The “going” on the plain was very bad, especially in the dark, the ground being a network of cracks and covered with a species of tall needle-grass, the latter making it very painful for the horses, whilst the former, continually giving way under their weight made the risk of broken legs a real one.  Fortunately, however, no serious accidents took place.  What wonderful creatures horses are!  Those who were on that trek could not fail to realise it, if they had never done so before!  As time went on and the goal was still not reached, it seemed that they must drop at any minute, but still they kept on, never faltering!  A few dropped out, it is true, but they were a very small percentage of the whole.  What courage and endurance they showed, to carry a weight of (say) 18 stone, 50 miles in 24 hours over the worst country imaginable!

About half way across the plain, the railway to Haifa was “cut,” and, pushing on, there were still some miles to go when day began to break.  Many thought they would now be “in for” a hot time, and expected guns to open upon them from all sides.

But the Turk was still quite ignorant of our presence.  In any case he was not prepared for an attack at that distance behind his line!  When it became fully light the 13th Brigade could be seen on the top of the ridge on the left moving parallel with us, and, in front of us, there was Mount Tabor[21] which served as a “guide” for direction.  At 05.30 enemy motor lorries were seen crossing our front going towards Nazareth.  We opened fire upon them but they did not stop.

Proceeding up the hill, they discovered that our 13th Brigade troops were on the top, when they stopped about half way up and opened fire with machine-guns.  Upon this our “No. 2” Section came up and “peppered” them.  One lorry caught fire and after a short time the occupants of the convoy, trying to escape up the hill, were captured by the 13th Brigade.  Shortly after this incident, Turkish troops were seen marching up the road towards us, but a squadron from the Sherwood Rangers and Deccan Horse with our “No. 3” Section quickly caused them to be quite in a hurry to surrender.

FOOTNOTES: 

[21] Mount Tabor rather resembles a sugar-loaf in shape, flattened at the top; its height from the plain is about 1,500 feet.  It was here that Deborah commanded Barak to muster his army:  “So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.  And the Lord discomfited Sisera and all his chariots and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak”. (Judges iv, 14, 15).  See also Judges viii, 18; Psalms xxxix, 12; Jer. xlvi, 18.  The Crusaders built a church and a monastery on Mount Tabor; they were destroyed in 1187 and the ruins still remain.  In 1255 the Knights of St. John held it but lost it in 1263 to Bibars.

THE ENEMY PANIC-STRICKEN.