Both lads felt that they had much at stake in the success or failure of the valiant defence being put up by the men from the eastern seas. They tried their best to gauge the rise or fall of the tide of battle from the awful sounds that came to their ears; but it was all such a mixture of shouts, jumbled orders, cries of pain or savage triumph, that this was found to be impossible.
Again the battleship off the coast sent another shell ashore. This landed in the rear of the Turks, for they were now so close to the trenches that the British naval gunners did not dare take the chances of harming their own allies. The effect of the bursting shell was bound to dampen the enthusiasm of the already despairing Turks, Jack felt confident, and that counted for something.
Listening he presently decided in his own mind that the ferocious cries of the assailants seemed somewhat subdued. This might spring from the fact that so many had already gone down under that merciless spraying process. It was also possible that those who were left had become disheartened, and were by degrees giving it up.
When this suspicion grew stronger in his mind, Jack felt a thrill of relief. Then, after all, it was not going to be a massacre of the Kiwis; they were not to be thrown into the sea, as the Turks had openly boasted they would do when they got ready to attend to their case. In fact, the shoe seemed on the other foot.
Losses would have been incurred by the Territorials, to be sure, for they had been subjected to a hot fire at close quarters, besides having many of the onrushing Turks meet them in a bayonet charge; but the trenches had been held against all opposition. Doubtless, too, the enemy had received a severe lesson from this rough handling. They would be more careful after this night how they attacked the men from New Zealand. If ever they tried to rush those trenches again, it must be in overwhelming numbers, so that they might carry their point through the sheer exhaustion of the defenders.
“It’s all over but the shouting, I guess, Jack!” cried Amos, when the noise began to rapidly subside, though the terrible searchlights continued to flash back and forth, picking out small detachments of the retreating Turks upon whom the exultant gunners could turn their “hoppers,” as some of them called the rapid-fire guns.
“And the camp is saved in the bargain, though we have still to find out at what cost,” replied Jack, himself greatly pleased with the handy fashion in which these fighting units of Territorials had carried themselves under fire.
Although they could hardly expect another attack that night, still one of those searchlights would undoubtedly be kept busy covering the ground above. Meanwhile the wounded must be looked after, for there were many casualties on the side of the Allies, the Turks fighting for the trenches until many of them were literally thrown out on the point of the bayonet.
“Here’s where we can make ourselves useful again, Amos,” suggested Jack. Although greatly wearied after all they had gone through with since dawn, the boys could not rest easy when there was need of their services.
Accordingly they sought out the first officer they could find, and asked to be assigned the task of helping to bring in the wounded, stating that they had only too willingly shouldered their share of the burden in the other camp, after the glorious fight by which the Australians had extended their holding on the shore. And, of course, the officer gladly gave them permission to use a stretcher, for as most of the troops were still holding the trenches there was need of all the help they could secure.