Blue Lights: Hot Work in the Soudan

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

  THE EXPEDITION--ENEMY REPORTED--MILES IN A DILEMMA.

  Every one has heard of the expedition, sent out under Sir John McNeill,in which that gallant general and his brave troops fought withindomitable heroism, not only against courageous foes, but againsterrors which, as a civilian, we will not presume to criticise, andagainst local difficulties which were said to be absolutelyinsurmountable.

  Blame was due somewhere in connection with that expedition. Wherever itlay, we have a strong conviction--founded on the opinion of one who waspresent--that it did not rest with the commander of the force. It isnot, however, our part to comment, but to describe those events whichbore upon the fortunes of our hero and his immediate friends andcomrades.

  It was about four o'clock on an uncommonly hot morning that the buglesounded in Suakim, and soon the place was alive with men of all arms,devouring a hasty breakfast and mustering eagerly, for they were elatedat the near prospect of having "another slap at Osman!"

  Strange, the unaccountably exultant joy which so many men experience atthe prospect of killing each other! No doubt the Briton maintains thatit is all in defence of Queen and country, hearth and home. Anexcellent reason, of course! But may not the Soudanese claim that thedefence of chief and country, tent and home, is an equally good reason--especially when he rises to defend himself from the exactions andcruelty of those superlative tyrants, the Turks, or rather, the TurkishPashas?--for we verily believe that the rank and file of all civilisednations would gladly live at peace if their rulers would deal inarbitration instead of war! We almost feel that an apology is due forintroducing such a remark in a book about soldiers, for their duty isclear as well as hard, and bravely is it done too. Moreover, they arein no way responsible for the deeds of those:

  "Fine old English gentlemen Who sit at home at ease, And send them forth to fight and die Beyond the stormy seas!"

  The troops composing this expedition consisted of one squadron of the5th Lancers, one battalion Berkshire Regiment, one battalion of Marines,one Field Company Royal Engineers, a detachment of the Royal Navy incharge of four Gardner guns, a regiment of Sikhs, Bengal NativeInfantry, Bombay Native Infantry, and a body of Madras Sappers. Alongwith these was sent an immense convoy of 1500 camels, besides a largenumber of mules with carts bearing iron water-tanks.

  The orders for the expedition were that they should proceed eight milesinto the bush, and there make three zerebas, or defensive enclosures ofbushes, capable of sheltering the entire force.

  The march was begun by McNeill moving off with his European troops insquare formation. The Indian contingent, under General Hudson,followed, also in square, and in charge of the transport.

  "A goodly force!" remarked Armstrong, in a low tone to Miles, as theystepped off, shoulder to shoulder, for, being both about the same size,and unusually tall, they marched together on the right flank of theircompany.

  "Don't speak in the ranks, Willie," returned Miles, with a slight smile,for he could not shut his eyes to the fact that this strict regard fororders was due more to Marion Drew's remarks about a soldier's _duty_than to principle.

  "H'm!" grunted Robert Macleod, who marched next to them, and had noconscientious scruples about talking, "we may mairch oot smert eneugh,but some o' us'll no' come back sae hearty."

  "Some of us will never come back at all," replied Armstrong, gravely.

  By six o'clock the rear-guard had left Suakim, and the whole of theforce moved across the plain, in parts of which the men and carts sankdeep in the soft sand, while in other parts the formations were partlybroken by thick bush, in which the force became somewhat entangled. Thecavalry went in advance as scouts. The guns, water-carts, andammunition-wagons were in the centre, and the Indian Brigade came last,surrounding the unwieldy mass of baggage-animals. Last of all came thetelegraph detachment, unrolling as they went the wire that kept opencommunication with head-quarters.

  That a mistake had been made somewhere was obvious; but as the soul ofmilitary discipline is obedience without question, the gallant leaderpressed forward, silently and steadily, whatever he may have thought.

  Soon the force became so hopelessly entangled in the difficulties of theway, that the rate of advance dwindled down to little more than one milean hour.

  Not long after starting a trooper was seen galloping back, and Miles,who marched at the right corner of his square, observed that it was hisfriend Johnson, looking very stern indeed. Their eyes met.

  "Not half enough of cavalry," he growled, as he flew past to report,"The enemy in sight--retiring in small parties in the direction ofTamai."

  In returning, Johnson again rode close past the same corner of thesquare, and, bending low in his saddle for a moment, said to Miles, "Ihave signed the pledge, my boy."

  A slight laugh from several of those who heard him greeted theinformation, but he probably did not hear it, for next moment hischarger cleared a low bush in a magnificent stride, and in a few secondsman and horse were lost to sight in the bush.

  "More need to sign his will," remarked Simkin, in a somewhat cynicaltone.

  "He has done that too," said Armstrong. "I heard him say so before westarted."

  The troops were halted to enable the two generals to consult at thispoint.

  While the men stood at ease, enjoying the brief rest from severe toilunder such a burning sun, our hero heard a low voice at his elbow say--

  "Have _you_ signed your will, John Miles?" It was a startling, as wellas a sudden, question!

  Miles turned quickly and found that it was Captain Lacey who had put it.

  The feeling of dislike with which our young soldier had regarded thecaptain ever since his interruption of the conversation between himselfand Marion, on board ship, had abated, but had not by any meansdisappeared. He had too much sense, however, to allow the state of hisfeelings to influence his looks or bearing.

  "Yes, sir," he replied; "I made it out last night, as you advised me, inthe service form. It was witnessed by our colonel and Captain Smart andthe doctor. To say truth, I thought it absurd for a man who has nothingto leave to make his will, but as you said, sir, I should like my dearmother to get my kit and any arrears of pay that may be due to me afterI'm gone."

  "I did not mean you to take such a gloomy view of your prospects," saidCaptain Lacey, with a laugh. "But you know in our profession we alwayscarry our lives in our hands, and it would be foolish not to takeordinary precautions--"

  The order to resume the march here cut short the conversation, and theforce continued its slow and all but impossible advance. Indeed it wassoon seen that to reach the distance of eight miles out, in thecircumstances, was quite beyond the power of the troops, willing,anxious, and vigorous though they were, for the bush became closer andhigher as they advanced, so that a mounted man could not see over it,and so dense that the squares, though only a short distance apart, couldnot see each other. This state of things rendered the management of thebaggage-animals extremely difficult, for mules are proverbiallyintractable, and camels--so meek in pictures!--are perhaps the mostsnarling, biting, kicking, ill-tempered animals in the world.

  The day was advancing and the heat increasing, while the dust raised bythe passage of such a host caused so much distress to man and beast thatthe general began to fear that, if an attack should be made by the enemyat that time, the greater part of the transport would have to besacrificed. The force was therefore halted a second time, and thegenerals again met to consult.

  They were very unwilling to give in. Another effort to advance wasmade, but things grew worse and worse. The day, as Moses remarked, wasboiling red-hot! The carts with the heavy water-tanks sank deep in thesoft sand; many of the camels' loads fell off, and these had to bereplaced. Replacing a camel's load implies prevailing on a hideouslytall and horribly stubborn creature to kneel, and this in the centre ofa square which was already blocked up with carts and animals, as well asshouting, angry, and exhausted drivers! />
  At last it became evident that further progress that day was out of thequestion. The rear face of Hudson's square was obliterated by thestraggling and struggling multitude; camels and loads were down in alldirections, and despair of maintaining their formation was settling downon all ranks.

  In these circumstances it became absolutely necessary to halt and formtheir zerebas where they stood--and that without delay. The best placethey could find was selected. The European square formed a guard, whilethe rest threw off jackets, and, with axes and choppers, went to workwith a will. Some cut down bushes, some filled sandbags to form abreastwork for guns and ammunition, and others erected the bushy wallsof their woodland fortification. The Lancers covered about three milesof country as scouts. Hudson--who had to return to Suakim that nightbefore dark--was ordered, with three regiments in line and advancedfiles, to cover McNeill and the working-party, while the commanderhimself went about encouraging the tired men, and urging them toincreased exertion.

  While the soldiers of all arms were thus busily engaged, a body ofsailors was ordered to run one of their Gardner guns up to the corner ofthe square where Miles and Armstrong stood. They halted close to them,and then Miles became aware that one of the nautical gunners was noother than Jack Molloy.

  "Hallo, Jack! Why, you've got a knack of turning up unexpectedlyeverywhere!" he exclaimed, when his friend was at leisure.

  "That's wery much your own case," retorted the seaman heartily. "Whatbrought _you_ here?"

  Miles slapped one of his legs by way of indicating the mode ofconveyance.

  "Ay, lad, and they'd need to be stout timbers too, to make headwaythrough such a sea of sand," returned Molloy, feeling his own limbs withtenderness. "D'ee think we're in for a brush to-night, lad?"

  Before the latter could reply, an aide-de-camp ran up and spoke a fewhurried words to Captain Lacey, who turned to his company and calledthem to attention.

  "Fours, right--quick march!" he said, and away they went, past the flankof Hudson's men, to guard a hollow which left that part of the squaresomewhat exposed. When halted and drawn up in line several files werethrown out in advance. Miles and Sutherland formed the flanking file onthe right, the latter being rear-rank man to the former.

  "It's a grand hiding-hole," observed Sutherland, as he peered cautiouslyover the edge of a low bank into a hollow where rocks and undergrowthwere thickly intermingled.

  "Keep a sharp look-out on your left, Sutherland," said Miles, "I willguard the right--"

  He stopped abruptly and threw forward his rifle, for at that moment heobserved a swarthy, black-bearded Arab, of large proportions andmuscular frame, creeping forward a short distance below him. Evidentlyhe had not heard or seen the approach of the two soldiers, for he wasgazing in a different direction from them.

  Miles raised his rifle and took aim at the man, but he felt anunconquerable repugnance to shoot. He had never yet met the enemyhand-to-hand. His experience heretofore had been confined to long-rangefiring at men who were firing at himself and his comrades, and in which,of course, he could not be sure that his bullets took effect. But nowhe was within fifty yards of a splendid-looking man who did not see him,who was, at the moment, innocent of any intention of injuring him, andwhose expressive side-face he could clearly distinguish as he creptalong with great caution towards a rock which hid the zereba of theEuropeans from his view.

  Miles was a good rifle-shot. A touch of the trigger he knew would becertain death to the Arab.

  "I _cannot_ do it!" he muttered, as he lowered his weapon and lookedback over his shoulder at his comrade. The Scot, who was something of anaturalist, was engrossed at the moment in the contemplation of a littlebird which was twittering on a twig in quite an opposite direction.

  Miles glanced again at the Arab in a flutter of agitation as to what washis duty. The man _might_ be one of the friendly natives! He could nottell.

  At that moment another man appeared on the scene. He was a thin butpowerful native, and armed with a short spear, such as is used whenfighting at close quarters. He obviously was not troubled with scruplesabout committing murder, and Miles soon became aware that the thin manwas "stalking" the big Arab--with what intent, of course, our soldiercould only guess, but the malignant expression of the savage'scountenance left little doubt on that point.

  Here was a complication! Our hero was on the point of callingSutherland from the contemplation of his little bird when he saw thethin native pounce on the Arab, who was still creeping on hands andknees. He turned just in time to divert the first spear-thrust, but notin time to draw his own long knife from its sheath as he fell. The thinsavage holding him down, and having him at terrible disadvantage on hisback, raised his spear, and was about to repeat the deadly thrust whenMiles fired and shot him in the head.

  The Arab rose, shook himself clear of the dying man, and, withastounding coolness, walked calmly towards a large rock, though Mileswas reloading in haste, and Sutherland was taking steady aim at him. Helooked at the soldiers and held up his hand with something like a smileof remonstrance, as Sutherland pulled the trigger. At the same momentMiles struck up the muzzle, and the ball whizzed over the Arab's head ashe passed behind the rock and disappeared.

  "What for did ye that?" demanded the Scot fiercely.

  "Would you kill a man that was smiling at you?" retorted Miles.

  The two men ran back to report to their company what they had seen. Atthe same moment, the company, being recalled, doubled back to itsposition in the square.

  Here they found the defence work so far advanced that the generals werebeginning to feel some confidence in their being able to repel anyattack. At the same time the men were working with tremendous energy,for news had just come in that the enemy was advancing in strong force.