It was found later that, though the firing from inside the fort had slackened, it was not owing to the casualties suffered by the dervishes from direct hits. The concussion of the exploding Stokes bombs on the roof had stunned the defenders, who, though treacherous murderers of women and of little children, apostles of the doctrine of frightfulness as we understand them, yet proved themselves, in this little fight, to be brave men. After the arrival of the K.A.R., at Jidali, the dismounted column left on its return march. It was obvious that the escarpment above Las Khorai--the plateau around Jidali stretching far to the South which holds the best grazing grounds in Somaliland--was free of dervishes, and once more, after many years, accessible to the poor wretches of friendlies who had been driven forth like pariahs from their beloved haunts by that robber-tiger, Hassan Abdullah, the Mad Mullah. It is indeed a splendid country for the pastoralist, in spite of the burning days and the bitterly cold nights--nights during which the hardiest European, covered by three or four good blankets, finds it hard to keep warm. Meanwhile, we learned from fugitives that the Mullahs baggage had been captured: that the aeroplanes had harassed his fleeing stock, which ran at last into a transport column, under Captain Allden, at Eil Der, and was ignominiously captured after a sharp fight. Tale the wretched old man had succeeded in entering, but the Camel Corps was hard on his heels, and the friendlies, under Captain Gibb, were at the gates. [Illustration: JIDALI FORT FROM THE GROUND. (_By permission of the Air Ministry._)] From the wireless we learned, by intercepted messages, that Tale had been attacked by the airmen, who reported it as a very strongly fortified centre, consisting of one very large and five other forts encircling the village, which was composed of native gurgis (Somal tents or wigwams) and a large number of huts. Letters and messages were dropped in its vicinity. Previously a machine had spotted about one hundred ponies and dervishes at Daringahiye, near Al Afweina, believed to belong to the Mullah's party, and, coming down to one hundred feet above, had scattered them in all directions. The country being intersected with deep nullahs favoured small parties of fugitives in their attempt to escape, but no large body of men could hope to get away unharassed. We, who had seen Medishe, realised that it was now only a question of days before the "show" would be over, and when, on the 12th February, I entered Al Afweina I surmised correctly that the work concerning myself mostly was that of winding up the transport, and getting rid of the large dumps of stores collected there, and at El-dur-Elan. A few days later I received the necessary orders to proceed with this clearing up.