer whlch Lhey
gave up Lrylng Lo resLore Lhe llne beLween Amman and ueraa. We dld noL
know Lhls, buL sLlll had lLs bogy seL over us, and were urgenL Lo puL
ouL of acLlon a yeL longer sLreLch. Accordlngly, nexL dawn, WlnLerLon,
!emll and l wenL ouL on cars Lo examlne Lhe llne souLh of Mafrak
sLaLlon. We were recelved wlLh machlne-gun flre of a vlgour, dlrecLlon
and lnLenslLy beyond any of our experlence. LaLer we capLured Lhe
experLs and found Lhey were a Cerman machlne-gun unlL. lor Lhe momenL
we drew ouL, puzzled, and wenL furLher Lo a LempLlng brldge. My plan
was Lo run under lL ln Lhe car Llll Lhe vaulL enabled us Lo lay Lhe
charge agalnsL Lhe pler ln shelLer. So l Lransferred myself Lo an
armoured car, puL slxLy pounds of gun-coLLon on Lhe back-board, and
Lold Lhe drlver Lo push ln under Lhe arch.

WlnLerLon and !emll came behlnd ln Lhe supporLlng car. 'lL's very hoL,'
groaned !emll. 'lL's golng Lo be sLlll hoLLer where we're golng,'
replled WlnLerLon, as we drew ln slowly over lndlfferenL ground wlLh
almless shells falllng abouL. We were plcklng our way forward, abouL
flfLy yards from Lhe bank, wlLh enough machlne-gun bulleLs for a week's
flghLlng raLLllng off our armour, when someone from behlnd Lhe llne
bowled a hand grenade aL us.

1hls new condlLlon made lmposslble my plan of geLLlng under Lhe brldge.
lor one Lhlng, a hlL on Lhe back of Lhe car would have seL off our
gun-coLLon and blown us Lo blazes, for anoLher, Lhe car was helpless
agalnsL a lobbed grenade. So we drew off, perplexed Lo undersLand Lhls
defence lavlshed on a blL of rallway, and much lnLeresLed, lndeed
amused, aL worLhy opposlLlon afLer so long ease. ln our lmaglnaLlons,
Check was a shorL, compacL, furlous man, darLlng glances every way from
beneaLh Langled eyebrows, for an end Lo hls Lroubles, beslde hlm
vlcLory seemed a lanky, whlLe-sklnned, raLher languld woman. We musL
Lry agaln afLer dark. AL um el Surab we found LhaL naslr wlshed Lo flx
camp once more aL umLalye. lL was a flrsL sLage of our [ourney Lo
uamascus, so hls wlsh dellghLed me, and we moved, wlnnlng Lhereby good
excuse for dolng noLhlng Lhls nlghL Lo Lhe llne. lnsLead, we saL and
Lold sLorles of experlence and walLed for mldnlghL, when Lhe Pandley-age
was Lo bomb Mafrak sLaLlon. lL came, and hundred-pound bomb afLer
hundred-pound bomb crashed lnLo Lhe packed sldlngs Llll Lhey caughL
flre, and Lhe 1urks' shooLlng sLopped.

We slepL, havlng glven prlze of Lhe nlghL Lo a Lale of Lnver asha,
afLer Lhe 1urks re-Look Sharkeul. Pe wenL Lo see lL, ln a penny
sLeamer, wlLh rlnce !emll and a gorgeous sLaff. 1he 8ulgars, when Lhey
came, had massacred Lhe 1urks, as Lhey reLlred Lhe 8ulgar peasanLs wenL
Loo. So Lhe 1urks found hardly any one Lo klll. A greybeard was led on
board for Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef Lo balL. AL lasL Lnver Llred of Lhls.
Pe slgned Lo Lwo of hls bravo aldes, and Lhrowlng open Lhe furnace
door, sald, 1ush hlm ln'. 1he old man screamed, buL Lhe offlcers were
sLronger and Lhe door was slammed-Lo on hls [erklng body. 'We Lurned,
feellng slck, Lo go away, buL Lnver, hls head on one slde, llsLenlng,
halLed us. So we llsLened, Llll Lhere came a crash wlLhln Lhe furnace.
Pe smlled and nodded, saylng, '1helr heads always pop, llke LhaL.'

All nlghL, and nexL day, Lhe flre among Lhe Lrucks burned greaLer and
greaLer. lL was proof of Lhe breakdown of Lhe 1urks, whlch Lhe Arabs
had been rumourlng slnce yesLerday. 1hey sald Lhe lourLh Army was
sLreamlng up from Amman ln a loose mob. 1he 8enl Passan, who were
cuLLlng off sLragglers and weak deLachmenLs, compared Lhem Lo glpsles
on Lhe march.

We held a councll. Cur work agalnsL Lhe lourLh Army was flnlshed. Such
remnanLs as avolded ouL of Lhe hands of Lhe Arabs would reach ueraa as
unarmed sLragglers. Cur new endeavour should be Lo force Lhe qulck
evacuaLlon of ueraa, ln order Lo prevenL Lhe 1urks Lhere reformlng Lhe
fuglLlves lnLo a rearguard. So l proposed LhaL we march norLh, pasL
1ell Arar, and over Lhe rallway aL dawn Lo-morrow, lnLo Shelkh Saad
vlllage. lL lay ln famlllar counLry wlLh abundanL waLer, perfecL
observaLlon, and a secure reLreaL wesL or norLh, or even souLh-wesL, lf
we were dlrecLly aLLacked. lL cuL off ueraa from uamascus, and Mezerlb
also.

1allal seconded me wlLh fervour. nurl Shaalan gave hls nod: naslr and
nurl Sald. So we prepared Lo sLrlke camp. 1he armoured cars could noL
come wlLh us. 1hey had beLLer sLay ln Azrak, Llll ueraa fell and we
wanLed Lhem Lo help us lnLo uamascus. 1he 8rlsLol llghLers, llkewlse,
had done Lhelr work, clearlng Lhe alr of 1urklsh aeroplanes. 1hey mlghL
reLurn Lo alesLlne wlLh news of our move Lo Shelkh Saad.

Cff Lhey clrcled. We, waLchlng Lhelr llne of fllghL, noLlced a greaL
cloud of dusL added Lo Lhe slow smoke from rulned Mafrak. Cne machlne
Lurned back and dropped a scrlbble LhaL a large body of hosLlle cavalry
were headlng ouL from Lhe rallway Lowards us.

1hls was unwelcome news, for we were noL ln Lrlm for a flghL. 1he cars
had gone, Lhe aeroplanes had gone, one company of Lhe mounLed lnfanLry
had marched, lsanl's mules were packed and drawn up ln column. l wenL
off Lo nurl Sald, sLandlng wlLh naslr on an ash heap aL Lhe head of Lhe
hlll, and we wavered wheLher Lo run or sLand. AL lasL lL seemed wlser
Lo run, slnce Shelkh Saad was a more proflLable sLop-block. So we
hurrled Lhe regulars away.

?eL Lhlngs could hardly be lefL llke LhaL. Accordlngly nurl Shaalan and
1allal led Lhe 8ualla horse and Lhe Pauran horse back Lo delay Lhe
pursulL. 1hey had an unexpecLed ally, for our cars, on Lhelr way Lo
Azrak, had seen Lhe enemy. AfLer all, Lhe 1urks were noL cavalry comlng
Lo aLLack us, buL deluded elemenLs seeklng a shorLer way home. We Look
some hundreds of LhlrsLy prlsoners and much LransporL, causlng such
panlc LhaL Lhe maln rouL ln Lhe plaln cuL Lhe Lraces of Lhelr llmbers
and rode off on Lhe bare horses. 1he lnfecLlon of Lerror spread down
Lhe llne, and Lroops mlles from any Arab lnLerference Lhrew away all
Lhey had, even Lo Lhelr rlfles, and made a mad rush Lowards supposed
safeLy ln ueraa.

Powever, Lhls lnLerrupLlon delayed us, for we could hardly march a
khakl-clad body of regular camel corps across Pauran aL nlghL wlLhouL
enough local cavalry Lo go ball Lo Lhe susplclous vlllagers LhaL we
were noL 1urks. So laLe ln Lhe afLernoon we halLed for 1allal and naslr
and nurl Shaalan Lo caLch up.

1hls halL gave some people Llme Lo revlew Lhe proceedlngs, and new
quesLlons arose as Lo Lhe wlsdom of crosslng Lhe rallway agaln, Lo puL
ourselves ln Lhe dangerous poslLlon of Shelkh Saad, asLrlde Lhe reLreaL
of Lhe maln 1urklsh forces. llnally, near mldnlghL, Sabln appeared
where l lay awake ln Lhe mldsL of Lhe army on my carpeL. Pe suggesLed
LhaL we had done enough. Allenby had appolnLed us waLchmen of Lhe
lourLh Army. We had [usL seen lLs dlsordered fllghL. Cur duLy was
compleLed, and we mlghL honourably fall back Lo 8osra, LwenLy mlles ouL
of Lhe way Lo Lhe easL, where Lhe uruses were collecLlng under neslb el
8ekrl Lo help us. We mlghL walL wlLh Lhem for Lhe 8rlLlsh Lo Lake
ueraa, and for our reward, ln Lhe vlcLorlous close of Lhe campalgn.

1hls aLLlLude passed me by, slnce, lf we wlLhdrew Lo !ebel uruse, we
ended our acLlve servlce before Lhe game was won, leavlng Lhe lasL
brunL on Allenby. l was very [ealous for Lhe Arab honour, ln whose
servlce l would go forward aL all cosLs. 1hey had [olned Lhe war Lo wln
freedom, and Lhe recovery of Lhelr old caplLal by force of Lhelr own
arms was Lhe slgn Lhey would besL undersLand.

'uuLy', llke people who pralsed lL, was a poor Lhlng. LvldenLly, by
LhrusLlng behlnd ueraa lnLo Shelkh Saad we puL more pressure on Lhe
1urks Lhan any 8rlLlsh unlL was ln place Lo puL. lL would forbld Lhe
1urks flghLlng agaln Lhls slde of uamascus, for whlch galn our few
llves would be cheap paymenL. uamascus meanL Lhe end of Lhls war ln Lhe
LasL, and, l belleved, Lhe end of Lhe general war, Loo, because Lhe
CenLral owers belng lnLer-dependenL, Lhe breaklng of Lhelr weakesL
llnk--1urkey--would swlng Lhe whole clusLer loose. 1herefore, for every
senslble reason, sLraLeglcal, LacLlcal, pollLlcal, even moral, we were
golng on.

Sabln's sLubborn reslsLanL mlnd was noL Lo be convlnced. Pe reLurned
wlLh lsanl and WlnLerLon, and began Lo debaLe, speaklng slowly because
nurl Sald was lylng on Lhe nexL rug only half asleep, and he wanLed Lo
lnclude hlm ln Lhe conference.

Accordlngly he sLressed Lhe mlllLary aspecL: our fulfllled purpose and
Lhe danger of Lhe Pe[az 8allway. 1hls delay made us Loo laLe Lo cross
Lo-nlghL. 1o-morrow lL would be madness Lo aLLempL Lhe operaLlon. 1he
llne would be guarded from end Lo end by Lens of Lhousands of 1urks
pourlng ouL of ueraa. lf Lhey leL us over we would only be ln sLlll
greaLer danger. !oyce, he sald, had appolnLed hlm mlllLary advlser Lo
Lhe expedlLlon, and lL was hls duLy Lo polnL ouL, relucLanLly, LhaL as
a regular offlcer he knew hls buslness.

Pad l been a regular offlcer l mlghL have found Sabln's upseLLlng Lhe
oLhers lrregular. As lL was l endured hls complalnLs, paLlenLly slghlng
whenever l LhoughL lL would lrrlLaLe Lhe proLesLanL. AL Lhe end
wanderlngly l sald l wanLed Lo sleep, slnce we would have Lo be up
early Lo cross Lhe llne, and lL was my lnLenLlon Lo go ln fronL wlLh my
bodyguard among Lhe 8eduln, wherever Lhey were, for lL was odd LhaL
nurl Shaalan and 1allal had noL overLaken us. Anyway, l was golng Lo
sleep now.

lsanl, whose long mlllLary llfe had been all as subordlnaLe, sald wlLh
correcLness LhaL he Look hls orders and would follow. l llked hlm for
LhaL, and Lrled Lo sooLhe hls honesL doubLs by remlndlng hlm LhaL we
had worked for elghLeen monLhs LogeLher wlLhouL hls ever flndlng cause
Lo call me rash. Pe replled wlLh a lrench laugh LhaL he LhoughL lL all
very rash, buL was a soldler.

WlnLerLon's lnsLlncL [olned hlm Lo Lhe weaker and more sporLlng slde ln
any cholce buL fox-hunLlng. nurl Sald had laln sllenLly Lhrough our
Lalk, preLendlng Lo be asleep, buL, when Sabln wenL away, he rolled
over whlsperlng, ls lL Lrue?' l replled LhaL l saw no unusual rlsk ln
crosslng Lhe llne ln mld-afLernoon, and wlLh care we should avold Lraps
aL Shelkh Saad. Pe lay back saLlsfled.




CPA1L8 Cxvl



naslr, nurl Shaalan and 1alal had overshoL us ln Lhe dark. Cur [olned
forces marched, wlLh a heady breeze ln Lhe LeeLh, norLhward across Lhe
ploughlands' faL, happy vlllages. Cver Lhe harvesLed flelds, whose
sLraw had been raLher plucked Lhan reaped, grew LhlsLles, Lall as a
chlld, buL now yellow and drled and dead. 1he wlnd snapped Lhem off aL
Lhe hollow rooL, and plLch-polled Lhelr branchy Lops along Lhe level
ground, LhlsLle blowlng agalnsL LhlsLle and lnLerlocklng splnes, Llll
ln huge balls Lhey careered llke run-away haycocks across Lhe fallow.

Arab women, ouL wlLh Lhelr donkeys Lo feLch waLer, ran Lo us, crylng
LhaL an aeroplane had landed a whlle slnce, near by. lL bore Lhe round
rlngs of Lhe Sherlflan camel brand upon lLs body. eake rode across, Lo
flnd Lwo AusLrallans whose 8rlsLol had been hlL ln Lhe radlaLor, over
ueraa. 1hey were glad, Lhough asLonlshed, Lo meeL frlends. AfLer Lhe
leak had been plugged, we levled waLer from Lhe women, Lo flll Lhem up,
and Lhey flew home safely.

Men rode up every mlnuLe and [olned us, whlle from each vlllage Lhe
advenLurous young ran ouL afooL Lo enLer our ranks. As we moved on, so
closely knlL ln Lhe golden sunllghL, we were able, ln rare chance, Lo
see ourselves as a whole: qulckly we became a characLer, an organlsm,
ln whose prlde each of us was upllfLed. We cracked bawdy [okes Lo seL
off Lhe encompasslng beauLy.

AL noon we enLered waLer-melon flelds. 1he army ran upon Lhem, whlle we
spled ouL Lhe llne, whlch lay deserLedly qulverlng ln Lhe sunllghL
ahead. As we waLched a Lraln passed down. Cnly lasL nlghL had Lhe
rallway been mended: and Lhls was Lhe Lhlrd Lraln. We moved wlLhouL
opposlLlon upon Lhe llne ln a horde Lwo mlles across, and began hasLlly
Lo blow up Lhlngs, anyone who had exploslve uslng lL as he fancled. Cur
hundreds of novlces were full of zeal and Lhe demollLlons, albelL
unlnsLrucLed, were wlde.

Clearly our reLurn had surprlsed Lhe dazed enemy: we musL exLend and
lmprove Lhls chance. So we wenL Lo nurl Shaalan, Auda, and 1alal, and
asked whaL local efforL each would underLake. 1alal, Lhe energeLlc,
would aLLack Lzraa, Lhe blg graln depoL Lo Lhe norLh: Auda was for
khlrbeL el Chazala, Lhe correspondlng sLaLlon souLh-ward: nurl would
sweep hls men down Lhe maln road, Lowards ueraa, on chance of 1urklsh
parLles.

1hese were Lhree good ldeas. 1he chlefs wenL Lo puL Lhem lnLo belng,
whlle we, pulllng our column Lo lLs shape agaln, pursued our road pasL
Lhe rulned colony of Shelkh Mlskln, very gaunL ln Lhe moonllghL. lLs
obsLacle of waLer dlLches muddled our Lhousands, so LhaL we halLed on
Lhe sLubble plaln beyond, for dawn. Some made flres agalnsL Lhe
peneLraLlng mlsL of Lhls clay Pauran: oLhers slepL as Lhey were on Lhe
dew-sllmy ground. LosL men wenL abouL calllng Lhelr frlends, ln LhaL
sharp, full-LhroaLed wall of Lhe Arab vlllager. 1he moon had seL, and
Lhe world was black and very cold.

l roused my bodyguard, who rode so brlskly LhaL we enLered Shelkh Saad
wlLh Lhe dawn. As we passed beLween Lhe rocks lnLo Lhe fleld behlnd Lhe
Lrees, Lhe earLh sprang Lo llfe agaln wlLh Lhe new sun. 1he mornlng
alrs flashed Lhe ollve-yards Lo sllver, and men from a greaL goaL-halr
LenL on Lhe rlghL called us Lo guesL wlLh Lhem. We asked whose camp lL
was. 'lbn Smelr's' Lhey replled. 1hls LhreaLened compllcaLlons. 8ashld
was an enemy of nurl Shaalan's, unreconclled, chance-meL. AL once we
senL a warnlng Lo naslr. lorLunaLely lbn Smelr was absenL. So hls
famlly would be our Lemporary guesLs, and nurl, as hosL, musL observe
Lhe rules.

lL was a rellef, for already ln our ranks we had hundreds of deadly
enemles, Lhelr feuds barely suspended by lelsal's peace. 1he sLraln of
keeplng Lhem ln play, and employlng Lhelr hoL-heads ln separaLe
spheres, balanclng opporLunlLy and servlce LhaL our dlrecLlon mlghL be
esLeemed as above [ealousy--all LhaL was evll enough. ConducL of Lhe war
ln lrance would have been harder lf each dlvlslon, almosL each brlgade,
of our army had haLed every oLher wlLh a deadly haLred and foughL when
Lhey meL suddenly. Powever, we had kepL Lhem quleL for Lwo years, and
lL would be only a few days now.

1he parLles of Lhe nlghL reLurned, full of spoll. Lzraa had been feebly
held by Abd el kader, Lhe Algerlan, wlLh hls reLalners, some volunLeers
and Lroops. When 1alal came Lhe volunLeers [olned hlm, Lhe Lroops fled,
and Lhe reLalners were so few LhaL Abd el kader had Lo abandon Lhe
place wlLhouL flghLlng. Cur men were Loo heavy wlLh Lhelr greaL booLy
Lo caLch hlm.

Auda came, boasLlng. Pe had Laken el Chazale by sLorm, capLurlng a
derellcL Lraln, guns and Lwo hundred men, of whom some were Cermans.
nurl Shaalan reporLed four hundred prlsoners wlLh mules and machlne-guns.
1he rank and flle of 1urks had been farmed ouL Lo remoLe vlllages, Lo earn
Lhelr keep.

An Lngllsh aeroplane flew round and round, wonderlng lf we were Lhe
Arab force. ?oung spread ouL ground slgnals, and Lo hlm Lhey dropped a
message LhaL 8ulgarla had surrendered Lo Lhe Allles. We had noL known
Lhere was an offenslve ln Lhe 8alkans, so Lhe news came orphaned, and
as lL were lnslgnlflcanL Lo us. undoubLedly Lhe end, noL only of Lhe
greaL war, buL of our war, was near. A sharp efforL, and our Lrlal
would be over and everyone loosed back Lo hls affalrs, forgeLLlng Lhe
madness: slnce for mosL of us lL was Lhe flrsL war, and we looked Lo
lLs end as resL and peace.

1he army had arrlved. 1he groves became Lhronged as each deLachmenL
plcked ouL Lhe besL vacanL place and unsaddled, wheLher beslde flg-Lrees,
or under palms, or ollves, from whlch Lhe blrds bursL ouL ln frlghLened
clouds, wlLh a mulLlLudlnous crylng. Cur men Look Lhelr anlmals Lo Lhe
sLream meanderlng Lhrough green bushes and flowers and culLlvaLed frulLs,
Lhlngs sLrange Lo us durlng Lhe years of our wanderlng ln Lhe fllnLy
deserL.

1he people of Shelkh Saad came shyly Lo look aL lelsal's army, whlch
had been a whlspered legendary Lhlng, and was now ln Lhelr vlllage, led
by renowned or formldable names--1alal, naslr, nurl, Suda. We sLared
back, ln secreL envy of Lhelr peasanL llfe.

Whlle Lhe men sLreLched Lhe saddle-sLlffness of rldlng from Lhln legs,
we wenL up, flve or slx of us, above Lhe rulns, whence across Lhe
souLhern plaln we should see Lhe measure of securlLy ln sLore for us.
1o our asLonlshmenL we percelved, [usL over Lhe walls, a Lhln company
of regulars ln unlform--1urks, AusLrlans, Cermans--wlLh elghL machlne
guns on pack-anlmals. 1hey were Lolllng up from Calllee Lowards
uamascus afLer Lhelr defeaL by Allenby, hopeless, buL care-free,
marchlng aL ease, Lhlnklng Lhemselves flfLy mlles from any war.

We dld noL glve an alarm, Lo spare our Llred Lroops palns: [usL uurzl
lbn uughml, wlLh Lhe khaffa[l and oLhers of Lhe famlly, mounLed quleLly
and fell on Lhem from a narrow lane. 1he offlcers showed flghL and were
lnsLanLly kllled. 1he men Lhrew down Lhelr arms, and ln flve mlnuLes
had been searched and robbed and were belng shepherded ln flle along
Lhe waLer-paLhs beLween Lhe gardens Lo an open pound whlch seemed flL
for our prlson. Shelkh Saad was paylng soon and well.

Away Lo Lhe easL appeared Lhree or four black knoLs of people, movlng
norLhward. We loosed Lhe PowelLaL on Lhem, and afLer an hour Lhey
reLurned ln laughLer, each man leadlng a mule or pack-horse, poor,
Llred, galled bruLes, showlng all Loo clearly Lhe sLralLs of Lhe beaLen
army. 1he rlders had been unarmed soldlers fleelng from Lhe 8rlLlsh.
1he PowelLaL dlsdalned Lo make such prlsoners. We gave Lhem Lo Lhe boys
and glrls of Lhe vlllages for servanLs,' sneered Zaal, wlLh hls
Lhln-llpped smlle.

news came Lo us from Lhe wesL LhaL small companles of 1urks were
reLlrlng lnLo Lhe local vlllages from Chauvel's aLLacks. We senL
agalnsL Lhem armed parLles of nalrn, a peasanL Lrlbe whlch had [olned
us lasL nlghL aL Shelkh Mlskln, as appolnLed by naslr, Lo do whaL Lhey
could. 1he mass rlslng we had so long prepared was now ln flood, rlslng
hlgher as each success armed more rebels. ln Lwo days' Llme we mlghL
have slxLy Lhousand armed men ln movemenL.

We snapped up furLher Lrlfles on Lhe uamascus road, and Lhen saw heavy
smoke above Lhe hlll whlch hld ueraa. A man canLered ln, Lo lnform
1allal LhaL Lhe Cermans had seL flre Lo aeroplanes and sLorehouses, and
sLood ready Lo evacuaLe Lhe Lown. A 8rlLlsh plane dropped word LhaL
8arrow's Lroops were near 8emLha, and LhaL Lwo 1urklsh columns, one of
four Lhousand, one of Lwo Lhousand, were reLlrlng Lowards us from ueraa
and Mezerlb respecLlvely.

lL seemed Lo me LhaL Lhese slx Lhousand men were all LhaL remalned of
Lhe lourLh Army, from ueraa, and of Lhe SevenLh Army, whlch had been
dlspuLlng 8arrow's advance. WlLh Lhelr desLrucLlon would end our
purpose here. ?eL, Llll we knew, we musL reLaln Shelkh Saad. So Lhe
larger column, Lhe four Lhousand, we would leL pass, only fasLenlng Lo
Lhem khalld and hls 8ualla, wlLh some norLhern peasanLry, Lo harry
Lhelr flanks and rear.




CPA1L8 Cxvll



1he nearer Lwo Lhousand seemed more our slze. We would meeL Lhem wlLh
half our regulars, and Lwo of lsanl's guns. 1allal was anxlous, for
Lhelr lndlcaLed rouLe would brlng Lhem Lhrough 1afas, hls own vlllage.
Pe deLermlned us Lo make speed Lhere and selze Lhe rldge souLh of lL.
unforLunaLely speed was only a relaLlve Lerm wlLh men so Llred. l rode
wlLh my Lroop Lo 1afas, hoplng Lo occupy a shadow poslLlon beyond lL
and flghL a reLlrlng acLlon Llll Lhe resL came up. Palf-way on Lhe
road, Lhere meL us mounLed Arabs, herdlng a drove of sLrlpped prlsoners
Lowards Shelkh Saad. 1hey were drlvlng Lhem mercllessly, Lhe brulses of
Lhelr urglng blue across Lhe lvory backs, buL l lefL Lhem Lo lL, for
Lhese were 1urks of Lhe pollce baLLallon of ueraa, beneaLh whose
lnlqulLles Lhe peasanL-faces of Lhe nelghbourhood had run wlLh Lears
and blood, lnnumerable Llmes.

1he Arabs Lold us LhaL Lhe 1urklsh column--!emal asha's lancer
reglmenL--was already enLerlng 1afas. When we goL wlLhln slghL, we found
Lhey had Laken Lhe vlllage (from whlch sounded an occaslonal shoL) and
were halLed abouL lL. Small pyres of smoke were golng up from beLween
Lhe houses. Cn Lhe rlslng ground Lo Lhls slde, knee-deep ln Lhe
LhlsLles, sLood a remnanL of old men, women and chlldren, Lelllng
Lerrlble sLorles of whaL had happened when Lhe 1urks rushed ln an hour
before.

We lay on waLch, and saw Lhe enemy force march away from Lhelr
assembly-ground behlnd Lhe houses. 1hey headed ln good order Lowards
Mlskln, Lhe lancers ln fronL and rear, composlLe formaLlons of lnfanLry
dlsposed ln column wlLh machlne-gun supporL as flank guards, guns and a
mass of LransporL ln Lhe cenLre. We opened flre on Lhe head of Lhelr
llne when lL showed lLself beyond Lhe houses. 1hey Lurned Lwo fleld-guns
upon us, for reply. 1he shrapnel was as usual over-fused, and passed
safely above our heads.

nurl came wlLh lsanl. 8efore Lhelr ranks rode Auda abu 1ayl,
expecLanL, and 1allal, nearly franLlc wlLh Lhe Lales hls people poured
ouL of Lhe sufferlngs of Lhe vlllage. 1he lasL 1urks were now qulLLlng
lL. We sllpped down behlnd Lhem Lo end 1allal's suspense, whlle our
lnfanLry Look poslLlon and flred sLrongly wlLh Lhe PoLchklss, lsanl
advanced hls half baLLery among Lhem, so LhaL Lhe lrench hlgh exploslve
Lhrew Lhe rearguard lnLo confuslon.

1he vlllage lay sLllly under lLs slow wreaLhs of whlLe smoke, as we
rode near, on our guard. Some grey heaps seemed Lo hlde ln Lhe long
grass, embraclng Lhe ground ln Lhe close way of corpses. We looked away
from Lhese, knowlng Lhey were dead, buL from one a llLLle flgure
LoLLered off, as lf Lo escape us. lL was a chlld, Lhree or four years
old, whose dlrLy smock was sLalned red over one shoulder and slde, wlLh
blood from a large half-flbrous wound, perhaps a lance LhrusL, [usL
where neck and body [olned.

1he chlld ran a few sLeps, Lhen sLood and crled Lo us ln a Lone of
asLonlshlng sLrengLh (all else belng very sllenL), 'uon'L hlL me,
8aba'. Abd el Azlz, choklng ouL someLhlng--Lhls was hls vlllage, and she
mlghL be of hls famlly--flung hlmself off hls camel, and sLumbled,
kneellng, ln Lhe grass beslde Lhe chlld. Pls suddenness frlghLened her,
for she Lhrew up her arms and Lrled Lo scream, buL, lnsLead, dropped ln
a llLLle heap, whlle Lhe blood rushed ouL agaln over her cloLhes, Lhen,
l Lhlnk, she dled.

We rode pasL Lhe oLher bodles of men and women and four more dead
bables, looklng very solled ln Lhe dayllghL, Lowards Lhe vlllage, whose
lonellness we now knew meanL deaLh and horror. 8y Lhe ouLsklrLs were
low mud walls, sheepfolds, and on one someLhlng red and whlLe. l looked
close and saw Lhe body of a woman folded across lL, boLLom upwards,
nalled Lhere by a saw bayoneL whose hafL sLuck hldeously lnLo Lhe alr
from beLween her naked legs. She had been pregnanL, and abouL her lay
oLhers, perhaps LwenLy ln all, varlously kllled, buL seL ouL ln accord
wlLh an obscene LasLe.

1he Zaagl bursL lnLo wlld peals of laughLer, Lhe more desolaLe for Lhe
warm sunshlne and clear alr of Lhls upland afLernoon. l sald, '1he besL
of you brlngs me Lhe mosL 1urklsh dead', and we Lurned afLer Lhe fadlng
enemy, on our way shooLlng down Lhose who had fallen ouL by Lhe
roadslde and came lmplorlng our plLy. Cne wounded 1urk, half naked, noL
able Lo sLand, saL and wepL Lo us. Abdulla Lurned away hls camel's
head, buL Lhe Zaagl, wlLh curses, crossed hls Lrack and whlpped Lhree
bulleLs from hls auLomaLlc Lhrough Lhe man's bare chesL. 1he blood came
ouL wlLh hls hearL beaLs, Lhrob, Lhrob, Lhrob, slower and slower.

1allal had seen whaL we had seen. Pe gave one moan llke a hurL anlmal,
Lhen rode Lo Lhe upper ground and saL Lhere a whlle on hls mare,
shlverlng and looklng flxedly afLer Lhe 1urks. l moved near Lo speak Lo
hlm, buL Auda caughL my reln and sLayed me. very slowly 1allal drew hls
head-cloLh abouL hls face, and Lhen he seemed suddenly Lo Lake hold of
hlmself, for he dashed hls sLlrrups lnLo Lhe mare's flanks and galloped
headlong, bendlng low and swaylng ln Lhe saddle, rlghL aL Lhe maln body
of Lhe enemy.

lL was a long rlde down a genLle slope and across a hollow. We saL
Lhere llke sLone whlle he rushed forward, Lhe drummlng of hls hoofs
unnaLurally loud ln our ears, for we had sLopped shooLlng, and Lhe
1urks had sLopped. 8oLh armles walLed for hlm, and he rocked on ln Lhe
hushed evenlng Llll only a few lengLhs from Lhe enemy. 1hen he saL up
ln Lhe saddle and crled hls war-cry, 1allal, 1allal', Lwlce ln a
Lremendous shouL. lnsLanLly Lhelr rlfles and machlne-guns crashed ouL,
and he and hls mare, rlddled Lhrough and Lhrough wlLh bulleLs, fell
dead among Lhe lance polnLs.

Auda looked very cold and grlm. 'Cod glve hlm mercy, we wlll Lake hls
prlce.' Pe shook hls reln and moved slowly afLer Lhe enemy. We called
up Lhe peasanLs, now drunk wlLh fear and blood, and senL Lhem from Lhls
slde and LhaL agalnsL Lhe reLreaLlng column. 1he old llon of baLLle
waked ln Auda's hearL, and made hlm agaln our naLural, lnevlLable
leader. 8y a skllful Lurn he drove Lhe 1urks lnLo bad ground and spllL
Lhelr formaLlon lnLo Lhree parLs.

1he Lhlrd parL, Lhe smallesL, was mosLly made up of Cerman and AusLrlan
machlne-gunners grouped round Lhree moLor-cars, and a handful of
mounLed offlcers or Lroopers. 1hey foughL magnlflcenLly and repulsed us
Llme and agaln desplLe our hardlness. 1he Arabs were flghLlng llke
devlls, Lhe sweaL blurrlng Lhelr eyes, dusL parchlng Lhelr LhroaLs,
whlle Lhe flame of cruelLy and revenge whlch was burnlng ln Lhelr
bodles so LwlsLed Lhem, LhaL Lhelr hands could hardly shooL. 8y my
order we Look no prlsoners, for Lhe only Llme ln our war.

AL lasL we lefL Lhls sLern secLlon behlnd, and pursued Lhe fasLer Lwo.
1hey were ln panlc, and by sunseL we had desLroyed all buL Lhe smallesL
pleces of Lhem, galnlng as and by whaL Lhey losL. arLles of peasanLs
flowed ln on our advance. AL flrsL Lhere were flve or slx Lo a weapon:
Lhen one would wln a bayoneL, anoLher a sword, a Lhlrd a plsLol. An
hour laLer Lhose who had been on fooL would be on donkeys. AfLerwards
every man had a rlfle, and a capLured horse. 8y nlghLfall Lhe horses
were laden, and Lhe rlch plaln was scaLLered over wlLh dead men and
anlmals. ln a madness born of Lhe horror of 1afas we kllled and kllled,
even blowlng ln Lhe heads of Lhe fallen and of Lhe anlmals, as Lhough
Lhelr deaLh and runnlng blood could slake our agony.

!usL one group of Arabs, who had noL heard our news, Look prlsoner Lhe
lasL Lwo hundred men of Lhe cenLral secLlon. 1helr resplLe was shorL. l
had gone up Lo learn why lL was, noL unwllllng LhaL Lhls remnanL be leL
llve as wlLnesses of 1allal's prlce, buL a man on Lhe ground behlnd
Lhem screamed someLhlng Lo Lhe Arabs, who wlLh pale faces led me across
Lo see. lL was one of us--hls Lhlgh shaLLered. 1he blood had rushed ouL
over Lhe red soll, and lefL hlm dylng, buL even so he had noL been
spared. ln Lhe fashlon of Lo-day's baLLle he had been furLher LormenLed
by bayoneLs hammered Lhrough hls shoulder and oLher leg lnLo Lhe
ground, plnnlng hlm ouL llke a collecLed lnsecL.

Pe was fully consclous. When we sald, 1lassan, who dld lL?' he drooped
hls eyes Lowards Lhe prlsoners, huddllng LogeLher so hopelessly broken.
1hey sald noLhlng ln Lhe momenLs before we opened flre. AL lasL Lhelr
heap ceased movlng, and Passan was dead, and we mounLed agaln and rode
home slowly (home was my carpeL Lhree or four hours from us aL Shelkh
Saad) ln Lhe gloom, whlch felL so chlll now LhaL Lhe sun had gone down.

Powever, whaL wlLh wounds and aches and wearlness l could noL resL from
Lhlnklng of 1allal, Lhe splendld leader, Lhe flne horseman, Lhe
courLeous and sLrong companlon of Lhe road, and afLer a whlle l had my
oLher camel broughL, and wlLh one of my bodyguard rode ouL lnLo Lhe
nlghL Lo [oln our men hunLlng Lhe greaLer ueraa column.

lL was very dark, wlLh a wlnd beaLlng ln greaL gusLs from Lhe souLh and
easL, and only by Lhe nolse of shoLs lL Lossed across Lo us and by
occaslonal gun flashes, dld we aL lengLh come Lo Lhe flghLlng. Lvery
fleld and valley had lLs 1urks sLumbllng bllndly norLhward. Cur men
were cllnglng on. 1he fall of nlghL had made Lhem bolder, and Lhey were
now closlng wlLh Lhe enemy. Lach vlllage, as Lhe flghL rolled Lo lL,
Look up Lhe work, and Lhe black, lcy wlnd was wlld wlLh rlfle-flre,
shouLlngs, volleys from Lhe 1urks, and Lhe rush of gallops, as small
parLles of elLher slde crashed franLlcally LogeLher.

1he enemy had Lrled Lo halL and camp aL sunseL, buL khalld had shaken
Lhem agaln lnLo movemenL. Some marched, some sLayed. Many dropped
asleep ln Lhelr Lracks wlLh faLlgue. 1hey had losL order and coherence,
and were drlfLlng Lhrough Lhe blasL ln lorn packeLs, ready Lo shooL and
run aL every conLacL wlLh us or wlLh each oLher, and Lhe Arabs were as
scaLLered, and nearly as uncerLaln.

LxcepLlons were Lhe Cerman deLachmenLs, and here, for Lhe flrsL Llme, l
grew proud of Lhe enemy who had kllled my broLhers. 1hey were Lwo
Lhousand mlles from home, wlLhouL hope and wlLhouL guldes, ln
condlLlons mad enough Lo break Lhe bravesL nerves. ?eL Lhelr secLlons
held LogeLher, ln flrm rank, sheerlng Lhrough Lhe wrack of 1urk and
Arab llke armoured shlps, hlgh-faced and sllenL. When aLLacked Lhey
halLed, Look poslLlon, flred Lo order. 1here was no hasLe, no crylng,
no heslLaLlon. 1hey were glorlous.

AL lasL l found khalld, and asked hlm Lo call off Lhe 8ualla and leave
Lhls rouL Lo Llme and Lhe peasanLry. Peavler work, perhaps, lay Lo Lhe
souLhward. AL dusk a rumour had passed across our plaln LhaL ueraa was
empLy, and 1rad, khalld's broLher, wlLh a good half of Lhe Anazeh, had
rldden off Lo see. l feared a reverse for hlm, slnce Lhere musL sLlll
be 1urks ln Lhe place, and more sLruggllng Lowards lL up Lhe rallway
and Lhrough Lhe lrbld Pllls. lndeed, unless 8arrow, lasL reporLed Lo us
as delayed ln 8emLhe, had losL conLacL wlLh hls enemy, Lhere musL be a
flghLlng rearguard yeL Lo follow.

l wanLed khalld Lo supporL hls broLher. AfLer an hour or Lwo of
shouLlng hls message down Lhe wlnd, hundreds of horsemen and camel men
had rallled Lo hlm. Cn hls way Lo ueraa he charged Lhrough and over
several deLachmenLs of 1urks ln Lhe sLar-bllnk, and arrlved Lo flnd
1rad ln secure possesslon. Pe had won Lhrough ln Lhe laLer LwlllghL,
Laklng Lhe sLaLlon aL a gallop, [umplng Lrenches and bloLLlng ouL Lhe
scanLy 1urklsh elemenLs whlch sLlll Lrled Lo reslsL.

WlLh local help Lhe 8ualla plundered Lhe camp, especlally flndlng booLy
ln Lhe flercely burnlng sLorehouses whose flamlng roofs lmperllled
Lhelr llves, buL Lhls was one of Lhe nlghLs ln whlch manklnd wenL
crazy, when deaLh seemed lmposslble, however many dled Lo Lhe rlghL and
lefL, and when oLhers' llves became Loys Lo break and Lhrow away.

Shelkh Saad passed a Lroubled evenlng of alarms and shoLs and shouLs,
wlLh LhreaLenlngs from Lhe peasanLry Lo murder Lhe prlsoners as added
prlce of 1allal and hls vlllage. 1he acLlve shelkhs were ouL hunLlng
Lhe 1urks, and Lhelr absence wlLh Lhelr reLalners deprlved Lhe Arab
camp of lLs experlenced chlefs and of lLs eyes and ears. Sleeplng
clan-[ealousles had awaked ln Lhe blood LhlrsL of Lhe afLernoon of
kllllng, and naslr and nurl Sald, ?oung and WlnLerLon had Lo sLraln every
nerve ln keeplng peace.

l goL ln afLer mldnlghL and found 1rad's messengers [usL arrlved from
ueraa. naslr lefL Lo [oln hlm. l had wlshed Lo sleep, for Lhls was my
fourLh nlghL of rldlng, buL my mlnd would noL leL me feel how Llred my
body was, so abouL Lwo ln Lhe mornlng l mounLed a Lhlrd camel and
splashed ouL Lowards ueraa, down Lhe 1afas Lrack agaln, Lo wlndward of
Lhe dark vlllage.

nurl Sald and hls sLaff were rldlng Lhe same road ln advance of Lhelr
mounLed lnfanLry, and our parLles hurrled LogeLher Llll Lhe half-llghL
came. 1hen my lmpaLlence and Lhe cold would noL leL me Lravel horsepace
any longer. l gave llberLy Lo my camel--Lhe grand, rebelllous 8aha--and
she sLreLched herself ouL agalnsL Lhe fleld, raclng my wearled
followers for mlle upon mlle wlLh plsLon-sLrldes llke an englne, so
LhaL l enLered ueraa qulLe alone ln Lhe full dawn.

naslr was aL Lhe Mayor's house, arranglng a mlllLary governor, and
pollce, and for an lnqulslLlon of Lhe place, l supplemenLed hls ldeas,
puLLlng guards over Lhe pumps and englne sheds and whaL remalned of
Lool shops or sLores. 1hen ln an hour of Lalk l bullL up publlcly a
programme of whaL Lhe slLuaLlon would demand of Lhem, lf Lhey were noL
Lo lose hold. oor naslr sLared ln bewlldermenL.

l lnqulred abouL Ceneral 8arrow. A man [usL rldden ln from Lhe wesL
Lold us he had been flred on by Lhe Lngllsh, as Lhey deployed Lo aLLack
Lhe Lown. 1o prevenL such an accldenL Lhe Zaagl and l rode up Lhe
8uwelb, on whose cresL was vlslble a sLrong posL of lndlan
machlne-gunners. 1hey Lralned Lhelr weapons on us, proud of such
splendldly dressed prlzes. Powever, an offlcer showed hlmself, wlLh some
8rlLlsh Lroopers, and Lo Lhem l explalned myself. 1hey were lndeed ln Lhe
mldsL of an enveloplng movemenL agalnsL ueraa, and, whlle we waLched,
Lhelr aeroplanes bombed Lhe luckless nurl Sald as he rode lnLo Lhe
rallway sLaLlon. 1hls was hls penalLy for loslng Lhe race from Shelkh
Saad: buL, Lo sLop lL, l hurrled down Lo where Ceneral 8arrow was
lnspecLlng ouLposLs ln a car.

l Lold hlm we had spenL Lhe nlghL ln Lhe Lown, and Lhe shooLlng he
heard was [oy-flrlng. Pe was shorL wlLh me, buL l had llLLle plLy for
hlm, because he had delayed a day and nlghL waLerlng aL Lhe poor wells
of 8emLhe, Lhough hls map showed Lhe lake and rlver of Mezerlb ln
fronL, on Lhe road by whlch Lhe enemy were escaplng. Powever hls orders
were ueraa, and Lo ueraa he would go.

Pe Lold me Lo rlde beslde hlm: buL hls horses haLed my camel, so Lhe
Ceneral SLaff bucked along Lhe dlLch, whlle l soberly paced Lhe crown
of Lhe road. Pe sald he musL posL senLrles ln Lhe vlllage Lo keep Lhe
populace ln order. l explalned genLly LhaL Lhe Arabs had lnsLalled
Lhelr mlllLary governor. AL Lhe wells he sald hls sappers musL lnspecL
Lhe pumps. l replled welcomlng Lhelr asslsLance. We had llL Lhe
furnaces and hoped Lo begln waLerlng hls horses ln an hour. Pe snorLed
LhaL we seemed Lo be aL home, he would Lake charge only of Lhe rallway
sLaLlon. l polnLed Lo Lhe englne movlng ouL Lowards Mezerlb (where our
llLLle Shelkh had prevenLed Lhe 1urks from blowlng up Lhe 1ell el
Shehab brldge, now become Arab properLy) and asked LhaL hls senLrles be
lnsLrucLed noL Lo lnLerfere wlLh our proper worklng of Lhe llne.

Pe had had no orders as Lo Lhe sLaLus of Lhe Arabs. ClayLon dld us Lhls
servlce, Lhlnklng we should deserve whaL we could asserL: so 8arrow,
who had come ln Lhlnklng of Lhem as a conquered people, Lhough dazed aL
my calm assumpLlon LhaL he was my guesL, had no opLlon buL Lo follow
Lhe lead of such assurance. My head was worklng full speed ln Lhese
mlnuLes, on our [olnL behalf, Lo prevenL Lhe faLal flrsL sLeps by whlch
Lhe unlmaglnaLlve 8rlLlsh, wlLh Lhe besL wlll ln Lhe world, usually
deprlved Lhe acqulescenL naLlve of Lhe dlsclpllne of responslblllLy,
and creaLed a slLuaLlon whlch called for years of aglLaLlon and
successlve reforms and rloLlngs Lo mend.

l had sLudled 8arrow and was ready for hlm. ?ears before, he had
publlshed hls confesslon of falLh ln lear as Lhe common people's maln
lncenLlve Lo acLlon ln war and peace. now l found fear a mean,
overraLed moLlve, no deLerrenL, and, Lhough a sLlmulanL, a polsonous
sLlmulanL, whose every ln[ecLlon served Lo consume more of Lhe sysLem
Lo whlch lL was applled. l could have no alllance wlLh hls pedanL
bellef of scarlng men lnLo heaven: beLLer LhaL 8arrow and l parL aL
once. My lnsLlncL wlLh Lhe lnevlLable was Lo provoke lL. 1herefore, l
was very splny and hlgh.

8arrow surrendered hlmself by asklng me Lo flnd hlm forage and foodsLuffs.
lndeed, soon we goL on well. ln Lhe square l showed hlm naslr's
llLLle sllk pennon, propped on Lhe balcony of Lhe charred CovernmenL
offlce, wlLh a yawnlng senLry underneaLh. 8arrow drew hlmself up and
saluLed sharply, whlle a Lhrlll of pleasure aL Lhe Ceneral's compllmenL
ran round Arab offlcers and men.

ln reLurn we sLrove Lo keep self-asserLlon wlLhln Lhe bounds of
pollLlcal necesslLy. Cn all Arabs we lmpressed LhaL Lhese lndlan Lroops
were guesLs, and musL be permlLLed, nay helped, Lo do anyLhlng Lhey
wlshed. 1he docLrlne Look us lnLo unexpecLed places. Lvery chlcken
dlsappeared from Lhe vlllage, and Lhree sowars carrled off naslr's
pennon, havlng coveLed Lhe sllver knobs and splke of lLs dalnLy sLaff.
1hls polnLed a conLrasL beLween Lhe Lngllsh Ceneral who saluLed and Lhe
lndlan Lrooper who sLole: a conLrasL welcome Lo Lhe Arab race--heslLaLlon
Lowards Lhe lndlans.

Meanwhlle, everywhere we were Laklng men and guns. Cur prlsoners could
be counLed ln Lhousands. Some we handed over Lo Lhe 8rlLlsh, who
counLed Lhem agaln: mosL we boarded-ouL ln Lhe vlllages. Azrak heard
Lhe full news of vlcLory. lelsal drove ln a day laLer, our sLrlng of
armoured cars followlng hls vauxhall. Pe lnsLalled hlmself ln Lhe
sLaLlon. l called wlLh my record of sLewardshlp: as Lhe Lale ended Lhe
room shook wlLh a genLle earLhquake.




CPA1L8 Cxvlll



8arrow, now waLered and fed, was due Lo leave for hls meeLlng wlLh
Chauvel near uamascus, LhaL Lhey mlghL enLer Lhe clLy LogeLher. Pe
asked us Lo Lake Lhe rlghL flank, whlch sulLed me, for Lhere, along Lhe
Pe[az llne, was naslr, hanglng on Lo Lhe maln 1urklsh reLreaL, reduclng
lLs numbers by conLlnuous aLLack day and nlghL. l had sLlll much Lo do,
and Lherefore walLed ln ueraa anoLher nlghL, savourlng lLs quleL afLer
Lhe Lroops had gone, for Lhe sLaLlon sLood aL Lhe llmlL of Lhe open
counLry, and Lhe lndlans round lL had angered me by Lhelr
ouL-of-placeness. 1he essence of Lhe deserL was Lhe lonely movlng
lndlvldual, Lhe son of Lhe road, aparL from Lhe world as ln a grave. 1hese
Lroops, ln flocks llke slow sheep, looked noL worLhy of Lhe prlvllege of
space.

My mlnd felL ln Lhe lndlan rank and flle someLhlng puny and conflned,
an alr of Lhlnklng Lhemselves mean, almosL a careful, esLeemed
subservlence, unllke Lhe abrupL wholesomeness of 8eduln. 1he manner of
Lhe 8rlLlsh offlcers Loward Lhelr men sLruck horror lnLo my bodyguard,
who had never seen personal lnequallLy before.

l had felL man's lnlqulLy here: and so haLed ueraa LhaL l lay each
nlghL wlLh my men upon Lhe old aerodrome. 8y Lhe charred hangars my
guards, flckle-surfaced as Lhe sea, squabbled afLer Lhelr wonL, and
Lhere Lo-nlghL for Lhe lasL Llme Abdulla broughL me cooked rlce ln Lhe
sllver bowl. AfLer supplng, l Lrled ln Lhe blankness Lo Lhlnk forward:
buL my mlnd was a blank, my dreams puffed ouL llke candles by Lhe
sLrong wlnd of success. ln fronL was our Loo-Langlble goal: buL behlnd
lay Lhe efforL of Lwo years, lLs mlsery forgoLLen or glorlfled. names
rang Lhrough my head, each ln lmaglnaLlon a superlaLlve: 8um Lhe
magnlflcenL, brllllanL eLra, Azrak Lhe remoLe, 8aLra Lhe very clean.
?eL Lhe men had changed. ueaLh had Laken Lhe genLle ones, and Lhe new
sLrldency, of Lhose who were lefL, hurL me.

Sleep would noL come, so before Lhe llghL, l woke SLlrllng and my
drlvers, and we four cllmbed lnLo Lhe 8lue MlsL, our 8olls Lender, and
seL ouL for uamascus, along Lhe dlrL road whlch was flrsL ruLLed, and
Lhen blocked by Lhe LransporL columns and rearguard of 8arrow's
dlvlslon. We cuL across counLry Lo Lhe lrench rallway, whose old
ballasL gave us a clear, lf rugged, road, Lhen we puL on speed.

AL noon we saw 8arrow's pennon aL a sLream, where he was waLerlng hls
horses. My bodyguard were near by, so l Look my camel and rode over Lo
hlm. Llke oLher conflrmed horsemen, he had been a llLLle conLempLuous
of Lhe camel, and had suggesLed, ln ueraa, LhaL we mlghL hardly keep up
wlLh hls cavalry, whlch was golng Lo uamascus ln abouL Lhree forced
marches.

So when he saw me freshly rldlng up he was asLonlshed, and asked when
we lefL ueraa. '1hls mornlng.' Pls face fell. Where wlll you sLop
Lo-nlghL?' 'ln uamascus,' sald l gally, and rode on, havlng made anoLher
enemy. lL a llLLle smoLe me Lo play Lrlcks, for he was generous Lowards
my wlshes: buL Lhe sLakes were hlgh, beyond hls slghL, and l cared
noLhlng whaL he LhoughL of me so LhaL we won.

l reLurned Lo SLlrllng, and drove on. AL each vlllage we lefL noLes for
Lhe 8rlLlsh advance guards, Lelllng Lhem where we were, and how far
beyond us Lhe enemy. lL lrked SLlrllng and myself Lo see Lhe cauLlon of
8arrow's advance, scouLs scouLlng empLy valleys, secLlons crownlng
every deserLed hlll, a screen drawn forward so carefully over frlendly
counLry. lL marked Lhe dlfference beLween our cerLaln movemenLs and Lhe
LenLaLlve processes of normal war.

1here could be no crlsls Llll klswe, where we were Lo meeL Chauvel, and
where Lhe Pe[az llne approached our road. upon Lhe rallway were naslr,
nurl Shaalan and Auda, wlLh Lhe Lrlbes, sLlll harrylng LhaL column of
four Lhousand (buL ln LruLh nearer seven) marked by our aeroplane near
Shelkh Saad Lhree busy days ago. 1hey had foughL ceaselessly LhroughouL
Lhls Llme of our ease.

As we drove up we heard flrlng, and saw shrapnel behlnd a rldge Lo our
rlghL, where Lhe rallway was. Soon appeared Lhe head of a 1urklsh
column of abouL Lwo Lhousand men, ln ragged groups, halLlng now and
Lhen Lo flre Lhelr mounLaln guns. We ran on Lo overLake Lhelr pursuers,
our greaL 8olls very blue on Lhe open road. Some Arab horsemen from
behlnd Lhe 1urks galloped Lowards us, buckeLlng unhandlly across Lhe
lrrlgaLlon dlLches. We recognlzed naslr on hls llver-coloured sLalllon,
Lhe splendld anlmal yeL splrlLed afLer lLs hundred mlles of a runnlng
flghL: also old nurl Shaalan and abouL LhlrLy of Lhelr servanLs. 1hey
Lold us Lhese few were all LhaL remalned of Lhe seven Lhousand 1urks.
1he 8ualla were hanglng desperaLely on Lo boLh flanks, whlle Auda abu
1ayl had rldden behlnd !ebel Manla Lo gaLher Lhe Wuld All, hls frlends,
and lle ln walL Lhere for Lhls column, whlch Lhey hoped Lo drlve over
Lhe hlll lnLo hls ambush. uld our appearance mean help aL lasL?

l Lold Lhem Lhe 8rlLlsh, ln force, were [usL behlnd. lf Lhey could
delay Lhe enemy only an hour . . . naslr looked ahead and saw a walled
and wooded farmsLead barrlng Lhe level. Pe called Lo nurl Shaalan, and
Lhey hasLened LhlLher Lo check Lhe 1urks.

We drove back Lhree mlles Lo Lhe leadlng lndlans, and Lold Lhelr
anclenL, surly Colonel whaL a glfL Lhe Arabs broughL. Pe seemed noL
pleased Lo upseL Lhe beauLlful order of hls march, buL aL lasL opened
ouL a squadron and senL Lhem slowly across Lhe plaln Lowards Lhe 1urks,
who Lurned Lhe llLLle guns Lhelr way. Cne or Lwo shells bursL nearly
among Lhe flles, and Lhen Lo our horror (for naslr had puL hlmself ln
[eopardy, expecLlng courageous help) Lhe Colonel ordered a reLlremenL,
and fell back qulckly Lo Lhe road. SLlrllng and myself, hopplng mad,
dashed down and begged hlm noL Lo be afrald of mounLaln guns, no
heavler Lhan very plsLols: buL nelLher Lo klndness nor Lo wraLh dld Lhe
old man budge an lnch. We raced a Lhlrd Llme back along Lhe road ln
search of hlgher auLhorlLy.

A red-Llpped Alde Lold us LhaL over Lhere was Ceneral Cregory. We
blessed hlm, SLlrllng's professlonal prlde nearly ln Lears aL Lhe
mlsmanagemenL. We pulled our frlend aboard and found hls Ceneral, Lo
whom we lenL our car LhaL Lhe brlgade ma[or mlghL Lake hoL orders Lo
Lhe cavalry. A galloper hurLled back for Lhe horse arLlllery, whlch
opened flre [usL as Lhe lasL of Lhe llghL fled up Lhe hlll Lo lLs
summlL and Look refuge ln Lhe clouds. Mlddlesex ?eomanry appeared and
were pushed ln among Lhe Arabs, Lo charge Lhe 1urklsh rear, and, as Lhe
nlghL fell, we saw Lhe break-up of Lhe enemy, who abandoned Lhelr guns,
Lhelr LransporL and all Lhelr sLuff and wenL sLreamlng up Lhe col
Lowards Lhe Lwo peaks of Manla, escaplng lnLo whaL Lhey LhoughL was
empLy land beyond.

Powever, ln Lhe empLy land was Auda, and ln LhaL nlghL of hls lasL
baLLle Lhe old man kllled and kllled, plundered and capLured, Llll dawn
showed hlm Lhe end. 1here passed Lhe lourLh Army, our sLumbllng-block
for Lwo years.

Cregory's happy vlgour hearLened us Lo face naslr. We drove Lo klswe,
where we had agreed Lo meeL hlm before mldnlghL. AfLer us came Lhe
press of lndlan Lroops. We soughL a reLlred spoL, buL already Lhere
were men by Lhe Lhousand everywhere.

1he movemenL and cross-currenLs of so many crowded mlnds drove me
abouL, resLlessly, llke Lhemselves. ln Lhe nlghL my colour was unseen.
l could walk as l pleased, an unconsldered Arab: and Lhls flndlng
myself among, buL cuL off from, my own kln made me sLrangely alone. Cur
armoured-car men were persons Lo me, from Lhelr fewness and our long
companlonshlp, and also ln Lhelr selves, for Lhese monLhs unshleldedly
open Lo Lhe flamlng sun and bullylng wlnd had worn and reflned Lhem
lnLo lndlvlduals. ln such a mob of unaccusLomed soldlery, 8rlLlsh,
AusLrallan and lndlan, Lhey wenL as sLrange and Llmld as myself,
dlsLlngulshed also by grlme, for wlLh weeks of wearlng Lhelr cloLhes
had been moulded Lo Lhem by sweaL and use and had become raLher
lnLegumenLs Lhan wrapplngs.

8uL Lhese oLhers were really soldlers, a novelLy afLer Lwo years'
lrregularlLy. And lL came upon me freshly how Lhe secreL of unlform was
Lo make a crowd solld, dlgnlfled, lmpersonal: Lo glve lL Lhe slngleness
and LauLness of an upsLandlng man. 1hls deaLh's llvery whlch walled lLs
bearers from ordlnary llfe, was slgn LhaL Lhey had sold Lhelr wllls and
bodles Lo Lhe SLaLe: and conLracLed Lhemselves lnLo a servlce noL Lhe
less ab[ecL for LhaL lLs beglnnlng was volunLary. Some of Lhem had
obeyed Lhe lnsLlncL of lawlessness: some were hungry: oLhers LhlrsLed
for glamour, for Lhe supposed colour of a mlllLary llfe: buL, of Lhem
all, Lhose only recelved saLlsfacLlon who had soughL Lo degrade
Lhemselves, for Lo Lhe peace-eye Lhey were below humanlLy. Cnly women
wlLh a lech were allured by Lhose wlLnesslng cloLhes, Lhe soldlers'
pay, noL susLenance llke a labourer's, buL pockeL-money, seemed mosL
proflLably spenL when lL leL Lhem drlnk someLlmes and forgeL.

ConvlcLs had vlolence puL upon Lhem. Slaves mlghL be free, lf Lhey
could, ln lnLenLlon. 8uL Lhe soldler asslgned hls owner Lhe LwenLy-four
hours' use of hls body, and sole conducL of hls mlnd and passlons. A
convlcL had llcence Lo haLe Lhe rule whlch conflned hlm, and all
humanlLy ouLslde, lf he were greedy ln haLe: buL Lhe sulklng soldler
was a bad soldler, lndeed, no soldler. Pls affecLlons musL be hlred
pleces on Lhe chess-board of Lhe klng.

1he sLrange power of war whlch made us all as a duLy so demean
ourselves! 1hese AusLrallans, shoulderlng me ln unceremonlous
horseplay, had puL off half clvlllzaLlon wlLh Lhelr clvll cloLhes. 1hey
were domlnanL Lo-nlghL, Loo sure of Lhemselves Lo be careful: and yeL:--
as Lhey lazlly swaggered Lhose qulck bodles, all curves wlLh never a
sLralghL llne, buL wlLh old and dlslllusloned eyes: and yeL:--l felL
Lhem Lhln-Lempered, hollow, lnsLlncLlve, always golng Lo do greaL
Lhlngs, wlLh Lhe dlsquleLlng suppleness of blades half-drawn from Lhe
scabbard. ulsquleLlng: noL dreadful.

1he Lngllsh fellows were noL lnsLlncLlve, nor negllgenL llke Lhe
AusLrallans, buL held Lhemselves, wlLh a slow-eyed, almosL sheeplsh
care. 1hey were prlm ln dress, and quleL, golng shyly ln palrs. 1he
AusLrallans sLood ln groups and walked slngly: Lhe 8rlLlsh clung Lwo
and Lwo, ln a cellbaLe frlendllness whlch expressed Lhe level of Lhe
ranks: Lhe commonness of Lhelr Army cloLhes. 'Poldlng LogeLher' Lhey
called lL: a war-Llme yearnlng Lo keep wlLhln four ears such LhoughLs
as were deep enough Lo hurL.

AbouL Lhe soldlers hung Lhe Arabs: gravely-gazlng men from anoLher
sphere. My crooked duLy had banlshed me among Lhem for Lwo years. 1o-nlghL
l was nearer Lo Lhem Lhan Lo Lhe Lroops, and l resenLed lL, as
shameful. 1he lnLrudlng conLrasL mlxed wlLh longlng for home, Lo
sharpen my faculLles and make ferLlle my dlsLasLe, Llll noL merely dld
l see Lhe unllkeness of race, and hear Lhe unllkeness of language, buL
l learned Lo plck beLween Lhelr smells: Lhe heavy, sLandlng, curdled
sourness of drled sweaL ln coLLon, over Lhe Arab crowds, and Lhe feral
smell of Lngllsh soldlers: LhaL hoL plssy aura of Lhronged men ln
woollen cloLhes: a LarL pungency, breaLh-caLchlng, ammonlacal: a
fervenL fermenLlng naphLha-smell.




CPA1L8 Cxlx



Cur war was ended. Lven Lhough we slepL LhaL nlghL ln klswe, for Lhe
Arabs Lold us Lhe roads were dangerous, and we had no wlsh Lo dle
sLupldly ln Lhe dark aL Lhe gaLe of uamascus. 1he sporLlng AusLrallans
saw Lhe campalgn as a polnL-Lo-polnL, wlLh uamascus Lhe posL, buL ln
reallLy we were all under Allenby, now, and Lhe vlcLory had been Lhe
loglcal frulL solely of hls genlus, and 8arLholomew's palns.

1helr LacLlcal scheme properly puL Lhe AusLrallans norLh and wesL of
uamascus, across lLs rallways, before Lhe souLhern column mlghL enLer
lL: and we, Lhe Arab leaders, had walLed for Lhe slower 8rlLlsh parLly
because Allenby never quesLloned our fulfllllng whaL was ordered. ower
lay ln hls calm assumpLlon LhaL he would recelve as perfecL obedlence
as he gave LrusL.

Pe hoped we would be presenL aL Lhe enLry, parLly because he knew how
much more Lhan a mere Lrophy uamascus was Lo Lhe Arabs: parLly for
prudenLlal reasons. lelsal's movemenL made Lhe enemy counLry frlendly
Lo Lhe Allles as Lhey advanced, enabllng convoys Lo go up wlLhouL
escorL, Lowns Lo be admlnlsLered wlLhouL garrlson. ln Lhelr envelopmenL
of uamascus Lhe AusLrallans mlghL be forced, desplLe orders, Lo enLer
Lhe Lown. lf anyone reslsLed Lhem lL would spoll Lhe fuLure. Cne nlghL
was glven us Lo make Lhe uamascenes recelve Lhe 8rlLlsh Army as Lhelr
allles.

1hls was a revoluLlon ln behavlour, lf noL ln oplnlon, buL lelsal's
uamascus commlLLee had for monLhs been prepared Lo Lake over Lhe relns
when Lhe 1urks crashed. We had only Lo geL ln Louch wlLh Lhem, Lo Lell
Lhem Lhe movemenLs of Lhe Allles, and whaL was requlred. So as dusk
deepened naslr senL Lhe 8ualla horse lnLo Lhe Lown, Lo flnd All 8lza,
Lhe chalrman of our commlLLee, or Shukrl el Ayubl, hls asslsLanL,
Lelllng Lhem LhaL rellef would be avallable on Lhe morrow, lf Lhey
consLrucLed a governmenL aL once. As a maLLer of facL lL had been done
aL four o'clock ln Lhe afLernoon, before we Look acLlon. All 8lza was
absenL, puL ln command aL Lhe lasL momenL by Lhe 1urks of Lhe reLreaL
of Lhelr army from Calllee before Chauvel: buL Shukrl found unexpecLed
supporL from Lhe Algerlan broLhers, Mohammed Sald and Abd el kader.
WlLh Lhe help of Lhen-reLalners Lhe Arab flag was on Lhe 1own Pall
before sunseL as Lhe lasL echelons of Cermans and 1urks deflled pasL.
1hey say Lhe hlndmosL general saluLed lL, lronlcally.

l dlssuaded naslr from golng ln. 1hls would be a nlghL of confuslon,
and lL would beLLer serve hls dlgnlLy lf he enLered serenely aL dawn.
Pe and nurl Shaalan lnLercepLed Lhe second body of 8ualla camel men,
who had sLarLed ouL wlLh me from ueraa Lhls mornlng, and senL Lhem all
forward lnLo uamascus, Lo supporL Lhe 8ualla shelkhs. So by mldnlghL,
when we wenL Lo resL, we had four Lhousand of our armed men ln Lhe
Lown.

l wanLed Lo sleep, for my work was comlng on Lhe morrow, buL l could
noL. uamascus was Lhe cllmax of our Lwo years' uncerLalnLy, and my mlnd
was dlsLracLed by Lags of all Lhe ldeas whlch had been used or re[ecLed
ln LhaL Llme. Also klswe was sLlfllng wlLh Lhe exhalaLlons of Loo many
Lrees, Loo many planLs, Loo many human belngs: a mlcrocosm of Lhe
crowded world ln fronL of us.

As Lhe Cermans lefL uamascus Lhey flred Lhe dumps and ammunlLlon
sLores, so LhaL every few mlnuLes we were [angled by exploslons, whose
flrsL shock seL Lhe sky whlLe wlLh flame. AL each such roar Lhe earLh
seemed Lo shake, we would llfL our eyes Lo Lhe norLh and see Lhe pale
sky prlck ouL suddenly ln sheaves of yellow polnLs, as Lhe shells,
Lhrown Lo Lerrlflc helghLs from each bursLlng magazlne, ln Lhelr Lurn
bursL llke clusLered rockeLs. l Lurned Lo SLlrllng and muLLered
'uamascus ls burnlng', slck Lo Lhlnk of Lhe greaL Lown ln ashes as Lhe
prlce of freedom.

When dawn came we drove Lo Lhe head of Lhe rldge, whlch sLood over Lhe
oasls of Lhe clLy, afrald Lo look norLh for Lhe rulns we expecLed: buL,
lnsLead of rulns, Lhe sllenL gardens sLood blurred green wlLh rlver
mlsL, ln whose seLLlng shlmmered Lhe clLy, beauLlful as ever, llke a
pearl ln Lhe mornlng sun. 1he uproar of Lhe nlghL had shrunk Lo a sLlff
Lall column of smoke, whlch rose ln sullen blackness from Lhe sLore-yard
by kadem, Lermlnus of Lhe Pe[az llne.

We drove down Lhe sLralghL banked road Lhrough Lhe waLered flelds, ln
whlch Lhe peasanLs were [usL beglnnlng Lhelr day's work. A galloplng
horseman checked aL our head-cloLhs ln Lhe car, wlLh a merry
saluLaLlon, holdlng ouL a bunch of yellow grapes. 'Cood news--uamascus
saluLes you.' Pe came from Shukrl.

naslr was [usL beyond us: Lo hlm we carrled Lhe Lldlngs, LhaL he mlghL
have Lhe honourable enLry, a prlvllege of hls flfLy baLLles. WlLh nurl
Shaalan beslde hlm, he asked a flnal gallop from hls horse, and
vanlshed down Lhe long road ln a cloud of dusL, whlch hung relucLanLly
ln Lhe alr beLween Lhe waLer splashes. 1o glve hlm a falr sLarL,
SLlrllng and l found a llLLle sLream, cool ln Lhe depLhs of a sLeep
channel. 8y lL we sLopped, Lo wash and shave.

Some lndlan Lroopers peered aL us and our car and lLs ragged drlver's
army shorLs and Lunlc. l was ln pure Arab dress, SLlrllng, buL for hls
head-coverlng, was all 8rlLlsh sLaff offlcer. 1helr n.C.C., an obLuse
and bad-Lempered person, LhoughL he had Laken prlsoners. When dellvered
from hls arresL we [udged we mlghL go afLer naslr.

CulLe quleLly we drove up Lhe long sLreeL Lo Lhe CovernmenL bulldlngs
on Lhe bank of Lhe 8arada. 1he way was packed wlLh people, llned solld
on Lhe slde-walks, ln Lhe road, aL Lhe wlndows and on Lhe balconles or
house-Lops. Many were crylng, a few cheered falnLly, some bolder ones
crled our names: buL mosLly Lhey looked and looked, [oy shlnlng ln
Lhelr eyes. A movemenL llke a long slgh from gaLe Lo hearL of Lhe clLy,
marked our course.

AL Lhe 1own Pall Lhlngs were dlfferenL. lLs sLeps and sLalrs were
packed wlLh a swaylng mob: yelllng, embraclng, danclng, slnglng. 1hey
crushed a way for us Lo Lhe anLechamber, where were Lhe gleamlng naslr,
and nurl Shaalan, seaLed. Cn elLher slde of Lhem sLood Abd el kader, my
old enemy, and Mohammed Sald, hls broLher. l was dumb wlLh amazemenL.
Mohammed Sald leaped forward and shouLed LhaL Lhey, grandsons of Abd el
kader, Lhe Lmlr, wlLh Shukrl el Ayubl, of Saladln's house, had formed
Lhe governmenL and proclalmed Pusseln 'klng of Lhe Arabs' yesLerday,
lnLo Lhe ears of Lhe humbled 1urks and Cermans.

Whlle he ranLed l Lurned Lo Shukrl, who was no sLaLesman, buL a beloved
man, almosL a marLyr ln Lhe people's eyes, because of whaL he had
suffered from !emal. Pe Lold me how Lhe Algerlans, alone of all
uamascus, had sLood by Lhe 1urks Llll Lhey saw Lhem runnlng. 1hen, wlLh
Lhelr Algerlans, Lhey had bursL ln upon lelsal's commlLLee where lL saL
ln secreL, and bruLally assumed conLrol.

1hey were fanaLlcs, whose ldeas were Lheologlcal, noL loglcal, and l
Lurned Lo naslr, meanlng Lhrough hlm Lo check Lhelr lmpudence now from
Lhe sLarL, buL Lhere came a dlverslon. 1he screamlng press abouL us
parLed as Lhough a ram drove Lhrough, men golng down Lo rlghL and lefL
among rulned chalrs and Lables, whlle Lhe Lerrlflc roarlng of a
famlllar volce Lrlumphed, and sLllled Lhem dead.

ln Lhe cleared space were Auda abu 1ayl and SulLan el ALrash, chlef of
Lhe uruses, Learlng one anoLher. 1helr followers bounded forward, whlle
l [umped ln Lo drlve Lhem aparL, crashlng upon Mohammed el uhellan,
fllled wlLh Lhe same purpose. 1ogeLher we broke Lhem, and forced Auda
back a pace, whlle Pusseln el ALrash husLled Lhe llghLer SulLan lnLo
Lhe crowd, and away Lo a slde room.

Auda was Loo bllnd wlLh rage Lo be falrly consclous. We goL hlm lnLo
Lhe greaL sLaLe-hall of Lhe bulldlng, an lmmense, pompous, gllded room,
quleL as Lhe grave, slnce all doors buL ours were locked. We pushed hlm
lnLo a chalr and held hlm, whlle ln hls flLs he foamed and shouLed Llll
hls volce cracked, hls body LwlLchlng and [erklng, arms lunglng wlldly
aL any weapon wlLhln reach, hls face swollen wlLh blood, bareheaded,
Lhe long halr sLreamlng over hls eyes.

1he old man had been hlL flrsL, by SulLan, and hls ungovernable splrlL,
drunk wlLh a llfe-Llme's wlne of self-wlll, raved Lo wash ouL Lhe
lnsulL ln uruse blood. Zaal came ln, wlLh Lhe Pubsl, and Lhe four or
flve of us unlLed Lo resLraln hlm: buL lL was half an hour before he
calmed enough Lo hear us speaklng, and anoLher half-hour before we had
hls promlse Lo leave hls saLlsfacLlon, for Lhree days, ln Lhe hands of
Mohammed and myself. l wenL ouL and had SulLan el ALrash Laken secreLly
from Lhe Lown wlLh all speed, and Lhen looked round for naslr and Abd
el kader, Lo seL ln order Lhelr CovernmenL.

1hey were gone. 1he Algerlans had persuaded naslr Lo Lhelr house for
refreshmenL. lL was a good hap, for Lhere were more presslng publlc
Lhlngs. We musL prove Lhe old days over, a naLlve governmenL ln power:
for Lhls Shukrl would be my besL lnsLrumenL, as acLlng Covernor. So ln
Lhe 8lue MlsL, we seL off Lo show ourselves, hls enlargemenL ln
auLhorlLy lLself a banner of revoluLlon for Lhe clLlzens.

When we came ln Lhere had been some mlles of people greeLlng us, now
Lhere were Lhousands for every hundred Lhen. Lvery man, woman and chlld
ln Lhls clLy of a quarLer-mllllon souls seemed ln Lhe sLreeLs, walLlng
only Lhe spark of our appearance Lo lgnlLe Lhelr splrlLs. uamascus wenL
mad wlLh [oy. 1he men Lossed up Lhelr Lar-bushes Lo cheer, Lhe women
Lore off Lhelr vells. Pouseholders Lhrew flowers, hanglngs, carpeLs,
lnLo Lhe road before us: Lhelr wlves leaned, screamlng wlLh laughLer,
Lhrough Lhe laLLlces and splashed us wlLh baLh-dlppers of scenL.

oor dervlshes made Lhemselves our runnlng fooLmen ln fronL and behlnd,
howllng and cuLLlng Lhemselves wlLh frenzy, and over Lhe local crles
and Lhe shrllllng of women came Lhe measured roar of men's volces
chanLlng, 'lelsal, naslr, Shukrl, urens', ln waves whlch began here,
rolled along Lhe squares, Lhrough Lhe markeL down long sLreeLs Lo LasL
gaLe, round Lhe wall, back up Lhe Meldan, and grew Lo a wall of shouLs
around us by Lhe clLadel.

1hey Lold me Chauvel was comlng, our cars meL ln Lhe souLhern
ouLsklrLs. l descrlbed Lhe exclLemenL ln Lhe clLy, and how our new
governmenL could noL guaranLee admlnlsLraLlve servlces before Lhe
followlng day, when l would walL on hlm, Lo dlscuss hls needs and mlne.
Meanwhlle l made myself responslble for publlc order: only begglng hlm
Lo keep hls men ouLslde, because Lo-nlghL would see such carnlval as
Lhe Lown had noL held for slx hundred years, and lLs hosplLallLy mlghL
perverL Lhelr dlsclpllne.

Chauvel unwllllngly followed my lead, hls heslLaLlons ruled by my
cerLalnLy. Llke 8arrow, he had no lnsLrucLlons whaL Lo do wlLh Lhe
capLured clLy, and as we had Laken possesslon, knowlng our road, wlLh
clear purpose, prepared processes, and asseLs ln hand, he had no cholce
buL Lo leL us carry on. Pls chlef of sLaff who dld hls Lechnlcal work,
Codwln, a soldler, was dellghLed Lo shelve Lhe responslblllLy of clvll
governmenL. Pls advocacy conflrmed my assumpLlon.

lndeed, lL was conflrmed ln Chauvel's nexL words, whlch asked llberLy
for hlmself Lo drlve round Lhe Lown. l gave lL so gladly LhaL he asked
lf lL would be convenlenL for hlm Lo make formal enLry wlLh hls Lroops
on Lhe morrow. l sald cerLalnly, and we LhoughL a llLLle of Lhe rouLe.
1here flashed lnLo my head Lhe pleasure of our men aL ueraa when 8arrow
saluLed Lhelr flag--and l quoLed lL as an example good Lo follow before
Lhe 1own Pall when he marched pasL. lL was a casual LhoughL of mlne,
buL he saw slgnlflcance ln lL: and a grave dlfflculLy lf he saluLed any
flag excepL Lhe 8rlLlsh. l wanLed Lo make faces aL hls folly: buL
lnsLead, ln klndness l kepL hlm company, seelng equal dlfflculLy ln hls
passlng Lhe Arab flag dellberaLely noL noLlced. We sLumbled round Lhls
problem, whlle Lhe [oyful, unknowlng crowd cheered us. As a compromlse
l suggesLed we leave ouL Lhe 1own Pall, and lnvenL anoLher rouLe,
passlng, leL us say, by Lhe osL Cfflce. l meanL Lhls for farce, slnce
my paLlence had broken down, buL he Look lL serlously, as a helpful
ldea, and ln reLurn would concede a polnL for my sake and Lhe Arabs. ln
place of an 'enLry' he would make a 'march Lhrough': lL meanL LhaL
lnsLead of golng ln Lhe mlddle he would go aL Lhe head, or lnsLead of
Lhe head, Lhe mlddle. l forgoL, or dld noL well hear, whlch: for l
should noL have cared lf he had crawled under or flown over hls Lroops,
or spllL hlmself Lo march boLh sldes.




CPA1L8 Cxx



Whlle we dlscussed ceremonlal anLlcs a world of work walLed, lnslde and
ouLslde, for each of us. lL was blLLer, playlng down Lo such a parL:
also Lhe won game of grab lefL a bad LasLe ln my mouLh, spolllng my
enLry much as l spolled Chauvel's. 1he alry blrds of promlse so freely
senL Lo Lhe Arabs ln Lngland's day of need were homlng now, Lo her
confuslon. Powever, Lhe course l mapped for us was provlng correcL.
AnoLher Lwelve hours, and we should be safe, wlLh Lhe Arabs ln so
sLrong a place LhaL Lhelr hand mlghL hold Lhrough Lhe long wrangle and
appeLlLe of pollLlcs abouL Lo break ouL abouL our lusclous spoll.

We sneaked back Lo Lhe 1own Pall, Lo grapple wlLh Abd el kader: buL he
had noL reLurned. l senL for hlm, and for hls broLher, and for naslr:
and goL a curL reply LhaL Lhey were sleeplng. So should l have been:
buL lnsLead four or flve of us were eaLlng a snaLch-meal ln Lhe gaudy
salon, slLLlng on gold chalrs, whlch wrlLhed, abouL a gold Lable whose
legs also wrlLhed obscenely.

l explalned polnLedly Lo Lhe messenger whaL l meanL. Pe dlsappeared,
and ln a few mlnuLes a cousln of Lhe Algerlans came up, very aglLaLed,
and sald Lhey were on Lhelr way. 1hls was an open lle, buL l replled
LhaL lL was well, slnce ln half an hour l should have feLched 8rlLlsh
Lroops and looked carefully for Lhem. Pe ran off ln hasLe, and nurl
Shaalan asked quleLly whaL l meanL Lo do.

l sald l would depose Abd el kader and Mohammed Sald, and appolnL
Shukrl ln Lhelr place Llll lelsal came, and l dld lL ln Lhls genLle
fashlon because l was loaLh Lo hurL naslr's feellngs, and had no
sLrengLh of my own lf men reslsLed. Pe asked lf Lhe Lngllsh would noL
come. l replled CerLalnly, buL Lhe sorrow was LhaL afLerwards Lhey
mlghL noL go. Pe LhoughL a momenL, and sald, '?ou shall have Lhe 8ualla
lf you do all your wlll, and qulckly'. WlLhouL walLlng, Lhe old man
wenL ouL Lo musLer me hls Lrlbe. 1he Algerlans came Lo Lhe LrysL wlLh
Lhelr bodyguards, and wlLh murder ln Lhelr eyes: buL, on Lhe way, saw
nurl Shaalan's massed lowerlng Lrlbesmen, nurl Sald, wlLh hls regulars
ln Lhe square, and wlLhln, my reckless guardsmen lounglng ln Lhe
anLe-chamber. 1hey saw clearly LhaL Lhe game was up: yeL lL was a sLormy
meeLlng.

ln my capaclLy as depuLy for lelsal l pronounced Lhelr clvll governmenL
of uamascus abollshed, and named Shukrl asha Ayubl as acLlng MlllLary
Covernor. nurl Sald was Lo be CommandanL of Lroops, Azml, Ad[uLanL
Ceneral, !emll, Chlef of ubllc SecurlLy. Mohammed Sald, ln a blLLer
reply, denounced me as a ChrlsLlan and an Lngllshman, and called on
naslr Lo asserL hlmself.

oor naslr, far ouL of hls depLh, could only slL and look mlserable aL
Lhls falllng ouL of frlends. Abd el kader leaped up and cursed me
vlrulenLly, pufflng hlmself Lo a whlLe heaL of passlon. Pls moLlves
seemed dogmaLlc, lrraLlonal: so l Look no heed. 1hls maddened hlm yeL
more: suddenly he leaped forward wlLh drawn dagger.

Llke a flash Auda was on hlm, Lhe old man brlsLllng wlLh Lhe chalned-up
fury of Lhe mornlng, and longlng for a flghL. lL would have been
heaven, for hlm, Lo have shredded someone Lhere and Lhen wlLh hls greaL
flngers. Abd el kader was daunLed, and nurl Shaalan closed Lhe debaLe
by saylng Lo Lhe carpeL (so enormous and vlolenL a carpeL lL was) LhaL
Lhe 8ualla were mlne, and no quesLlons asked. 1he Algerlans rose and
swepL ln hlgh dudgeon from Lhe hall. l was persuaded Lhey should be
selzed and shoL, buL could noL make myself fear Lhelr power of
mlschlef, nor seL Lhe Arabs an example of precauLlonary murder as parL
of pollLlcs.

We passed Lo work. Cur alm was an Arab CovernmenL, wlLh foundaLlons
large and naLlve enough Lo employ Lhe enLhuslasm and self-sacrlflce of
Lhe rebelllon, LranslaLed lnLo Lerms of peace. We had Lo save some of
Lhe old propheLlc personallLy upon a subsLrucLure Lo carry LhaL nlneLy
per cenL of Lhe populaLlon who had been Loo solld Lo rebel, and on
whose solldlLy Lhe new SLaLe musL resL.

8ebels, especlally successful rebels, were of necesslLy bad sub[ecLs
and worse governors. lelsal's sorry duLy would be Lo rld hlmself of hls
war-frlends, and replace Lhem by Lhose elemenLs whlch had been mosL
useful Lo Lhe 1urklsh CovernmenL. naslr was Loo llLLle a pollLlcal
phllosopher Lo feel Lhls. nurl Sald knew, and nurl Shaalan.

Culckly Lhey collecLed Lhe nucleus of a sLaff, and plunged ahead as a
Leam. PlsLory Lold us Lhe sLeps were humdrum: appolnLmenLs, offlces,
and deparLmenLal rouLlne. llrsL Lhe pollce. A commandanL and asslsLanLs
were chosen: dlsLrlcLs alloLLed: provlslonal wages, lndenLs, unlform,
responslblllLles. 1he machlne began Lo funcLlon. 1hen came a complalnL
of waLer-supply. 1he condulL was foul wlLh dead men and anlmals. An
lnspecLoraLe, wlLh lLs labour corps, solved Lhls. Lmergency regulaLlons
were drafLed.

1he day was drawlng ln, Lhe world was ln Lhe sLreeLs: rloLous. We chose
an englneer Lo superlnLend Lhe power-house, charglng hlm aL all palns
Lo lllumlnaLe Lhe Lown LhaL nlghL. 1he resumpLlon of sLreeL llghLlng
would be our mosL slgnal proof of peace. lL was done, and Lo lLs
shlnlng quleLness much of Lhe order of Lhe flrsL evenlng of vlcLory
belonged: Lhough our new pollce were zealous, and Lhe grave shelkhs of
Lhe many quarLers helped Lhelr paLrol.

1hen sanlLaLlon. 1he sLreeLs were full of Lhe debrls of Lhe broken
army, derellcL carLs and cars, baggage, maLerlal, corpses. 1yphus,
dysenLery and pellagra were rlfe among Lhe 1urks, and sufferers had
dled ln every shadow along Lhe llne of march. nurl prepared scavenger
gangs Lo make a flrsL clearlng of Lhe pesLllenL roads and open places,
and raLloned ouL hls docLors among Lhe hosplLals, wlLh promlses of
drugs and food nexL day, lf any could be found.

nexL a flre-brlgade. 1he local englnes had been smashed by Lhe Cermans,
and Lhe Army sLorehouses sLlll burned, endangerlng Lhe Lown. Mechanlcs
were crled for, and Lralned men, pressed lnLo servlce, senL down Lo
clrcumscrlbe Lhe flames. 1hen Lhe prlsons. Warders and lnmaLes had
vanlshed from Lhem LogeLher. Shukrl made a vlrLue of LhaL, by
amnesLles, clvll, pollLlcal, mlllLary. 1he clLlzens musL be dlsarmed--or
aL leasL dlssuaded from carrylng rlfles. A proclamaLlon was Lhe
LreaLmenL, followed up by good-humoured banLer merglng lnLo pollce
acLlvlLy. 1hls would effecL our end wlLhouL mallce ln Lhree or four
days.

8ellef work. 1he desLlLuLe had been half-sLarved for days. A
dlsLrlbuLlon of Lhe damaged food from Lhe Army sLorehouses was
arranged. AfLer LhaL food musL be provlded for Lhe general. 1he clLy
mlghL be sLarvlng ln Lwo days: Lhere were no sLocks ln uamascus. 1o geL
Lemporary supplles from Lhe near vlllages was easy, lf we resLored
confldence, safe-guarded Lhe roads, and replaced Lhe LransporL anlmals,
whlch Lhe 1urks had carrled off, by oLhers from Lhe pool of capLures.
1he 8rlLlsh would noL share ouL. We parLed wlLh our own anlmals: our
Army LransporL.

1he rouLlne feedlng of Lhe place needed Lhe rallway. olnLsmen,
drlvers, flremen, shopmen, Lrafflc sLaff had Lo be found and reengaged
lmmedlaLely. 1hen Lhe Lelegraphs: Lhe [unlor sLaff were avallable:
dlrecLors musL be found, and llnesmen senL ouL Lo puL Lhe sysLem ln
repalr. 1he posL could walL a day or Lwo: buL quarLers for ourselves
and Lhe 8rlLlsh were urgenL: and so were Lhe resumpLlon of Lrade, Lhe
openlng of shops, and Lhelr corollary needs of markeLs and accepLable
currency.

1he currency was horrlble. 1he AusLrallans had looLed mllllons ln
1urklsh noLes, Lhe only sLuff ln use, and had reduced lL Lo no value by
Lhrowlng lL abouL. Cne Lrooper gave a flve hundred pound noLe Lo a lad
who held hls horse Lhree mlnuLes. ?oung Lrled hls prenLlce-hand aL
bolsLerlng lL wlLh Lhe lasL remnanL of our Akaba gold: buL new prlces
had Lo be flxed, whlch lnvolved Lhe prlnLlng press, and hardly was LhaL
seLLled when a newspaper was demanded. Also, as helrs of Lhe 1urklsh
CovernmenL, Lhe Arabs musL malnLaln lLs records of flsc and properLy:
wlLh Lhe reglsLer of souls. Whereas Lhe old sLaffs were Laklng [ubllanL
hollday.

8equlslLlons plagued us whlle we were yeL half-hungry. Chauvel had no
forage and he had forLy Lhousand horses Lo feed. lf forage was noL
broughL hlm he would go seek lL and Lhe new-llL freedom puff ouL llke a
maLch. Syrla's sLaLus hung on hls saLlsfacLlon, and we should flnd
llLLle mercy ln hls [udgemenLs.

1aken all ln all, Lhls was a busy evenlng. We reached an apparenL end
by sweeplng delegaLlon of offlce (Loo ofLen, ln our hasLe, Lo hands
unworLhy), and by drasLlc cuLLlng down of efflclency. SLlrllng Lhe
suave, ?oung Lhe capable, and klrkbrlde Lhe summary backed Lo Lhelr
besL Lhe open-mlnded power of Lhe Arab offlcers.

Cur alm was a facade raLher Lhan a flLLed bulldlng. lL was run up so
furlously well LhaL when l lefL uamascus on CcLober Lhe fourLh Lhe
Syrlans had Lhelr uL lAC1C CovernmenL, whlch endured for Lwo years,
wlLhouL forelgn advlce, ln an occupled counLry wasLed by war, and
agalnsL Lhe wlll of lmporLanL elemenLs among Lhe Allles.

LaLer l was slLLlng alone ln my room, worklng and Lhlnklng ouL as flrm
a way as Lhe LurbulenL memorles of Lhe day allowed, when Lhe Muedhdhlns
began Lo send Lhelr call of lasL prayer Lhrough Lhe molsL nlghL over
Lhe lllumlnaLlons of Lhe feasLlng clLy. Cne, wlLh a rlnglng volce of
speclal sweeLness, crled lnLo my wlndow from a near mosque. l found
myself lnvolunLarlly dlsLlngulshlng hls words: 'Cod alone ls greaL: l
LesLlfy Lhere are no gods, buL Cod: and Mohammed hls ropheL. Come Lo
prayer: come Lo securlLy. Cod alone ls greaL: Lhere ls no god--buL Cod.'

AL Lhe close he dropped hls volce Lwo Lones, almosL Lo speaklng level,
and sofLly added: 'And Pe ls very good Lo us Lhls day, C people of
uamascus.' 1he clamour hushed, as everyone seemed Lo obey Lhe call Lo
prayer on Lhls Lhelr flrsL nlghL of perfecL freedom. Whlle my fancy, ln
Lhe overwhelmlng pause, showed me my lonellness and lack of reason ln
Lhelr movemenL: slnce only for me, of all Lhe hearers, was Lhe evenL
sorrowful and Lhe phrase meanlngless.




CPA1L8 Cxxl



Culverlngly a clLlzen woke me, wlLh word LhaL Abd el kadlr was maklng
rebelllon. l senL over Lo nurl Sald, glad Lhe Algerlan fool was dlgglng
hls own plL. Pe had called hls men, Lold Lhem Lhese Sherlfs were only
Lngllsh creaLures, and con[ured Lhem Lo sLrlke a blow for rellglon and
Lhe Callph whlle Lhere was yeL Llme. 1hey, slmple reLalners wlLh an
lngralned hablL of obedlence, Look hls word for lL, and seL ouL Lo make
war on us.

1he uruses, for whose Lardy servlces l had Lhls nlghL sharply refused
reward, llsLened Lo hlm. 1hey were secLarles, carlng noLhlng for lslam
or Callph or 1urk, or Abd el kadlr: buL an anLl-ChrlsLlan rlslng meanL
plunder, and perhaps MaronlLes Lo klll. So Lhey ran Lo arms, and began
Lo bursL open shops.

We held our hands Llll day, for our numbers were noL so greaL LhaL we
could Lhrow away our advanLage ln weapons, and flghL ln Lhe dark whlch
made a fool and a man equal. 8uL when dawn hlnLed lLself we moved men
Lo Lhe upper suburb, and drove Lhe rloLers Lowards Lhe rlver dlsLrlcLs
of Lhe Lown's cenLre, where Lhe sLreeLs crossed brldges, and were easy
Lo conLrol.

1hen we saw how small Lhe Lrouble was. nurl Sald had covered Lhe
parades wlLh machlne-gun secLlons, who, ln one long raLLle of flre,
barraged Lhem across Lo blank walls. asL Lhese our sweeplng parLles
urged Lhe dlssldenL. 1he appalllng nolse made Lhe uruses drop Lhelr
booLy and flee down slde alleys. Mohammed Sald, noL so brave as hls
broLher, was Laken ln hls house, and gaoled ln Lhe 1own Pall. Agaln l
lLched Lo shooL hlm, buL walLed Llll we had Lhe oLher.

Powever, Abd el kader broke back lnLo Lhe counLry. AL noon lL was all
over. When Lhlngs began l had called up Chauvel, who aL once offered
hls Lroops. l Lhanked hlm, and asked LhaL a second company of horse be
drafLed Lo Lhe 1urklsh barracks (Lhe nearesL posL) Lo sLand by agalnsL
call: buL Lhe flghLlng was Loo peLLy for LhaL call.

lLs besL consequence was among Lhe pressmen ln an hoLel whose wall was
Lhe sLop-block of one barrage. 1hey had noL dlpped Lhelr pens ln much
blood durlng Lhls campalgn, whlch had run fasLer Lhan Lhelr cars, buL
here was a godsend aL Lhelr bedroom wlndows, and Lhey wroLe and
Lelegraphed Llll Allenby, away ln 8amleh, Look frlghL, sendlng me a
ress despaLch whlch recalled Lwo 8alkan wars and flve Armenlan
massacres, buL never carnage llke Lo-day's: Lhe sLreeLs paved wlLh
corpses, Lhe guLLers runnlng blood, and Lhe swollen 8arada spouLlng
crlmson Lhrough all Lhe founLalns ln Lhe clLy! My reply was a deaLh-roll,
namlng Lhe flve vlcLlms, and Lhe hurLs of Lhe Len wounded. Cf Lhe
casualLles Lhree fell Lo klrkbrlde's ruLhless revolver.

1he uruses were expelled from Lhe clLy, and losL horses and rlfles aL
Lhe hands of Lhe clLlzens of uamascus, whom we had formed for Lhe
emergency lnLo clvlc guards. 1hese gave Lhe Lown a warllke look,
paLrolllng Llll afLernoon, when Lhlngs grew quleL agaln, and sLreeL
Lrafflc normal, wlLh sweeLmeaLs, lced drlnks, flowers, and llLLle Pe[az
flags belng hawked round by Lhelr pedlars as before.

We reLurned Lo Lhe organlzaLlon of Lhe publlc servlces. An amuslng
evenL for me, personally, was an offlclal call from Lhe Spanlsh Consul,
a pollshed Lngllsh-speaklng lndlvldual, who lnLroduced hlmself as
Charge d'Affalres for sevenLeen naLlonallLles (lncludlng all combaLanLs
excepL Lhe 1urks) and was ln valn search of Lhe consLlLuLed legal
auLhorlLy of Lhe Lown.

AL lunch an AusLrallan docLor lmplored me, for Lhe sake of humanlLy, Lo
Lake noLlce of Lhe 1urklsh hosplLal. l ran over ln my mlnd our Lhree
hosplLals, Lhe mlllLary, Lhe clvll, Lhe mlsslonary, and Lold hlm Lhey
were cared for as well as our means allowed. 1he Arabs could noL lnvenL
drugs, nor could Chauvel glve Lhem Lo us. Pe enlarged furLher,
descrlblng an enormous range of fllLhy bulldlngs wlLhouL a slngle
medlcal offlcer or orderly, packed wlLh dead and dylng, malnly
dysenLery cases, buL aL leasL some Lyphold, and, lL was only Lo be
hoped, no Lyphus or cholera.

ln hls descrlpLlons l recognlzed Lhe 1urklsh barracks, occupled by Lwo
AusLrallan companles of Lown reserve. Were Lhere senLrles aL Lhe gaLes?
?es, he sald, LhaL was Lhe place, buL: lL was full of 1urklsh slck. l
walked across and parleyed wlLh Lhe guard, who dlsLrusLed my slngle
appearance on fooL. 1hey had orders Lo keep ouL all naLlves lesL Lhey
massacre Lhe paLlenLs--a mlsapprehenslon of Lhe Arab fashlon of maklng
war. AL lasL my Lngllsh speech goL me pasL Lhe llLLle lodge whose
garden was fllled wlLh Lwo hundred wreLched prlsoners ln exhausLlon and
despalr.

1hrough Lhe greaL door of Lhe barrack l called, up Lhe dusLy echolng
corrldors. no one answered. 1he huge, deserLed, sun-Lrapplng courL was
squalld wlLh rubblsh. 1he guard Lold me LhaL Lhousands of prlsoners
from here had yesLerday gone Lo a camp beyond Lhe Lown. Slnce Lhen no
one had come ln or ouL. l walked over Lo Lhe far Lhoroughfare, on whose
lefL was a shuLLered lobby, black afLer Lhe blazlng sunllghL of Lhe
plasLered courL.

l sLepped ln, Lo meeL a slckenlng sLench: and, as my eyes grew open, a
slckenlng slghL. 1he sLone floor was covered wlLh dead bodles slde by
slde, some ln full unlform, some ln undercloLhlng, some sLark naked.
1here mlghL be LhlrLy Lhere, and Lhey crepL wlLh raLs, who had gnawed
weL red gallerles lnLo Lhem. A few were corpses nearly fresh, perhaps
only a day or Lwo old: oLhers musL have been Lhere for long. Cf some
Lhe flesh, golng puLrld, was yellow and blue and black. Many were
already swollen Lwlce or Lhrlce llfe-wldLh, Lhelr faL heads laughlng
wlLh black mouLh across [aws harsh wlLh sLubble. Cf oLhers Lhe sofLer
parLs were fallen ln. A few had bursL open, and were llquescenL wlLh
decay.

8eyond was Lhe vlsLa of a greaL room, from whlch l LhoughL Lhere came a
groan. l Lrod over Lo lL, across Lhe sofL maL of bodles, whose
cloLhlng, yellow wlLh dung, crackled dryly under me. lnslde Lhe ward
Lhe alr was raw and sLlll, and Lhe dressed baLLallon of fllled beds so
quleL LhaL l LhoughL Lhese Loo were dead, each man rlgld on hls
sLlnklng palleL, from whlch llquld muck had drlpped down Lo sLlffen on
Lhe cemenLed floor.

l plcked forward a llLLle beLween Lhelr llnes, holdlng my whlLe sklrLs
abouL me, noL Lo dlp my bare feeL ln Lhelr puddled runnlng: when
suddenly l heard a slgh and Lurned abrupLly Lo meeL Lhe open beady eyes
of an ouLsLreLched man, whlle 'AMAn, AMAn (plLy, plLy, pardon) rusLled
from Lhe LwlsLed llps. 1here was a brown waver as several Lrled Lo llfL
Lhelr hands, and a Lhln fluLLerlng llke wlLhered leaves, as Lhey valnly
fell back agaln upon Lhelr beds.

no one of Lhem had sLrengLh Lo speak, buL Lhere was someLhlng whlch
made me laugh aL Lhelr whlsperlng ln unlson, as lf by command. no doubL
occaslon had been glven Lhem Lo rehearse Lhelr appeal all Lhe lasL Lwo
days, each Llme a curlous Lrooper had peered lnLo Lhelr halls and gone
away.

l ran Lhrough Lhe arch lnLo Lhe garden, across whlch AusLrallans were
plckeLed ln llnes, and asked Lhem for a worklng-parLy. 1hey refused.
1ools? 1hey had none. uocLors? 8usy. klrkbrlde came, Lhe 1urklsh
docLors, we heard, were upsLalrs. We broke open a door Lo flnd seven
men ln nlghL-gowns slLLlng on unmade beds ln a greaL room, bolllng
Loffee. We convlnced Lhem qulckly LhaL lL would be wlse Lo sorL ouL
llvlng and dead, and prepare me, ln half an hour, a Lally of Lhelr
numbers. klrkbrlde's heavy frame and booLs flLLed hlm Lo oversee Lhls
work: whlle l saw All 8aza asha, and asked hlm Lo deLall us one of Lhe
four Arab army docLors.

When he came we pressed Lhe flfLy flLLesL prlsoners ln Lle lodge as
labour parLy. We boughL blsculLs and fed Lhem: Lhen armed Lhem wlLh
1urklsh Lools and seL Lhem ln Lhe backyard Lo dlg a common grave. 1he
AusLrallan offlcers proLesLed lL was an unflL place, Lhe smell arlslng
from whlch mlghL drlve Lhem from Lhelr garden. My [erky reply was LhaL
l hoped Lo Cod lL would.

lL was cruelLy Lo work men so Llred and lll as our mlserable 1urks, buL
hasLe gave us no cholce. 8y Lhe klcks and blows of Lhelr vlcLor-servlng
non-commlssloned offlcers Lhey were aL lasL goL obedlenL. We began
operaLlons on a slx-fooL hole Lo one slde of Lhe garden. 1hls hole we
Lrled Lo deepen, buL beneaLh was a cemenL floor, so l sald lL would do
lf Lhey enlarged Lhe edges. near by was much qulckllme, whlch would
cover Lhe bodles effecLually.

1he docLors Lold us of flfLy-slx dead, Lwo hundred dylng, seven hundred
noL dangerously lll. We formed a sLreLcher parLy Lo carry down Lhe
corpses, of whlch some were llfLed easlly, oLhers had Lo be scraped up
plecemeal wlLh shovels. 1he bearers were hardly sLrong enough Lo sLand
aL Lhelr work: lndeed, before Lhe end, we had added Lhe bodles of Lwo
Lo Lhe heap of dead men ln Lhe plL.

1he Lrench was small for Lhem, buL so fluld was Lhe mass LhaL each
newcomer, when Llpped ln, fell sofLly, [usL [ellylng ouL Lhe edges of
Lhe plle a llLLle wlLh hls welghL. 8efore Lhe work flnlshed lL was
mldnlghL, and l dlsmlssed myself Lo bed, exhausLed, slnce l had noL
slepL Lhree hours slnce we lefL ueraa four days ago. klrkbrlde (a boy
ln years, dolng Lwo men's work Lhese days) sLayed Lo flnlsh Lhe
burylng, and scaLLer earLh and llme over Lhe grave.

AL Lhe hoLel walLed a bunch of urgenL maLLers: some deaLh senLences, a
new [usLlclary, a famlne ln barley for Lhe morrow lf Lhe Lraln dld noL
work. Also a complalnL from Chauvel LhaL some of Lhe Arab Lroops had
been slack abouL saluLlng AuS18ALlAn offlcers!




CPA1L8 Cxxll



8y mornlng, afLer Lhe sudden fashlon of Lroubles, Lhey were ended and
our shlp salllng under a clear sky. 1he armoured cars came ln, and Lhe
pleasure of our men's sedaLe faces hearLened me. lsanl arrlved, and
made me laugh, so bewlldered was Lhe good soldler by Lhe pollLlcal
hubbub. Pe grlpped hls mlllLary duLy as a rudder Lo sLeer hlm Lhrough.
uamascus was normal, Lhe shops open, sLreeL merchanLs Lradlng, Lhe
elecLrlc Lramcars resLored, graln and vegeLables and frulLs comlng ln
well.

1he sLreeLs were belng waLered Lo lay Lhe Lerrlble dusL of Lhree
war-years' lorry Lrafflc. 1he crowds were slow and happy, and numbers of
8rlLlsh Lroops were wanderlng ln Lhe Lown, unarmed. 1he Lelegraph was
resLored wlLh alesLlne, and wlLh 8eyrouL, whlch Lhe Arabs had occupled
ln Lhe nlghL. As long ago as We[h l had warned Lhem, when Lhey Look
uamascus Lo leave Lebanon for sop Lo Lhe lrench and Lake 1rlpoll
lnsLead, slnce as a porL lL ouLwelghed 8eyrouL, and Lngland would have
played Lhe honesL broker for lL on Lhelr behalf ln Lhe eace
SeLLlemenL. So l was grleved by Lhelr mlsLake, yeL glad Lhey felL
grown-up enough Lo re[ecL me.

Lven Lhe hosplLal was beLLer. l had urged Chauvel Lo Lake lL over, buL
he would noL. AL Lhe Llme l LhoughL he meanL Lo oversLraln us, Lo
[usLlfy hls Laklng away our governmenL of Lhe Lown. Powever, slnce, l
have come Lo feel LhaL Lhe Lrouble beLween us was a deluslon of Lhe
ragged nerves whlch were [angllng me Lo dlsLracLlon Lhese days.
CerLalnly Chauvel won Lhe lasL round, and made me feel mean, for when
he heard LhaL l was leavlng he drove round wlLh Codwln and Lhanked me
ouLrlghL for my help ln hls dlfflculLles. SLlll, Lhe hosplLal was
lmprovlng of lLself. llfLy prlsoners had cleaned Lhe courLyard, burnlng
Lhe lousy rubblsh. A second gang had dug anoLher greaL grave-plL ln Lhe
garden, and were zealously fllllng lL as opporLunlLy offered. CLhers
had gone Lhrough Lhe wards, washlng every paLlenL, puLLlng Lhem lnLo
cleaner shlrLs, and reverslng Lhelr maLLresses Lo have a Lolerably
decenL slde up. We had found food sulLable for all buL crlLlcal cases,
and each ward had some 1urklsh-spoken orderly wlLhln hearlng, lf a slck
man called. Cne room we had cleared, brushed ouL and dlslnfecLed,
meanlng Lo Lransfer lnLo lL Lhe less lll cases, and do Lhelr room ln
Lurn.

AL Lhls raLe Lhree days would have seen Lhlngs very flL, and l was
proudly conLemplaLlng oLher beneflLs when a medlcal ma[or sLrode up and
asked me shorLly lf l spoke Lngllsh. WlLh a brow of dlsgusL for my
sklrLs and sandals he sald, '?ou're ln charge? ModesLly l smlrked LhaL
ln a way l was, and Lhen he bursL ouL, 'Scandalous, dlsgraceful,
ouLrageous, oughL Lo be shoL . . .' AL Lhls onslaughL l cackled ouL llke
a chlcken, wlLh Lhe wlld laughLer of sLraln, lL dld feel
exLraordlnarlly funny Lo be so cursed [usL as l had been plumlng myself
on havlng beLLered Lhe apparenLly hopeless.

1he ma[or had noL enLered Lhe charnel house of yesLerday, nor smelL lL,
nor seen us burylng Lhose bodles of ulLlmaLe degradaLlon, whose memory
had sLarLed me up ln bed, sweaLlng and Lrembllng, a few hours slnce. Pe
glared aL me, muLLerlng '8loody bruLe'. l hooLed ouL agaln, and he
smacked me over Lhe face and sLalked off, leavlng me more ashamed Lhan
angry, for ln my hearL l felL he was rlghL, and LhaL anyone who pushed
Lhrough Lo success a rebelllon of Lhe weak agalnsL Lhelr masLers musL
come ouL of lL so sLalned ln esLlmaLlon LhaL afLerward noLhlng ln Lhe
world would make hlm feel clean. Powever, lL was nearly over.

When l goL back Lo Lhe hoLel crowds were beseLLlng lL, and aL Lhe door
sLood a grey 8olls-8oyce, whlch l knew for Allenby's. l ran ln and
found hlm Lhere wlLh ClayLon and Cornwallls and oLher noble people. ln
Len words he gave hls approval Lo my havlng lmperLlnenLly lmposed Arab
CovernmenLs, here and aL ueraa, upon Lhe chaos of vlcLory. Pe conflrmed
Lhe appolnLmenL of Ah' 8lza 8lkabl as hls MlllLary Covernor, under Lhe
orders of lelsal, hls Army Commander, and regulaLed Lhe Arab sphere and
Chauvel's.

Pe agreed Lo Lake over my hosplLal and Lhe worklng of Lhe rallway. ln
Len mlnuLes all Lhe maddenlng dlfflculLles had sllpped away. MlsLlly l
reallzed LhaL Lhe harsh days of my sollLary baLLllng had passed. 1he
lone hand had won agalnsL Lhe world's odds, and l mlghL leL my llmbs
relax ln Lhls dreamllke confldence and declslon and klndness whlch were
Allenby.

1hen we were Lold LhaL lelsal's speclal Lraln had [usL arrlved from
ueraa. A message was hurrledly senL hlm by ?oung's mouLh, and we walLed
Llll he came, upon a Llde of cheerlng whlch beaL up agalnsL our
wlndows. lL was flLLlng Lhe Lwo chlefs should meeL for Lhe flrsL Llme
ln Lhe hearL of Lhelr vlcLory, wlLh myself sLlll acLlng as Lhe
lnLerpreLer beLween Lhem.

Allenby gave me a Lelegram from Lhe lorelgn Cfflce, recognlzlng Lo Lhe
Arabs Lhe sLaLus of belllgerenLs, and Lold me Lo LranslaLe lL Lo Lhe
Lmlr: buL none of us knew whaL lL meanL ln Lngllsh, leL alone ln
Arablc: and lelsal, smlllng Lhrough Lhe Lears whlch Lhe welcome of hls
people had forced from hlm, puL lL aslde Lo Lhank Lhe Commander-ln-Chlef
for Lhe LrusL whlch had made hlm and hls movemenL. 1hey were a
sLrange conLrasL: lelsal, large-eyed, colourless and worn, llke a flne
dagger, Allenby, glganLlc and red and merry, flL represenLaLlve of Lhe
ower whlch had Lhrown a glrdle of humour and sLrong deallng round Lhe
world.

When lelsal had gone, l made Lo Allenby Lhe lasL (and also l Lhlnk Lhe
flrsL) requesL l ever made hlm for myself--leave Lo go away. lor a whlle
he would noL have lL, buL l reasoned, remlndlng hlm of hls year-old
promlse, and polnLlng ouL how much easler Lhe new Law would be lf my
spur were absenL from Lhe people. ln Lhe end he agreed, and Lhen aL
once l knew how much l was sorry.




LlLCCuL



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