"The Zion Corps." The mules look very fit; so do the Assyrians and,
although I did not notice that their cohorts were gleaming with purple
or gold, they may help us to those habiliments: they may, in fact, serve
as ground bait to entice the big Jew journalists and bankers towards our
cause; the former will lend us the colour, the latter the coin. Anyway,
so far as I can, I mean to give the chosen people a chance.

Got aboard at 5.15, but owing to some hitch in the arrangements for
filling up our tanks with fresh water, we are held up and won't get off
until to-morrow morning.

If there drops a gnat into the ointment of the General, be sure there
are ten thousand flies stinking the ointment of the troops.

_8th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Sailing free to the Northwards. A
fine day and a smooth sea. What would not Richard Coeur de Lion or
Napoleon have given for the _Arcadian_ to take them to St. Jean d'Acre
and Jerusalem?

As we were clearing harbour a letter was brought out to us by a launch:

"UNION CLUB,
"ALEXANDRIA.

"The following telephone received from General Maxwell, Cairo:--Your
message re Cox, I will do my best to meet your wishes. Will you in your
turn assist me in getting the seaplanes arriving here in _Ganges_? I
have wired to Admiral de Robeck, I want them badly, so please help me if
you can.

"_Forwarded by_ ADMIRAL ROBINSON."

Cutlet for cutlet! I wish it had occurred to me sooner to do a deal with
some aeroplanes. But, then I have none. No matter: I should have
promised him de Robeck's! South Africa repeats itself! Egypt and Mudros
are not one but two. Maxwell and I are co-equal allies; _not_ a combine
under a Boss!

CHAPTER IV

CLEARING FOR ACTION

_9th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Isles of the Aegean; one more lovely
than the other; weather warm; wireless off; a great ship steaming fast
towards a great adventure--why do I walk up and down the deck feeling a
ton's weight of trouble weighing down upon my shoulders? Never till
to-day has solicitude become painful. This is the fault of Birdwood,
Hunter-Weston and Paris. I read their "appreciations of the situation"
some days ago, but until to-day I have not had the unbroken hour needed
to digest them. Birdwood begins by excusing himself in advance against
any charge of vacillation. At our first meeting