, without congestion and without interfering with
the work of the camels. They entered the nullah by a different route, drank
their fill and went out again by yet another road.

Needless to say this was not carried on without molestation by the Turks.
It was impossible to conceal our presence in the nullah, since even one
battery of artillery moving along in watering order raised tremendous
clouds of dust visible many miles away, and when several such clouds
approaching from different directions were seen converging on the one
place, it was obvious that a splendid opportunity had arisen for a little
bombing practice; one, moreover, of which the Turks took full advantage.
Hardly had we left the comparative shelter of our position than the
familiar hum of an enemy plane was heard, and in a few minutes a peculiar
swishing sound heralded the rapid approach of some of his detestable
ironmongery. Sometimes he would hover overhead and follow the long line
till we were almost at the lip of the nullah before releasing his bombs,
and this was the very refinement of torture. During the whole of the
two-mile journey we sat waiting for the swish-swish of the bombs, wishing
that saddles were placed on the bellies of the horses instead of on their
backs. Then as we were descending into the nullah he would let fly in the
hope of catching us in the narrow defile.

The extraordinary thing was that though we must have made an excellent
target, no one to the best of my recollection was ever hit. Many times
bombs dropped on the very edge of the road as horses were passing, but
providentially the splinters all went wide. For this immunity we had, in
great measure, to thank our own aircraft, who, out-classed though they were
for speed, invariably went up to harass the Turk and put him off his aim,
in which gallant attempt they nearly always succeeded. Bombs dropped in the
nullah itself had no better effect, and if the object of the Turks was to
stampede the horses, it failed miserably. Frequently they would transfer
their attentions to the camel convoys with even worse results; it required
a great deal more than mere bombs to upset the camels, who padded steadily
along, eternally chewing and supremely indifferent to the agitated people
overhead.

Considering our unprotected positions and the undoubted superiority of
their machines over ours, the Turks were not very enterprising. Once or
twice they came over the batteries, flying low and snip