The troops sent out to Egypt at that time were much wanted to reinforce
the southern frontier and defend it from the attacks of Osman Digna,
who, with a large host of the dusky warriors of the Soudan, was giving
the defenders much trouble, and keeping them incessantly on the _qui
vive_.
Miles Milton had no time while in Alexandria for anything but duty. He
saw Marion only once again before leaving, but did not find an
opportunity to converse with her alone. To do him justice, he had not
the most distant intention of declaring the state of his feelings, even
if the opportunity had been given. He merely desired to be in her
company for a little on any terms whatever!
On that occasion, however, he contrived to scorch his heart with a
double dose of jealousy, for he found two young men visiting the
clergyman, each of whom seemed to be a friend of the family. One was a
spendthrift named Rentworth--a young traveller of that loose, easy-going
type which is occasionally met with in foreign parts, squandering the
money of a rich father. He was a decidedly handsome young fellow, but
with the stamp of dissipation already on his countenance. The other was
a telegraph engineer, with honesty and good-nature in every line of his
plain countenance.
Both of these youths paid marked attention to Marion--at least Miles
thought so--and he hated them both accordingly; all the more that he
_felt_ their eyes to be fixed upon him while he was bidding her
"farewell." He did not say "Good-bye." That was too commonplace--in
the circumstances almost childish.
There was one gleam of comfort in the fact, however, that Marion echoed
the word, and that he thought--indeed he was sure--her hand trembled
slightly as she returned, or rather received, his squeeze. Miles was
very stern of countenance and remarkably upright in figure while these
adieux were being said--for the glare of his rivals, he thought, was
upon him.
How the poor fellow got through the preparations and packing and parades
that were necessary when the order came abruptly for the regiment to
start for Suez we cannot tell. He went about everything mechanically,
or like a man in a dream. And it was not till they had fairly started
in the railway train that he became alive to the serious fact that he
was actually off to the wars!
The accommodation for passengers in that train was not good. Distinctly
bad, indeed, would be the proper term to apply to the kind of
cattle-truck, in which Miles found himself with a detachment of the
gallant 310th Infantry; and soon the blinding dust of Egypt reminded our
young soldier that the real battle of life had fairly begun.
"You'll get over it in time, my poor fellow," said his friend Armstrong,
who sat beside him.
"You need the same consolation yourself, friend Willie," retorted Miles,
wiping the dust out of the corners of his eyes.
"I didn't mean _that_," returned his friend. "_You_ know what I mean!
But cheer up; absence makes the heart grow fonder--at the same time it
makes a fellow fit for duty. I have gone through it myself, and know
all about it."
Miles flushed and felt inclined at first to resent this allusion to the
state of his affections, but he was fortunately saved from taking any
notice of it by a sudden burst of laughter among the men at a remark
from Corporal Flynn, who, although this was his first visit to Egypt,
had undertaken to point out to his comrades the various localities which
he chose to assume were more or less connected with Scripture history!
The first part of the journey was not particularly interesting, and what
with the fine sand and the great heat, the men began to experience the
discomforts of an Eastern climate, and to make frequent application to
their water-bottles. It would have been well if they had contented
themselves with water, and with the cold tea which some of them had been
provident enough to save up at breakfast; but when they reached the
first station where there was a five minutes' halt, some of them managed
to smuggle strong drink into the train. One immediate result was that
the men became more noisy.
"Come, give us a song, Gaspard," cried several voices, apparently
inspired at the same moment with the same idea and desire.
"Wan wid a rousin' chorus, boy," cried Flynn.
Gaspard complied, being ever ready to oblige, but whether it was the
heat, or the dust, or the "rousin'" chorus, or the drink, the song was a
partial failure. Perhaps it was the excess of _tremulo_ induced by the
motion of the train! At all events it fell flat, and, when finished, a
hilarious loud-voiced man named Simkin, or Rattling Bill, struck up
"Rule Britannia," which more than made amends for the other, and was
sung with intense vigour till the next station was reached.
Here more drink was smuggled on board the train, and, as a natural
consequence, men became troublesome. A morose man named Sutherland, who
was apt to grow argumentative and quarrelsome in his cups, made an
assertion in reference to something terrestrial, which had no particular
interest for any mortal man. Simkin contradicted it. Sutherland
repeated it. Simkin knocked Sutherland's helmet overboard. Sutherland
returned the compliment in kind, and their comrades had to quell an
intestine war, while the lost head-pieces were left on the arid plain,
where they were last seen surrounded by wonder-stricken and long-legged
natives of the Flamingo tribe.
This loss was a serious one, for exposure of the head to the sun in such
a climate is exceedingly dangerous, and the old hands had great
difficulty in impressing the fact on Rattling Bill and Sutherland, who,
with the obstinacy of "greenhorns," made light of the danger, and
expressed disbelief in sunstroke.
Of course considerable interest was manifested when the station of
Tel-el-Kebir was reached.
"It's two mile from this, I've bin towld," said Flynn, "where the great
battle was fowt."
"How d'ee know that, Flynn?" asked one.
"How do I know anything I'm towld but by belaivin' it?" returned the
corporal.
"It's my opeenion," said the big Scotsman Macleod, "that if there had
been ony better troops than Egeeptians to fecht wi', oor men an' my Lord
Wolseley wadna hae fund it sic an easy job."
"But it is said that the Egyptians were brave enough, and fought and
died like men till they were fairly overpowered," said Moses Pyne, who,
being young and ardent, besides just, felt bound to stand up for dead
foes.
"I'm no objeckin' to their bravery," returned the Scot. "They did the
best they could; but what was to be expeckit o' a wheen men that was
dragged to the field against their wull, an' made to fecht afore they
weel kent hoo to use their airms?"
"Anyhow they gave us a chance to show what British soldiers can do,"
said Rattling Bill.
"An' sure there's plenty more where they came from to give us another
chance," said Flynn.
"That's true, boys. Three cheers for the heroes of Tel-el-Kebir, dead
and livin'!" cried Armstrong, setting the example.
The response was prompt and hearty, and for a few moments a forest of
white helmets waved in the air.
The enthusiasm was not allowed to cool, for the next station was
Kassassin, where the Life Guards and our cavalry made their midnight
charges; and where there occurred, perhaps, one of the longest day's
fighting in the war of 1882. Here, also, they saw the graves of the
poor fellows who fell at that time, but the sight did not depress the
men much. The somewhat lugubrious Sutherland alone seemed to take a
serious view of such matters.
"It's a' vera weel for licht-hearted lads like you to laugh an' cheer,"
he said, "but there's naething mair certain than that some o' you that's
laughin' an' cheerin' yenoo, an' boastin' o' lickin' the Soudan neegers,
'll fill sandy graves afore lang."
"You don't know that, Scotty. Pr'a'ps we'll _all_ escape and return to
old England together," said one of his comrades.
"Arrah! if I _did_ git into wan o' the sandy graves ye spake of,"
remarked Flynn, "I do belaive I'd rise out of it just for the pleasure
o' contradictin' you, Sutherland."
"H'm! nae doot. Contradictiousness whiles maks fowk lively that wad be
dull an' deed eneuch withoot it. But did onybody iver hear o' a
reg'ment gaun' oot to the wars an' comin' back jist as it went? That's
the question--"
"As Hamlet's ghost said when he was takin' a night-walk to cool
his-self," interposed Simkin.
"It wasna his ghost; it was his faither's ghost," cried Sutherland; "an'
I'm no' sure that--"
"Howld yer tongues, both o' ye!" cried Flynn; "sure the loss o' yer
helmets is beginning to tell on yer heads already. What can the line be
I see in the distance over there? I do belaive it's another o' thim
broad rivers that seem to cut up this land all into stripes."
"Why, it's the canal, man," cried Moses Pyne, who was more or less
enthusiastic about all the sights and scenes they were passing. "Don't
ye see the ships?"
"Sure enough, you're right, Moses, as ye ginerally are whin you're not
wrong. There's some ships comin' wan way, an' some goin' the other.
Och! but he _is_ a great jainius that Frenchman as tied the two says
togither--Lips--Lisps--what is it they calls him? I've clane forgot."
"Lesseps," said Miles, as he gazed with unusual interest on this
wonderful highway of nations.
The troops reached Suez after a ten hours' journey, the distance being
about 230 miles. Our hero made the acquaintance here of a private of
marines named Stevenson, with whom he afterwards served in the Soudan,
and with whom he became very friendly, not only because their spirits
were sympathetic, but because, having been brought up in the same part
of England, they had similar memories and associations in regard to
"home." Only those who have wandered long and far from their native
land can understand the attractive influence that arises between men who
meet abroad, and find that they can chat about the same places and
persons in the "old country."
It was Saturday when the troops arrived at Suez, and the heavy dew that
fell rendered the night bitterly cold, and felt to be so all the more
because of the intense heat of the day. Sunday began with "rousing out"
at six, breakfast at seven, parade at eight, and "divine service"
thereafter. As there was no clergyman at the place at the time, the
duty was performed by one of the officers. Doubtless among the officers
there are men who not only can "read prayers" well, but who have the
spirit of prayer in them. That such, however, is not always the case
may be gathered from the remark of one of the men upon this occasion.
"W'y, you know, Tom," said this rather severe critic to his comrade
confidentially, "there's one advantage in fast readin', that it gets the
business soon over, which is some sort o' comfort to fellows that has
got to attend whether they like it or not, hot or cold, fresh or tired,
unless dooty prevents. But the hofficer that did dooty to-day seemed to
me to 'ave made a wager to read the prayers against time, an' that can
do no good at all to any one, you know. Far better, in my opinion, to
'ave no service at all. No wonder men won't listen. Why, it's a
mockery--that's what it is."
A walk round Suez with Armstrong and Stevenson till tattoo at 9:30
finished the day, and convinced Miles and his friends that the sooner
they bade adieu to that place the better for all of them.
Their wishes were gratified almost sooner than they wished!