THE BREAKING OF THE MAD MULLAH
The Mullah's deeds--Supply and transport--Arrival of No. 2
Unit, R.A.F., at Berbera--Details and arrangements--Mullah
miracles--Aeroplane scouting--Friendlies--R.A.F.
reports--Post-bag bombing--To Medishe--The Mullah's birds--A
Mullah victim--Tali and the last of the Mullah.
In 1919 British Somaliland was roughly divided--politically--into
two separate territories, the East and the West. The former
dominated by one saturnine personality, the Mad Mullah, who rarely
(of late years never) intruded into the more peaceful, if more
subtle, situation of the West.
Not one day since I landed in Somaliland has passed without my
running up against one or more of the victims of the Mullah, now
reported to be getting old, and so stout as to be almost inactive.
On trek I could not sit down to breakfast without hearing the wail
of some poor woman or child outside the encampment. "Sahib! Sahib!
for the love of God! A bite of food for a poor meskin!" Daily in the
Court Room wrecks of women and children came before me for relief.
Almost invariably I found, on the strictest inquiries being made
into their cases, that their villages had been destroyed, their
property looted, their men-folk killed, by the murdering gang of
thieves who carried out incessantly the merciless policy of this
awful man. In desperation they had roamed across country, ever
making away from the territory where the terror reigned. How the
Mullah had put to the sword the men, women, and children of one
whole section of a tribe because, whilst being shown over a fort
in the course of construction by their headman, a wooden beam had
fallen and broken his arm, was related to me a few days before she
died by a poor woman, one of the few survivors.
I had read much of the man before I came to Somaliland, and rather
admired what I imagined to be his sporting character. But since
I have learned enough about him at first hand, and have been so
shocked at the misery, caused by this fiend, that is ever being
brought to my notice, the very mention of his name causes my blood
to boil.
It was in the West, and in the month of October, 1919, that I found
myself deeply involved in nothing more exciting than the hearing
of divorce cases, marriage disputes, petty loots, and homicides.
In fact occupied with the thousand and one affairs, the settlement
of which goes to make up the greater part of the routine work in
the daily life of a District Commissioner in the Zeila District of
British Somaliland.
Into the midst of all this came a mail, and in the mail a letter
addressed to me from the Officer Commanding Troops (also, at that
moment, administering the Government) asking if I would take
over the organisation of the supply and transport for certain
contemplated operations against the "Mad Mullah." My reply, though
couched in more official language, can be summed up briefly as,
"_Rather!_"
In the course of this narrative, and after having thus explained my
rôle in the expedition, I do not propose to do any more than set
forth such events and happenings as came to my personal notice,
or with which I naturally became conversant as being in close
touch with the officers, or units, of whom I write. This is not
a disquisition or treatise on how to run Supply and Transport in
Somaliland, though a by-no-means unexciting subject.
On the 3rd of November there was landed at Berbera the first
consignment of aerial bombs. These were followed, on the 13th of
November, by Colonel R. Gordon, C.M.G., commanding No. 2 Unit,
Royal Air Force, and Lieutenant-Colonel Tyrell, D.S.O., who was
responsible for the R.A.F. medical arrangements. Shortly afterwards
the first contingent of the 6th King's African Rifles, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Wilkinson, D.S.O., landed at Las Khorai, where
they were joined later by the remainder of the battalion; about
eight hundred and fifty rifles all told. The temporary garrison at
Las Khorai, composed of four hundred and forty rifles--the 101st
Grenadiers, Indian Army--evacuated Las Khorai and proceeded by sea
to Berbera, thence to Las Dureh. It had at first been decided to
use Las Khorai as the base from which the R.A.F. should commence
operations, but, owing to the prevalence of wind and dust storms
at that port, this plan was given up, and the base was fixed
on--much to my regret as it meant land transport--at El-dur-Elan.
By Christmas-time preparations were well advanced, and, in spite of
the lack of facilities, the R.A.F. were well up to time in their
preparations for the attack, planned to take place early in January.
[Illustration: BERBERA TOWN.]
On the 12th of January it was certain that the aeroplanes would be
ready to commence operations on the 21st. The position was then as
follows:--the Mullah was reported at Medishe, about eight miles
North West of Jidali. The country he held can very roughly be
summarised as that in the vicinity of his more important fortified
posts, namely Garabghari, Jidali, Medishe and Baran, with a clear
run to the East, water, which is scarce, permitting: and a clear
run to the South, to Tale, the largest and most strongly fortified
position of all. There were many other minor forts, but I believe I
have mentioned the principal ones.
Up to this time the Military Policy had been to make preparations
as unostentatiously as possible, so that the Mullah would not
take fright and move off from Medishe. His doing so would have
necessitated a complete rearrangement of plans, so telling heavily
on the transport arrangements--an important consideration. The
assembling of the aeroplanes at Berbera was nearing completion, and
trial flights to the West were being made. The reason why the planes
were not tried to the Eastward is obvious, but the native population
believed they were prevented from doing so by the supernatural power
of the Mullah, who had, they said, cast a spell over the machines,
so barring them from using the aerial route over the town of Berbera
(East of the R.A.F. Camp) or above the hills to the South-East.
As a proof of what the Mullah could do in this direction I have
heard intelligent natives state that on a certain occasion the old
man pointed out three crows, high in the air, to his followers,
directing them to watch that which was about to happen. The three
crows fell dead to the ground. A holy man, who could bring down
birds by reciting a verse from the Koran, the method employed,
was not likely to be troubled by aeroplanes. But to return to the
disposition of the military forces on the 12th of January.
The 101st Grenadiers had occupied El-dur-Elan, where a dump of
stores for all arms had been established. The Somaliland Camel
Corps, leaving a small dismounted detachment at headquarters,
Burao, was moving on the same point, where a detachment of R.A.F.
was busily preparing the aerodrome, workshops and camp necessary
for their Corps. The Somaliland Field Force Field Hospital, and the
R.A.F. Field Hospital, were likewise established at the same point.
The King's African Rifles had established their base at Musha Aled,
and, in spite of the fact that, owing to lack of steamer transport,
great difficulty was experienced in supplying them with transport
camels, they were practically ready to move.
At Berbera the R.A.F. were feverishly engaged in the assembling and
tuning up of the ten fighting two-seaters, and the two ambulance
planes that had been landed from H.M.S. _Ark Royal_. In addition
to this work they had prepared emergency landing grounds and
established dumps at Las Khorai, Burao, and Eil Dab.
The P.W.D., Somaliland, was pushing on as quickly as possible with
the work of making the track between Berbera and Las Dureh passable
for motorcars, which were not, however, used for transport for the
expedition. They were found most useful in carrying European ranks
over the first, and worst, stage of the journey between Berbera and
Las Dureh. A dry barren terrain, over which they were never able to
proceed farther than within a few miles of Hagal, about forty-five
miles out. From here the almost impossible country for cars became
quite impossible, unless most expensive works were undertaken.
On the 16th of January, His Excellency the Governor left Berbera for
El-dur-Elan, and on the following day, accompanied by the Director
of Public Works, I followed.
On the 20th of January and at seven a.m. I arrived at El-dur-Elan,
to find that the Camel Corps and the 101st Grenadiers had moved
on to El Afweina with the bulk of supplies intended for the land
forces. The only troops at El-dur-Elan were seventy rifles of the
101st Grenadiers, and His Excellency's bodyguard. His Excellency
would not grant me permission to proceed farther without an adequate
escort, so that I had a good opportunity of seeing the first
machines arrive at El-dur-Elan from Berbera, and likewise the first
flight, timed for the 21st, that was to break for ever the power of
the Mad Mullah in British Somaliland.
On the 21st, although the machines were not completely assembled,
the R.A.F. preparations were sufficiently advanced to commence
operations, the scheme of which was roughly as follows. Medishe,
where the Mullah was known to be, was to be bombed first. The Camel
Corps, which had left El-dur-Elan on the 19th, was to move forward
and take Jidali, thus cutting off any concerted move to the South.
A large party of friendlies under Captain Gibb had been collected
to the South, to keep a sharp look-out for scattered groups of
fugitives and stock, and most particularly to intercept the Mullah
himself should he succeed, as was considered highly probable, in
breaking South for Tale. These friendlies had suffered severely at
the Mullah's hands for years, and were dying to see the last of him.
They, as subsequently transpired, gave a good account of themselves.
The transport of the Camel Corps, escorted by the 101st Grenadiers,
was to move forward from El Afweina towards Jidali, when opportunity
offered and the situation developed. The K.A.R., from Musha Aled,
were to attend to the fortress of Baran, which they approached over
a difficult and precipitous escarpment.
On Wednesday morning, the 21st, the first four aeroplanes got away
from El-dur-Elan, and how anxiously their return was awaited at the
Camp is beyond the power of my pen to describe. When the first faint
drone of engines was heard there was a general rush for the "drome."
Only two machines had returned and they reported as follows:--
On flying out four smoke signals, lit by Somali scouts to mark the
vicinity of the dervish cattle, had been readily found, but, shortly
afterwards, one of the planes was seen to be in trouble and heading
for the sea. This machine and the two pilots, who had returned,
followed, until they were assured it had a good chance of landing
either at Las Khorai or on the sea-coast, when they returned. We
learned later it had landed safely at Las Khorai.
They had not seen Medishe, or any of the Mullah's forts. The fourth
plane, which had not returned, left them when over the hills, and
had swung Eastwards, after the first machine was in difficulty.
All the men who listened to the report, and who knew Somaliland,
offered up a silent prayer that her pilot and observer were safe or
dead, and had not been delivered into the merciless hands of the Mad
Mullah.
But soon the faint drone of the missing plane was heard. It landed
safely, and reported that it had found and bombed Medishe. The
observer said the place was strongly held, and defended by five
stone tower-like forts. He could not say what damage had been done,
but he had made direct hits, causing great confusion amongst the
garrison. The group of officers broke up, now well satisfied, and
there was a feeling all round that the aeroplanes were going to
justify their existence.
But, on Thursday morning, when they started out again, the pilot who
had bombed Medishe the day before was forced to descend, and the
planes that went on again failed to locate Medishe, for the very
good reason, I believe, that it had only been fixed approximately
(on native information) on the maps supplied to the expedition.
At this stage the wireless communications between the King's
African Rifles, the O.C. Somaliland Field Force, and the R.A.F. at
El-dur-Elan broke down, or were working badly. It was an anxious
time, and when three aeroplanes, which went out in the afternoon,
returned to report that they had located, and heavily bombed, the
Mullah's stronghold, there was general rejoicing.
On Saturday the aeroplanes again visited Medishe, which they
believed had been severely dealt with, went on and bombed Jidali.
On the same day I left by aeroplane for Al Afweina, where I assumed
command of the transport and dismounted column, marched on Sunday
for Jidali, which we reached on Thursday, the 29th, after a hard
trek.
An incident during this trek, though it was not amusing at the
moment, is not without its humorous side. The camel transport,
consisting of fourteen companies, was able to march in fairly good
formation--line of companies in single file--but, at one point,
whilst crossing a narrow neck, was thrown into some confusion on
the rough narrow track it was forced to converge upon, so that it
looked not unlike a mob of dervish pack-camels. At this particular
moment an aeroplane glided over the hills on our right, and began to
take some interest in our movements. It had been arranged that all
troops should carry several pieces of white cloth which, when spread
on the ground, would convey to the pilots of the R.A.F. who it was
they were observing from the air. But, as so often happens with such
arrangements, I found that, when we wanted our signalling apparatus,
it was mixed up with the transport. The aeroplane, swooping right
across us, had turned, and was coming up again for what appeared
to our nervous minds might strike the pilot as the target of a
lifetime. The 101st Grenadiers had brought a "Very Light" pistol
with them. This weapon was hastily loaded, but before it could be
discharged the observer dropped--not a bomb--but a letter containing
orders from the O.C., Somaliland Field Force.
As the coloured post-bag with its gay streamers floated through the
air, the semi-savage camel attendants, who had heard of the awful
effect of bombs, stood rooted to the ground with terror. There was
a gasp of relief when the bag harmlessly struck the earth without
exploding. I believe we should have fired a green light, but just
for luck, and to show our independence, we fired two red lights at
the plane, which answered with a green as it circled away. Speaking
for myself, I realised for the first time what "wind up" really
means. I had it!
At Jidali we were met by the O.C. Somaliland Field Force, Colonel
Summers, in person, who showed us into camp and made us _au courant_
with the situation. Jidali had been attacked by the Camel Corps. The
three-inch Stokes guns were brought into play, and shells dropped on
the roof of the fort in the late evening. Early next morning it was
found that the enemy had disappeared.
Soon after our arrival orders were issued for a move on Medishe,
to be followed by a drive through the hills, but, about midday,
on Friday, the 30th January, as I was standing in our lines, the
Colonel walked quietly up to me and stated that he had information
which led him to believe the Mullah had escaped South towards Tale,
and that he was launching the Camel Corps in pursuit. As he was
accompanying them for a certain distance, until he was in a more
central position owing to the change of situation, I was to command
at Jidali until the arrival of the K.A.R., which had been ordered
up from Baran. I could see that, though he was not going to commit
himself as to the position at Jidali, he believed the dervish power
on the Las Khorai escarpment was broken.
That evening the Camel Corps marched on what was to end up in one
of the finest rides, and most successful operations, in its history.
The next morning, following a consultation with the O.C. 101st
Grenadiers, I decided to occupy Medishe. Accordingly, Captain Cross
marched with a party of the Grenadiers, and about two hours later
we received a helio message stating that he had entered the place,
without much opposition, and captured vast quantities of stores.
Meanwhile I busied myself with the prisoners left behind by the
Camel Corps, from whom I learned the following facts:--
On the 21st instant the Mullah, who was well aware of the pending
operations, heard the hum of the aeroplanes, and, with most of his
head-men, went out in the open to observe them. Medishe, being in a
narrow valley, was not "spotted" by the planes they passed to the
West, but the dervishes had a clear view of the machines.
"Look," said the Mullah, "Allah has sent these great birds as a sign
to me and the faithful," upon which the planes disappeared. But one
came back, and again the Mullah addressed his followers.
"Indeed, but God has sent this one great bird back to me!"
[Illustration: "AT 1,000 FEET." BOMBS BURSTING N.W. OF TALE.
(_By permission of the Air Ministry._)]
Swish--whew-w-w bang! The observer above had pulled the lever, and
the first bomb burst in Medishe. The magic of the Mad Mullah,
that had for so long held his followers together, was useless
against the magic of the bird-men above. This was the first bomb
that broke the dervish cause, for, though it did not kill the
Mullah, it came so near doing so that the old villain was thoroughly
demoralised, and completely lost his head. His nephew, the Amir
Abdillai, a powerful dervish, was killed by his side, and his
Madness's clothes catching fire, he turned and ran for his life to
the funk-holes he had prepared in the caves of a ravine. From these
he did not reappear until he fled, a few hours later, on learning
that the Camel Corps had arrived at Jidali, a thoroughly broken and
discredited man.
On the 22nd, the bulk of the dervish troops were frustrated in an
attempt to get away their camels loaded with their worldly goods,
by the reappearance of the aeroplanes, which put in some excellent
work with the machine guns. It was then that the Mullah adopted the
policy of every man for himself, and showed the others how to do it.
His baggage camels, loaded with personal effects and two Maxim guns
captured from the British in past wars, he decided should follow
on behind, whilst he made his way South with some of his wives and
female relations, and a party of mounted fighting men. Among the
latter was a man called Ibrahim, his wife and sister.
As the party left the hills at night for the open plateau, Ibrahim
slipped off his pony, permitted his wife to pass, but as his sister
rode up, silently pressed her big toe. The lady dismounted from her
pony, allowing the cavalcade to move on.
Ibrahim, and his sister, reported to Colonel Summers that the Mullah
had gone.
The lady informed me that the Mullah had changed his mind about the
Maxim guns and had sent instructions that they were to be hidden in
a cave at Helas, where they were later discovered by Somali scouts
and handed to the O.C. King's African Rifles. It was discovered that
one of these was the identical gun captured from the regiment when
Colonel Plunkett met with disaster in 1906. Thus did Time bring
revenge, and I was proud that my old regiment, fourteen years later,
was there to receive back one of the very few guns it had lost in
action.
On the 3rd February, Captain Cross returned from Medishe, bringing
in as loot five hundred and twenty-two rifles and much native
equipment and stores. As I had flown from El-dur-Elan to Al Afwenia
I had been obliged to leave my camp equipment behind, and was
overjoyed to find, amongst the latter, several pots, two good
frying-pans and a tea kettle. There was also, amongst other things,
a sextant marked with an R.N. officer's name; part of the diary of
the German, Emil Kirsch, who, in 1916, was sent by Lij Yassu, the
fugitive ex-king of Abyssinia, to repair the Mullah's machine guns
and rifles. Swords, revolvers, double-barrelled pistols, one of
which bore the name of a well-known gunmaker in the Strand; every
make of rifle known in Europe was there for the curio-hunter to
annex. Cross reported that Medishe had been evacuated hurriedly, and
there was no doubt that the dervishes were thoroughly demoralised.
He was much impressed by the strength of the place, the excellent
buildings and the general sanitary arrangements. A dam had been
built across the stream, and an excellent garden had been laid
out. There was no doubt about it, he stated, that the Mullah was a
thoroughly capable man.
Before leaving Medishe the Grenadiers razed the forts to the ground
with gun cotton. The fort at Jidali, however, was less easy to
dispose of, and successfully resisted several attempts to blow it
up. The stone walls were nine feet thick, solidly built, and it
would have required heavy artillery to have made much impression
upon it. The roof, the weakest part of the structure, successfully
withstood the Stokes bombs aimed at it by the Camel Corps. Jidali
Fort is similar to all other forts built by the Mullah. Inside it
is a perfect rabbit warren among which it would have been highly
dangerous to the throwers themselves had hand-grenades been used.
In one of the forts at Medishe Cross found a particularly gruesome
sight, and typical of the methods of the Mad Mullah. At the end of a
rope, suspended from the roof over a slow fire, hung by the waist,
were the remains of a dervish who had thus been done to death for
some petty crime or neglect of duty.
Shortly after Cross's return Ibrahim's wife arrived. On learning
of her husband's defection the dervishes had stripped and beaten
her, but sighting the planes, had abandoned her to die. She was
followed by a stream of dervish women and children who stated that
the men refused to give them food, and had ordered them to shift for
themselves. Amongst them were many slave women dragging at their
ankles heavy chains with weights attached. They were soon set free,
and though our commissariat arrangements were strained to breaking
point we did the best we could for them, and all the women were
cared for.
Meanwhile on the 2nd of February the King's African Rifles arrived
at Jidali from Baran. This latter fort had put up a stiff fight.
Finding that the loopholes of the fort restricted the line of
fire to the front, and did not allow for angle fire, the officer
commanding had advanced on each side at an angle, suffering no
serious casualties. For two days the beleaguered garrison held out
under a heavy fire from Stokes guns, which dropped their bombs on
the roof, though making no impression whatever. All loopholes, and
the parapets, were commanded by the K.A.R. machine guns. Finding
that the firing from the fort had weakened a party was pushed up to
the door, against which a case of gun cotton was exploded, without
effect. At last, apparently only one of the defenders was left
alive, and the besiegers, who had drawn in, demanded his surrender,
assuring him his life was safe.
"I shall surrender," he answered.
"Then throw your rifle and belt over the walls," he was ordered.
The dervish complied, but as an askari ran up to collect it, seized
another rifle and shot the soldier through the back.
And that was the end of Baran. Clean fighters, enraged by this act
of treachery, and as one man, the K.A.R. sprang to their feet, and
no door built by the hand of man could deny them their revenge.
It was found later that, though the firing from inside the fort
had slackened, it was not owing to the casualties suffered by the
dervishes from direct hits. The concussion of the exploding Stokes
bombs on the roof had stunned the defenders, who, though treacherous
murderers of women and of little children, apostles of the doctrine
of frightfulness as we understand them, yet proved themselves, in
this little fight, to be brave men.
After the arrival of the K.A.R., at Jidali, the dismounted column
left on its return march. It was obvious that the escarpment above
Las Khorai--the plateau around Jidali stretching far to the South
which holds the best grazing grounds in Somaliland--was free of
dervishes, and once more, after many years, accessible to the poor
wretches of friendlies who had been driven forth like pariahs from
their beloved haunts by that robber-tiger, Hassan Abdullah, the
Mad Mullah. It is indeed a splendid country for the pastoralist,
in spite of the burning days and the bitterly cold nights--nights
during which the hardiest European, covered by three or four good
blankets, finds it hard to keep warm.
Meanwhile, we learned from fugitives that the Mullahs baggage had
been captured: that the aeroplanes had harassed his fleeing stock,
which ran at last into a transport column, under Captain Allden, at
Eil Der, and was ignominiously captured after a sharp fight. Tale
the wretched old man had succeeded in entering, but the Camel Corps
was hard on his heels, and the friendlies, under Captain Gibb, were
at the gates.
[Illustration: JIDALI FORT FROM THE GROUND.
(_By permission of the Air Ministry._)]
From the wireless we learned, by intercepted messages, that Tale
had been attacked by the airmen, who reported it as a very strongly
fortified centre, consisting of one very large and five other forts
encircling the village, which was composed of native gurgis (Somal
tents or wigwams) and a large number of huts. Letters and messages
were dropped in its vicinity. Previously a machine had spotted about
one hundred ponies and dervishes at Daringahiye, near Al Afweina,
believed to belong to the Mullah's party, and, coming down to one
hundred feet above, had scattered them in all directions. The
country being intersected with deep nullahs favoured small parties
of fugitives in their attempt to escape, but no large body of men
could hope to get away unharassed.
We, who had seen Medishe, realised that it was now only a question
of days before the "show" would be over, and when, on the 12th
February, I entered Al Afweina I surmised correctly that the work
concerning myself mostly was that of winding up the transport, and
getting rid of the large dumps of stores collected there, and at
El-dur-Elan. A few days later I received the necessary orders to
proceed with this clearing up.
Meanwhile, to return to the Somaliland Camel Corps and the
friendlies, the latter of whom were watching the gates of Tale,
where the Mullah was now definitely located. On the night of the
5/6th February, in a fight outside the walls, Haji Sudi and Ibrahim
Boghl, two of the dervish leaders, right-hand men of the Mullah,
were killed. No serious attack was made on the forts by our mounted
men, as, had they been seriously held, the Government troops must
have suffered heavy casualties; a most serious matter in a country
like Somaliland, owing to the lack of conveniences and difficulty of
transport.
The Camel Corps policy was to play a waiting game, and on Monday,
the 9th February, when it was some miles away at a water hole, the
dervishes, seizing their opportunity, launched an attack on the
friendlies watching them. During the fighting the Mullah escaped,
and shortly before the Camel Corps arrived on the scene, by which
time it was too dark to follow on his tracks. Dismounted scouts were
sent out and next morning, at dawn, the mounted troops picking up
the tracks from the friendlies some four or five miles on, turned
North East towards Lower Halin, which they passed, and arrived, on
Tuesday evening, at an unknown well some forty-eight miles from
their starting point. Starting early on Wednesday they arrived, at
three-forty-five p.m., at Bihan on a hot scent, having captured
en route the Mullah's wives, children and near relatives, during
a sharp running fight with the escort of thirty mounted men, all
of whom were killed, their ponies and rifles being captured. It
had been ascertained at Halin, on the previous day, that a party
of dervishes had branched off from the main body; the Camel Corps
therefore detached a party of fifteen rifles in pursuit.
On Thursday, having no information of the Mullah, a strong
reconnaissance was made towards Gerrowei, and a patrol sent out
to the South East. This latter party reported a body of dervishes
advancing on Gerrowei; so the Camel Corps, leaving twenty rifles at
Bihan, moved quickly out, and coming up with the dervishes in broken
ground North of Gerrowei, attacked at once. The mounted dervishes
fled; the footmen showed fight, and were galloped down by a pony
company who were joined by the reconnoitring party from Gerrowei.
The enemy horsemen were pursued, rounded up, and their horses
captured, although some of the riders succeeded in escaping on foot.
But few of the footmen, who broke at the first charge, escaped.
Shortly afterwards, before midday, a small party of enemy horsemen,
with a few camels, moving towards the Haud were reported by scouts,
so leaving the main body to mopping-up operations, the fittest
ponies of the Camel Corps were sent in pursuit, a difficult one over
rough country. This party accounted for the remainder, eight men
killed and two captured, one of the former being an Abyssinian of
some rank.
It was then ascertained that the Mullah was still unaccounted for.
He had slipped off to one side with three or four followers, and had
arrived at a well. This was found to be almost dry, but sufficient
water was obtained by the party to give the broken and tired old
man, and his pony, a drink. He lay down on the desert to rest,
whilst the few survivors of his bodyguard pushed on to find water.
On their return the Mullah had gone. Where? No one knows!
Better that he had remained alive, and had pushed far South to join
his brother Khalifa, and so to relate at first hand the tale of his
own defeat, ruin, and utter degradation. For now the few surviving
men who still believe in him will say, should he have perished in
the desert, that Allah at the last sent angels to lift him up and
bear him away to Paradise.
The men who carried back the water came into the British lines and
surrendered, knowing that the game was up. Knowing, as all men who
have knowledge of Somaliland know, that the Mad Mullah's career of
cruelty, rapine and crime was at last at an end.
Garabghari had fallen to a naval landing party from H.M.S. _Odin_.
The friendlies had entered Tale. Gibb, led by the Mullah's favourite
son, went round the forts and ordered the broken dervishes out.
They came without firing a shot, marvelling that they, who had never
shown mercy nor spared a life, should be so humanely treated.
The Camel Corps, leading their tired animals, returned on foot to
Hudin. On the 24th February the last air-force load was cleared from
El-dur-Elan on the return journey to Berbera, and the expedition was
over. Somals of the West hearing, by the wonderful native system of
communication, that the Mullah was broken, vied with one another in
their expressions of loyalty to the Government. A man who attempted
to murder an official in 1916 near Zeila, came in from Abyssinia and
surrendered for fear that the terrible bird-men should come to find
him. British prestige in Somaliland had been entirely restored and
the country, after twenty years of unrest, is at last at peace.
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