On December 20 a concentration of all available troops was effected at El Maadan. There were at least 30,000 men, including natives, and 18,000 camels, marching in parallel columns as far as the eye could reach. A rapid forward move and a surprise attack upon the Turkish positions covering El Arish had been planned, and the prospect of celebrating the close of the year 1916, and the completion of the hundred-mile stage of the conquest of the desert, by a good stand-up fight was looked forward to with exhilaration, except by the pessimists who freely betted that there would be no fight. In the small hours of the morning of December 21 the company commanders received orders to prepare to march—but, alas! back to El Mazar, not forward to El Arish, for the bird had flown and the stunt was a “washout.” Brig.-General Walshe had gone out in an aeroplane to reconnoitre the position for artillery purposes, and as no sign of the enemy could be seen the pilot brought the machine down until they skimmed along the top of the palm-trees, and made sure that the Turk had cleared out. The disappointment was intense. El Arish was occupied by the mounted troops and the 52nd Division, while the 42nd gloomily marched back to Mazar. In the words of the order: “The Turks having fled, the Division was no longer required to fight them.” They were not downcast, however, for any length of time. A remark of the Divisional Commander, as he commiserated with his men on having missed the promised “scrap,” gave rise to rumours and much discussion of the Division’s prospects. “Never mind, lads,” he had said, “you’ll get as much as you want very soon.” Could it mean France, Salonika, India, Mesopotamia? Perhaps, even an advance through Palestine—though this was scouted as too wild a notion. But Christmas was at hand, and hopes and chagrin were laid aside for the moment, as men’s thoughts were wholly occupied with visions of Christmas festivities. Anticipations were fully realized; the mail and parcels from home arrived at the right time, and the Christmas of 1916 was thoroughly enjoyed. The rest of the stay at El Mazar was not. The Turk had been stationed here in force and had bequeathed a legacy of lice of abnormal size and ferocity, which swelled the fighting strength of the Division to many times its normal number. A delousing apparatus was brought up by train, and the men conceded that it was not wholly ineffective—in assisting the young lice to attain maturity more speedily, and in whetting their appetites. There was also an alarming development of septic sores, probably due to the filthy sand.