Chase 'em off home!"
So Jeremy did it; and that, I believe, accounts for a story that got in
the newspapers about Feisul trying to spring a surprise on the French at
the last minute. Some French officers in armored cars came over the
brow of the hill in pursuit of us--three cars, three officers, three
machine-guns, and about a dozen men. One car quit on the hill-top, so I
suppose it broke down, but its occupants must have seen Jeremy careering
up and down the line encouraging those sulky Arabs to get a move on, and
I suppose they told tales afterwards to a newspaper correspondent at the
base.
Anyhow, the two pursuing armored cars didn't dare come near enough to be
dangerous until we had followed the retreating Arab regiments for about
a mile, and the Algerians appeared over the hill-top, coming very
slowly. A long-range rifle-fire commenced, the Arabs returning it
scrappily as they retreated; and we made believe there were other
regiments to be shepherded, steering a northward course downhill toward
broken ground that couldn't have suited our purpose better. By the way
those armored cars came after us, keeping their distance, it was clear
enough that they suspected an ambush.
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