Then came the first mounted parade. A squadron of Scots Greys or Life Guards might have kept better line; they might probably have wheeled with more order and precision for each troop here had a few half-broken colts prancing and dancing all over the shop, but—well, somebody said that these troops would compare favourably with any body of mounted infantry in the world. Certain it is that when, one fine day, the officer commanding, Colonel Cox, accompanied by the Brigadier, Colonel Ryrie, made a careful inspection of the whole regiment, every one from the officer commanding down was satisfied. And certain it is that we sang the Australian Light Horse war song with unusual enthusiasm—
Sound the good old bugle, boys,
Let's sing another song,
Sing it with a spirit
That will send the troops along;
Sing it as we'll sing it
When we're twenty thousand strong,
When we go marching through Germany!
Hurrah! Hurrah! We're off to Germany!
Hurrah! Hurrah! the A.L.H. are we!
We're rounding up the bushmen from the
Darling to the sea
And we'll go marching through Germany!
How the bushmen shouted
When they heard the joyful sound,
"'Fighting Charlie's' going to lead,
So pass the word around;
Australia wants another batch
Of bushmen to astound
Poor old Kaiser Bill of Germany!"
CHAPTER II
WE SAIL AWAY
CEYLON MISSED—LAND-HO—AT ADEN—BAKSHEESH—"THE TRANSPORT TRUMPETER"—A LITERARY COINCIDENCE—ON HISTORIC GROUND—THE PYRAMIDS—PAST AND PRESENT—AN EGYPTIAN HANDKERCHIEF—MA'ADI.
"Who's the Jonah?" That was mild.