rs, to be employed in
the transport service, the latter camels and even elephants, attended by
swarthy drivers, sent out from India.

Jack, accompanied by his brother, hastened on shore to report his
arrival and request to know from the commander-in-chief what service he
could render. He was not a little pleased to find that a naval brigade
was to be formed, and that there was a prospect of seeing some fighting
and more of the wild mountainous region which rose before them, about
which people in general seemed to know very little. [See note 1.]

Of course the expected warfare was the subject of conversation in the
ward room, and various opinions were hazarded as to the result.

"We shall know more about it in the course of a few days, when the march
is commenced," observed the first lieutenant. "The question is whether
Theodore will murder his prisoners and fight to the last, or whether,
when he sees the approach of so formidable a force as ours, he will
deliver them up and apologise for his conduct."

"At all events we will do our best to help the soldiers," said Tom, and
this sentiment was very general throughout the squadron, for never did
soldiers and sailors work more cordially together.

The next morning Tom and his men, with Billy Blueblazes and Dicky Duff,
now senior mate, and Alick Murray as midshipman, went on shore to join
the Naval Brigade, to which, to their infinite satisfaction, they had
been appointed. It was under the command of Captain Fellows. They had
been but two days encamped when the order to commence the march was
issued.

The army, in detachments, moved forward for the front, for which the
commander-in-chief had started on the 25th of January. The first post
was Senaffe, high up among the mountains, 7000 feet above the level of
the sea. It was situated about two miles in front of the issue of the
Komayli defile, on elevated rocky ground. To the east and west rose
lofty cliffs, and in front extended a wide plain. The scenery was
magnificent. Here rose masses of jagged rock, topped with acacia and
juniper trees, deep valleys intervened with rushing streams, while
heights extended as far as the eye could range over a vast extent of
country. Tom fancied that the army was to push on without stopping, but
he found that each post had to be fortified and garrisoned, for it was
evident that as the expedition showed strength, so in proportion it
obtained the confidence of the savage ruler