Fit as Fiddles and as Hard as Nails

Sheik’s pleasure was to commence a fight. He had neither time nor determination to fire a shot; it was impossible for us to catch him or his men alive in the open desert with no other weapon but our hands; the only way of checking their escape was (sic) be shooting them down, and as this was not allowed, they escaped.
By now it was light so we turned our attention to the village, surrounded on all sides. Those who had fled were males; they had deserted their women, children and property, though it is said, the most valuable of the last had been previously removed in anticipation of this raid. The crowd of weeping women and children, with the occupants of some outlying tents, /