arrived, they were caught in
a trap.

There was plenty of time, especially as we were hidden from view,
but I worked swiftly, the men obeying readily enough now that a
fight seemed certain. I posted Tugendheim with his Syrians in the
center, with the rest of us in equal halves to right and left,
keeping Abraham by me and giving Anim Singh, as next to me in
seniority, command of our left wing. We were in a rough new moon
formation, all well under cover, with the carts in a hollow to our
rear. By the time I was ready, the oncoming Turks were not much more
than a quarter of a mile away; and now I could see empty saddles at
last, for some of the Kurds had dismounted and were firing from the
ground with good effect.

I gave no order to open fire until they came within three hundred
yards of us. Then I ordered volleys, and the Syrians forthwith made
a very great noise at high speed, our own troopers taking their
time, and aiming low as ordered. We cavalrymen are not good shots as
a rule, rather given, in fact, to despising all weapons except the
lance and saber, and perhaps a pistol on occasion. But the practise
in Flanders had worked wonders, and at our first volley seven or
eight men rolled out of the saddles, the horses continuing to gallop
on toward us.

The surprise was so great that the Turks drew rein, and we gave them
three more volleys while they considered matters, bringing down a
number of them. They seemed to have no officer, and were much
confused. Not knowing who we were, they turned away from us and made
as if to surrender to the enemy they did know, but the Kurds rode in
on them and in less than five minutes there was not one Turk left
alive. My men were for rushing down to secure the loot, but it
seemed likely to me that the Kurds might mistake that for hostility
and I prevailed on the men to keep still until Ranjoor Singh should
come. And presently I saw Ranjoor Singh ride up to the leader of the
Kurds and talk with him, using our Turkish officer prisoner as
interpreter. Presently he and the Kurdish chief rode together toward
us, and the Kurd looked us over, saying nothing. (Ranjoor Singh told
me afterward that the Kurd wished to be convinced that we were many
enough to enforce fair play.)

The long and the short of it was that we received half the captured
horses--that is, thirty-five, for some had been killed--and all the
saddles, no less than ninety of them, besides mauser rifles and
uniforms for o