army was always
longing to be in the next battle. He knew this because it was so said
by every general and so written by every newspaper editor. And yet,
although he had served in several regiments during the war, he had
always found that that particular itch was more lively in neighbouring
units than in his own.

So when orders arrived on the 13th of March for our Division to
advance that night, our friends from other divisions congratulated us
with what seemed almost undue heartiness on our good fortune in being
selected, and the estimate of the numbers of the opposing Turks rose
rapidly from five thousand to fifteen thousand. However, the estimated
number finally settled down to about half that, with thirty guns, and
these figures were subsequently substantiated by captured prisoners.

These orders put an end to the peaceful enjoyment of the palm grove,
and preparations were hurried forward. Blankets and waterproof sheets
were all stacked, men and officers all carried their own great coats
and rations for the next day, water-bottles were filled that
afternoon, and enough water was carried on mules to refill them once
the next day, and no more given to man or animal till the morning of
the 15th. This should be borne in mind when judging of the
difficulties overcome by the troops in this action, for the shade
temperature on the 14th was about 80 deg., and there was no shade.

The Turk certainly had judged it impossible for us to advance so far
from the river, for we learned later that he had laid out the trace of
most of his trenches between the river and the railway; but our main
attack was delivered west of the railway, a success there forcing the
withdrawal of the whole of his line.

Save for several severe dust-storms the whole pursuit had been blessed
with fine weather, and it was on a beautiful starlit night that our
Division formed up along the railway for the march towards Mushaidie,
a station some twenty miles north of Baghdad on the direct road to
Berlin.

Night marches, the text-book says, may be made for several reasons,
but it does not suggest that one of these ever could be for pleasure.
Constant and unexpected checks break the swing that counts so much for
comfort on a long march; hurrying on to make up for lost ground,
stumbling in rough places, belated units pushing past to the front,
whispered but heated arguments with staff officers, all threaten the
calm of a peaceful evening and also that of