"I had sooner wear that out than my own skin," said Kavanagh. "I'm not that sure," replied Macintosh. "The skin grows again, and the shoe-leather doesn't." The sergeant laughed. "Well, I think I may promise you that you will have no more of this work after to-morrow," he said. "You will get your camels at Wady Haifa." Barton had been specially instructed in camel drill, and selected for his proficiency to assist in training the corps to which Kavanagh belonged. His story was a very simple one; he was not one of the plucked, who, failing to get their commissions, join the ranks rather than not serve at all, for it was most likely that he would have succeeded in any competitive examination, being a clever and industrious youth, who was doing well at Oxford when his father lost all his money, having shares in a bank which suddenly failed, and left him responsible to the extent of every penny he possessed. The undergraduate had been accustomed to a handsome allowance, and owed bills which he was now unable to pay. This he could not help, but being an honourable man he would not incur a farthing more, but took his name off the boards at once, divided his caution money, and what was obtained by the sale of his horse, the furniture of his rooms, and whatever else he possessed, amongst his creditors, and enlisted. Having once chosen his profession, he went at it with prodigious zeal, and lost no opportunity of attending any school of instruction which was open to him. When he had once acquired his drill, he was soon made corporal, then sergeant. He distinguished himself at Hythe; he learnt signalling both with flags and flashes. And when useful men were wanted for the formation of Camel Corps, and the battalions in Egypt searched for them, he was one of the first pitched upon to learn and then to instruct. For, when people talk of the super- human intelligence of German officers and soldiers, and speak of ours as a set of dunder-headed idiots, you need not quite take all they say for absolute fact. I think if you took the adjutants, sergeant-majors, and musketry instructors of the British army, you would find it hard to pick out an equal number of men in any country, even Germany itself, to beat them for intelligence, common sense, and promptitude. "There will be a new drill to learn!" growled Tarrant. "Oh, that won't be much," said Kavanagh. "Lots of old words of command would do over again, I should say. For instance, `Shouldare--oop!' only it would be the camel's shoulder which has to be mounted." "Now, that's mighty clever," said Grady. "Will you tell me something, Kavanagh, you that's a real scholar now--can a man be two things at the same time?" "Of course he can; he can be an Irishman and a barge horse, you see." "Ah, then a Mounted Infantry man can be a trooper and a foot soldier all at once. And a camel rider, would you call him a horse soldier, now?"