who had been so full of life
and vigour in the morning, and were now as motionless, senseless, as the
boulders amongst which they were scattered.

While waiting thus, they fancied they saw several dark figures gliding
by them, and Green held his revolver ready, thinking that live Arabs
were still prowling around, or taking advantage of the darkness to
escape from the nooks where they had lain concealed. Presently,
however, the moon topped the higher ground, and he saw one of these
moving forms more distinctly, and perceived that it was a four-footed
animal, not a biped. Probably they were beasts of prey stealing to the
scene of carnage. It takes a good deal of the gilt off glory that the
foulest beasts and birds should fake heroes for carrion. And yet, after
all, this is a superficial way of looking at it, for it is the qualities
of the mind--courage, endurance, patriotism, loyalty, fidelity to
comrades--which make the hero, and the soul is beyond the reach of
vulture or jackal. As for the mere body without it, it is of no more
value than an empty champagne bottle. When there was light enough they
went on again, and in due time reached the ambulance. And Green, having
seen his friend made as comfortable as was possible under the
circumstances, returned to the bivouac of the regiment, where everybody
was glad to hear that Tom Strachan was found alive, and that there was a
good chance for him, for his good humour and high spirits had made him a
general favourite.

"Do you know, Green, you have done a very fine thing?" said the colonel.
"If you had not found Strachan this evening he would have been dead in
all probability before morning. And you found him very cleverly."

And Green felt as good all over at this praise as if he had been
mentioned in despatches.

The battle of Tamai was the end of the campaign. Some folk said the
troops should have taken advantage of the rout and dispersion of Osman
Digna's tribes to march across to Berber on the Nile, and then Khartoum
would have been relieved without any further fuss. Other people, who
had equally good means of judging, scorned this idea, and were certain
that had such a thing been attempted every man of the expedition would
have perished.

If the latter people were right, the authorities acted wisely; if the
former had reason on their side, they acted foolishly. But as to which
is which, it would be very rash for any one who does not know all the
ins and