MOUNTED MEN IN DESERT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16675, 20 October 1917, Page 8

MOUNTED MEN IN DESERT.

GALLOPING f. INTO POSITION. \

■-,'.'/ A,New.'Zealand officer,; writing in July •■• from • Sinai, says :—" Yesterday ;;■ morning • : '-'' v ' : we had ono of tho most exciting rides '..■ possible, and a meet of the Pakuranga : • Hunt Club would' have been a drawingroom affair compared with it. We had a V good two-mile gallop over very rough shingly country into new . positions, and ' ■ r . 'jaeko' peppered my troop all the ' way. : Imagine the; Great! Northern Steeplechase run at: Elleralie with throe or four guns L •■- '!' spraying . : the' contestants from Mrs. Cotter's, and you have some idea of what it las like. Even ; the grandstand. is there, ■■■', "■$ it is hilly country, with ' Jacko' on ono ' lide and our own chaps on the other. .1 :- do: not want "< you to = imagine the .usual '.'!. thing you-(ibe in the illustrated papers, of a crowd of fellows waving swords and ' ishouting,. and hats dying off. Some .hats do fly, and * a jew. horses with hard, mouths get nlittlo. in front, but we make it go-as-you-please: across! an open space. Then, when it looks like shelter, we go slower. AVhile vo were moving up yesterday morn- ■. " ing a explosive- shell landed just in J > front -of us, and, simultaneously, a shrap- ; nel shell burst overhead and caught the ; front of my troop. ! My horse was hit in "'•'" the jaw and- the neck, my sergeant's horse alongside ; was hit : ; in the'; back, ' and.-, my ! !: groom on the other Bide had his horse hit in three places, and■ his .animal died ;of ' wounds. Two men in /the leading section were hit. It' is wonderful how close you ■'■•'' can get to the shells and yet not be " '"' touched. As a rule my horse: takes abso- ,'•,' -" lately no' notice of the .shells,/but" on; this occasion ho hesitated and gave a grunt, '-!.' ,; nnd then settled into his stride again. We '':'', sent the wounded horses to hospital, just :;'.; : the same as tho men. The animals ; will lllllpEei a spell, and ba back again shortly.'V ;.