File 756/1917 Pt 1 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 1 to 65’ [‎457r] (918/1240)

^S'
Tt thGieirofto ™lley is Khautlah, where is no settlement,
— 129 —
nothing himself, proceeded with the arrangement of the mine,
but a few minutes later, much to his astonishment, heard a train
leaving a station, blowing off steam, and whistling. The fact
was that the guides had taken them to within 500 yards of the
rather important blockhouse of Toweira.
Bimbashi Garland’s original intention had been to destroy
thoroughly about 500 yards of rails', and, at points a quarter of
a mile on each side of the section destroyed, to lay a heavy
mine adjusted so as to be exploded mechanically by the first
locomotive travelling each way : then, after laying the mines,
he would withdraw to the top of some adjacent hill^ until a
train came along, to see that the mines worked, and if not to
re-adjust them at some convenient time in the dark. I he
approach of the train, however, five minutes after starting
work forced him to decide in a moment whether to stand by
and let the train pass, and lay the mines comfortably afterwards,
or lay a reduced mine and wreck the train without blowing it
up as badly as a large mine would have done. He decided on
the latter course, filled the hole with explosives, and had just
completed the mine to find the train approaching within 200
yards. He bolted into the night, making slow and paintnl way
barefoot (having removed his boots so as to leave no tell-tale
prints) over bad ground, and turned after fifty yards m time o
see the mine explode, much closer to himself than was de sj ra1 ? l( p
He saw the engine rock, leave the rails, turn over and fall wi i
a crash down a small embankment. boon after, mihtary
commands were heard, from which he formed an idea that it
was a troop-train, which was confirmed subsequently by reports
from Arabs who passed the scene later Notwithstanding the
risk of delaying their departure, Ah Nafgan and several Agey
ran down to the charge on the bridge and fired it, and also
two on the rails. The damage had the effect of cutting off the
train on the north, and the bridge must have been so much
damaged by the gelignite as to need completely le-bmldin
In the dark it was impossible to see what damage b ee n don
tn the eno-ine The partv returned quickly to Abdul iveum
and his m°en but it was -impossible to make him move away
speedily, and’it was certainly not owin ? to his good management
that they ultimately succeeded in crawling off into safety.
Kimhashi Garland has furnished a valuable route-report am
eliart of his iourney up and back. He followed the mam ffejh-
Medina track whik if called Darb Sultani and is a recognized
Medina tra , d £ Wejh to the fort some six miles