water-supply
was captured. This was to be the first part of the enterprise, and the
whole plan hinged on its success.

Two divisions, one of infantry and the other of dismounted yeomanry--which
latter had done so well as infantry that they were rewarded by being
further employed as such--were to make for the gap between Beersheba and
Sheria and make things unpleasant for the Turks occupying the defences of
the former place. The part assigned to the mounted troops was that they
should disappear into the desert land south-east of Beersheba and wait
there till the time appointed, whereupon they were to perform the
outflanking movement which, as has been stated, was utterly unforeseen by
the Turks. For the moment we will, if you please, follow the fortunes of
the cavalry.

If you have persevered so far with this narrative you will have noticed
throughout that the troops had little assistance from Nature in beating the
Turks. Here, doubtless relenting, she had with kindly forethought provided
two small oases--one about twenty miles from El Chauth, the other ten miles
farther away--in the desert where the cavalry was to hide. At both places
there was a moderate supply of water, sufficient for a few days at any
rate, which was all that was required.

During the night of October 27th, what time the Turks were being severely
trounced in an attempt on the branch railway, two columns of cavalry
started for these providential hiding-places, following substantially the
same route as that taken when the railway between Beersheba and El Auja was
blown up. The dust was still there, in greater quantities than ever after
six months of drought, and the fond illusion that we had taken most of it
on our persons during the railway raid was rudely shattered. Fortunately
the Turks were profoundly ignorant of the move, and the two columns reached
their respective destinations without discovery. They remained unseen until
the night of the 30th, when the long trek northwards began. If you can
imagine a mighty column of dust well over ten miles in length, in the midst
of which were many thousands of half-suffocated men and horses, you have no
need of further words to picture that night's march, which lasted for ten
hours.

At dawn all the troops were in their assigned positions. The infantry had
marched all night and were to open the performance as soon as it was light
enough for the gunners to get on to their targets. At the outset these
con