Cheer, boys, cheer! for country, mother country;
Cheer, boys, cheer! united heart and hand;
Cheer, boys, cheer! we’re going to beat the Russians;
Cheer, boys, cheer, for our dear native land!
‘They’d better wait till they’ve done a bit of fighting,’ growled Linham; ‘then perhaps they won’t have so much breath for cheering.’
On the third day Jack’s troop reached Cosham, and there they were billeted until the ship that was to convey them to the East was ready. This was in two days’ time, and then, in spick and span order, the troop marched into Portsmouth. The band of the gallant Cameronians came out to play them into the town, and through cheering thousands they marched.
They went straight to the docks, and there Jack found Will, and was delighted to learn they were both going in the same ship, the Eveline. It took some time to get all aboard, both men and horses; but at last, everything being finished, Jack and Will found themselves on deck taking their last look for many and many a month at an English crowd of civilians. After the usual delays and bustle and scurry, the anchor was weighed, and amidst the ringing cheers of thousands of spectators the Eveline stood gently out across the Solent.
‘Jack,’ said Will rather sadly, ‘I wonder what we shall be doing this day six months?’
Well for them that neither of them could foresee, for the date was April 25th, and that day six months was the day of the death-ride of the immortal ‘Six Hundred.’
CHAPTER XIII.
EASTWARD HO!
LIFE at sea on board a troopship is to the soldier a dull time. To Jack the first few days were especially so, as he was prostrated by sea-sickness, being tormented from time to time by the assiduous attentions of those of his comrades who were not so bad, and who seemed never tired of asking him to ‘try a bit of fat pork.’ When he got about again they were three days out, and standing well down for the Bay of Biscay.
The colonel kept his men pretty busy, and Jack soon had enough to do. The second deck had been fitted up as a mess-deck for the men, and below that was the horse-deck. This was separated longitudinally into three divisions, the horses standing on each side with their heads facing inwards, the centre walk being for the men. Each horse was separated from its companion by a barrier, and had a sling beneath it to prevent slipping.
Necessarily a good part of the day was spent at ‘stables,’ as tending the horses was still called; then there was drill when the weather permitted, and various parades.