chosen to reinforce General Allenby's army in Egypt, they took
it as a compliment. Pestilence, murder, and sudden death might be in
store for them, but they would at any rate escape trench warfare, with
all its attendant horrors and discomforts. Their comrades at divisional
head-quarters gave them a good send-off. "Remember us to Pharaoh," they
said, "and you can send us a few mummies for Christmas; they'll do for
mascots."
The two soldiers, who were Yorkshire farmers' sons, and knew every inch
of the Craven country, from Malham Cove to Kilnsey Crag, had joined the
Egyptian army just as it was preparing to cross the desert on its way to
the Holy Land. They had taken part in the great victory at Beersheba,
and then, driving the Turks before them over the mountains of Judea, had
finally stormed the fortifications of Hebron. Elated by their success,
their hope was that their battalion would be allowed to press forward at
once so that they might spend Christmas Day in Jerusalem. In this they
were disappointed. Other battalions were chosen for this proud
undertaking, and when General Allenby entered the Holy City in triumph
Sam and Jerry were still in the neighbourhood of Hebron, engaged in
repairing the fortifications and restoring order.
At last the command came to advance. They were, however, to proceed in
small parties, and to share in an enveloping movement among the hills.
Small detachments of Turkish soldiers were known to be lurking among the
limestone terraces between Hebron and Jerusalem, and their duty was to
break these up by means of guerrilla warfare, and prevent surprise
attacks descending at night from the hills on to the army's
communication lines.
The two Yorkshiremen, accustomed all their lives to the shepherding of
Swaledale ewes among their native moors, were well qualified for this
task. The limestone hills of Judea bear a striking resemblance to the
Craven highlands, and Sam and Jerry had a practised eye for
hiding-places among the rocks, as well as for the narrow sheep-tracks
which lead from one limestone terrace to another. In the course of the
next fortnight they rounded up many bands of ragged Turkish soldiers,
and were steadily driving the rest before them in a northerly direction.
By 24th December they were within five miles of Jerusalem, and the hope
that they might yet reach their goal on Christmas Day came back once
more to their minds.
But it was not to be. The morning of the 24th fou
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