d gettin'
rations and makin' oursel's understood. The town was choke full o'
ruffians, Turks, Jews, Armenians, Greeks, all a-jawing in diff'rent
tongues and a quarrellin' like magpies over a bit of offal. 'Ere Jones
was full o' spirits, a-larfin' and a-swearin' with the best of us. 'E
'ad a way about 'im as licked the sourest grumbler into shape. And the
gals, such as they was, fancied 'is jovial mug and made eyes at 'im. It
was a rum sight to watch the poor things a-wastin' ammunishun on one of
their own sex. I mind me of a wivandeer of the Chasseurs D'Afrique, a
smart young lass in red trousers and a dark tunic, with 'er plumed 'at
all cockeye on 'er head, and 'er legs astride the saddle--she was quite
took up with Jones. And afterwards the Bulgarian gals was nuts on 'im,
too. Jones would give us real pantomimes a-snatchin' o' kisses from one
or another of 'em when they came to fill their wessels at the well.

"'E was good at work or play was 'Carrots.' Right well 'e came out of it
when we 'ad to turn our 'ands to odd jobs, such as mowin' and reapin'
and cookin', cos 'is fingers weren't thumbs like ours war. And at
skirmishin' and outpost drill, and a-chargin' in line and by squadrons,
he was real smart too; 'e took to them manoeuvres as a duck takes to
water, with niver a growl nor a grumble, 'owever 'ard the work.

"But a bad day it was for 'im when the cholera broke up our camp at
Devno; it takes the strong 'uns fust, and then swoops down
promiscus-like. Poor Jenkins got bad just as we was a-tired of buryin'
an' 'earin' nothin' but the 'Dead March,' which made the sick all of a
tremble to know which would be the next to be took. 'E was down with it
the wery day as we got orders to start for the Crimea. We was to march
the next mornin' for Varna, and most of the night was spent in packin'
up.

"Jones, 'e comes to me like one stark mad, beatin' of 'is breast and
a-cursin' at the back o' 'is teeth.

"'Jim's that bad,' says 'e, 'they don' know as whether there's any 'ope
for 'im.'

"'They're preparin' of arabas to carry the sick,' sez I, to console 'im.

"'Gord, Gord,' 'e sez, 'that's jest it. All the sick as might get well
will go, and the others--they'll be left be'ind afore the breath's out
of 'em. I 'eard someone a-sayin' there was no use in movin' of 'em as
was as good as dead.'

"And sure enough next mornin' I larnt that Jones was right. Revelly
sounded at three, and by six every man was on parade. Arabas