Trinkitat instead of England. They had only
landed that afternoon, and had marched on at once. It was not long,
however, before the challenge of the sentries, and the snores of
sleepers alone broke the silence of the little host, lying stretched in
slumber under the faint light of the new moon. Their sleep was
disturbed by showers of rain, which interfered with all but the very
sound, and even these were fairly roused at last by a regular drencher,
the water coming down tropical fashion, in bucketfuls.

"Halloa, Green!" said Strachan, to that young hero, whom he found
standing in astonishment, drenched, but not dismayed. "Do you believe
that it rains sometimes in the Soudan, now?"

"I do," replied Green, solemnly. "Books talk nonsense."

"I wish it was time to start," said Edwards, joining them. "It seems so
absurd to stand here saturated, with no possibility of resting oneself,
when one might be getting on."

"It is more than half-past four, and reveille is to sound at five.
Let's try and light the fire again; there's a bit smouldering, in spite
of the rain."

This was Strachan's suggestion, and voted a good one; and they had just
succeeded in raising a blaze, when a bugle started the most romantic,
melancholy, musical call in the whole category. I mean in itself, and
not for its associations; and yet when one thinks how many thousands of
brave men have been roused by it to go to death, it is not free from
these. Number one only got about three notes start, when a second
began, and presently the whole air was full of plaintive sound.

Then flickers of fire shone out, and coffee was boiled, and the men got
their breakfasts. Then, after a while, the Fall-in sounded, and the
different corps and detachments stood to their arms. The commanding
officer of the First Blankshire went round the ranks, and spoke to the
men here and there. He did not remark on the mud which still clove to
James Gubbins, but he stopped opposite Green.

"Why, what is the matter, Green; where and how are you hurt?" he asked.

"I, sir?" said Green, in astonishment; "I believe I am all right."

"Why, you are bleeding like a pig!" And so he was, from his right ear.

"I must have cut it with my sword, sir, carrying it carelessly. I
forgot that I had had it sharpened."

"Well, it can't be very bad, if you did not know it," said the colonel,
laughing as he rode on. The bleeding stopped presently, but not before
it had made Green'