m. The hospital lay exposed to the
plain. A bund, or mud wall, marked the outer boundary. The native
sentries who were allotted to guard the place were insufficient in
number, as the area was considerable and thefts were constant. The
doctors and orderlies volunteered to do sentry duty, and one Arab was
shot and one wounded. This did not stop the stealing. Kit of every kind
disappeared. At times a man woke up to find an Arab calmly removing his
mosquito net, while another stood over him with a knife. It was a good
policy to remain motionless for a short time. It was better than
remaining motionless for ever. During the day time a large number of
Arab men and women were employed in the hospital area. There were about
fifty or so who sat all day under a matting shelter making mortar by
some mysterious process of hammering, singing their eternal nursery
rhymes that sound like "Ina Dina Dinah Do" over and over again. All
these Arabs were turned out of the compound before nightfall by the
local Arab police--picturesque fellows, who wore khaki uniforms and Arab
head cloths--but it is probable that they had something to do with the
thefts. They were certainly guilty of other thefts and on one occasion
the Indians, who had suffered severely as their tents lay nearest to the
plain, very nearly murdered an Arab whom they found with some crusts of
bread and some cooking utensils tied up in his clothing.

[Illustration: WALLED VILLAGE ON BANKS OF TIGRIS.]

It seems to be a common belief among some people that the R.A.M.C.
orderly is a man with nothing to do. It was an erroneous idea to hold in
Mesopotamia, and when we were informed that we could arrange our own
guards, there was some resentment. However, there was some chance of an
interesting time, so parties were organised to watch along the bund.
On one occasion a show was arranged which might be termed the Grand
Battle of the Bund. It was a battle without casualties. A crowded mess
began the evening. Some naval men from a monitor lying alongside were
present, very keen on doing some strafing, as everyone was, where Arabs
were concerned. They related their own manner of dealing with such
things higher up the river--"Turned a machine-gun on their cattle and
annihilated the lot. That got the wind up them all right!" At
nine-thirty our party, composed of twenty officers, all the mess
waiters, and various other people--mostly victims of robbery--who
silently attached themselves, an