will form the first line on the right. Your platoon,
'N,' will form the first wave." N.--"Very good, sir." General saluting,
and N.--having composed his features to a look of blood-thirsty
enthusiasm which is quite absent from his heart--goes off to break the
news to his faithful N.C.O.'s, who impart it in their turn to their
sections. These last, as they are not paid extra for keeping up
appearances, express their truthful opinion of attacks and leading waves
with great force and point. But each successive order was in turn
cancelled.

About 2 o'clock news came in that the Turks were massing in the woods
near Dueidar Trench, and that we were required to keep an eye on them.
The 6th H.L.I. were already across and the Argylls, followed by the 7th
and ourselves, again negotiated Kurd Valley, getting slightly mixed up
with a battalion of the 74th Division on the way. The 7th and Argylls
now vanished from our ken, being used to support the shattered remnants
of the 155th Brigade, who succeeded at dusk in getting a footing on
Outpost Hill only to be counter-attacked and driven out in the dark. We
came to anchor in a big hollow, peaceful except for a number of
"overs"--bullets which topped the ridge in front and wounded a number of
men. Many particularly dislike this impersonal manner of attack; they
like their enemy to have his shot at him over his sights--hit or miss,
trusting him to miss--and object to a blind bullet fired at someone
else--and a very bad shot at that--finding them out in the decent
obscurity of reserve lines. But in warfare you cannot even choose how
you will be killed.

Darkness fell and we received orders to move up to the southern slope of
Lees Hill in support of the 7th and Argylls, who had now definitely
taken over from the 155th. The journey took us some time, owing to the
complete darkness and the difficulties of the country, and was only
finally accomplished by the signalling officer going forward with a drum
of telephone wire to locate Brigade Headquarters. Having done this the
Battalion advanced, guided by the wire, and we were in position by 10
p.m. and dug ourselves shelter pits before going to sleep. The Battalion
dump was shifted from Mansura Ridge to Kurd Valley during that night and
the ration convoy on its way to Mansura had to be found and led into our
new area--difficult work, but most successfully accomplished by our
energetic second in command. The dropping bullets were particularly