The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-10
JENKINS OF THE 5ap.

wasn't a man who didn't curse.
 The brown water we had was warm. It seemed our clothing worked up our backs, and stopped there. My tongue felt as though it were as big as an egg; my head throbbingly ached just as if there was an iron band about 1t, and all the time we had to push on over the soft sand, with the officers yelling us to keep the square, the camels screaming as only Sudanese camels can scream, and overhead the blaze of the scorching African sun trying to set us on ire, while away up the baked rocks we could discern the dervshes skipping about and occasionally waving the green flag of the Prophet.
 You've seen pictures of an army go- ing into battle-the bands playing, the banners fluttering, the men marching in solid lines, the officers on careering horses and with drawn swords.
 Well, we didn't look anything like that. There was no band and no flag. We were all too mad with the heat to even keep step, and were scattered about like lot of beaters at a coursing match. Most of us had our jackets open and some of us stuck dirty red cotton handkerchiefs under the hel- nets to ward off the sun. And our clothes were torn and dusty, our boots Were brown and hard; none of us had shaved for a month, and for the last three days there hadn't been drop of water to wash in.
 There was no talk about the glory of fighting. We didn't care hang about victory, or England, or Queen, That's all right to tell folks at dinners they give Us when we get home after the campaign.
 Ward was fuming about a blister he had on his heel, and wondering why the hangment we couldn't form where we were, and let the Sudanese come to us.
 Little Jenkins was In a funk.
 Its not as I'm thinkin' I'll be shot," he said, "but my knees are just as shaky as an old nag's. I'm blessed if can go much further, LOT, I'd give a weeks pay for 'alf pintD you feel dizzy like, Fletcher" 'Oh, dry up!'' said.
 I was wild with the agony of march ing, the blasts of sand that met us, the shouting, the cursing when the gun carriages stuck!
 
 added hoarsely. Would yer rather be killed wi bullet or a spear, Fletch- er?"
 I'm not goin' to be killed at all" l growled. Look out!"
 One of the mules appeared as if gone mad, for 1t began jumping and shriek- ing, and the whip only made it worse. We knew the great mass of the enc
 l,no T tT~ could see them bobbing about among the rocks.
 Away on our right, over broken ground and burnt brushwood, were about fifty of them popping at us from behind boulders. But the shots fell short, although we were marching nearer them.
 Soon there came a singing swish through the air. Every man who heard it tucked his head We looked at each other and grimly smiled.
 ''That bloke ain't much of a shot" said Ward; "he fires too high"
 Then there started more bullet whiz- zing.
 "Open out, men; confound you! why don't you open out?" roared the colo nel, who was following up behind the face of the square.
 We scattered a bit, but not much. Everybody seemed to be in everybody else's way.
 What an ass to put us under fire like this'' some one shouted a little way down the line.
 A bullet caught camel in the trump. The brute tried to rear, but 1t couldn't. And then it tumbled. Its eyes flashed with fright as I had never seen cam els eyes fash
 q guess" said Jenkins, who was trembling, ''it 'ud be best to get wipe in the arm first Then one 'ud be able to get inside tn ambulance"
 "You beastly little shrimp" yelled Ward, who was on the other side; dye want to skimp it 2"
 The bullets began dropping amongst us.
 There's no use denying 1t; I was scared. It was a miserable sort of way pIaying at war When I heard one of the men down the line groan as his cheek was torn up, and saw another tumble with his face downwards, and commerce biting the sand when his thigh was ripped open, it was difficult for me to breathe.
 never saw such excitement. The officers rushed about shouting until We didn't know what to do. Yet we kept moving forward over the hillocks of sand, our lips cracked our eyes burn ing and glaring like balls of fire, swear ing at one another and all swearing at the cowardly niggers sheltering beyond the boulders.
 What time is 1t now at Knights bridge?" asked Jenkins. his thin little face twitching.
 Same time as it is at London Bridge" retorted with an oath.
 Look here, Fletcher, if I'm killed, will my name be put in the papers?"
 "Shut up: you're toe little to hit"
 "Cause,' he said, I've a gal who's a slavey, an'-an-"
 We both saw Ward double up. He had been hit in the stomach. He dropped his rife and looked around as if he wanted to clutch hold of some- thing. Then a terrible grin spread over his features and he began running like a drunken man. He hadn't gone more than four steps when down he fopped in a heap.
 Two of the men turned him over. He was dead.
 All the precipitation seemed to jump