nt forward.
Slipping down that mountain side was a veritable case of running the
gauntlet. But, once the bottom of the first wadi was reached, some cover
was afforded for a breather. Almost in front of us, on the far ridge,
lay the village of Deir Ballut, on which the enemy evidently intended to
base their strongest resistance. On our left, the infantry were making a
good pace; on the right they were held up, but, seeing us going forward,
they pushed forward too, so that pressure might be maintained all along
the line. The enemy had organized his defences and placed his machine
guns with great skill. The slopes of the wadi were too steep for good
shooting straight down the slope. So he had taken full advantage of the
curves and hairpin bends of the wadi to place his machine guns in
position sweeping the spurs and giving each other mutual support. Our
leading company lost no time in getting to work. They dumped their packs
and set out at once to storm the ridge. Meanwhile, our infantry
advancing on the left, had taken some of the enemy machine guns in
flank, forcing them to withdraw, which materially assisted the advance
of the leading company. And so the leading company, closely followed by
companies in support, established itself on the Ridge.

The fiercest of the fighting, however, was yet to come. A great burst of
machine-gun fire caused the leading platoon to take cover under one of
the terraces. Hence they were at once led forward again. The Turks now
delivered a strong counter-attack. Seeing this, the leading platoon
dashed forward with their bayonets, led by the company cook, and the
Turks were put to flight. The Lewis-gunners caught them as they were
getting away and effectually quenched all desire to renew the
counter-attack. Then the company pushed forward, and, ignoring the
village of Deir Ballut, with its machine guns tried to get across the
line of retreat from the village. Seeing this, the Turks evacuated Deir
Ballut, and, under cover of machine guns posted on the further ridges,
those left alive made good their escape. That evening found us in
undisputed possession of Deir Ballut Ridge from beyond the village of
Deir Ballut down to the Plain at Mejdel Yaba.

CHAPTER XV

THE MOUNTAINS OF EPHRAIM

We now found ourselves well established in the Mountains of Ephraim, and
at no great distance from the enemy. After the taking of Ballut Ridge he
had dropped back, and was soon seen to be entrenching a