CHAPTER XIX
A TIGHT CORNER
Meanwhile, on the beach below, the work of disembarking men and guns andstores was proceeding steadily, still under fire, though not soconcentrated and so deadly as it was before the first trenches wererushed. Engineers were already cutting paths upward through the scrubon which supplies were being hurried to the top. Ambulance men werecarrying wounded on stretchers down the steep face of the cliff. Theguns of the fleet were searching for the Turkish positions on thesummit, and seaplanes were circling overhead to discover the positionsof the batteries which were enfilading the ridges and the beach withshrapnel.
Now that the excitement of the first rush had subsided, Frank felthimself in a difficulty. He was fortuitously in command of nearly ahalf platoon of men: what was he to do with them? He knew nothing ofhis position relative to the rest of the force which had establisheditself on the hill. The din of rifle and machine-gun fire wasincreasing; it seemed clear that the Turks were rallying for a counterattack. Snipers' bullets incessantly whistled overhead. After a fewminutes he felt sure that the head of the gully above was occupied by astrong force of the enemy, and he anxiously considered whether he oughtto try to hold on, or to retire down the gully until he came in touchwith some one from whom he could take orders. In the meantime he hadinstructed the men to charge their magazines, to keep their heads down,and to maintain a careful look-out. Never had he felt so glad of thelong field-days he had spent as a sergeant in his school corps.
While he was still in doubt, a second lieutenant came up the gully. Inthe dirty, dishevelled, tattered figure he hardly recognised the JackTomlinson who had tried to pose him in Turkish.
"You headstrong jackass!" cried Tomlinson genially. "Do you know thatyou've got at least five hundred yards ahead of the rest? Looking forTurks not made to be loved, but to be bayoneted, I suppose."
"No cackle! What are we to do?"
"I came to withdraw you, and have had a narrow squeak half a dozen timeson the way. The ground between you and our first line, where we've gottwo or three thousand men strung out anyhow, is frightfully exposed, andthe Turks are in strength above. There are no end of snipers concealedin the scrub on each side, and the bottom of the gully is enfiladed; asI tell you, I had the narrowest squeak in getting here."
"We must hold on then?"
"Or risk being heavily cut up. I think we had better stay, though forthe life of me I don't see how we can stick it if the Turks locate us.Anyway, I hope it won't be for long. The fellows have chucked awaytheir packs, I see; that means no grub, and there's no water. I'mfrightfully dry, but I don't care to take a pull at my water-bottle yet.Every drop may be needed by and by."
"Well, we couldn't have struck a better place for a stand. This gully'sa better trench than we could have made in a hurry, bar sandbags. Ourhandful ought to be able to hold it against anything but artillery. Andwe can improve it: we'd better start at once before the Turks spot us: Ibelieve they're in pretty strong force above there."
"Righto. Let's have a look round."
The sides of the gully were covered with bushes and small trees.Several of the men had retained their entrenching tools, and Frank setthem to lop branches, and others to pull up shrubs by the roots, whichthe remainder began to weave into a sort of abattis extending across thegully. Before they had been engaged on the task more than a quarter ofan hour, the whiz of bullets directly down the gully informed them thatthe Turks had discovered their position. One or two men were hit, andFrank told off a few to post themselves in the bushes and snipe inreturn. Their flanks were protected against an attack in force, on oneside by a stretch of fairly open ground commanded from the position ofthe Australians below them, and on the other by the tangled vegetationthrough which to advance seemed impossible. It gave cover forinnumerable snipers, it is true; but it served also as a screen to theoccupants of the gully on a much lower level. As an additional defenceagainst attack from up the gully Frank ordered some of the men to throwup a rampart behind the abattis, a task which the soft nature of therock rendered comparatively easy.
But the traverse was only half finished when there came a warning shoutfrom a man above--
"Here they come!"
Round a bend in the gully some distance higher up a compact mass ofswarthy Turks surged down towards them. At a word from Frank the mendropped their tools and posted themselves behind the obstruction, takingall the cover its unfinished state afforded, each man looking steadilyover his rifle sight.
"Wait for the word," said Frank at one end of the line.
The Turks rushed down impetuously, filling the whole width of the gullyand several ranks deep. They did not fire, their intention evidentlybeing to overwhelm the little party in one headlong rush. Frank waitedtensely until the first rank was within about a hundred yards; then hecalled out:
"Now! Rapid!"
A withering volley flashed from the rifles. Then the men, each forhimself, fired into the approaching mass as steadily as if practising atthe butts. The first rank went down under the pitiless hail of lead,but the rush was scarcely checked. Carried on by their own impetus, theTurks ran, jumped, reeled down the hundred yards of rough slope thatintervened between them and the abattis. They could not stop, even ifthey would, for the close ranks behind pressed relentlessly upon theforemost. Nor indeed did they show any disposition to shirk the issue.They were Turks, and therefore brave; they were many, and the defenderswere few; and though the men at the head of the column fell in theirtracks, or survived only to reel forward a few yards and then collapse,those behind sprang over the bodies of their fallen comrades, only tofall themselves a pace or two further on. Their places were taken inturn by others from the throng pressing behind, and the living streamdashed against the abattis like waves upon a breakwater. Shouting thename of Allah, some tried to wrench the branches apart, others dug theirfeet into the obstacle and began to clamber over. But their courage wasof no avail. With a horde of the enemy within five or six feet of themthe Australians continued to fire calmly, methodically, relentlessly,plying their bayonets upon those few who came within their reach.
THE FIGHT IN THE GULLY]
In two or three minutes from the time when the torrent first broke uponthe barrier the oncoming Turks had to meet a new and terrible obstaclein the piled bodies of their comrades. And when finally the survivors,stricken with sudden panic, broke and fled back up the gully, it neededall the authority of the two officers to prevent their men from burstingout and chasing the shattered mob. The Australian in action has onlyone glorious failing: like a thoroughbred courser, when his blood is uphe is hard to hold.
Frank mopped his smoking brow. His hand was shaking. His rifle washot.
"You three men," he said, indicating those nearest him, "get over andbring in the wounded. The rest keep an eye up the gully."
"I've got some iodine ampoules," said Tomlinson.
"Good! We must do what we can for the poor chaps. I'm glad it's over."
"Is it over? Look there."
At the further end of the gully the Turks had already begun to collectmaterial for a breastwork similar to that against which they had justspent themselves. They kept out of sight, but masses of scrub andbranches of trees could be seen falling into the gully from the sides.
"We must snipe them," said Tomlinson--"fire into the bushes."
"Better save our ammunition," suggested Frank. "We shall want it ifthey attack again, and we can't get any more. They've learnt a lesson,and will be warier now, and therefore more formidable. We've all ourwork cut out yet."
Thus at the one end the Turks went about their task unmolested, and atthe other the Australians were allowed to carry the wounded behind theirrampart without interference. Such of the men as had field dressingsemployed them ungrudgingly on their wounded prisoners. But hardly hadthe last man who could be moved been brought over when the Turks abovecommenced a steady fire
from behind their barricade.
"Keep low, men," cried Frank. "Poke your rifles through the bushes nearthe bottom, and loose a shot every now and then."
It soon became clear that the sharpshooting from the barricade wasintended to distract the Australians while an attempt was made tooutflank them through the scrub on the banks of the gully. Though theTurks moved stealthily, and on the left bank had almost perfect cover, asudden stirring of the bushes caught Tomlinson's eye, and he guessedwhat it meant. The party was all too small to meet an attack on threefronts; for presently figures were seen darting across the more openground on the right in twos and threes, risking observation from thelarger force of Australians that was entrenched farther down the hill.Fighting was general all over the position, and even if the plight ofthe small band in the gully had been known to their comrades below,there was little or no chance of their being reinforced. All that theyoung officers could do was to tell off as many of their men as could bespared from the barricade to line the banks of the gully, and do theirbest to daunt the enemy by the accuracy of their fire.
It was a position to test the nerve and resolution of a veteran, muchmore of soldiers making their first essay in warfare. Nothing in theexperience of the Great War has been more remarkable than theextraordinary efficiency shown by the younger officers--men who a fewmonths before were boys at school, with no more expectation of servingtheir country in arms than of undertaking any other unimagined form ofactivity. They have shown quickness of perception, promptness indecision, the courage and tenacity which every Briton glories in as hisbirthright, and a cheerfulness in the most adverse and depressingcircumstances, which is not improvised, but grows out of health anddisciplined freedom. When the full story of this world-struggle comes tobe written, it will be found that a large proportion of the honourswhich history will award will fall to the boys.
Through the heat of the day, and on till the evening mist crept acrossthe hills, Frank and his Australian comrades maintained the unequalfight. In the struggle at the barricade they had received only a fewslight wounds; but as the day wore on the effective strength of thelittle band ebbed away. Parched with thirst, ruefully regretful of theemergency rations in the packs so lightly discarded on the beach below,they had more than the persistent sniping of the enemy to contend with.They rarely caught sight of the Turks, but every now and then one wouldfall to a bullet from some unseen rifle in the scrub. Exasperated bythis furtive mode of attack, the men asked to be allowed to charge theenemy, and growled in the free-spoken manner of Australians when theirentreaty was refused. At one time Tomlinson suggested that they shouldmake an attempt to fall back upon the larger forces below, in spite ofits risks: but Frank replied quietly:
"We don't know how important every yard may prove to be. I think we hadbetter hold on, Tommy. Perhaps the fellows below will make another rushupward by and by."
But darkness fell: the din of fighting had not diminished; but none hadcome to their relief. Tomlinson renewed his proposal; but to the otherdangers would be added the risk of losing their way in this unknownwilderness, and he agreed ultimately with Frank that they had betterhold their ground.
The men tried to relieve their thirst by sucking the dew from theircoats and shirts. The day had been a long torture, but all confessedthat the night hours were worse. In the daylight they could see theirenemy if they threatened an attack; in the darkness they had to trust totheir ears alone. The Turks, knowing how small their numbers were, wouldprobably be tempted to rush them, and the strain of guarding againstsurprise told very heavily upon their nerves.
About four hours after dark, Frank's suspicion that some such move wasintended was aroused, first by the slackening of the sniping fire, thenby sounds of movement on all sides. Frank had posted himself at theupper end of his little force, by the barricade: Tomlinson at the lower.From this end Frank suddenly heard murmurs of conversation, in toneswhich, though low, had a note of excitement. In a few moments a mancame to him up the gully.
"I'm Sergeant Jukes, sir," he said--"crept up the gully from below.Some one told the major about you up here, and he sent me to say, holdon as long as you can. They're getting ready to advance down there."
"That's good news! Tell the major we'll stick it to the last."
"I'm to stay with you, sir."
"Good! The major doesn't know who we are, of course."
"No, sir. We heard firing, and he thought perhaps some of our chaps hadbeen cut off and hadn't got an officer with them, so he sent me to takecharge in that case, but to stay anyhow."
"We're glad of your help--only wish there were forty of you. Just godown a few paces and keep your ears open. I'm pretty sure the Turks aregoing to try a rush."
The minutes passed very slowly. It was clear that the enemy, leavingnothing to chance, were making their dispositions with deliberatethoroughness. Officers and men waited in a tenseness that was painful.Would the blow from above fall before the promised movement from below?Frank dared not diminish his force by sending out a listening patrol.He would need every man if the attack came, and it would be so easy tolose one's way in the scrub. But in the darkness every man's hearingseemed preternaturally sharpened, and they fingered their riflesrestlessly as they heard more and more sounds of the forces gatheringabout them.
Suddenly there was a whistle on the right, followed by an answeringwhistle on the left. Guided by the sounds the defenders opened fire.There was no reply. The enemy were no doubt feeling their way forward,in the hope of getting near enough to sweep the position in oneoverwhelming rush. From the directions in which the whistles had come,Frank guessed that an attack was to be made simultaneously on two sides.There was another whistle, nearer at hand and unmistakably at the side;the answer came from below. An idea flashed into his mind which heinstantly put into execution.
When, a few moments later, the Turks swarmed down both sides of thegully some distance below the barricade, they intended to force thedefenders back upon that useless defence, expecting to have them then attheir mercy. But when they met, in the darkness and confusion some ofthem threw themselves upon their own friends before they discovered thatthe men they had come to attack had disappeared. In that brief intervalbefore the rush, Frank, divining their purpose, had swiftly withdrawnall his men to the barricade, and at the moment when the Turks poureddown the sides of the gully, the defenders were all posted above thebarricade, facing towards them. As the Turks, yelling and cursing,surged upwards they were met by a withering fire, which swept down thegully into their confused and closely packed ranks. Trapped,bewildered, they hesitated; then they in turn opened fire.
But at this moment there was a ringing cheer from below, repeated inever-increasing volume as a full company of Australians charged up thegully. They could not be seen; not a rifle flash revealed theirposition; they meant to do their work with the cold steel. The Turks,swept by the hail of lead from above, ignorant of the number of theenemy pouring upon their rear, began in terror to scramble up the sidesof the gully, and broke away into the scrub on either side.
A hoarse shout rose from the parched throats of the men above thebarricade. It warned their comrades of their position. And now came themoment that rewarded the little band for all the stress and labour ofthe day. Exhausted though they were, they sprang up the banks of thegully, and side by side with the new arrivals, deaf to the commands ofFrank and Tomlinson, they plunged into the scrub after the fleeingTurks. A series of peremptory blasts from a whistle brought thisimpetuous movement to a stop. The men returned, disappointed but happy,to the gully, and the newcomers were ordered to line the banks with aprotective parapet.
Then an electric torch was seen moving among the men, and a clearauthoritative voice was heard.
"Where is the officer who organized this position?"
Thoroughly worn out, Frank was sitting at the foot of the bank, holdinghis head in his hands, hardly conscious of what was passing around him.He looked up as the light flashed upon him.
"This is he, eh?" a voice said. "Your name, sir."
He saw two keen eyes fixed upon him, and stood up, mechanicallysaluting.
"My name?" He appeared to consider for a moment. "Yes, I know: FrankForester."
"Regiment?"
"I don't know; I don't believe I have one. No, sir, of course; I'mattached as interpreter."
"Indeed! You've a queer way of interpreting your duties. How long haveyou held this gully?"
"Since early morning, sir."
"With what force?"
"We had something over twenty to start with: there aren't so many now."
"Less than a platoon! By George, Mr. Forester, it's an uncommonly fineperformance: are you aware of that? I'll send your name up to theGeneral."
"There's Tomlinson, sir."
"I'll look after Tomlinson."
"The men were splendid."
"I haven't a doubt of it.... Why, bless my soul! water there, someone."
Frank had collapsed in his arms.
Frank Forester: A Story of the Dardanelles Page 19
