"I wish it was time to start," said Edwards, joining them. "It seems so absurd to stand here saturated, with no possibility of resting oneself, when one might be getting on." "It is more than half-past four, and reveille is to sound at five. Let's try and light the fire again; there's a bit smouldering, in spite of the rain." This was Strachan's suggestion, and voted a good one; and they had just succeeded in raising a blaze, when a bugle started the most romantic, melancholy, musical call in the whole category. I mean in itself, and not for its associations; and yet when one thinks how many thousands of brave men have been roused by it to go to death, it is not free from these. Number one only got about three notes start, when a second began, and presently the whole air was full of plaintive sound. Then flickers of fire shone out, and coffee was boiled, and the men got their breakfasts. Then, after a while, the Fall-in sounded, and the different corps and detachments stood to their arms. The commanding officer of the First Blankshire went round the ranks, and spoke to the men here and there. He did not remark on the mud which still clove to James Gubbins, but he stopped opposite Green. "Why, what is the matter, Green; where and how are you hurt?" he asked. "I, sir?" said Green, in astonishment; "I believe I am all right." "Why, you are bleeding like a pig!" And so he was, from his right ear. "I must have cut it with my sword, sir, carrying it carelessly. I forgot that I had had it sharpened." "Well, it can't be very bad, if you did not know it," said the colonel, laughing as he rode on. The bleeding stopped presently, but not before it had made Green'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.