I assured them that all was going well: but they
wouldnot get away till some husbands delivered me.
THISHALF-MEASURE MET WITH THE FAILURE IT
DESERVED.
He advised a drive at the far end of the Turkish
line, nearBeersheba. After the train was taken, the Howeitat had stripped him
ofcloak, dagger, rifle and head-gear.
So, watching the time, one or two of the
quickeryouths nipped across to drag back the saddlebags.
CHAPTER LXVIILewis and Stokes had come down to help
me. In the lull, I ran southward to join the sergeants.
One of those yet alive deliriously cried out the
word typhus.
The sergeants and I werealone by the wreck, which
had a strange silence now. Of our ninety prisoners, ten werefriendly Medina women
electing to go to Mecca by way of Feisal.
As the flames reached the cordite and ammonal there
was a colossal andcontinuing noise. My men, possessed by greed, haddispersed over
the land with the Beduins. Not often was I caught with so poor a shield as
blindSherif Aid. Evidently we had a half-hourrespite, and then a double threat
against us. It drew near where we had been reported, and opened random fire intothe
desert. Yet they wouldnot finish their looting before the Turks came.
He asked about Wadi Musa, because Turkish messages
showed theirintention to assault it at once.
TheTurks were almost arrived and would recover what
remained of the train.
The Turks there, seeing them go, began to move
after themwith infinite precaution, firing volleys.
It seemed fair and witty thatthis much of the booty
should escape. The second engine was a blanched pile of smokingiron. I replied with
myhalting German; whereupon one, in English, begged a doctor for hiswounds. The
Turks there, seeing them go, began to move after themwith infinite precaution,
firing volleys.
So we lit fires ina deep hollow, baked bread and
were comfortable. We wentto Rumm and announced that this raid was specially for
Gasims clan. There must have been onehundred and fifty of them, and our attempt was
hopeless. Afterwards we moved off another ten miles or so, beyond fear
ofpursuit.
We knew its place because the deep darkness there
grewhumidly darker.
Saad repeated historyby saving only the wire for
his share. So we determined toput up with the disadvantages of plunging fire. We
calculated they might be two or three hundred yards short of us whenthe train
came.
Day broke quietly, and for hours we watched the
empty railway with itspeaceful camps. We were exhausted, the prisoners had drunk all
ourwater.