After an hour he excused himself, because he had
just married a Shobekwife. The huts were burned, the stores looted, the shipping
takenout to deep sea and scuttled. I askedhow they could look with pleasure on
children, embodied proofs of theirconsummated lust?
So on hertail, with me yet in the saddle, we went
sliding round and down ahundred feet.
Our new ridge was about forty feet up, and a nice
shape for defence.
The huts were burned, the stores looted, the
shipping takenout to deep sea and scuttled.
Never again werewe combative, whether in jest, or
betting on a certainty. Inthe day it thawed a little and in the night it froze. The
Sherif s eyes darkened, and he made passesin the air with his
riding-stick.
We had ridden sixmiles in seven hours, and they
were exhausted. I asked them thenews; they told me all was well. I have been forty
years a soldier, but never saw I rebels fightlike these.
Wehad eighty men on it, and more were constantly
arriving.
They had no clothes but khaki drill uniform ofthe
British summer sort. Thence we turned back to Tafileh,after a reconnaissance very
assuring for our future.
The Turks were fightingtheir way up this
road.
Joyce might have arranged to send me money: but not
easily in thisseason. The perspective seemed to change, so that far hills looked
small,and near hillocks great. The huts were burned, the stores looted, the shipping
takenout to deep sea and scuttled. I called him in togive him an embroidered
head-cloth as reward for faithful service.
We were weatherbound, andas the days passed in
monotony we lost the hope of doing.
Yet the pleasure was not vivid, as we hadhoped. We
wrangled by theroadside under the soft drift. We snuggled down beside them, hoping
for warmth and sleep.
So I rode her without a stick, comfortably reading
a book when the marchpermitted. We had to drive them down into thehappier Ghor, a
days journey from our vital garrison.
It cost me an infinity of pain toturn the first two
comers.
After the fall she rose to her feetwhimpering and
stood still, in a tremble.
He had finished his ammunition, lost five men
fromshell-fire, and had one automatic gun destroyed.
They went in rapidly, unseen till they were in
position, andcrumpled the Turkish left.
Zeid told me there was another Englishman in
Tafileh.