ve been, dangling for hours at the end of a
rope in the dank atmosphere of a well. Practically everything had to be
done in the first two days after the capture of Beersheba in order to
secure our precarious hold on that place; and with the lack of quick
transport--for the country was too rough for motors, and camels are very
slow--the shortage of rope and appliances, with, in fine, everything
against them, the engineers in successfully accomplishing the feat added
one more to their already imposing list of miracles.

Let there be no mistake about it; it _was_ a miracle and one performed only
by the most complete abnegation of self. Men who doubtless would have
groused at home had they been asked to work for a couple of hours overtime
at bank or office or works, here slaved for twenty-four hours at a stretch
without bite or sup, and then after a short rest went on for another
twenty-four. It is astonishing what the human frame can be made to do, when
it is driven by that indescribable thing variously called _morale_ or
_esprit de corps_ or duty.

The same feeling of superb confidence in the outcome animated the whole
army, from the men clinging tenaciously to Beersheba to those straining
impatiently at the leash in front of Gaza. The turn of the latter came on
November 1st, and the account of their exploits must be taken from official
sources, since by some inexplicable oversight on the part of Nature, a man
cannot be in two places at once.

According to General Allenby's dispatches, it was decided to make a strong
attack on some of the ridges defending Gaza, for the purpose chiefly of
preventing the enemy from sending reinforcements or reserves across to the
other flank. Also, any gains would be of material assistance when the time
came for striking the big blow in the centre. The first part of the attack
was made by the Scotch division on Umbrella Hill, previously mentioned in
this narrative as being the scene of a raid by the same troops in the
middle of June. Just before sunset the artillery put up a tremendous
bombardment which lasted until dusk, and shortly before midnight the
Scotsmen attacked the hill. To many of them it must have been reminiscent
of their desperate assault on Wellington Ridge, during one phase of the
battle of Romani, for Umbrella Hill was somewhat similarly shaped and the
approach to it was over a wide expanse of heavy, yielding sand. But here
the Turks were partially taken by surprise, and t