There were eight hundredin the bodyguard that
morning. Feisal had nearly two thousand men with him, but none of theJuheina
tribesmen.
By God, said one, those are the realguns: the
Importance of their noise! I called at once at his house and he told me the history.
When these werecomplete he sent Zeid on to occupy Bir Said, which was
donesuccessfully.
The smaller the unit the betterits performance. The
Turks hadcome on with three battalions and a number of mule-mounted infantry
andcamelry.
Villageshigher up Wadi Yenbo were cool enough to
grow grapes. Feisal therefore rushed Zeid outto Masahali in Wadi Yenbo to make
preparations.
Rasim swore that the Turks weredying in heaps; and
the Arabs charged forward warmly, at his word. Feisal and I lay back and laughed:
then we went tosee what could be done to save the town.
Rasim swore that the Turks weredying in heaps; and
the Arabs charged forward warmly, at his word.
Not that we expected immediate opposition. Feisal
and I lay back and laughed: then we went tosee what could be done to save the town.
CHAPTER XXINext day the crisis had passed: the Turks had clearly failed. The routine
of our life in camp was simple.
We had fought from sunrise and it was dusk: we were
verytired and thirsty. In truth the Turks were meeting with unguessed
difficulties.
Ali was dressedgarishly, and rode a tall camel.
CHAPTER XXSuddenly Feisal asked me if I would wear Arab clothes like his ownwhile in
the camp.
It grew very cold asthe damp of the valley rose
through the carpet and soaked our clothes.
However, no sign was made and no cause given us to
openfire.
He then ordered the Juheina forward in
support.
Ali was dressedgarishly, and rode a tall camel. The
patrols were in touch; and an assault wasdaily expected, but as regularly delayed.
In daylight, if defended by artillery and machine-gun fire,they should be
impregnable.
Crocker, her captain, was very anxious to let
offthose itching guns. Each plot had a mud sluice, scooped away when itsturn for
watering came.
This lasted till half-past four in the
morning.
Garlandsarchitectural efforts about the town became
impressive.
Feisal with a gaspingstare at him said,
How?
Sherif Abdulla had at last left Mecca, on November
the twelfth.
Feisal and I lay back and laughed: then we went
tosee what could be done to save the town. Garland was engineer-in-chief andchief
adviser.
Everything was very free, verygood-tempered, and
not at all dignified. The night waswindless, the air heavy, and the unshielded flame
poised there stiffand straight. Feisal, in speaking, had a rich musical voice, and
used it carefullyupon his men.
Each plot had a mud sluice, scooped away when
itsturn for watering came.