IN THE BRITISH LINES
It was a week later. In one of the tents of the Headquarters staff
behind the British lines Burnet, once more in Arab dress, was
conversing with Captain Mitchell, an officer high in the Intelligence
branch. He had just come to the end of a rather long narrative--the
story of his adventures from the day when he had said good-bye to
Captain Mitchell more than a month before, down to the time of the
attack on Rejeb's stronghold.
"And how did you get out?" asked the captain.
"I slipped away to the south through the marshes, swimming the deep
places on a waterskin, and wading the rest. When I was clear I steered
south-east till I struck the Tigris and got aboard a country boat that
was bringing up fodder."
"It sounds simple, though I daresay it wasn't all what the rags at home
call a joy-ride."
Burnet smiled: it was not necessary to tell all that had happened
during that week.
"I will place the situation before the Chief," the captain went on.
"You will hear from him."
"He will understand that Rejeb is waiting to hear whether he may expect
help? He is greatly outnumbered."
"Quite so. The Chief will realise what is at stake, and I think you
may depend on prompt instructions."
The interview was at an end. Burnet went off to visit his particular
friends, including Scuddy Smith, captain in the Bengal Lancers.
"What ho!" cried Smith. "Back again, then. We were getting anxious
about you. Where's Ellingford?"
"In an Arab camp, Scud."
"A prisoner?"
"No, an honoured guest. Also an invalid: he was unlucky enough to get
hit--not seriously. I say, I haven't had a decent meal for I don't
know how long. Come and see me feed, and I'll tell you between the
mouthfuls as much as is good for you."
Smith and other friends heard Burnet's story rather enviously. They
would willingly have shared his dangers for the sake of the variety and
movement, so different from their own stagnant existence. But their
spirits were rising in proportion as the time drew nearer for the
opening of the great offensive. They had much to tell Burnet of the
progress made during his absence. Every one was confident that when
the moment came the Turkish fortifications at Kut would be pierced and
the misfortune of General Townshend repaired. And then for Bagdad!
Next day Burnet was summoned to another interview with Captain Mitchell.
"The Chief is greatly pleased with your work," said the captain. "Your
particulars of the state of Bagdad and your map showing the military
establishments are especially valuable. For certain reasons he thinks
it best not to see you himself just yet, but he will thank you in
person at the proper time. He made a note of your application to be
employed as observer on an aeroplane when we attack Bagdad from the
air. Meanwhile he thoroughly agrees that it is of the first importance
that your chief's stronghold should be held. It will protect our left
flank and render unnecessary the employment of a large cavalry force to
cover our advance on that side. As a matter of fact, preparations are
being made for a movement in that region. It won't be started until we
are ready for the main attack, and the forces employed will be smaller
than were contemplated, provided the stronghold can be held. Can your
Arab friend stick it for a week or two without help?"
"It's largely a matter of food. The stuff we captured in the Turks'
launch will help, but Rejeb's usual forays are of course out of the
question now, and I'm afraid he hasn't much food in reserve. His
horses are the great difficulty. I know he has next to no fodder, and
if the place is to be held, the horses must be evacuated. To the Arabs
that'll be worse than drawing their teeth. Their horses are their
chief wealth, and they won't easily part with them."
"What about non-combatants?"
"There are very few: the chief's family and a score of others."
"They must leave, of course, and you'll have to exercise your
persuasive powers with regard to the horses. No doubt they can be got
away by the route you followed?"
"I think so; the Turks aren't numerous enough to surround the place."
"Well then, we'll arrange to receive them in our lines, and give a bond
for their delivery to the Arabs in due course. Now, what about
ammunition?"
"So far as rifle ammunition is concerned I think they are all right:
they had a good deal of their own and collared a lot more on the
launch. But when I left the Turks had a couple of machine-guns in
action. They had formed a sort of bridgehead at their end of the
causeway, and the Arabs had cut the causeway in the middle to prevent
their getting across. Ellingford's machine-gun is available, but we've
only two or three hundred rounds for that, and when I left we had
decided to keep that for emergencies. If we had more ammunition, and
perhaps another machine-gun or two, I think we could carry on--unless
the Turks bring up field guns, which isn't likely, perhaps, in such
swampy country."
"Well, we can send you ammunition and perhaps a couple of machine-guns
and gunners if you think they can be got to the place. That would save
dismantling Ellingford's gun."
"It's worth trying. And while we're about it we might take a little
petrol. Ellingford's tank can be patched up, and he might get away."
"That's important. We need every aeroplane we can muster. Is
Ellingford well enough to fly?"
"He was doing well, and by this time I daresay he could manage a short
flight. But he won't want to leave us."
"He'll obey orders, of course. Well, there's no time to be lost. I'll
see about things at once. Be ready to start back early to-morrow."
At dawn next day Burnet with a party of eight embarked on a boat bound
downstream. There were two men of the machine-gun corps with their
weapons and ammunition, three native boatmen, and three men of the
Indian transport service in charge of three mules. They disembarked
near the place where Burnet had boarded the country boat three days
before; the mules were loaded with the machine-guns, ammunition, petrol
and other stores, and the march across country was begun.
By noon on the following day they came to the edge of an extensive
marsh. Here the mules were unloaded, and sent back. Among the stores
there were materials for putting together a small kelak--a raft
supported by inflated skins. This was quickly rigged up by the native
boatmen, and launched on a winding channel through the marsh. The
trimming of the kelak took some time, and only two hours of daylight
were left when the party started on their journey to the stronghold.
The two machine-gunners found matter for jokes, as British soldiers
will, always and everywhere.
"Look out for submarines, Bill," said one of them, to his comrade on
the other side of the craft.
"Mermaids is more my line," replied the man. "I say, Tom, what if
these balloons underneath us was to go pop!"
"And no parachutes neither! Not even bathing drawers. D'you know what
this here thing reminds me of?"
"What?"
"The bathing raft at Brighton. Wish you was at Brighton, Bill?"
"Don't talk about it."
"Tea and shrimps, and Mary Angelina in the tea-shop, and the little gal
with the curls as played the fiddle so sweet. Bill, you ought to
change your name."
"What for?"
"'Cos 'twas Big Bill as sent us to this here Messypotamia. If it
hadn't 'a been for him we might have been in Brighton now."
"No we shouldn't. We'd 'a been in the mines blasting coal. Never
would have heard of Brighton. But I tell you what: when old Bill's
done in----"
"He won't be done in."
"What I mean is, when old Haig catches him as he's bolting out of
Berlin. What I say, send him to Messypotamia, and without a sun
helmet: lumme, he wants a place in the sun."
The boatmen paddled the kelak slowly through the marsh until sunset
compelled a halt. They slept on board, and started again at dawn.
Soon they came into shallow water where it was necessary to jump
overboard and wade, pushing the kelak. Sometimes they swam; more than
once they had to make a portage over comparatively dry land,
dismantling the kelak and carrying the stores. It was afternoon before
they came to the neighbourhood of the island stronghold. Burnet left
his party securely hidden in the reeds, and made his way alone, wading
and swimming until he reached the rising ground south of the mound.
"Is it good news, my brother?" said Rejeb, meeting him.
"There are guns and stores in the marsh yonder," replied Burnet. "Will
you send out men to bring them in?"
While a party of Arabs went on this mission, Burnet enquired what had
happened during his absence. He learnt that the situation was much
more serious than it had been on his departure. Under cover of
machine-gun fire the Turks had advanced along the causeway and erected
a breastwork of stones at the northern edge of the gap which the Arabs
had cut. Then they had set to work to fill up the gap, and had already
made great progress. They had several times attempted to gain access
to the island from other directions, but the waterlogged condition of
the country had rendered their efforts fruitless against the fire of
the vigilant defenders. When the causeway should be restored, Rejeb
despaired of holding his ground against a force so largely outnumbering
his own. To make matters worse, a slight wound which he had received
had grown serious through lack of attention, and he felt incapable of
the energy necessary to the conduct of a strenuous defensive campaign.
His depression of spirit was somewhat lifted by Burnet's report that
measures would be undertaken for his relief. He called a council of
some of his principal men to consider the propositions which Burnet
conveyed to him from headquarters. There was no opposition to the
sending away of the non-combatants. The Arabs, accustomed to a nomad
existence, saw little hardship in the people having to wander for
safety to other regions. But the suggestion to part with their horses
was at first strongly opposed. An Arab without a horse is like a
shipwrecked mariner. Burnet found all his persuasiveness unavailing
until a diversion was caused by the appearance of the two gunners
bringing up their machine-guns, followed by the boatmen and the Arabs
loaded with stores. The explanation that these were only an advance
party of a force that was by and by coming to their assistance, and
that this force would in all probability bring back their horses,
turned the tide. Encouraged by the assurance of help, the men agreed
to the temporary sacrifice demanded of them; and the council broke up
with a yell of defiance which caused the enemy, expecting an attack, to
open fire.