63

VI. "THE LONG, LONG TRAIL" 75

VII. ON THE FRINGE OF THE HOLY LAND 88

VIII. THE FIRST BATTLE OF GAZA 98

IX. THE RETREAT 113

X. THE SECOND ATTEMPT 127

XI. TEL EL JEMMI AND THE CAMELS 144

XII. CAVE DWELLERS AND SCORPIONS 157

XIII. IN THE WADI 170

XIV. THE ATTACK ON BEERSHEBA 184

XV. GAZA AT LAST 196

XVI. THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM 211

XVII. OU L'ON S'AMUSE 223

XVIII. IN THE JORDAN VALLEY 235

XIX. THE VALLEY OF CHAOS 247

XX. IN FULL CRY 260

XXI. OVER THE LADDER OF TYRE 270

XXII. DESERTED VILLAGES IN LEBANON 281

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

NATIVE MARKET AT MERSA MATRUH 16

SUNDAY MORNING IN THE GULF OF SUEZ 32

FELUCCAS BRINGING SUPPLIES TO KANTARA (see p. 54) 64

"THE LONG, LONG TRAIL" 80

I. CAMOUFLAGING A TENT WITH DESERT SCRUB (see p. 29) 144

II. A CAMEL CONVOY 144

SUMMER IN THE WADI GHUZZEE 176

IN THE JORDAN VALLEY--WADI AUJA 240

I. A WATER CONVOY 256

II. THE VALLEY OF CHAOS--BEFORE THE TURKISH RETREAT 256

THE VALLEY OF CHAOS--AFTER THE BOMBING RAID (see p. 255) 272

WITH OUR ARMY IN PALESTINE

CHAPTER I

MERSA MATRUH AND THE SENUSSI

It is a little difficult to know the precise place at which to begin this
narrative. There are, as it were, several _points d'appui_. One might
describe the outward voyage, in a troopship packed to three or four times
its normal peace-time capacity; where men slept on the floors, on
mess-tables, and in hammocks so closely slung that once you were in it was
literally impossible to get out until the whole row was ready to move; and
where we were given food (!) cooked and served under conditions so
revolting as to turn the stomach at the bare sight of it. And there were
other things....

But I do not think any useful purpose would be served by such a course. It
was an unspeakably horrible