In the evening,
however, matters ripened, and after a joyous display of heavenly
pyrotechnics and thunder all round the blackening, heavy sky, we were
subjected to a violent downpour, accompanied by lurid lightning flashes.
Tremendous hailstones came down, smashing through the few remaining
flimsy blanket shelters that were still standing, so that we were left
in our nakedness to bear the full fury of the storm. We felt that God's
spectacular display on the mountains for Elijah's benefit had been at
least emulated, but it was the still, small voice that was best
appreciated again, when it remarked that it was a good job the cooks had
just finished making "gunfire" or we should never have had a dixie of
hot tea to cheer us up in our discomfort. Although the men had to stand
all night on sentry in the outposts in their wet things they took it
very good-humouredly.
A fortnight later the battalion moved forward again a few kilometres and
constructed new outpost positions at Khirba, covering a cavalry post
some distance to the south. This was necessitated by the fact that the
Turk was still holding Nekhl in the heart of the Sinai, from whence a
raiding party could easily strike north to cut our communications, for
the railway Was now well beyond Bir el Abd. When not actually on the
outpost line we did a good deal of training, and a range having been
constructed, some useful field firing was accomplished. An exciting
football competition resulted in "C" Company defeating the Sergeants'
team and carrying off the battalion championship.
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