THE ENEMY'S GUNS
Before he sought his couch Burnet had a talk with Ellingford.
"I'm jolly glad you are back," said the latter. "Not one of these
Arabs knows a word of English, and to be over a week without any means
of communication but dumb show has been a horrid nuisance. I managed
to make them understand that they had better rig up some sort of a
fortification at this end of the causeway as a defence against
machine-gun fire, and I was thinking of placing my gun there, for
things are getting warmer every day. There's no need for that now,
perhaps: the two guns you've brought are enough on such a narrow front:
but we've all our work cut out to hold the enemy off until relief
comes."
"By the way, I've orders for you to return if you're fit," said Burnet.
"The Tommies I've brought will patch up your tank."
"That's rough luck. I wanted to stay here and see it through. I'm fit
enough, for a short flight at any rate, but I don't like running away."
"You can do a little useful scouting for us before you return to the
lines. We'll talk about that later. To-morrow you had better get your
tank repaired. The men are handy fellows, and they'll do what's
required under your instruction. We're evacuating the non-combatants
and the horses, and I hope our food will last out until we're relieved.
That's the only risk--unless the enemy bring up artillery and shell us.
Even then we may still have a chance, because there are underground
chambers here and there under the ruins--places excavated long ago for
shelter from the heat; and they ought to prove effective dug-outs. The
greatest danger is that the Turks will repair or bridge the causeway
and overwhelm us with numbers. I shall have a look round to-morrow and
see what can be done to prevent them."
Next day Burnet resumed his own uniform and went round the position
with Rejeb. It appeared that when the non-combatants were gone, under
escort of a sufficient number of armed men, the effective strength of
the garrison would slightly exceed four hundred. The enemy, at a rough
estimate, outnumbered them by three to one, and were on the whole
better armed; the rifles and ammunition captured on the launch were
sufficient to arm about a third of Rejeb's force. The food supplies
might with care last for a week or two. Plenty of drinking water was
to be got from an old well which the Arabs had cleared out at their
first occupation of the island.
The weakness of the defence was that a wide front--for it was not
merely a question of holding the end of the causeway--had to be held by
relatively small numbers. The channel between the island and the
Turkish position was too deep to wade; but it was obvious that an
enterprising enemy with a large preponderance of numbers would not find
it an insuperable obstacle, and with half the causeway in their
possession they could harass the defenders until an attack in
overwhelming force was possible.
Burnet saw that his first concern must be to prevent the enemy from
pushing farther along the causeway. That should be practicable. It
was more doubtful whether he would be able to dislodge them from the
position they had already gained.
The sudden outburst of fire from the Turks on the previous evening had
soon died down when they found that the Arabs made no attack, and so
far the morning had been quiet. Taking advantage of their inactivity,
Burnet went cautiously to the end of the causeway, examined the
breastwork which the Arabs had constructed with material from the
ruins, and cast about for an emplacement for one of his machine-guns.
His first idea was to instal it in a sort of blockhouse in the middle
of the breastwork, from which it could sweep the causeway from end to
end. But there was always a chance that the Turks would ultimately
bring up field artillery; the blockhouse would then be their first
objective, and the gun would very likely be put out of action. The
second gun, which he intended to keep in reserve, might suffer the same
fate. What then could be done?
The breastwork hastily erected by the Arabs across the end of the
causeway was neither long enough nor strong enough. But along the
shore of the island ran a low artificial embankment against floods.
Just behind it was an old, much dilapidated wall. About a hundred and
fifty yards on the right of the causeway the embankment had broken
away. It was only necessary to break an opening in the wall just
behind this gap, to form a sort of embrasure for the gun. The position
was well screened from the enemy, for the surface of the island rose
slightly in the rear, and the horizon, from the Turks' point of view,
was cut by the chief's tower with the dwarf trees that flanked it.
Placed in this embrasure, the machine-gun would command the whole of
the causeway except the fifty yards nearest the island.
It was a question whether the necessary pioneer work could be done
during the hours of daylight, for much of it must be carried out in
full view of the enemy. But at present none of the Turks was to be
seen. They were not at work on the causeway, and a careful scanning of
their farther position through field-glasses failed to detect any sign
of movement or of preparations. Taking advantage of this rather
surprising inactivity, which suggested that they were either awaiting
reinforcements or planning some dangerous stroke, Burnet set a large
number of the Arabs to the task of carrying out his scheme. While some
cut the embrasure for the machine-gun, others dug a communication
trench from the blockhouse to a group of ruins about two hundred yards
in the rear. Others again strengthened these ruins by piling up blocks
of masonry collected from the whole area, so as to form a shelter,
effectual against all but gun fire, for the larger part of the
garrison. The underground chambers beneath the ruins were partially
cleared of accumulations of rubbish, and should serve as safe quarters
when the men were not in action.
While Burnet was setting all these operations in train, Rejeb had
superintended the departure of the non-combatants. They were
transported in relays across the southern marshes on the kelak. The
horses, too, under the charge of a score of well-armed men, left the
island by wading or swimming, Rejeb keeping half a dozen in a safe
place at the south of the island, in case he might find them useful for
scouting. Among them were his own horse, and the one that Burnet had
captured.
It was the third day after his arrival before the defensive works were
completed. Except for occasional sniping the enemy had not attempted
to molest them. To Burnet this quiescence seemed ominous, for it
suggested that the Turkish commander--no doubt that Major Djaved Bey
who had visited Burckhardt with General Eisenstein--thought the Arabs'
operations of no importance, and that must mean that he was confident
of the success of whatever coup he might be planning. Burnet felt the
necessity of learning what preparations the enemy was making, what
stroke he had to guard against, and the approaching departure of
Ellingford gave him an opportunity.
The two gunners, Bill Jackson and Tom Sturge, had repaired the petrol
tank. Ellingford himself had regained the use of his limbs, and,
though not perfectly recovered, was clearly strong enough to pilot his
machine the thirty or forty miles between the island and the British
lines.
"I don't want you to run any unnecessary risks," said Burnet, "but if
you could do a little scouting----"
"My dear fellow, with all the pleasure in life. A few extra miles are
neither here nor there. And there are no Archies to worry me."
"Then will you fly a few miles northward, say as far as the _tell_, and
see what the beggars are up to? Don't waste time by coming down again,
but drop me a message. If I don't get anything from you, I shall know
that there's nothing to worry about."
"Right. And the sooner I go, the better. It's a perfect day.
Everything's as clear and sharp as you could wish, and I shall hardly
even need to use my glasses."
"But don't fly too low. A bullet might drill another hole in your
tank."
"Never fear. I shall be safe enough at two or three thousand feet.
Any messages for headquarters?"
"You might tell them what we're doing, and say that with luck we can
hold out ten days or a fortnight. There's nothing else, I think."
The aeroplane had been placed at the extreme south of the island, where
the dipping of the ground kept it below the Turks' line of sight. A
space was rapidly cleared in order to give room for rising, and after a
careful preliminary test of the engine the captain ran off and rose
smoothly into the air. At first he headed south-east; then, when he
had gained an altitude of something over two thousand feet, he wheeled
round, recrossed the island, and, still rising, for some minutes
circled over the Turkish position, amid a fusillade of rifle fire. At
one moment Burnet was alarmed, fearing from a sudden downward swerve
that the machine had been injured; but it was evidently an intentional
movement on Ellingford's part, for he at once skimmed away to the
north-west, and the shooting ceased.
An hour later Burnet heard the hum of the returning engine.
"He's flying perilously low," he thought, as the machine came into view
on the west. Pursued again by rifle fire, it flew straight across the
island from west to east. Burnet had informed the gunners and Rejeb
what to expect, and the eyes of all the garrison looked up for the
sight of an object falling from the aeroplane. It was so small and
fell so swiftly that no one saw it until a fraction of a second before
it reached the ground. One of the Arabs picked it up and ran with it
eagerly to Burnet. It was a stone wrapped in a sheet of paper. Burnet
read the message:
"Nothing doing opposite you: 2 f.g. bogged 10 m. N. of _tell_."
The aeroplane had circled round: Ellingford evidently wanted to know
whether the message had been received. Burnet signalled in Morse with
his arms; the machine turned again, and heading south-east in a few
minutes was out of sight.
The inactivity of the enemy was explained, and the explanation was of
serious import for the garrison. They were awaiting the arrival of
field-guns before resuming the attack. The transport of the guns over
the marshes had naturally been difficult, and the fact that they were
actually now stuck in the swamp was welcome news. But the respite
would only be temporary, and Burnet realised that he would soon have to
deal with the only situation that gave him real anxiety. Would the
Arabs' resolution stand the test of gun fire? At the best, the period
of possible resistance was shortened, for the Arabs, unaccustomed to
shelling, would probably be so much demoralised by it as to be
incapable of standing up against a sustained attack.
On reading the message Burnet had not allowed any sign of his anxiety
to escape him. He could not conceal its purport from Rejeb: it would
not be fair to keep him in the dark; but he laid more stress on the
bogging than on the guns. Later on, however, he went away by himself
to a quiet spot on the south of the island, to think things over. So,
one of Britain's heroes, Robert Clive, had gone apart to decide in
solitude the momentous question to which the battle of Plassey was the
answer.
"Why wait for the guns?"
That was the question that filled Burnet's thoughts. The enemy no
doubt thought they had the garrison well boxed up: they had only to
bring up their guns to compel surrender. The escort of the guns must
have seen the aeroplane, and guessed that its occupant would have
carried news of them to his own lines. But the British were far away,
much too far to send a force to capture two field-guns. Nor would they
think it worth while to send airmen to bomb guns so remote from their
own position, and of no danger to themselves. The Turks, then, would
not dream that they had any difficulties to contend with except those
due to the swampy nature of the country. Such a feeling of security
gave the best possible promise that an attack would be successful.
But how could an attack be made? Not in force, nor openly. The escort
of the guns, though probably not a large body, would be strong enough
to withstand any assault by a small number of Arabs, and Burnet would
not feel justified in reducing the garrison of the stronghold by more
than a few men. And between him and them was the Turkish main body;
his retreat would be cut off. He felt that he could not ask the Arabs
to undertake so hazardous an expedition until he had himself
reconnoitred the ground, and discovered for himself what were the
chances of a surprise.
He returned to Rejeb's tower, and told the chief what he had in mind.
"It must not be," said Rejeb. "I am weak, and my faintness increases.
Who is to lead my people if the Turkish dogs attack?"
"But it is for these guns they are waiting. Until they come there will
be no serious attack, and when they come your position here will be
much worse. Is it not wise to seize any chance of keeping them at a
distance?"
"Who knows whether there will be such a chance?"
"True; that is what I want to find out. And if I discover that we can
do nothing, I will return at once. My absence will be but for a night
and a day."
"You will not go alone?"
"No: I want you to lend me five of your most trusty and stout-hearted
men. This is work for a few."
"It shall be done, and may Allah preserve you!"
While Rejeb was selecting the men, Burnet informed the machine-gunners
of his intentions, and ordered them, in case the Turks attacked, to use
the gun which had already been placed.
Late in the afternoon, he slipped away from the south of the island
with the five Arabs, leading their horses through the swamp. Then they
swept round to the west, outside the probable range of the enemy's
scouts, and rode rapidly in the direction of the _tell_. When they
came in sight of the ruins, lit up by the glow from the setting sun,
Burnet confided the horses to the care of two of his men, and with the
other three went forward on foot, taking advantage of what cover the
barren country afforded. He hoped, before darkness closed upon the
scene, to be able to discover, from the summit of the mound, whether
the guns had been extricated from the bog; if there was no sign of
them, it would be necessary to go farther north.