His force was now facing due north, towards the distant Turkish base in Asia Minor, and it was evident that this must be the main line of warfare during the ensuing winter--the line of the Tigris still, but the Upper Tigris as it comes down from the Northern Highlands. For the moment, however, the Turks on this line were giving no trouble. Hard hit by the fighting in April, they had remained for some months content to hold the river down to Tekrit, more than a hundred miles above Baghdad; and before committing himself to an advance upon this position, which was strong and well prepared for defence, General Maude decided to secure both his flanks so as to be quite free from trouble when delivering his main blow. Facing his left, on the Euphrates, the enemy had a considerable body of troops at Ramadie, a few miles beyond the British advanced posts; and on his extreme right the Turkish 13th Corps, falling back before the Russians from Persia, but not closely pressed, seemed inclined to assume a threatening attitude. In September he struck simultaneously in both directions. On the Euphrates a considerable force of Infantry with one of his Cavalry Brigades, including the Fourteenth Hussars, advanced on Ramadie and carried out a very successful attack. The end of it was that the Turkish force was not only beaten but completely surrounded, the Cavalry getting round into their rear and cutting their line of retreat. In these circumstances they were forced to surrender, and more than three thousand prisoners fell into General Maude’s hands. At the same time another force, with the Cavalry Brigade to which the Thirteenth belonged, pushed out eastward and seized Mendali, close to the Persian border. They made no large capture there, for the enemy did not attempt to hold it, but they drove him off and established themselves right up to Persian territory.