“Look here, you know,” he said to the native driver; “if you don’t make that camel go on with that load, you and your two mates will have to carry it yourselves, don’t you know.”
Whether the “Johnnies,” as Private Smith called them, understood all this is perhaps doubtful, as their English was peculiar, but the tone and gesture which accompanied the words were very intelligible, and the Egyptian began to unload the poor bogged beast with great alacrity.
The soldiers, seeing his purpose, helped him, leaving the two other included natives to go on with other camels, and soon the goods carried by the fallen one were conveyed to a sounder place. The wallowing animal being beaten and prodded, emerged from the mud uttering unearthly cries, and was then reloaded, still objecting loudly, and on he went again.
There was no difficulty in catching the others up; other mules and camels in front were in a similar plight. These were also unloaded, and then the men pulled and pushed and heaved them out, first taking off their shoes and stockings, and rolling their trousers up as far as they could.
One man, finding that even so he got those garments sorely bemired, so deep was the slush, took them off altogether; others followed his example, hanging their trousers round their necks. But no one need have been shocked, their limbs were by no means bare, but decently clothed in long clay stockings.
“I say, Tom,” said Williams to Strachan, “fancy the regiment turning out like that for Commanding Officers’ parade at Aldershot!”
James Gubbins managed to distinguish himself as usual, for he let a floundering mule knock him over and roll upon him. Having to help the animal out, he seized one of his hind legs and hauled at it, with this result—
“Look at Gubbins!” cried one of his comrades; “blest if he hasn’t been taking a cast of hisself in clay. Going to have a marble statty, old man?”
“You ought to have a photo taken to send home to your sweetheart, Jim.”
“Pity it’s the end of February, and not the beginning; what a lovely valentine he would make, surely.”