Every one has heard of the expedition, sent out under Sir John McNeill,
in which that gallant general and his brave troops fought with
indomitable heroism, not only against courageous foes, but against
errors which, as a civilian, we will not presume to criticise, and
against local difficulties which were said to be absolutely
insurmountable.
Blame was due somewhere in connection with that expedition. Wherever it
lay, we have a strong conviction--founded on the opinion of one who was
present--that it did not rest with the commander of the force. It is
not, however, our part to comment, but to describe those events which
bore upon the fortunes of our hero and his immediate friends and
comrades.
It was about four o'clock on an uncommonly hot morning that the bugle
sounded in Suakim, and soon the place was alive with men of all arms,
devouring a hasty breakfast and mustering eagerly, for they were elated
at the near prospect of having "another slap at Osman!"
Strange, the unaccountably exultant joy which so many men experience at
the prospect of killing each other! No doubt the Briton maintains that
it is all in defence of Queen and country, hearth and home. An
excellent reason, of course! But may not the Soudanese claim that the
defence of chief and country, tent and home, is an equally good reason--
especially when he rises to defend himself from the exactions and
cruelty of those superlative tyrants, the Turks, or rather, the Turkish
Pashas?--for we verily believe that the rank and file of all civilised
nations would gladly live at peace if their rulers would deal in
arbitration instead of war! We almost feel that an apology is due for
introducing such a remark in a book about soldiers, for their duty is
clear as well as hard, and bravely is it done too. Moreover, they are
in no way responsible for the deeds of those:
"Fine old English gentlemen
Who sit at home at ease,
And send them forth to fight and die
Beyond the stormy seas!"
The troops composing this expedition consisted of one squadron of the
5th Lancers, one battalion Berkshire Regiment, one battalion of Marines,
one Field Company Royal Engineers, a detachment of the Royal Navy in
charge of four Gardner guns, a regiment of Sikhs, Bengal Native
Infantry, Bombay Native Infantry, and a body of Madras Sappers. Along
with these was sent an immense convoy of 1500 camels, besides a large
number of mules with carts bearing iron water-tanks.
The orders for the expedition were that they should proceed eight miles
into the bush, and there make three zerebas, or defensive enclosures of
bushes, capable of sheltering the entire force.
The march was begun by McNeill moving off with his European troops in
square formation. The Indian contingent, under General Hudson,
followed, also in square, and in charge of the transport.
"A goodly force!" remarked Armstrong, in a low tone to Miles, as they
stepped off, shoulder to shoulder, for, being both about the same size,
and unusually tall, they marched together on the right flank of their
company.
"Don't speak in the ranks, Willie," returned Miles, with a slight smile,
for he could not shut his eyes to the fact that this strict regard for
orders was due more to Marion Drew's remarks about a soldier's _duty_
than to principle.
"H'm!" grunted Robert Macleod, who marched next to them, and had no
conscientious scruples about talking, "we may mairch oot smert eneugh,
but some o' us'll no' come back sae hearty."
"Some of us will never come back at all," replied Armstrong, gravely.
By six o'clock the rear-guard had left Suakim, and the whole of the
force moved across the plain, in parts of which the men and carts sank
deep in the soft sand, while in other parts the formations were partly
broken by thick bush, in which the force became somewhat entangled. The
cavalry went in advance as scouts. The guns, water-carts, and
ammunition-wagons were in the centre, and the Indian Brigade came last,
surrounding the unwieldy mass of baggage-animals. Last of all came the
telegraph detachment, unrolling as they went the wire that kept open
communication with head-quarters.
That a mistake had been made somewhere was obvious; but as the soul of
military discipline is obedience without question, the gallant leader
pressed forward, silently and steadily, whatever he may have thought.
Soon the force became so hopelessly entangled in the difficulties of the
way, that the rate of advance dwindled down to little more than one mile
an hour.
Not long after starting a trooper was seen galloping back, and Miles,
who marched at the right corner of his square, observed that it was his
friend Johnson, looking very stern indeed. Their eyes met.
"Not half enough of cavalry," he growled, as he flew past to report,
"The enemy in sight--retiring in small parties in the direction of
Tamai."
In returning, Johnson again rode close past the same corner of the
square, and, bending low in his saddle for a moment, said to Miles, "I
have signed the pledge, my boy."
A slight laugh from several of those who heard him greeted the
information, but he probably did not hear it, for next moment his
charger cleared a low bush in a magnificent stride, and in a few seconds
man and horse were lost to sight in the bush.
"More need to sign his will," remarked Simkin, in a somewhat cynical
tone.
"He has done that too," said Armstrong. "I heard him say so before we
started."
The troops were halted to enable the two generals to consult at this
point.
While the men stood at ease, enjoying the brief rest from severe toil
under such a burning sun, our hero heard a low voice at his elbow say--
"Have _you_ signed your will, John Miles?" It was a startling, as well
as a sudden, question!
Miles turned quickly and found that it was Captain Lacey who had put it.
The feeling of dislike with which our young soldier had regarded the
captain ever since his interruption of the conversation between himself
and Marion, on board ship, had abated, but had not by any means
disappeared. He had too much sense, however, to allow the state of his
feelings to influence his looks or bearing.
"Yes, sir," he replied; "I made it out last night, as you advised me, in
the service form. It was witnessed by our colonel and Captain Smart and
the doctor. To say truth, I thought it absurd for a man who has nothing
to leave to make his will, but as you said, sir, I should like my dear
mother to get my kit and any arrears of pay that may be due to me after
I'm gone."
"I did not mean you to take such a gloomy view of your prospects," said
Captain Lacey, with a laugh. "But you know in our profession we always
carry our lives in our hands, and it would be foolish not to take
ordinary precautions--"
The order to resume the march here cut short the conversation, and the
force continued its slow and all but impossible advance. Indeed it was
soon seen that to reach the distance of eight miles out, in the
circumstances, was quite beyond the power of the troops, willing,
anxious, and vigorous though they were, for the bush became closer and
higher as they advanced, so that a mounted man could not see over it,
and so dense that the squares, though only a short distance apart, could
not see each other. This state of things rendered the management of the
baggage-animals extremely difficult, for mules are proverbially
intractable, and camels--so meek in pictures!--are perhaps the most
snarling, biting, kicking, ill-tempered animals in the world.
The day was advancing and the heat increasing, while the dust raised by
the passage of such a host caused so much distress to man and beast that
the general began to fear that, if an attack should be made by the enemy
at that time, the greater part of the transport would have to be
sacrificed. The force was therefore halted a second time, and the
generals again met to consult.
They were very unwilling to give in. Another effort to advance was
made, but things grew worse and worse. The day, as Moses remarked, was
boiling red-hot! The carts with the heavy water-tanks sank deep in the
soft sand; many of the camels' loads fell off, and these had to be
replaced. Replacing a camel's load implies prevailing on a hideously
tall and horribly stubborn creature to kneel, and this in the centre of
a square which was already blocked up with carts and animals, as well as
shouting, angry, and exhausted drivers!
At last it became evident that further progress that day was out of the
question. The rear face of Hudson's square was obliterated by the
straggling and struggling multitude; camels and loads were down in all
directions, and despair of maintaining their formation was settling down
on all ranks.
In these circumstances it became absolutely necessary to halt and form
their zerebas where they stood--and that without delay. The best place
they could find was selected. The European square formed a guard, while
the rest threw off jackets, and, with axes and choppers, went to work
with a will. Some cut down bushes, some filled sandbags to form a
breastwork for guns and ammunition, and others erected the bushy walls
of their woodland fortification. The Lancers covered about three miles
of country as scouts. Hudson--who had to return to Suakim that night
before dark--was ordered, with three regiments in line and advanced
files, to cover McNeill and the working-party, while the commander
himself went about encouraging the tired men, and urging them to
increased exertion.
While the soldiers of all arms were thus busily engaged, a body of
sailors was ordered to run one of their Gardner guns up to the corner of
the square where Miles and Armstrong stood. They halted close to them,
and then Miles became aware that one of the nautical gunners was no
other than Jack Molloy.
"Hallo, Jack! Why, you've got a knack of turning up unexpectedly
everywhere!" he exclaimed, when his friend was at leisure.
"That's wery much your own case," retorted the seaman heartily. "What
brought _you_ here?"
Miles slapped one of his legs by way of indicating the mode of
conveyance.
"Ay, lad, and they'd need to be stout timbers too, to make headway
through such a sea of sand," returned Molloy, feeling his own limbs with
tenderness. "D'ee think we're in for a brush to-night, lad?"
Before the latter could reply, an aide-de-camp ran up and spoke a few
hurried words to Captain Lacey, who turned to his company and called
them to attention.
"Fours, right--quick march!" he said, and away they went, past the flank
of Hudson's men, to guard a hollow which left that part of the square
somewhat exposed. When halted and drawn up in line several files were
thrown out in advance. Miles and Sutherland formed the flanking file on
the right, the latter being rear-rank man to the former.
"It's a grand hiding-hole," observed Sutherland, as he peered cautiously
over the edge of a low bank into a hollow where rocks and undergrowth
were thickly intermingled.
"Keep a sharp look-out on your left, Sutherland," said Miles, "I will
guard the right--"
He stopped abruptly and threw forward his rifle, for at that moment he
observed a swarthy, black-bearded Arab, of large proportions and
muscular frame, creeping forward a short distance below him. Evidently
he had not heard or seen the approach of the two soldiers, for he was
gazing in a different direction from them.
Miles raised his rifle and took aim at the man, but he felt an
unconquerable repugnance to shoot. He had never yet met the enemy
hand-to-hand. His experience heretofore had been confined to long-range
firing at men who were firing at himself and his comrades, and in which,
of course, he could not be sure that his bullets took effect. But now
he was within fifty yards of a splendid-looking man who did not see him,
who was, at the moment, innocent of any intention of injuring him, and
whose expressive side-face he could clearly distinguish as he crept
along with great caution towards a rock which hid the zereba of the
Europeans from his view.
Miles was a good rifle-shot. A touch of the trigger he knew would be
certain death to the Arab.
"I _cannot_ do it!" he muttered, as he lowered his weapon and looked
back over his shoulder at his comrade. The Scot, who was something of a
naturalist, was engrossed at the moment in the contemplation of a little
bird which was twittering on a twig in quite an opposite direction.
Miles glanced again at the Arab in a flutter of agitation as to what was
his duty. The man _might_ be one of the friendly natives! He could not
tell.
At that moment another man appeared on the scene. He was a thin but
powerful native, and armed with a short spear, such as is used when
fighting at close quarters. He obviously was not troubled with scruples
about committing murder, and Miles soon became aware that the thin man
was "stalking" the big Arab--with what intent, of course, our soldier
could only guess, but the malignant expression of the savage's
countenance left little doubt on that point.
Here was a complication! Our hero was on the point of calling
Sutherland from the contemplation of his little bird when he saw the
thin native pounce on the Arab, who was still creeping on hands and
knees. He turned just in time to divert the first spear-thrust, but not
in time to draw his own long knife from its sheath as he fell. The thin
savage holding him down, and having him at terrible disadvantage on his
back, raised his spear, and was about to repeat the deadly thrust when
Miles fired and shot him in the head.
The Arab rose, shook himself clear of the dying man, and, with
astounding coolness, walked calmly towards a large rock, though Miles
was reloading in haste, and Sutherland was taking steady aim at him. He
looked at the soldiers and held up his hand with something like a smile
of remonstrance, as Sutherland pulled the trigger. At the same moment
Miles struck up the muzzle, and the ball whizzed over the Arab's head as
he passed behind the rock and disappeared.
"What for did ye that?" demanded the Scot fiercely.
"Would you kill a man that was smiling at you?" retorted Miles.
The two men ran back to report to their company what they had seen. At
the same moment, the company, being recalled, doubled back to its
position in the square.
Here they found the defence work so far advanced that the generals were
beginning to feel some confidence in their being able to repel any
attack. At the same time the men were working with tremendous energy,
for news had just come in that the enemy was advancing in strong force.