, and went on smoking in the morning. I had to go up to Chocolate
Hill about some sand-bags for our hospital dug-outs next day, and on the
way up I noticed a human pelvis and a chunk of charred human vertebrae
under a scorched and charcoaled thorn-bush.

Hawk and I kept a very good look-out every day. We noted the arrival of
reinforcements, and the putting up of new telegraph lines; we spotted
incoming transports, and the departure of our battle-ships in the bay.

In fact, between us, we worked a very complete "Intelligence
Department" of our own. We made a rough chart showing the main lines of
communications, and the position of snipers and wells, telegraph wires
to the artillery, and the main observation posts and listening saps.

"It's just as well," said I, "to know as much as we can how things are
going, and to keep account of details--it's safer, and might be very
useful."

"Very true," said Hawk; "'ave you noticed 'ow that little cruiser
comes in every morning at the same time, and goes out again in the late
afternoon? Also, two brigades of Territorials came in last night and
went round by the beach early this morning towards Lala Baba; I see the
footprints when I went down for a wash."

The colonel had camped us on the edge of the Salt Lake on this side of
an incline which led up to a flat plateau. Into this incline we had made
our dug-outs, and he was now planning the digging out of a square-shaped
place which would hold all our stretchers on which the sick and wounded
lay, and would be protected from the Turkish shell-fire by being dug
into the solid sandstone.

I was looking about for sand-tracks and shells, and I noticed that the
grass had grown much more luxuriously at one level than it did lower
down. This grass was last year's and was now yellow and dead and
rustling like paper flowers.

"This," said I to Hawk, "was last year's water-mark in the rainy
season."

"That's gospel," said Hawk; "and what would you make out o' that
observation?"

He smiled his queer whimsical smile.

"Why, I guess we shall be swamped out of this camp in a month's time."

"Yes; practically the 'ole of this, up to this level, will be under
water."

"Then what's the good of starting to dig a big permanent hospital here
when----?"

"Yours not to reason why," said Hawk; "it's a way they have in the army;
but I'm not bothering."

Each section dug in shifts day after day until the men were worn out
with digging.

T