streets and people that they did naught but
wander round looking at them, breaking off at intervals to eat large and
variegated meals. When you think about it this was not a bad way of
spending a short leave, especially in a city like Cairo where there was so
much to see and so little time to see it in. Moreover, by the time you had
settled down to your leave it was over, and you had to face the
cattle-trucks once more. All things considered, since home-leave was out of
the question, it saved at least a bad attack of nostalgia if you stayed
with your comrades up the line and made your own fun.

CHAPTER XVIII

IN THE JORDAN VALLEY

The outstanding events of the weeks following the capture of Jerusalem were
a brilliant exploit by the 52nd Division on the banks of the River Auja,
north of Jaffa, and the establishment of a through connection by rail from
Egypt to Jerusalem. The former enterprise was carried out just before
Christmas, partly to suppress the Turks who were very active in this
region, but chiefly to make the position of our left flank secure. The
Turks were very strongly entrenched at Muannis and elsewhere, and between
them and the attacking troops, as an additional protection, they had the
river, now swollen to many times its usual dimensions by the recent rains,
which had also made the ground on either bank little better than a morass.
Also, what fords there were had been rendered impassable by the floods, and
it was only after prolonged and searching examination, which had always to
be undertaken at night and by swimming the river many times, that fairly
suitable places were marked out as crossings. One thing only favoured the
Scotsmen on the night of the attack: the weather was as tempestuous as
could be desired, and the roar of the wind effectually drowned any
unavoidable noise and prevented the Turks from receiving intimation of
impending trouble. Most of the troops crossed by means of rafts which,
after the first one had safely reached the other side, were hauled across
by ropes and eventually formed into a rough bridge. Some men, however,
actually waded through the raging torrent in water up to the arm-pits, and
had the utmost difficulty in getting across safely.

When the division was in position on the other side the attack began at
once, in absolute silence, and everywhere the Turks were taken completely
by surprise. Practically all the enemy positions were taken at the point of
the bayo