tone, I crave your indulgence, for it was truly the
atmosphere in which we, in common with other lonely outposts, lived and
worked. It was fatal to take life too seriously; wherefore, as we had
little else to laugh at, we laughed at ourselves.

But to all things an end. The weary time of waiting and preparation was
almost over. Sparse news filtered through that the northward advance
towards Palestine had already begun; that there had been heavy fighting at
Katia, where the Turks, under cover of a desert mist, surprised and cut
up--but failed to defeat--our cavalry; and that we had at Romani inflicted
the most summary defeat on the enemy since he made his abortive attack on
the Canal in 1915.

All of which, said the wiseacres, seemed to point in one direction; that
all the available troops would very soon be required for the more
considerable business at the northern end of the desert; in other words,
that we should shortly be on the move again. And for once the prophets were
right, for suddenly there was a great to-do in the camp; such a polishing
of guns and a burnishing of stirrup-irons and bits and chains, such a
cleaning of harness and saddlery as had never been known.

When it was done one of the elect came down and inspected us, after which
we went out into the desert beyond and fired at targets the ranges of which
had been carefully taken days before, so as not to disappoint the great man
by bad shooting. Whereupon, when he had expressed himself satisfied with
the accuracy of our fire and the smartness of our drill, he went away; and
presently came others, still more elect, for whom there was more cleaning
and burnishing, and who further declared their entire approval. Finally the
Commander-in-Chief himself came and inspected all the troops in the area;
and the work was as before, only more so. Now, when he too was pleased, we
knew that a move was what the Americans call a "cinch." And so it proved.
To wind up with a flourish, as it were, we went out to the hills again for
a last--and, as it happened, most successful--attempt on the Raha Pass,
when we climbed the hill mentioned earlier in this chapter.

Marching orders were awaiting us on our return. We were to trek to El
Kubri, a post on the Canal near Suez, there to await train accommodation.
This time the orders were not cancelled.

CHAPTER III

ON 'UNTIN'--AND SOME OTHER MATTERS

Having got us to El Kubri and told us to wait for a train, the aut