XXXI

Urgent messages from Clayton broke across this cheerful work with orders to wait in Wejh for two days and meet the Nur El Bahr , an Egyptian patrol ship, coming down with news. I was not well, and waited with more excellent grace. She arrived on the proper day, and disembarked MacRury, who gave me a copy of long telegraphic instructions from Jemal Pasha to Fakhri in Medina. These, emanating from Enver and the German staff in Constantinople, ordered the instant abandonment of Medina, and evacuation of the troops by route march in mass, first to Hedia, thence to El Ula, thence to Tebuk, and finally to Maan, where a fresh railhead and entrenched position would be constituted.