ed out of the zareba and lay down as they took
up their positions. Camels for carrying the wounded, and conveying
water and reserve ammunition, were drawn up in the centre; the two guns
and the Gardiner with its crew of sailors taking positions respectively
within the front and rear faces of the formation.

Jack raised himself and looked round, anxious, if possible, to make out
the whereabouts of his cousin. He could distinguish "Heavies,"
Blue-jackets, and the Guards, but Valentine and the ----sex men were
stationed somewhere out of sight on the other side of the central mass
of baggagers and their drivers. A short wait, and then came the
order,--

"Rise up! The square will advance!"

Two deep, as in the days of the "thin red line," the men marched
forward, stumbling over rocky hillocks and deep water-ruts, vainly
attempting to keep unbroken their solid formation, and delayed by the
slow movement of the guns and camels. The Arabs, swarming on either
flank, opened a heavy fire. The flight of the bullets filled the air
with a continual buzz. Men dropped right and left, and a halt was made
while the wounded were placed on the cacolets. The sides of the square
turned outwards, the Mounted Infantry formed its left-front corner, and
Jack and his comrades were in the left face.

"Why can't we give 'em a volley?" murmured "Swabs," gazing at the
feathery puffs of smoke on the distant hillside, which looked so
innocent, but each of which might mean death to the spectator. No
order, however, was given to fire, and the command, "Right
turn--forward!" put the marksman and his comrades once more in motion.

To walk along and be shot at was not exactly the ideal warfare of his
boyhood: but Jack had been "blooded" by this time, and trudged along
with a set face, paying little attention to the leaden hail which swept
overhead, and only wishing that something would happen to bring matters
to a crisis.

A few minutes later his attention was turned to the line of
skirmishers, who were moving, some little distance away, in a direction
parallel to the march of the square. Suddenly, close to two of these,
a couple of Arabs sprang up from behind some bushes. One rushed upon
the nearest Englishman; but the latter parried the spear-thrust, and
without a pause drove his bayonet through his adversary's chest. The
other native turned and ran.

"Bang! bang!" went a couple of rifle shots; but the fugitive escaped
untouched, and