grand to see how those Jack Tars work," remarked
Phil. "They have made no end of trips to the shore already, and here
they are preparing to tow us."

Honest Jack indeed worked like a slave. As if to show his
comrade-in-arms what he could do, and that he was master on the sea, he
handed each soldier down into the boats as tenderly as if he were a
child, remarking: "Now sit down there, matey. It'll soon be over, and
this here swell's simply nothing;" or, "Hang on to that there ladder
with yer eyebrows. Yer ain't used to these monkey tricks, and I've seen
a better man than you let go and get a sousing."

Thomas Atkins listened to it all good-humouredly, and took his place
obediently, while the sailors pulled the heavy boats and flats ashore.

Phil and his charge were taken in a special boat, and on landing the
boxes were carried up and stacked in the centre of the camp selected for
the Grenadier Guards. By this time the wind had risen, and rain had
commenced to fall.

"It looks like raining all night, Phil," said Tony ruefully, staring up
at the heavy clouds. "It's a fine look-out for us, for there ain't a
single tent amongst us."

"Then we're no worse off than our officers, Tony. I see, though, that
those Frenchies are housed under tiny tents they call `_tentes d'abri_'.
Why shouldn't we make a kind of hutch with these boxes. One of us must
do sentry-go outside, of course, but the other two may as well keep dry,
and for the matter of that there are sufficient boxes to make a regular
hut big enough to lie down in, and high enough to cover the sentry."

"Lummy, that's a cute dodge!" cried Tony. "We'll fix it up at once.
Come along, Sam; lend a hand before this rain goes through us."

The boxes were heavy, but within a quarter of an hour quite a
respectable house had been formed, with a blanket for a roof, and the
opening turned away from the wind. Into this two of them crept, while
the third stood on guard under the covering. By this means, while
everyone else in the British lines spent a miserable night, and was
drenched to the skin, Phil and his comrades escaped the rain, and awoke
in the morning refreshed by a good sleep.

Phil was not relieved from his charge, but, with the two men helping
him, remained on guard all the following day, when a native cart, called
an "araba", was provided for the carriage of the ammunition, and he was
informed that he would be in charge of it, and must see to having it