tention to cover. A sniper even more adventurous than his fellows reserved his fire for the wearer of the white shirt, and the Commandant of Samawah-the mainstay of the defence-nearly fell a victim.

The man in the look-out tower reported that large numbers of the enemy were to be seen leaving Samawah, and proceeding in a southerly direction. During four days 5000 Arabs left Samawah town, and marched to their new objective. The enemy attempted to disguise this movement by increased activity. This increased activity was opened by the Arabs setting fire to the Barbooti Bridge. Flames rose high from the burning piles. A defence vessel was hurriedly steamed to the bridge, and on its arrival the work of destruction was stopped. Following the attempt to destroy the Barbooti Bridge, the tribesmen made a surprise attack on the southern face of the main camp. The attack was cleverly planned, and was not lacking in spirit, but it met the same end as all the previous attacks. Disappointed by their failure, the Arabs kept up a lively fire on the positions all through the night, and the next day their snipers

To force a victory by continuous assaults had proved a costly failure, and now a new weapon of no mean strength was brought into action. Several Arabs capable of speaking fluent Hindustani shouted from the enemy trenches to the men to forsake the position and join their ranks. The British relief column, they said, had been defeated, those who had escaped the slaughter were in hurried retreat, and no force could possibly reach the besieged garrison. The small amount of food within the camp they knew could not last many days. To both Mohammedans and Hindus who joined their ranks, food, money, and land would be given. Allah would send to everlasting burning hell all within the defences who did not join them. To the Mohammedans they issued a special warning concerning their holy cause. The Mahrattas' rifles spelt the answer. Hunger, fatigue, and the great strain of many fights had not lessened the devotion of those fighting sons of India. Black they were, but white inside.

The next day the wireless delivered news of the position of the relief column, which was stated to be a considerable

force, accompanied by cavalry and a whole brigade of artillery, commanded by a General whose name was not unknown to the Arabs. The tribes so far had not seriously opposed the column, much to the disappointment of the force, who, confident of victory, wanted battle, and as the British soldier says, "a chance to kill the They had limited their opposition to attacks on the flanks of the force, making full use of the great natural obstacle, which they placed in front of them when any serious danger from the column threatened. The column was still several days' march from Samawah, and it was to be expected that the Arabs would soon make a strong stand against it. It was also to be expected that with the advance of the relief column still further and stronger efforts would be made against the Samawah garrison.

While the news of the advance was being discussed by the cheery voices of the defenders, another wireless was received which was so serious in character that the joys of the first message were lost in the great danger which threatened. The defence ship Greenfly had at last fallen into the hands of the enemy. The vessel was armed with two guns, many machine-guns and Lewis guns, with a plentiful supply of high-explosive shells and small-arm ammunition. It was not known whether the guns had been destroyed.

Two days would afford the tribesmen ample time to bring their new weapons into action against the garrison, and with such an addition of ordnance they could create a barrage that would pound the defences of Samawah to dust. Even if the guns of the defence vessel had been destroyed, the large store of high-explosive shells could feed the guns which the enemy already had in action. If the Arabs made many more attacks, the besieged would soon find their bayonets the only means of defence. The situation was more serious than at any other period. Many days afterwards it was discovered that the gunners of the captured vessel died facing fearful odds, and true to the traditions of the Royal Regiment, had destroyed their guns at the moment of capture.

As the blazing sun gradually faded beyond the horizon, a slight wind fanned the scorching wilderness, and carried the faint sound of distant gunfire to the eager ears of the defenders. Was it gun-fire, or was it the imagination of strained nerves f Anxious ears were strained to catch the sound which to them meant so much. The British officers of the main camp had collected for their scanty evening meal. Glasses clinked together to the success of the relief column. True, the glasses contained only muddy water, but the toast was from the heart.

The relief column was only

twenty miles from the hardpressed garrison. Two days' march and the siege, with all its horrors, would be over. The stock of ammunition was again carefully counted. Precaution still had to be taken for unforeseen events. However, the nightly allowance was increased. The tribes men, alarmed by the rapid advance of the column, intended to make a final attempt to capture the Samawah positions. Many lamps hung above the enemy trenches along the southern edge of the defences, and the enemy camp-fires were 80 numerous that the palm grove was a blaze of light showing numerous banners. Sniping increased as the tribesmen collected in their trenches ready to make the assault. The yells from the palm grove rose louder and louder, and the large banners from the camp-fires were carried into the front trenches, from which the babble of voices rose higher and higher. The usual practice of the defenders was to reserve their fire until the enemy were within a few yards of the obstacles. This method was now departed from. Two long-range bombs were taken into the foremost sap, and four Lewis guns were trained on the given target ready to fire at the signal. A large red banner, surrounded by many lights, was being paraded through the enemy trenches. The signal was given, and two long-range bombs descended on the banner. There was a big

flash and a roar, and four Lewis guns sent out their drums of fire. The lights disappeared, and the banner no longer waved triumphantly over the parapet. The yells of the tribesmen changed into squeals and moans. The enemy had been surprised. The Arabs on the opposite bank of the river, unable, owing to the absence of lights, to give fire-support to the storm troops, turned their fire to other positions; and the rifle reports, re-echoing over the river, made such a noise that sleep was impossible for any one during the night.

With dawn the roar of the guns of the advancing column grew louder and louder, and was mingled with the sound of bursting bombs from the air. The wireless operators were very busy during the day receiving messages from the General commanding the column. It appeared that the tribesmen were preparing to make a determined stand in the positions they had made three miles south of Samawah city. The enemy trenches were flanked by the river, and extended a number of miles to a system of old irrigation channels, which had been strongly fortified. The enemy strength was estimated to be between 8000 and 9000 rifles. Another night passed. The roar of cannon filled the air as the first streak of light widened in the horizon, and as the great monarch of the desert rose its light was shaded by the smoke of exploding shells

and clouds of dust from crumbling walls. In order to render as much help as the garrison could afford, a defence vessel from the supply camp steamed down-stream towards the city to pound at the enemy rear positions, and destroy the many sniping-posts. Owing to the dangerous state of the river, it was obliged to be navigated near the banks. Reaching the first enemy position, the guns opened fire. The shelling, however, did not deter the snipers, who made the vessel their special target. It steamed round the bend of the river until alongside the main Samawah position. Here the rudder became damaged by rifle fire, and the vessel was carried by the current to a mud-bank. The enemy gun opened fire, and the shells, missing the boat, burst in the main camp. The ship was in extreme peril, but Captain S., the navigating officer, handled the situation with great skill. Pending the arrival of another boat from the supply camp, the crew spent their time in engaging the numerous enemy snipers. The vessel was The vessel was eventually towed back to the supply camp. At noon six aeroplanes joined in the battle, raining bombs and Lewis-gun fire over Samawah town. The guns opened their drum-fire

on the enemy's positions, and the troops of the relief column advanced to the attack. The strong enemy line broke before the lines of steel. The tribesmen fled in all directions, some making for boats, others fleeing for the great desert. Those who sought to cross the river found the knives of the Gurkhas blocking their way, and the yellow waters became tinged with crimson. The besieged men of the garrison watched the scene from their battlements. Thousands of robed figures spread over the great plain, hurrying to the setting of the sun, and with the fading light the hopes of the thousands of fanatics passed away.

So ended the great siege. It had lasted over two months. The garrison had been reduced considerably. The loss of the besiegers cannot be precisely stated, but many hundreds had been carried away to the sunless homes of the dead. The recollection of past dangers and privations, and the consciousness of having served so well, swelled the hearts of the troops with honest pride. That

pride grew stronger when they received in the Order of the Day congratulations from the great General. Laudari a viro laudato is indeed praise.