chapters viii to xvi

i had believed these misfortunes of the revolt to be due mainly to faulty leadership, or rather to the lack of leadership, arab and english. so i went down to arabia to see and consider its great men. the first, the sherif of mecca, we knew to be aged. i found abdulla too clever, ali too clean, zeid too cool.

then i rode up-country to feisal, and found in him the leader with the necessary fire, and yet with reason to give effect to our science. his tribesmen seemed sufficient instrument, and his hills to provide natural advantage. so i returned pleased and confident to egypt, and told my chiefs how mecca was defended not by the obstacle of rabegh, but by the flank-threat of feisal in jebel subh.