While we rest and take our ease,
No one but ourselves to please,
Till the morning light.
[[30]]
Nothing loath to comply with the Prince’s desire, they were soon heartily singing the song, and much enjoyment they got from it. The fact is, that marching songs, as a rule, have a very brightening effect upon the singers. Words and music are alike intended to bring this about. Knowing this to be the case, and realising that as the long day stretched itself out, many of his followers were certain to get very tired, he deliberately chose such words and sentiments for his song as would tend to keep their spirits up till night time, when they could rest!
When at last night did arrive, Prince Waratah and all his company found themselves in a very lovely wooded valley. It was an ideal place for camping. A little silver stream supplied them with plenty of water. The dry leaves that had fallen from the trees, and the smaller broken branches that lay around supplied them with kindling and firewood; an extra supply of leaves also making very good bedding on which to spread their sleeping rugs.
After supper, feeling very comfortable and happy, they fell to humming the most delightful tunes imaginable, crooning tunes, such as mothers sing to their babies; soft and low and sweet. The effect was truly remarkable! In the course of fifteen or twenty minutes—just as the stars began to peep at them through the gently swaying tree tops—they were all sound asleep; or, to be quite accurate, all were asleep except the few guards posted at fairly distant intervals along the outer edges of the camp. Their duty was to watch out for any attack by possible enemies, such as the Mountain Fairies, who, although not really wicked, sometimes take it into their heads to throw down huge pieces of rock, or to send a giant tree hurtling over a cliff, to the great danger of those who may be camped or passing below.
Next morning everybody was stirring bright and early; and, after breakfast and packing up, the march began again. So day followed day for many a day. Sometimes they travelled up hill; sometimes down. Occasionally they had to make their way through timbered country; and now and again a stream had to be crossed. But, like soldiers, they made very light of such a passing difficulty, for they carried a certain number of pontoons with them, and, throwing [[31]]them down as bridges, over the river they went in perfect safety. “Pont,” as you probably know, is the French word for bridge; and “pontoons” are usually made of empty barrels strung together to make a bridge. It was thus they crossed over waterways through which they could not wade.
But the time came when they left forest and stream behind them, and had to travel over great stretches of land covered with coarse and stubbly grasses. It was not pleasant by any means. Yet worse conditions were ahead; for when the rough grass lands were finally crossed, they came to the great sandy desert. Sand, and yet more sand—nothing but sand! Luckily they were not far from their destination. In two more days, the Prince told them, they would be there. As a consequence they began the desert march with a certain amount of light-heartedness, buoyed up by the thought that within a very little while their wanderings would cease. Unhappily, however, before that time arrived, they found themselves engaged in a terrific struggle with the Desert Fairies.
These nomadic Fairies, possibly resentful of the coming of the others, or, maybe, just because they are naturally nasty, viciously and vigorously attacked them in force.