Chargeable against my conceit were thecauseless, ineffectual deaths of Hesa. From this plain the two faint-hearts with me slipped back to theirfellows on the castle-hill.
Allenbys plan hadseemed modest, and that we should so fall down before the Arabs wasdeplorable. In their hollows our difficulties increased with themud.
It was debated what share theAmman Arabs should take in the British operation. Sucha date gave me leisure: and I settled to go to Shobek, with Zeid andNasir.
The guns and machine-guns werealso promised.
A Corps Conference was due next day, and I was to stayfor it.
Allenby told methat the War Cabinet were leaning heavily on him to repair thestalemate of the West.
He would close down my affairs and disperse my bodyguard.
But my return did not mean that the damagewas repaired.
Meanwhile we glozedour fraud by conducting their necessary war purely and cheaply.
With Joyce we laid our triple plan to support Allenbys first stroke.
Allenby assented, and asked if we could still do it. With us journeyed two thousand Sirhan camels, carrying our ammunitionand food.
With my certain contempt for half-measures I took it upquickly and wrapped myself in it completely. Allenby assented, and asked if we could still do it. So on hertail, with me yet in the saddle, we went sliding round and down ahundred feet. A great opportunity had been missed, and a valuableadvance thrown away.
The guns and machine-guns werealso promised. Zeid stopped me: Butthat will need a lot of money.
I asked them thenews; they told me all was well. All life was alive with us: even the insects.
Each step of ourroad to join the British was possible: most of them easy. Yet, in three years practice, only Dawnaysucceeded. The Turks werestill chasing Allenby far down the Jordan Valley. After an hour he excused himself, because he had just married a Shobekwife. Dawnay came upto reason with the malcontents. She was frightened, and started back: and herpurchase dragged me clear.
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