Success at Last
Dusk was falling over the city of Bagdad, that ancient city situated
astride the River Tigris, which, if it could tell tales at all, could
tell of ancient peoples, of past history of surpassing interest, of
deeds and doings which would enthral all people. How many thousands of
times must dusk have settled upon this ancient spot, and clad the gilded
roofs of minarets and towers just as it was doing on this evening. How
often, too, must figures precisely similar to those which now wended
their way through its narrow and tortuous streets have passed over,
perhaps, even the very same cobbles, hundreds of years before; maybe
there was no difference even in their dress, in the raiment of those
people of former days and in that donned now by the inhabitants of the
city. Certainly no three less conspicuous people ever passed down the
main street which runs towards the Western Gate than those three who
emerged from the narrow courtyard into which Geoff and his comrades had
dashed. One was mounted on the driving-seat of that same rickety chaise
which had conveyed the cunning von Hildemaller to the city; while two
others, ill-kempt yet well-set-up fellows, were astride stout Turkish
ponies.
"Who goes?" the sentry at the gates challenged.
"A party, towards the west, in the service of one who is a friend of the
Governor.
"One who is a friend of the Governor. Ho, ho!" the sergeant of the guard
answered flippantly, as if he doubted the words. "Halt, there! Declare
yourselves! Who is the high and mighty individual who is a friend of the
one who commands our services?"
He stepped rapidly forward, while one of his men, at a signal from him,
leapt into the centre of the road where it passed through the gates and
barred the way with his bayonet.
"How now! By Allah; this is a strange saying that you have given us, 'a
friend of the Governor?' One who walks in high places and yet employs
such scarecrows? Who are you?"
The sergeant halted beside the driver of the carriage, and at the same
time seized the reins of one of the ponies; then the driver of the
rickety chaise bent over towards him, looked suspiciously at the sentry,
and, bending lower, whispered in the sergeant's ear.
"Fool!" he said; "do you wish to harm even your own Governor? Must you
then make a scene at the very gates of the city and so disclose his
purposes? Listen a moment. Doubtless you have been on guard at this gate
on many an occasion, and doubtless, too, you know of men of whom it may
be said with justice that they walk in high places--even in the palace
of the Governor. Then, if that is so, you will know of von Hildemaller."
Instantly the Turkish sergeant looked up at the driver with a startled,
if not frightened, expression on his face.
"That man!" he exclaimed, "but surely----"
"S--s--h, no 'buts'," the driver of the chaise murmured in warning
tones. "Pass us out without further ado, for it would be ill for you if
I were to report to my master that I was delayed here at the gate, and
that the Governor's purpose was defeated."
"Stand aside there! Pass without. Go on your way, friends, and may Allah
bless you!"
In a moment the sergeant's purpose had been entirely altered, the
mention of the Turkish governor, and of von Hildemaller's name, having
acted like magic, and at once the driver, who had cautioned the man in
stage whispers, so mysteriously in fact, sat upright, gripped his reins
again, and whipped up his sorry pony; while those two who straddled
their ponies beside him dug their heels into their mounts, the three
clattering over the cobbles between the gates, and passing out into the
gathering darkness. A quarter of an hour later they pulled up about half
a mile beyond the gates and waited for their passenger.
"Phew!" exclaimed one of the trio, sliding from the rather uncomfortable
saddle of the animal he was riding; "that was a near one as we were
coming through the gates. Of course I couldn't understand a word of what
was being said, but that sergeant fellow looked nasty. And, Geoff, what
a scrimmage!"
"Scrimmage? Oh!"
"Yes, of course. In that yard and in that stable. Glad you downed that
fellow who, Esbul tells us, was the leading ruffian hired by von
Hildemaller."
Geoff dropped from his pony at that precise moment, slung the reins over
his arm, and entered into conversation with his companions. He felt very
gay-hearted and unusually cheerful, and, moreover, he had enjoyed every
bit of that scrimmage to which Philip had referred, and even the scene
at the gate, which at one moment had looked so threatening.
Let us explain that the coming of dusk had provided another adventure
for our hero and his friends, an adventure filled with strenuous
movement--an encounter, in fact, where the numbers were equally divided,
and where victory, therefore, was all the more pleasing. Dashing in
through that aperture which led from the yard into which they had traced
those three in the pay of von Hildemaller, Geoff had found himself in a
big tumble-down stable, in one corner of which a chaise stood, while
three animals were haltered near it. The three men, who, unsuspicious of
the fact that they were followed, had entered the place but a few
minutes before, were at that very moment about to throw off the halters
from these animals and prepare them for a journey. Then, hearing
footsteps at the door, and seeing figures enter it, they turned, and,
realizing at once that the intruders were likely to prove unfriendly,
they dashed towards them, one of the men drawing a knife, while the
taller ruffian--he who was von Hildemaller's right-hand man--snatched a
revolver from his belt. It was at that precise moment that Geoff dealt
the blow which had delighted Philip. Lunging forward, he struck the man
with his clenched fist, knocking him backwards till the fellow's head
came violently against a beam which supported the roof timbers. Nor was
Philip behindhand in helping his comrades and in joining in the attack.
He had no time in which to select his man or to make special
preparations; but, leaning forward, he threw himself upon one of them,
gripped him in his arms, and wrestled with him. As for Esbul, he was
just in time to ward off a stroke launched at his heart by the man who
had drawn the knife; quick as thought, he gripped the wrist and arrested
the blow, and, with equal swiftness, clasped his other hand over the
fist which gripped the weapon, and suddenly jerked the man's arm
backward. Bump! The elbow struck the wall behind with a nasty jar, and
forced the fellow's grip to loosen. What followed was done in a flash,
was done with such swiftness that Geoff failed to observe what had
happened, for Esbul had the knife in his own hand in a moment and had
plunged it to the hilt in the body of the ruffian.
"Now, let's tie this other fellow up," Geoff had said, seeing that
Philip had firm hold of the man he had tackled; "slip one of the ropes
off this halter, and let's secure him to one of the mangers."
Wiping the blade of the knife he had secured upon the clothing of his
victim, Esbul calmly stepped across the stable to where the animals were
standing, and returned within two minutes with a length of rope which
was amply sufficient for their purpose. Indeed, within five minutes, the
third of the German's hirelings was bound hand and foot and tied
securely to one of the mangers. Then Geoff bent over the man he had
struck, and who, meanwhile, had made no movement.
"Dead, Master," Esbul told him, kneeling upon the floor. "The blow you
struck was a strong one, and his head, coming with such violence against
the wooden beam, was cracked. No longer will he do the bidding of von
Hildemaller."
The end of those three whom the two subalterns and the Armenian had
tracked so silently and so skilfully had indeed been as tragic as it was
sudden, and the first part of the scheme to outwit the German had ended
most successfully. No time was lost after that, and the animals were
hurriedly harnessed and saddled and taken out into the yard.
"You'll drive the chaise," Geoff told Esbul, a note of authority in his
voice; "and you'll just keep your mouth shut, Philip."
"Right oh!" came from that hopeful.
"Then march! We can leave this fellow who's tied up to the manger
without much fear of his creating an alarm. Even if he shouts, I doubt
if anyone will hear him; but no doubt he will have his own reasons for
keeping quiet, and for trusting for release to some chance comer."
Then they had moved away from the yard, had passed down one of those
narrow winding streets which intersect the city, and had finally gained
the main street which led to the western gate.
"And now, all we want is our dear friend von Hildemaller," declared
Philip. "He was to come at dusk, Esbul--that's what you said; you're
sure?"
"Certain, Master. If you have any doubts, but think for a moment. The
tale I told was that three hirelings were to await the German outside
the western gate of the city, one driving a rickety chaise and two
mounted. Then consider for an instant: we who went out to track these
men, who watched outside von Hildemaller's quarters, saw three men
emerge, followed three men, tracked them to the west of this city,
tracked them, indeed, into a stable where a chaise was waiting and three
horses. Is not that, then, proof sufficient of the truth of the tale I
have told? Does it not lead one to feel sure that the rest of the plan
will follow?"
"S--s--h, shut up! Get into your place, Esbul. Climb on to your pony,
Philip; and don't forget--not a word. I can hear someone coming."
They had drawn up the chaise just beside the road, and were standing on
the soft ground which bordered it. The road itself was so covered in
dust that there, too, steps were hardly audible; yet the heavy tread of
a man approaching now reached their ears, and a little later the deep
breathing of one using much exertion. Then, when a few minutes had
passed, a ponderous figure came into view through the gathering
darkness--a figure which grunted and panted, which could have belonged
to no other than the German.
"Ach, it is there!" they heard him say in his own language. "It is well,
for I am tired, and this dust and the heat exhaust me."
Coming up to the chaise, he looked swiftly at the figures of the three
men near it and clambered ponderously into it.
"You came direct here without attracting attention, eh?" he asked
peremptorily of one of the figures mounted on a pony--of Philip, in
fact, for the subaltern happened to be nearest. "Come, answer! You
attracted no attention!"
He was speaking in Turkish now--execrable Turkish, with a strong
flavour of German accent about it, and yet a language unknown to Philip.
What was he to do? Attempt an answer or remain silent? Either might
easily warn the German that all was not as it should be, and then a way
out of the difficulty occurred to him. Philip opened his mouth as if to
answer von Hildemaller, and immediately bent double over the neck of the
animal he was riding and commenced to cough violently, as if he had
caught his breath, or as if the cloud of dust which the German's heavy
feet had stirred had almost choked him.
"Bah! Then you answer the question."
The words were shot at the other horseman, and received an instant
answer.
"Master, all is well. We passed through the gate without creating
suspicion. There is none who knows of our coming."
"Then drive on," commanded the German to the man seated on the box of
the vehicle; "drive on at once."
"But where, where, Master?"
"Where? Ah, I had forgotten that you were ignorant of the place to which
I am going. Straight on till I give you an order to turn; the place is
some ten miles distant."
Never in all the course of their lives would Geoffrey, Keith, and Philip
forget that journey--that journey, that slow, tedious journey over the
rough road leading from the western gate of Bagdad, a journey occupying
perhaps two hours and a half, a period which appeared to their eager,
anxious minds like an eternity. They were tingling with excitement, with
expectation, and with impatience. In spite of the many adventures
through which they had passed, of the many tight places in which they
had found themselves, this undoubtedly was the most trying of all their
experiences; for at any moment the German might discover the ruse, might
find out that the three who surrounded him were not his hirelings, and
might defeat the efforts made to outwit him. Even his heavy breathing,
his lolling head, and the fact that he was dozing, hardly helped to
minimize the tension of the situation.
"Ah, a building ahead of us, I think!" Geoff whispered to himself, when,
having traversed the main road for some eight miles, and turned to the
left at von Hildemaller's bidding, they had made their way over a
side-track which was indescribably rough and trying; "a building ahead
of us. Looks like a big fortress; perhaps it's a prison."
He gave vent to a loud cough, so as to awaken the German, and then once
more fixed his eyes on the dull shape he had seen in the distance. As
for von Hildemaller, he awoke with a start, and, standing up with
difficulty, and setting the rickety chaise swinging, he too peered
ahead, and then, making out that distant shape, uttered a hoarse
chuckle.
"The place! We are there, or almost so. Good!" Geoff heard him mutter.
"Pull up at the main gate," von Hildemaller commanded Esbul. "Now, that
will do! You will wait here till I come out again, and you will know
what to do, for we have already discussed the matter. Wait, though, I
will repeat my instructions: there will be a man with me, a man who will
be tied hand and foot, a mere log, of no danger to any one of us. I
shall join him in the chaise, and you will drive off immediately. A mile
down the road which we have just covered you will halt, for that will
be sufficiently far, and voices, even screams, will not be heard over
such a distance. You will halt, and then--and then----"
Esbul swung his head round and bent towards the German.
"And then, Master," he whispered, "the matter will be ended as you have
already ordered."
"Good! You understand, then? There's no fear of an error being made, no
fear of your becoming chicken-hearted, for we shall be alone--four of
us--with this one man, and he tied hand and foot, remember, tied hand
and foot," the German repeated, giving vent to a ghastly chuckle. "No
fear of a blow, no fear of his struggling even, no chance of his
breaking loose. If he screams----Ah, well, you have heard screams
before, and they will not unman you. You are ready?"
"Ready, Master," Esbul told him in that soft voice of his. "Ready, and
willing."
Again the chaise rolled and rocked as the German stepped to the side of
it and gained the ground. Waddling towards the prison, he ascended the
stone steps which led to the doorway, and banged heavily upon the wall.
Perhaps five minutes later, steps were heard within, the door was
opened, and, having parleyed for a while, von Hildemaller entered, and
the door closed instantly.
"Now, round with the chaise, and make ready. Good heavens!" exclaimed
Geoff, only at this moment beginning to grasp the sinister designs of
the German. "Did ever one listen to such a scoundrel? A bound man is to
be brought out to us, we are to halt a mile down the road, a mile down
it, Philip, at such a distance that screams may not be heard by the
people in this prison, the bound man will be so securely fastened that
he cannot even struggle for his life, and there, in cold blood, he is to
be finished. You realize the plan? Its cold-blooded cruelty? You realize
the frightful act that this von Hildemaller contemplates?"
For a few moments there was silence between them, and then a gasp almost
of pain from Philip, a gasp of amazement, of horror, and of anger.
Usually light-hearted, flippant in fact, his voice now, when he spoke,
was grave, was trembling with passion.
"A fellow wouldn't kill a mad dog under such conditions," he said
bitterly, "and yet this von Hildemaller chuckles. What'll you do?"
"Do!" There was an ominous ring about the answer. "Do!" repeated Geoff
sternly; "can you ask that question, Philip? Now, listen: you'll cut
this prisoner loose, you'll leave von Hildemaller to me. That's
understood?"
"Distinctly."
"Then, silence; at any moment the door may open."
Yet minutes dragged along, slow, tense minutes, during which they waited
for the reappearance of the German; waited, indeed, until they began to
fear lest he would never return, lest he had avoided them; to fear that
he had guessed what was happening, had suspected the three men who had
accompanied him upon this journey, and was sheltering himself within the
prison. So long did he remain, in fact, that Philip at length felt
positive that the cunning Teuton had indeed outwitted them; while Geoff,
a prey to all sorts of fears, was positively trembling with excitement.
And then, of a sudden, when they had almost given up hope, when it
seemed that all their plans had failed, and that their efforts had
resulted in nothing, steps were heard within the prison--heavy
steps--approaching the door, and at length the latter opened. A minute
later more steps reached their ears, the heavy blowing of an individual,
his panting in fact, followed by the appearance of von Hildemaller, his
ponderous figure almost hidden in the darkness, yet sufficiently
illuminated by the rays from some very distant lamp to leave no doubt of
his coming.
Doubt indeed! No illumination was needed where this German was
concerned, for even if his figure were invisible the man's heavy
breathing, his ponderous footsteps were sufficient indication of his
presence.
"Good--good--good!" Geoff heard him saying, chuckling in fact. "He is
tied hand and foot, this fellow. What a thing it is to be a friend of
the Governor of Bagdad. A friend indeed! He, he! One who can take him by
the elbow, as it were, can whisper things into his ear, and can force
him to do one's bidding. Bring the man along and throw him into the
chaise.
"But--but--wait, go gently, for the vehicle is old and rickety enough.
In with him."
Men were struggling down the steps of the prison, four men at least, who
carried a bundle between them, which they bore towards the carriage.
Lifting their burden with some difficulty, they pushed it on to the
seat, thrust it well to one side, and then retreated hastily, as if they
were ashamed of what they had been doing. A second later, indeed, the
door of the prison was banged to, those distant rays of light were cut
off, and the German and his three hirelings and the bundle in the
carriage were left alone in the darkness, at liberty at last to depart
on their journey.
"Good! Better than ever! Things could not have gone more smoothly,"
Geoff heard von Hildemaller chuckling again, as he waddled towards the
chaise, and, mounting into it, depressed its springs considerably. He
sat himself down with a bump beside the bundle resting there, and gave a
peremptory order to the driver: "Move on," he panted; "drive fast, but
pull up as we arranged when you have covered the distance. Bah! How that
note from the Governor cowed the Turk in command of the prison. When
this fellow beside me realized what was before him, I saw him squirm; he
would have thrown himself upon me had he been able, and had his guards
not surrounded him; but he's here--here--beside me, and as helpless as a
log, as near his end as ever a man was."
The wretch gave vent to a hideous, wheezy chuckle, a chuckle which made
Geoff's blood boil and his ears tingle as he listened; for by then he
was riding quite close to the chaise, within two feet of that silent
bundle, within easy hearing of the German, so near in fact was he that a
moment later he heard, rather than saw, the bundle moving, wriggling
upon the seat on which it had been deposited, and heard an instant growl
escape the German.
"Ach! So you are alife, are you?" von Hildemaller hissed into the ear of
his wretched prisoner. "So, Douglas Pasha, I haff you at last, securely,
away from interference of the Turks, my prisoner, to do with as I will.
Now, listen awhile, for I haff a few sweet words to say to you; and you,
Douglas Pasha, haff little time on this earth in which to hear them."
The bundle stirred again, and, bending low, Geoff heard inarticulate
sounds coming from it, sounds which suggested that the prisoner was
securely gagged, and, indeed, was almost fighting for his breath. As he
bent, too, he was so near to von Hildemaller that he could almost have
touched the ruffian, and found it a hard task indeed to keep his hands
off him; for by now every drop of blood in Geoff's manly body was
boiling with rage, and he was trembling with eagerness for the moment to
arrive when he might release his guardian. And then von Hildemaller's
voice was heard again, subdued and venomous, his words coming in an
angry hiss through those extensive lips of his, which had deceived so
many people.
"Listen, Douglas Pasha," he began again; "you wonder why I, a German,
should hate you so, should track you down, should haff you here beside
me and be carrying you away from your prison for one purpose only, that
purpose to rid the world of you! Well, I will explain. For you,
personally, I haff no great objection, except that you are an
Englishman. But you are an obstacle; for years you haff been an obstacle
in my path--in the path of Germany. But for you the aims of my Emperor
would haff been prosecuted with far greater success amongst these
people, and Germany would haff obtained a greater hold over the Turks
and their country. It was you who put a stop to that, who set our
efforts at naught, who balked every move I made, and defeated us on
every side. In those days before the war I did my best to get rid of
you, and when the war came I again did my best to rid the country of a
man who was in every sense an enemy to Germany. Yet again you outwitted
me, till a day arrived when I was able to arrange for your capture. Even
then you were too strong for me, you and your friends; they protected
you, saved you, and kept you in security until this very moment. And
meanwhile, having been beaten by you and your friends in every effort, I
was beaten also by that ward of yours--one Geoffrey Keith--who came to
this country."
The bundle moved again, the rickety, rattling chaise creaked and swayed
as the prisoner struggled. A stifled growl came from the bundle, and
then there was silence.
"Yes, Geoffrey Keith and another came to this country--your ward and a
friend of his came--and were captured and thrown into prison. Now listen
still further, Douglas Pasha. For the moment you were secure, and I, who
had a grudge against you and aimed at your death, could find no other
means of injuring you than through these two young fellows. I made plans
to get them safely into my hands, when, seeing that they are enemies of
Germany, I should have made an end of them; but they defeated me just as
you had done, defeated me entirely. That left you alone to deal with,
till the time arrives when those two are again captured. It is but a
matter of two or three days since they broke loose from their prison,
and surely within a little while the Turks will haff them, and I too
shall be able to reward them for the trick they haff played upon me.
Fear not, Douglas Pasha! For your ward shall come to the same end as
you in a little time. Before the week is passed, perhaps, he may be
riding in this chaise, tied into a helpless bundle just as you are,
jogging on to his death. You understand? To his death, just as you are
jogging now. You understand, Douglas Pasha?"
The voice was raised by then to a shrill shriek, while the German was
trembling with passion--trembling with triumph and with anticipation of
the moment so closely approaching. Little wonder that Geoff, riding so
close, could hardly remain on his pony, that the perspiration was
dropping from his forehead, and that his breath was coming in little
gasps. Those minutes which passed, as they sauntered along the dusty
road, were a purgatory, were almost insupportable, and were
indescribably long. But at length, having by then driven perhaps a mile
from the prison, Esbul suddenly pulled up his horse, and the whole party
came to a halt at the side of the road, just as the German had
commanded.
"And now," called von Hildemaller, struggling from the chaise to the
road, "lift the ruffian out, pull the gag out of his mouth, and slit his
throat."
Geoff slid from his pony almost before the chaise had come to a rest,
and, dropping his reins, stepped swiftly up beside the German. Esbul
clambered from the driving-seat of the carriage and leaned over the
bundle which von Hildemaller had secured from the prison, while Philip,
himself a prey to tremendous excitement, dismounted, and ran forward.
"Cut the Major loose," Geoff shouted; "you can leave this murdering
rascal to me entirely."
There were sounds of scuffling in the darkness, clouds of choking dust
arose and smothered every member of the party, while a scream escaped
from the throat of one of them--a scream of terror. Then silence
followed, and within a few seconds a sound of a man struggling, heavy
breathing, and then a dull thud.
Geoff scrambled into the chaise and sat beside the bundle--now
released--and, stretching out one of those strong hands of his, gripped
the hand of Douglas Pasha. Esbul clambered into the driving-seat again,
while Philip mounted his pony, and, taking the reins of the other, moved
to the back of the carriage.
"Go on!" commanded Geoff huskily; "drive on to the main road, and then
towards Bagdad."
A moment later he had turned towards the prisoner whom they had rescued,
still gripping his hand, and hurriedly explained matters to him. The
meeting in the carriage was indeed a most dramatic affair, so
unexpected, indeed, that Douglas Pasha was at first almost speechless,
and then almost hysterical after the trying experience he had passed
through. As for Esbul, Geoff, and Philip, they were so elated, so
excited, and so delighted at what had happened that they babbled like
children, and could scarcely speak coherently. Indeed it was the Major
who regained his self-possession first, and began to cross-examine his
rescuers; and at last he asked a final question:
"This German--this von Hildemaller," he asked; "what happened to him?"
"Yes, what happened to him?" Philip chimed in eagerly, as he clattered
along beside the carriage.
"Don't ask," replied Geoff, with a curtness which was unusual in him.
"He's dead. I killed him."
And dead von Hildemaller was. Huddled in a heap in the dust, in the
midst of the road behind, at the very spot where he had intended to
murder Douglas Pasha. Retribution had indeed found this odious,
scheming, cunning agent of the Kaiser, at the very moment when he
imagined that triumph was coming, and who can doubt that that
retribution was earned? For never before was there such a villain.
We have little else to relate with regard to the fortunes of Geoff and
his friends and of Douglas Pasha. Reaching Bagdad at earliest dawn, and
contriving to smuggle themselves into the city, they found safe quarters
with Benshi. Later, they made their way from the city to a neighbouring
tribe of Arabs whom the Major knew, and who at once befriended him. Then
by easy stages they crossed the desert towards Kut-el-Amara, hoping
there to join the British expedition.
As for the latter force, the remains of that gallant division under
General Townshend, which had so boldly essayed to capture Bagdad, and
which, having dealt most severely with a Turkish force vastly
outnumbering it at Ctesiphon, was forced to retreat, it had conducted
that retirement along the River Tigris in the most masterly manner
possible, and, having gained a sharp bend in the river at the town of
Kut, where the Tigris surrounds the town on three sides, it had there
been forced to halt, and put itself on the defensive. Some sixty
thousand Turks surrounded the place, and huge efforts were made to beat
down the resistance of this gallant division; yet it held off all
attacks, and forced the Turks finally to sit down and besiege it. It
became a question now as to whether the relieving force, which had now
advanced towards Kut, and which was already indeed within gun-sound of
General Townshend's forces, could break through and bring relief before
the supplies of the beleaguered army had dwindled. As a matter of fact,
persistent rains, the most wretched weather, and the extension of those
marshes created a position which helped the Turks, and frustrated every
effort of the relieving force. It drew nearer, but could not come up to
Kut. It struggled on against overwhelming difficulties, while the
starving band of heroes at Kut still held off the enemy; and then, when
more rain came, when the marshes swept farther afield and relief seemed
farther off than ever, and food was gone entirely, surrender became
inevitable, and General Townshend and his noble band fell prisoners to
the Turkish enemy.
Yet, one may ask, was the loss of the remains of this gallant division
all loss to the British and their Allies? and may reply with confidence
that it was not so. For that hazardous approach to Bagdad had held a
numerous force of Turkish soldiers, while the resistance of our men at
Kut had kept the enemy troops from operating in other parts of Asiatic
Turkey. Indeed the absence of those sixty thousand Turks round about Kut
aided not a little in the operations of the Grand Duke Nicholas, who,
having established himself firmly at Erzerum, now launched his armies
into Northern Turkey, and, sweeping on, captured Trebizond and many
another base of value to our enemies. Those parties of Russian horsemen
who had been operating on the Persian frontier marched south and east
almost without interruption, threatening Bagdad and the retreat of
those sixty thousand Turks mustered in the neighbourhood of
Kut-el-Amara. Indeed the noble resistance of General Townshend's forces
may be said to have helped the Russians wonderfully, and, seeing that
Russia is our ally, that resistance helped Britain also.
Geoff and Philip and Douglas Pasha joined hands at length with that
relief force which had unfortunately failed to relieve General Townshend
and his band of heroes, and, as we write, our two heroes are in harness
once more and are preparing to fight beside their new comrades right on
towards the heart of Mesopotamia.
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
_At the Villafield Press, Glasgow, Scotland_
* * * * *
STORIES OF WAR
By CAPTAIN BRERETON
"When Captain Brereton has a war subject to handle he always does it
well."--=Westminster Gazette.=
=On the Road to Bagdad=: A Story of the British Expeditionary Force in
Mesopotamia.
=With Our Russian Allies=: A Tale of Cossack Fighting in the Eastern
Campaign.
=On the Field of Waterloo.=
=With Wellington in Spain=: A Story of the Peninsula.
=A Hero of Sedan=: A Tale of the Franco-Prussian War.
=With Wolseley to Kumasi=: The First Ashanti War.
=At Grips with the Turk=: A Story of the Dardanelles Campaign.
=With Roberts to Candahar=: Third Afghan War.
=A Hero of Lucknow=: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny.
=With Joffre at Verdun=: A Story of the Western Front.
=Under French's Command=: A Story of the Western Front from Neuve Chapelle
to Loos.
=With French at the Front=: A Story of the Great European War down to the
Battle of the Aisne.
=How Canada was Won=: A Tale of Wolfe and Quebec.
=Jones of the 64th.= Battles of Assaye and Laswaree.
=A Soldier of Japan=: A Tale of the Russo-Japanese War.
=With Shield and Assegai=: A Tale of the Zulu War.
=Under the Spangled Banner=: The Spanish-American War.
=In the King's Service=: Cromwell's Invasion of Ireland.
=In the Grip of the Mullah=: Adventure in Somaliland.
=With Rifle and Bayonet=: A Story of the Boer War.
=One of the Fighting Scouts=: Guerrilla Warfare in South Africa.
=The Dragon of Pekin=: A Story of the Boxer Revolt.
=A Gallant Grenadier=: A Story of the Crimean War.
LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, Ltd., 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C.