On the Road to Bagdad A Story of Townshend's Gallant Advance on the Tigris BY CAPTAIN F. S. BRERETON Author of "With Joffre at Verdun" "Under French's Command" "With Our Russian Allies" &c. &c. _Illustrated by Wal Paget_ BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY 1917 [Illustration: "THE CHIEF RETURNED THE OFFICER'S FRANK GAZE WITH A GLANCE WHICH TOLD OF COURAGE AND PRIDE"] Contents CHAP. PAGE I. A FRONTIER STATION 9 II. GEOFFREY KEITH AND ANOTHER 23 III. THE PERSIAN GULF 39 IV. THE FIRST ENCOUNTER 58 V. NEWS OF THE ENEMY 76 VI. AN EXPLORING-PARTY 94 VII. MAJOR JOSEPH DOUGLAS 117 VIII. THE MOTOR-BOAT IN ACTION 140 IX. A CUTTING-OUT EXPEDITION 159 X. GEOFF AND PHILIP MANOEUVRE 175 XI. A SOLDIERS' BATTLE 197 XII. ESBUL, THE ARMENIAN 214 XIII. AN AMPHIBIOUS EXPEDITION 232 XIV. CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY 251 XV. VON HILDEMALLER'S INTERVENTION 270 XVI. BREAKING OUT 290 XVII. THE ROAD TO BAGDAD 309 XVIII. NEWS OF DOUGLAS PASHA 327 XIX. TRACKING THE GERMAN 348 XX. SUCCESS AT LAST 365 Illustrations Page "THE CHIEF RETURNED THE OFFICER'S FRANK GAZE WITH A GLANCE WHICH TOLD OF COURAGE AND PRIDE" (_Frontispiece_) 81 "WHAT WAS LEFT OF THOSE ARAB HORSEMEN SCATTERED AND FLED" 74 "GEOFF LEVELLED HIS OWN PIECE ON HIM" 144 "PHILIP HURLED HIMSELF AND HIS CAPTIVE OVER THE RAIL OF THE VESSEL" 192 "GEOFF TURNED, AND, DRAWING HIS REVOLVER, EMPTIED IT AT THE TWO MEN STILL PURSUING" 224 "THE ARAB SET OFF ALONG A PATH WITHIN SOME TWENTY YARDS OF OUR HEROES" 337 ON THE ROAD TO BAGDAD CHAPTER I A Frontier Station