igi8] DEMOLITIONS 223
appeared as if by magic, Sherifians and Bedouin
alike seeming to know by instinct what to do when
attacked from the air. Neither had been trained
or warned in any way, but they just scattered, and
then sat stolidly by their barracked camels, having
obviously made up their minds that running away
would do no good. I tried to convince myself that
they were right, but could not help wondering all
the time whether a short run would not be helpful.
Each time I came back for a fresh boulder I looked
furtively up to see whether the latest plane was com-
ing quite squarely at me or not. If it was, I almost
unconsciously moved aside in the hope of catching
sight of the end of one wing and proving to myself
that I was not in the direct line.
Whether as a result of these and similar move-
ments, or for some other reason, I was untouched
by bomb or bullet, as were all but two of the Arab
force and one of the camels, though the bombard-
ment lasted for over an hour. It ended as suddenly
as it had begun. The remaining machine of the
Hejaz flight, a B.E. 12, piloted by Junor, came un-
concernedly over at the appointed time. Finding
the air unexpectedly crowded, he made off, and the
enemy planes luckily followed him. Peake had
by this time got almost out of sight up the line, and
it seemed a good opportunity for a fresh, move.
Nuri with half the force slipped away over the
downs towards Mezerib to cut the Deraa-Palestine
railway, leaving the rest of the detachment on Tel
Arar, in case the Deraa garrison plucked up courage
and came out after all. No one told me this, but I
gathered that something was up when my working-
party suddenly disappeared in the infuriating way
to which I had not yet grown accustomed. No *