CHAPTER XIII
IN THE BRITISH LINES
It was a week later. In one of the tents of the Headquarters staffbehind the British lines Burnet, once more in Arab dress, wasconversing with Captain Mitchell, an officer high in the Intelligencebranch. He had just come to the end of a rather long narrative--thestory of his adventures from the day when he had said good-bye toCaptain Mitchell more than a month before, down to the time of theattack on Rejeb's stronghold.
"And how did you get out?" asked the captain.
"I slipped away to the south through the marshes, swimming the deepplaces on a waterskin, and wading the rest. When I was clear I steeredsouth-east till I struck the Tigris and got aboard a country boat thatwas bringing up fodder."
"It sounds simple, though I daresay it wasn't all what the rags at homecall a joy-ride."
Burnet smiled: it was not necessary to tell all that had happenedduring 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 expecthelp? He is greatly outnumbered."
"Quite so. The Chief will realise what is at stake, and I think youmay depend on prompt instructions."
The interview was at an end. Burnet went off to visit his particularfriends, including Scuddy Smith, captain in the Bengal Lancers.
"What ho!" cried Smith. "Back again, then. We were getting anxiousabout you. Where's Ellingford?"
"In an Arab camp, Scud."
"A prisoner?"
"No, an honoured guest. Also an invalid: he was unlucky enough to gethit--not seriously. I say, I haven't had a decent meal for I don'tknow how long. Come and see me feed, and I'll tell you between themouthfuls as much as is good for you."
Smith and other friends heard Burnet's story rather enviously. Theywould willingly have shared his dangers for the sake of the variety andmovement, so different from their own stagnant existence. But theirspirits were rising in proportion as the time drew nearer for theopening of the great offensive. They had much to tell Burnet of theprogress made during his absence. Every one was confident that whenthe moment came the Turkish fortifications at Kut would be pierced andthe 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. "Yourparticulars of the state of Bagdad and your map showing the militaryestablishments are especially valuable. For certain reasons he thinksit best not to see you himself just yet, but he will thank you inperson at the proper time. He made a note of your application to beemployed as observer on an aeroplane when we attack Bagdad from theair. Meanwhile he thoroughly agrees that it is of the first importancethat your chief's stronghold should be held. It will protect our leftflank and render unnecessary the employment of a large cavalry force tocover our advance on that side. As a matter of fact, preparations arebeing made for a movement in that region. It won't be started until weare ready for the main attack, and the forces employed will be smallerthan were contemplated, provided the stronghold can be held. Can yourArab 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 thequestion now, and I'm afraid he hasn't much food in reserve. Hishorses are the great difficulty. I know he has next to no fodder, andif the place is to be held, the horses must be evacuated. To the Arabsthat'll be worse than drawing their teeth. Their horses are theirchief 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 yourpersuasive powers with regard to the horses. No doubt they can be gotaway 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 bondfor their delivery to the Arabs in due course. Now, what aboutammunition?"
"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 thelaunch. But when I left the Turks had a couple of machine-guns inaction. They had formed a sort of bridgehead at their end of thecauseway, and the Arabs had cut the causeway in the middle to preventtheir getting across. Ellingford's machine-gun is available, but we'veonly two or three hundred rounds for that, and when I left we haddecided to keep that for emergencies. If we had more ammunition, andperhaps another machine-gun or two, I think we could carry on--unlessthe Turks bring up field guns, which isn't likely, perhaps, in suchswampy country."
"Well, we can send you ammunition and perhaps a couple of machine-gunsand gunners if you think they can be got to the place. That would savedismantling Ellingford's gun."
"It's worth trying. And while we're about it we might take a littlepetrol. Ellingford's tank can be patched up, and he might get away."
"That's important. We need every aeroplane we can muster. IsEllingford well enough to fly?"
"He was doing well, and by this time I daresay he could manage a shortflight. But he won't want to leave us."
"He'll obey orders, of course. Well, there's no time to be lost. I'llsee 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 bounddownstream. There were two men of the machine-gun corps with theirweapons and ammunition, three native boatmen, and three men of theIndian transport service in charge of three mules. They disembarkednear the place where Burnet had boarded the country boat three daysbefore; the mules were loaded with the machine-guns, ammunition, petroland other stores, and the march across country was begun.
By noon on the following day they came to the edge of an extensivemarsh. Here the mules were unloaded, and sent back. Among the storesthere were materials for putting together a small kelak--a raftsupported by inflated skins. This was quickly rigged up by the nativeboatmen, and launched on a winding channel through the marsh. Thetrimming of the kelak took some time, and only two hours of daylightwere left when the party started on their journey to the stronghold.The two machine-gunners found matter for jokes, as British soldierswill, always and everywhere.
"Look out for submarines, Bill," said one of them, to his comrade onthe other side of the craft.
"Mermaids is more my line," replied the man. "I say, Tom, what ifthese balloons underneath us was to go pop!"
"And no parachutes neither! Not even bathing drawers. D'you know whatthis 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 galwith the curls as played the fiddle so sweet. Bill, you ought tochange your name."
"What for?"
"'Cos 'twas Big Bill as sent us to this here Messypotamia. If ithadn'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. Neverwould have heard of Brighton. But I tell you what: when old Bill'sdone in----"
"He won't be done in."
"What I mean is, when old Haig catches him as he's bolting out ofBerlin. What I say, send him to Messypotamia, and without a sunhelmet: lumme, he wants a place in the sun."
The boatmen paddled the kelak slowly through the marsh until sunsetcompelled a halt. They slept on board, and started again at dawn.Soon they came into shallow water where it was necessary to jumpoverboard and wade, pushing the kelak. Sometimes they swam; more thanonce they had to make a portage over comparatively dry land,dismantling the kelak and carrying the stores. It was afternoon beforethey came to the neighbourhood of the island stronghold. Burnet lefthis party securely
hidden in the reeds, and made his way alone, wadingand 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. "Willyou send out men to bring them in?"
While a party of Arabs went on this mission, Burnet enquired what hadhappened during his absence. He learnt that the situation was muchmore serious than it had been on his departure. Under cover ofmachine-gun fire the Turks had advanced along the causeway and erecteda breastwork of stones at the northern edge of the gap which the Arabshad cut. Then they had set to work to fill up the gap, and had alreadymade great progress. They had several times attempted to gain accessto the island from other directions, but the waterlogged condition ofthe country had rendered their efforts fruitless against the fire ofthe vigilant defenders. When the causeway should be restored, Rejebdespaired of holding his ground against a force so largely outnumberinghis own. To make matters worse, a slight wound which he had receivedhad grown serious through lack of attention, and he felt incapable ofthe energy necessary to the conduct of a strenuous defensive campaign.
His depression of spirit was somewhat lifted by Burnet's report thatmeasures would be undertaken for his relief. He called a council ofsome of his principal men to consider the propositions which Burnetconveyed to him from headquarters. There was no opposition to thesending away of the non-combatants. The Arabs, accustomed to a nomadexistence, saw little hardship in the people having to wander forsafety to other regions. But the suggestion to part with their horseswas at first strongly opposed. An Arab without a horse is like ashipwrecked mariner. Burnet found all his persuasiveness unavailinguntil a diversion was caused by the appearance of the two gunnersbringing up their machine-guns, followed by the boatmen and the Arabsloaded with stores. The explanation that these were only an advanceparty of a force that was by and by coming to their assistance, andthat this force would in all probability bring back their horses,turned the tide. Encouraged by the assurance of help, the men agreedto the temporary sacrifice demanded of them; and the council broke upwith a yell of defiance which caused the enemy, expecting an attack, toopen fire.
Carry On! A Story of the Fight for Bagdad Page 13
