s kharkee sleeve and his sword, down which there had
been a trickle, look exceedingly warlike.

"He has fleshed his maiden blade!" said Tom Strachan.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

EL TEB.

The force started on the march about eight o'clock. It moved in square,
with camels, mules, baggage, ammunition in the centre. Also inside were
the surgeons and ambulance, and some troops ready to strengthen any weak
part in the course of action; there were guns, either machine-guns, (as
guns which fire bullets through individual barrels by turning a handle--
various improvements upon the mitrailleuse--are called) or Krupp guns,
at the corners, manned either by sailors or artillerymen.

The square was not a square in the sense of Euclid, because two sides of
it were longer than the other two. One of the longest faces led, the
men being in line. The other formed the rear face, and moved also in
line, turned to the right-about; but when halted and fronted it would
face to the rear. The side faces marched, the right side "fours left,"
the left side "fours right," so that when halted and fronted they too
would face outwards.

The officer in command, General Graham, had two men who knew the ground
well, Baker and Burnaby, to point out the best route to avoid obstacles
which would break the formation, and so they moved over a flat expanse
of sand, with now and then a hill overgrown with low bushes. Not far
from the line of march these sand-hills were larger and more numerous,
and the bushes thicker, and amongst and beyond these parties of the
enemy were hovering; to guard the infantry against a sudden attack from
these, a squadron of light cavalry were spread out half a mile ahead,
covering the flanks.

"I ask your pardon, sir," said a sergeant to Strachan, as they tramped
through the sand, "but do you happen to know what we are going to fight
about? Not that it matters, only it gives an interest like to the
business."

"Oh, yes, sergeant," said Tom. "We are going to relieve Tokar."

"So I thought, sir. But then, you see, Tokar, they say, has fallen."

"I believe it has," replied Tom; "but that was the original idea. And
if we are a bit late, why then we must show them how we would have
relieved it if it had not been taken. The Arabs had no right to be in
such a hurry. You remember the sham fights we used to have at
Aldershot? Neither side was to commence manoeuvring before a certain
hour, when a gun fired. Well, these Ar