United States or Switzerland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"There are several boars left in cover; and the men are going in again." The tatterdemalion mob of beaters was descending into the nullah; and soon the wild din broke out once more. A gaunt grey boar with long and gleaming tusks was seen to emerge from the scrub and climb the far bank of the ravine, where he stood safely out of reach but in full view of the tantalised hunters.
After this doubtful rest we received orders to return to the line and relieve the 156th Brigade, who a short time before had carried out a successful attack on a small sector of the Turkish line by blowing up their position and occupying the crater. It was this part of the line just east of Krithia nullah we had to take over.
During this action the Battalion "stood to," and "A" and "B" Companies moved forward to the Redoubt line for eventualities. They returned the following morning, and in the course of the same day the Battalion took over the firing line to the right that is from the small nullah to the Horse Shoe.
Early in the morning we bid Tongue Fort adieu, and, descending by its northern slopes, threaded our way, arching round by north to westward, through the forests below, until late in the evening we arrived within a short distance of a hill called Khombora; and here, as the darkness of night was closing in, the party by accident divided: some, taking a more northerly track the proper one soon came across a nullah containing water, the thing we were then in search of; whilst we, following on the heels of the guide, lost the way, and, coming upon the same watercourse lower down the stream, bivouacked for the night alongside some green, fetid, stagnant pools, in which a host of young frogs were keeping up a merry concert.
Pointing to a distant line of tree-tops showing above the level plain she said: "There is the nullah in which, about a mile farther on, a cow was killed yesterday. I hope the tiger is still lying up in it. We'll soon see."
At the lower portion of the deep nullah there was a small but important pool of water, as it was the only drinking-place within a distance of 2 miles. As usual, there was a sandbank around this deep pool, which, being in the bend of the nullah, had been swept out of the opposing bank and deposited near, the drinking-hole.
Private Ives of "A" squadron picked up a wounded comrade in the nullah, and got chased and separated from his regiment. He reached the infantry covered with his comrade's blood. The latter was killed, but Ives was not seriously hurt. Lieutenant Montmorency, having got through safely, turned back to look for his troop-sergeant Carter. Captain Kenna went with him.
"And wherefore?" "My aged father writes that a pig of a thief hath taken our cattle and abducted our women-folk. I would fain have leave to go on furlough and lie in a nullah at Tirah with my rifle and wait for him. Then would I return to France." "Patience! That can wait. How like you the War?" "Burra Achha Tamasha, Sahib. But we like not their big guns.
On the 16th we took over from the Manchester a small stretch of trenches on our left, and "C" Company salved fifteen asphyxiating bombs from a pent-house in one of the nullah trenches. A captured Turkish officer, evidently disapproving of these innovations by his German masters, had given information as to where they would be found.
The scenery has always been fine sometimes magnificent, and there has always been a certain cheering hope, which sustained me as I lay hour after hour in the Malingam Nullah, or sat expectant amid ever varying and always beautiful glades and passes, watching the bird life, and storing up scenes and memories which I know I shall never forget.
Word Of The Day