link by writing. Rather
melancholy, but pleasant all the same, for the element of hope kept all
sweet. And at night a huge bonfire was lit; it was cold of nights, and
officers and men gathered round it for a sing-song. And there was a
platform of barrels and planks on which various performances, fiddling,
a hornpipe, recitations, nigger melodies, took place, the highest in
command enjoying themselves as heartily as the humblest. And there was
a tot of rum, not enough to hurt the weakest head indeed, but still a
taste, for every one to drink to absent friends, and a rousing chorus or
two, and sound sleep closing a day of thorough enjoyment. For to
_taste_ a holiday you must have a long spell of real hard work.

By this time the men were more at home with their queer steeds, and
mounting and dismounting was no longer a painful and even perilous
performance. The camels also had become accustomed to the drill, and
learned to know what was expected of them. All animals work better and
pick up ideas quicker in company. Sometimes, indeed, one would drop
suddenly on his knees without rhyme or reason that any one could guess
at, and send his rider flying over his head if he were not looking out
sharply; but such instances of eccentric conduct were rare, and grew
still less frequent as the bipeds and quadrupeds got to know one another
better.

A move was now made to Korti, higher up the Nile, a good deal nearer the
fourth cataract than the third in fact. But this journey was made on
camel back instead of by boat. Now, travelling by boat is not
unpleasant when the boat takes you, but when you have to take the boat
it is quite a different matter, and riding, even on a camel, is far
preferable. And those long days on camel back, near the Nile all the
way, and consequently with no stint of water, were about the most
pleasant experiences Kavanagh and his companions had.

"Well, Tarrant, I hope you are happy now," said a trooper one day, as
the column was on the march.

"Happy! With tinned meat and no beer, and more flies in the open in the
middle of winter than you get over a stable at home in August! I know I
wish I was back in Windsor barracks."

"Never mind, old boy; if you were there you would wish you were here."

"And a jolly idiot I should be."

"Don't fret about that same," interposed Grady, who was riding near.
"It's your misfortune, not your fault. Faith, we wud all be clever if
we could; but sure, I t