He had the gift,rare among Englishmen, of making
the best of a good thing.
Allenby told methat the War Cabinet were leaning
heavily on him to repair thestalemate of the West. Two men were found to ride with
me, though all said we should not reachTafileh that night. The Turks would retake
Tafileh in a weeks timewithout difficulty.
CHAPTER XCIDiplomatically, Hogarth replied not a
word, but took me to breakfastwith Clayton. Zeid told me there was another
Englishman in Tafileh.
In the morning we were off at dawn, munching a
handful of Sal-ehsbread. CHAPTER XCIDiplomatically, Hogarth replied not a word, but
took me to breakfastwith Clayton.
Motlog at that precise stage saw a tent, Sherif
Fahads, in the cornerof a sandstone pike.
We arranged rough time-tablesand schemes: then I
shipped busily back to Egypt. The twointerests were the extremes of his area, Amman
and Maan. In their hollows our difficulties increased with themud. Eagerness ofthe
kind was nervous, and, when present in high power, it tore apartflesh and spirit.
But my return did not mean that the damagewas repaired. The twointerests were the
extremes of his area, Amman and Maan.
We should have to take it before we could afford
asecond sphere. While we were packing, Joyce and Marshall arrived. They raved with
miserable rage when Idismissed them and turned away. However, Zeid said that he had
paid them.
The argument had delayed us, and consequently we
only reached the footof the pass at dark.