Armies were like plants, immobile, firm-rooted,
nourished throughlong stems to the head.
Then I broke the thread ofmy argument again to
listen. After a while we came to a fault in the flow,which served as a track to the
other side. There were bell-tents, huts and trenches, but no sign
ofguns.
After a while we came to a fault in the flow,which
served as a track to the other side.
We might be a vapour, blowing where we
listed.
Only we showed no prospect of ever breakinganybodys
courage. One could as explicably call it murder war.
Then I broke the thread ofmy argument again to
listen. However, it was his war,and therefore his tune, so we hastily modified the
plans. Mohammed, who wanted to seethe fight, awoke. When we knewall about the enemy
we should be comfortable.
Here was a pompous, professorial beginning. In the
Arab Army at the moment we were chary both of materialsand of men. CHAPTER
XXXIVObviously I was well again, and I remembered the reason of my journeyto Wadi
Ais. The third and other stepsascended to the south of us: but we turned east, up
Wadi Gara. In the Arab Army at the moment we were chary both of materialsand of men.
A lineof variability, Man, persisted like leaven through its estimates,making them
irregular. At the same time wecould not possibly act alike.
Then we rode onrather crookedly for two more hours,
and camped after dark.
A bad habit this: so we sent off two men to lie by
eachblockhouse, and fire a few shots after dark.
We must take more painsin the service of news than
any regular staff.
Mohammed, who wanted to seethe fight, awoke. In
Europe it was set a little aside, andentrusted to men outside the General Staff.
Herewere men, guns, machine-guns, explosives and automatic mines: enoughfor a main
effort.
There were water pools in the crags,and Merawin
tents under the fine trees which studded the flat.
Efforts to make our men hate the enemyusually made
them hate the fighting. We took a few minutes to breathe, but afterwards were able
to regainour camels. Most wars were wars of contact,both forces striving into touch
to avoid tactical surprise.
In the Arab Army at the moment we were chary both
of materialsand of men.
When we knewall about the enemy we should be
comfortable.