disappointing, as we partioularly wished to see the man for various reasons, one of which was to protest against having no officer to mitigate our Tartar escort. However, warned by previous experience, we were determined to waste no opportanity this time. At once we demanded to see the Doctor, saying we were ill, much too ill to travel any farther. We were assured that we should spend at least two days here, whilst suitable conveyance was being arranged. We then demanded food, of which we really were in need; as, with the exception of the meal on the first night, we had practically eaten rothing for over forty-eight nours. It is a curious fact that neither of us had felt hunger. Possibly the figurative phrase "Fed up" has an actual physical significance. As usual, every one seemed most anxious to tell us the news from France and the further progress made by the Germans. We asked them what news there was of British progress in Mesopotamia, but the matter appeared to lack interest for them. The language difficulty was somewhat acute here. No one could talk English, and only two of them knew a little French. The Pilot had a smattering of Arabio, so the negotiations were left to him. His procedure was simple in the extreme: he tried each officer in French or Arabio straightway with "Are you a Turk?" The sheep were thus divided from the goats at one sweep. Remained to seize an opportu nity with each non-Turk separately. "Are you an Arab?” "Where do you come from?" The fold was eventually narrowed down to two: a plump, timorous little denizen of Basra and a grave grey-whiskered mariner from Baghdad. Followed from us much praise of these two picturesque habitats of base-barnacles. Eventually as either was isolated, he was asked whether he did not want to see his home again. Hot upon his heartfelt admission came the demand, how much hard gold he wanted to enable him to get home, taking us along with him. By this delightfully direct method we had within an hour of our arrival two active sympathisers cudgelling their brains on our behalf. Meanwhile, Ballast had been making a personal reconnaissance of the precincts, and came back full of information. There appeared to be only two Tartar sentries. From the latrine on the roof it was an easy drop into a shadowy palm-grove; and, less than a hundred yards across this, the hills rose steeply at once. It would be a long trek back, as a big detour would be necessary-sixty miles probably. But the German map had marked a big nala running up into the interior, and at the point where we had cressed that this morning there had been water in it. With any luck we might hope to find water farther up also. An excellent breakfast was produced: boiled eggs-Ballast in his hurry found out too late they were not hard-boiled two black loaves, dollops of sour ourds and date-treacle. One black loaf made its way into our emergency bag. Soon afterwards the Dootor arrived. To our disappointment he turned out to be a Turk, not an Armenian. He seemed very little impressed by the sickliness of our appearance, but we explained at length that it was rest and sleep that we really wanted. We also made request for something to clean our teeth with. Most men will agree that though being unshaven is beastly enough, being unable to wash one's teeth is Instead, however, of the mouth-wash we hoped for, a packet of tooth powder was produced. However, one's forefinger is a less inefficient toothbrush than might be imagined. Much refreshed, we were composing ourselves gratefully to sleep at last on the benches under the Turkish standard which covered the ceiling of the Commandant's office, when a strange officer entered brusquely and announced that he was desolated, but that orders had come for our departure onwards at once. He much regretted that camels were the only means of conveyance available for the next three stages, as all carts had had to be sent off for those wounded in a small skirmish that had occurred with the British yesterday. We asked the reason for all this hurry if the British-as they stoutly maintained-had made no ad certainly gained about half an hour, but had no lasting effect. Meanwhile there were signs of considerable bustle in the building, and the crowd of Arabs on the river front before our windows had grown in numbers and interest. Several Germans were moving about, but we saw no officers. After registering every protest we could devise, we were no longer able to avoid being conducted out to the main road, where we were presented with a fresh escort of twelve Tartars on foot and a Turkish officer on a diminutive pony. To start with, the Tartars were turned out in full marching order, carrying knapsacks, blankets, &c.; but before we had gone four miles everything" except rifles and bandoliers was slung on to our camels. The clothing of the men consisted mainly of ragged oddments of European mufti, and the equipment of no two was alike. Most of it seemed to be home-made. Amongst this dozen of our escort we noticed four different patterns of rifle of as many different calibres. Every man carried some two hundred rounds for his own particular pattern. Possibly this was the reason they took every opportunity of discharging their pieces: at a bird, into the river, or apparently just from sheer light-heartedness. After all, every shot lessened their loads. We soon found that as usual the Tartars could speak no language but their own outlandish tongue, of which the Turkish officer was wholly ignorant. Indeed, there We had been warned that were three barren marches ahead, with no villages or cultivation. The last palm-trees stop at the bend above the town, where a big fort on the bluff opposite commands both reaches of the river, up and down. The road does not follow the river, but climbs on to the plateau and cuts ten or twelve miles across a big bend, he was acquainted with noth- of which was crammed with ing but Turkish, of which ammunition. neither of us knew one single word. Communication between the component parts of the menagerie was therefore neither rapid nor accurate. For our comfort and delectation two camels with pack-saddles had been provided. One was white and one was brown, and they were the most contrary pair of animals possible. Moreover, these camels have no nose-cords, and are accustomed to be driven in droves, not led. They objected loudly and viciously to being made to sit down, and the moment their heads were released would jump up violently and promptly clear their immediate vicinity. All of which faots proved ultimately very fortunate for us. The Aleppo road runs straitly at the very foot of the low cliffs which which here form the edge of the plateau. The river plain is narrow, and for five miles it is filled from water's edge to cliff wall with date and fruit gardens. Walls and houses, well separated and mostly set along the river's brim, break up the greenery pleasantly. There are islands in the river, and the water is green and clear and rapid. The result is the most picturesque town in Mesopotamia. Bright yellow cliffs, grass crowned; palm plumes and sunshine; almond blossom, and the river racing broad under the sun. At one point on the edge of the road, in the cliff face, were several caves, the biggest Talking it over, we agreed that the British victory must have been pretty complete to have put the wind up to the extent that was evident. It seemed probable that the cavalry had rounded up the whole bunch and then gone on to clear the village, where we spent the day yesterday, in which case the armoured cars might possibly be sent on as far as the town we had just left. That was about all they could be expected to manage. It was a vexatious reflection. The pilot was confident, however, that his planes would make great efforts to find out where we were, and possibly even to rescue us. A few days previously one of our two-seaters had been brought down in the desert. A singleseater, seeing the situation, had swooped down, made a landing alongside, picked up both occupants, and got away home all right. But there had been no enemy close by. In our case matters were more difficult. Even if we were recognised, our escort stuck so close to us always, that Lewis gun fire would be impracticable; whilst it was very evident from what we had seen, that if any attempt were made to bounce them, they would unhesitatingly lay us out first, whatever they decided to do afterwards. However, an even chance was more than we expected to get; and the R.F.C. would probably devise some wily stratagem, if only they could first ascertain our whereabouts, Conversation was difficult, as the two camels liked to go different paces, and whenever they saw the least chance would wander off the road to graze, till driven back with blows and imprecations by the escort or the Buddu driver-a decent fellow, named Muhammad, who kept himself austerely aloof from the Tartars. Sitting on the pack-saddles, we had no control whatever over the animals, as there was no nosestring, and our guard refused to allow us even a twig in our hands to direct the beasts. We had been going about four hours when there was a sudden commotion and shouts of "Tyara"; and, sure enough, there were two of our planes coming along. Much running hither and thither ensued. The Pilot was pulled off his camel and hurried away from the path; his topi was torn off; every one gave orders-except the Turkish officer, who seemed to be the only one that obeyed them. Men dashed about in all directions, quite uselessly, as there was no cover worth mentioning anywhere on that part of the plateau. Ballast's camel was a little distance off the path at the time, with only two Tartars near. He had his feet well tucked up out of reach, unconcerned by the excitement of the Tartars. However, he took off his hat to temporise with them. He was determined to stay on the camel if possible, so as to be more conspicuous for the observers. Overhead came the planes; and then they began circling down over our groups. The Tartars themselves were in two minds what to do. Lower and lower came the planes. Surely they must see us now. Surely! Ballast put up his topi at arm's length and waved it vigorously. The enraged Tartar standing below threw up his rifle-the muzzle within a foot of Ballast's back-and pulled the trigger. The cartridge missed fire. Ballast, so engrossed in looking up and waving to the plane that he was unconscious of this outrage, treated it accordingly with the courage and indifference that comes of ignorance, and continued his signalling. The infuriated Tartar, impatient of the unreliability of modern inventions, reverted to the methods of his fathers, clubbed his rifle and caught him a swinge across the buttocks that brought him off the camel on to the ground. Both Ballast and the Tartar were now frenzied, and anything might have happened, had not the plane at that momentcrowning irony-opened an extremely accurate and welldireeted burst of fire on the pair of them, knocking up the dust all round. By some fluke neither was hit, but it was rather like a snipe getting through the pattern of No. 5's. Considerable recrimination in three three languages ensued. Everybody was on the run, and we were roughly hustled away on foot from the vicinity of the road. The planes had climbed again and were olearing off. Ballast passionately harangued the Turkish officer on one side, whilst a mob of Tartars assailed him on the other. He understood neither, of course, but hurried along thoroughly frightened of both parties. Excitement gradually subsided. The Pilot, who naturally felt more acutely both the disappointment and the difficulties about the airmen, soothed down the wrothful Ballast. He was confident that the Flying Corps would not give up yet; they would certainly make at least one more attempt. The recognition of the party; the finding of a suitable landing-place in this difficult country; the timing of the exploit; and, most of all, the oircumventing of the escort, made the odds against success enormous. It was agreed, however, that in any case, whether an attempt at rescue or at escape, the most important thing for us, and the most difficult, was to get away from the guard: any opportunity for doing this must be carefully watched for and taken advantage of at once. One's thoughts and conversation ran almost exclusively on escape. That one idea is an obsession with a prisoner. Every possibility was canvassed: the pro cedure most advisable at the first place where we should be allowed to stop for more than a few hours; such scanty information as we had of the Bedouin tribes to southward; the accessibility of the Turkish officials, and the most convincing way of persuading them that money promised would be paid "on delivery of goods"; the best method of surprising and "doing in" silently the armed guard; even the time that would be required to learn Turkish or Arabic sufficient to give one a reasonable chance, should we eventually be incarcerated at Broussa or elsewhere without having had a single previous opportunity of escaping. Only once did we cease from these fantasies,-and that was at dusk, when we came down off the plateau on to the riverplain, where it was thick with flowers and the smell rose up and caught us by the throat. It was England in one rush: all one's memory of May month in England. And we-out of it: able-bodied but helpless and useless, whilst the War was being fought to a finish. That was the blackest moment of all. Soon afterwards the Pilot glanced over his shoulder and said, "Look at that." Standing upon the horizon was a single blazing pillar of silver fire-a thing unique-so that for & moment we had no thought of moonrises. Extraordinarily impressive and most wonderfully beautiful. In the whole sky there was no other cloud, After that there was |