y, were attacking Gaza and this mist, the
despatches afterwards told us, just prevented their complete success. We
passed an uneventful day--listening and wondering. Some of us made our
way down into the village and examined the fruit trees and enclosures
and the square huts of which it was composed. The features of the
inhabitants inspired, if possible, even less confidence than those of
the citizens of el Arish; but the men were dignified and aloof, and we
remembered that we were now in Turkish territory.

In the evening we received sudden orders to be ready to move by 6.30
p.m. and at 6.15 we were told to get off at once. In consequence the
camels and loading parties got a very bad start and the latter at any
rate set off at a feverish double in an effort to find the remainder
before it got too dark. They managed indeed to catch up, but their
troubles were not over. The dust was appalling in the narrow lanes. The
whole Battalion was moving in what was aptly described as "short sharp
rushes" alternately with long periods of steady doubling, while the
camels, who lose their heads as soon as they are asked to increase
their dignified rate of 2-1/2 miles an hour, were floundering along at
its side. Their loads, hastily packed and wildly hurled from side to
side in their disastrous progress, again and again came sliding to the
ground, to be painfully reloaded in the dark by furious escorts and
despairing drivers. Sometimes the maddened beasts broke away and
galloped off, shedding their precious burdens as they went,
determined--as one of the men observed--"to finish this ---- mobile in
clean fatigue." The other half of our live stock, the pack mules, who
are impervious to fear, but possessed of seventy devils of contrariance
and misplaced humour, on the excuse of the near proximity of their bete
noire, the camel, indulged in their most violent antics, kicked, jibbed
or bolted, blocking the track and causing a halt which had to be
followed by a wild sprint to regain touch. Frenzied messages to the
front were met with sympathy, but the orders were to push on, and they
could not lose touch with the 7th in front. Our progress could perhaps
best be compared to a Marathon race in Hell.

At last, however, came a halt which enabled us to close up, and soon
after we got into open country where there was less dust and the fresh
smell of flowers and herbs revived us. At 1 a.m. we reached Inserrat and
halted, receiving orders to lie