egrity; and early in the summer had
gone to seek employment amongst the lumbering centres of the Ottawa.
And away back there he had been tracked and joined by his faithful
henchman, Dan Murphy. This strange freak on Scotty's part had no
effect on Danny's warm heart. What cared he that his chum preferred
working in the bush to a college education? That mattered little, so
long as they were together. For had Scotty turned Mohammedan and gone
forth to convert the world to his beliefs, not one inch would his
friend's loyalty have swerved.

And, while they worked on the upper Ottawa, the call for the Nile
voyageurs had come. Here was an opportunity to see the world and serve
the Empire, and the boys had gladly embraced it. And so Scotty was
going down into Egypt, because the great Controller of Destiny had need
of him there, as He had long before needed another young man in that
same land to perfect His divine plans.

The Canadians commenced active work at a station on the Nile a few
miles from Wady Halfa. The busy little trains, that came puffing up
from Cairo, landed this latest addition to Britain's forces amid all
the bustle and stir of the departing army. Here the naval detachment
of the River Column was preparing to embark. The steel-keeled
whaleboats, the especial care of the voyageurs, were being fitted up
with masts and oars. As soon as ready they were filled with soldiers
or Dongolese boatmen, the Canadian bowman and helmsman took their
places, and out they shot up the swift, brown current.

Scotty and his chum found that their turn to embark was not likely to
come for some time, and they employed their first day of leisure in
looking about them. To their unaccustomed Western eyes the place
presented endless interest. It was full of the noise and display of a
military camp, and alive with potent signs of war. Trains loaded with
ammunition went puffing out; bands of baggage-mules, driven by
scantily-dressed natives, came down to the water's edge to drink; and
stately camels swayed past.

Now and then a detachment of a regiment swung out desertward, whether
on hostile acts intent or for exercise, only the initiated could tell.
The boys stood watching them with absorbed interest. First came the
Coldstream Guards, then the Grenadiers, and finally the Black Watch
stepping out splendidly to the rousing scream of the pipers. Scotty
had been taking in all the sights calmly, but this last was too much