urther protected by a
mound of earth all round it.

When the force, which was the same as before, with the addition of two
hundred Marines, and a mule battery of four nine-pounders, had gone some
little way, night fell, but not darkness, for a bright moon lent them
her rays. Not such a moon as we are accustomed to in these latitudes,
but a large brilliant orb, by whose light small print might be easily
read.

"You have got the best of it," said MacBean, who rode up first to one
friend amongst the officers and then to another, detailing information
which he managed to pick up, he himself best knew how; but it was, as a
rule, exceptionally correct. "The Highlanders, who marched out to the
zereba yesterday in the heat, suffered awfully. There were five cases
of sunstroke, and lots of other men had a narrow squeak of being bowled
over too."

"I can easily imagine it," replied Major Elmfoot, "for it was hot enough
in camp."

"It is not exactly what you would call bracing to-night, even," said
Fitzgerald.

And, indeed, the air was very close, and the march over the loose sand
fatiguing. But the men stepped out merrily, and joke and song lightened
the way. There was an improvisatore in the Blankshire, whose comrades
considered him a wonderful genius, though, as a matter of fact, his
extempore effusions only consisted of taking some well-known song, and
altering certain words or lines to suit a particular occasion.

But this was far more successful than original composition would have
been, because it was so readily understood and caught up; and the man
was really shrewd, and often hit on something appropriate.

He now trolled out in a clear, ringing voice, with every word distinct,
a new version of "The Poacher":--

"When I was bound apprentice in a village of Blanksheer,
I served my master truly for close upon a year;
But now I serves her Majesty, as you shall quickly hear,
For 'tis my delight of a shiny night, in the season of the year."

And then the chorus broke out far and wide:--

"For 'tis my delight of a shiny night, in the season of the year."

And the lads laughed at the aptness of the "shiny night," for that was
evident to the dullest capacity. Thus encouraged, he tried a second
verse:--

"As the soldiers and the sailors was a marching to his lair,
Old Digna he was watching us, for him we didn't care;
For the bayonet beats the spear when he rushes on our square,
And 'tis my d