On the 21st instant the Mullah, who was well aware of the pending operations, heard the hum of the aeroplanes, and, with most of his head-men, went out in the open to observe them. Medishe, being in a narrow valley, was not "spotted" by the planes they passed to the West, but the dervishes had a clear view of the machines.
"Look," said the Mullah, "Allah has sent these great birds as a sign to me and the faithful," upon which the planes disappeared. But one came back, and again the Mullah addressed his followers.
"Indeed, but God has sent this one great bird back to me!"
"AT 1,000 FEET." BOMBS BURSTING N.W. OF TALE.
(By permission of the Air Ministry.)
Swish—whew-w-w bang! The observer above had pulled the lever, and the first bomb burst in Medishe. The magic of the Mad Mullah, that had for so long held his followers together, was useless against the magic of the bird-men above. This was the first bomb that broke the dervish cause, for, though it did not kill the Mullah, it came so near doing so that the old villain was thoroughly demoralised, and completely lost his head. His nephew, the Amir Abdillai, a powerful dervish, was killed by his side, and his Madness's clothes catching fire, he turned and ran for his life to the funk-holes he had prepared in the caves of a ravine. From these he did not reappear until he fled, a few hours later, on learning that the Camel Corps had arrived at Jidali, a thoroughly broken and discredited man.
On the 22nd, the bulk of the dervish troops were frustrated in an attempt to get away their camels loaded with their worldly goods, by the reappearance of the aeroplanes, which put in some excellent work with the machine guns. It was then that the Mullah adopted the policy of every man for himself, and showed the others how to do it.
His baggage camels, loaded with personal effects and two Maxim guns captured from the British in past wars, he decided should follow on behind, whilst he made his way South with some of his wives and female relations, and a party of mounted fighting men. Among the latter was a man called Ibrahim, his wife and sister.