’Ihavenochance，’saidtheGreek’Sheistherewiththatwoman。’
　　’IseeIt’sabadthingtobedividedbetweenloveofwomanandthechanceoflootIsympathisewithyou，George。’
　　Theywenttothetelegraph-officeunquestioned，foralltheworldwasdesperatelybusyandhadscarcelytimetoturnitshead，andSuakinwasthelastplaceunderskythatwouldbechosenforholiday-ground。
　　OntheirreturnthevoiceofanEnglishsubalternaskedDickwhathewasdoingThebluegoggleswereoverhiseyesandhewalkedwithhishandonGeorge’selbowashereplied——
　　’EgyptianGovernment——mulesMyordersaretogivethemovertotheA。
　　CGatTanai-el-HassanAnyoccasiontoshowmypapers？’
　　’Oh，certainlynotIbegyourpardonI’dnorighttoask，butnotseeingyourfacebeforeI——’
　　’Igooutinthetrainto-night，Isuppose，’saidDick，boldly’Therewillbenodifficultyinloadingupthemules，willthere？’
　　’Youcanseethehorse-platformsfromhereYoumusthavethemloadedupearly。’Theyoungmanwentawaywonderingwhatsortofbroken-downwaifthismightbewhotalkedlikeagentlemanandconsortedwithGreekmuleteersDickfeltunhappyTooutfaceanEnglishofficerisnosmallthing，buttheblufflosesrelishwhenoneplaysitfromtheutterdark，andstumblesupanddownroughways，thinkingandeternallythinkingofwhatmighthavebeenifthingshadfallenoutotherwise，andallhadbeenasitwasnot。
　　GeorgesharedhismealwithDickandwentofftothemule-lines。
　　HischargesataloneinashedwithhisfaceinhishandsBeforehistight-shuteyesdancedthefaceofMaisie，laughing，withpartedlipsTherewasagreatbustleandclamourabouthimHegrewafraidandalmostcalledforGeorge。
　　’Isay，haveyougotyourmulesready？’Itwasthevoiceofthesubalternoverhisshoulder。
　　’Myman’slookingafterthemThe——thefactisI’veatouchofophthalmiaandcan’tseeverywell。
　　’ByJove！that’sbadYououghttolieupinhospitalforawhileI’vehadaturnofitmyselfIt’sasbadasbeingblind。’
　　’SoIfinditWhendoesthisarmouredtraingo？’
　　’Atsixo’clockIttakesanhourtocoverthesevenmiles。’
　　’AretheFuzziesontherampage——eh？’
　　’AboutthreenightsaweekFactisI’minactingcommandofthenight-trainItgenerallyrunsbackemptytoTanaiforthenight。’
　　’BigcampatTanai，Isuppose？’
　　’PrettybigIthastofeedourdesert-columnsomehow。’
　　’Isthatfaroff？’
　　’Betweenthirtyandfortymiles——inaninfernalthirstycountry。’
　　’IsthecountryquietbetweenTanaiandourmen？’
　　’MoreorlessIshouldn’tcaretocrossitalone，orwithasubaltern’scommandforthematterofthat，butthescoutsgetthroughitinsomeextraordinaryfashion。’
　　’Theyalwaysdid。’
　　’Haveyoubeenherebefore，then？’
　　’Iwasthroughmostofthetroublewhenitfirstbrokeout。’
　　’Intheserviceandcashiered，’wasthesubaltern’sfirstthought，soherefrainedfromputtinganyquestions。
　　’There’syoumancomingupwiththemulesItseemsratherqueer——’
　　’ThatIshouldbemule-leading？’saidDick。
　　’Ididn’tmeantosayso，butitisForgiveme——it’sbeastlyimpertinenceI
　　know，butyouspeaklikeamanwhohasbeenatapublicschool。
　　There’snomistakingthetone。’
　　’Iamapublicschoolman。’
　　’IthoughtsoIsay，Idon’twanttohurtyourfeelings，butyou’realittledownonyourluck，aren’tyou？Isawyousittingwithyourheadinyourhands，andthat’swhyIspoke。’
　　’ThanksIamaboutasthoroughlyandcompletelybrokeasamanneedbe。’
　　’Suppose——ImeanI’mapublicschoolmanmyselfCouldn’tI
　　perhaps——takeitasaloany’knowand——’
　　’You’remuchtoogood，butonmyhonourI’veasmuchmoneyasI
　　want。
　　Itellyouwhatyoucoulddoforme，though，andputmeunderaneverlastingobligationLetmecomeintothebogietruckofthetrain。
　　Thereisafore-truck，isn’tthere？’
　　’YesHowd’youknow？’
　　’I’vebeeninanarmouredtrainbeforeOnlyletmesee——hearsomeofthefunImean，andI’llbegratefulIgoatmyownriskasanon-combatant。’
　　Theyoungmanthoughtforaminute’Allright，’hesaid’We’resupposedtobeanemptytrain，andthere’snoonetoblowmeupattheotherend。’
　　Georgeandahordeofyellingamateurassistantshadloadedupthemules，andthenarrow-gaugearmouredtrain，platedwiththree-eighthsinchboiler-platetillitlookedlikeonelongcoffin，stoodreadytostart。
　　Twobogietrucksrunningbeforethelocomotivewerecompletelycoveredinwithplating，exceptthattheleadingonewaspiercedinfrontforthemuzzleofamachine-gun，andthesecondateithersideforlateralfire。
　　Thetruckstogethermadeonelongiron-vaultedchamberinwhichascoreofartillerymenwererioting。
　　’Whitechapel——lasttrain！Ah，Iseeyerkissin’inthefirstclassthere！’
　　somebodyshouted，justasDickwasclamouringintotheforwardtruck。
　　’Lordy！’Ere’sareallivepassengerfortheKew，Tanai，Acton，andEalin’trainEcho，sirSpeshuledition！Star，sir。’——’ShallIgetyouafoot-warmer？’saidanother。
　　’ThanksI’llpaymyfooting，’saidDick，andrelationsofthemostamiablewereestablishederesilencecamewiththearrivalofthesubaltern，andthetrainjoltedoutovertheroughtrack。
　　’ThisisanimmenseimprovementonshootingtheunimpressionableFuzzyintheopen，’saidDick，fromhisplaceinthecorner。
　　’Oh，buthe’sstillunimpressedTherehegoes！’saidthesubaltern，asabulletstrucktheoutsideofthetruck’Wealwayshaveatleastonedemonstrationagainstthenight-trainGenerallytheyattacktherear-truck，wheremyjuniorcommandsHegetsallthefunofthefair。’
　　’Notto-nightthough！Listen！’saidDickAflightofheavy-handedbulletswassucceededbyyellingandshoutsThechildrenofthedesertvaluedtheirnightlyamusement，andthetrainwasanexcellentmark。
　　’Isitworthgivingthemhalfahopperfull？’thesubalternaskedoftheengine，whichwasdrivenbyaLieutenantofSappers。
　　’Ishouldthinkso！ThisismysectionofthelineThey’llbeplayingoldHarrywithmypermanentwayifwedon’tstop’em。’
　　’RightO！’
　　’Hrrmph！’saidthemachinegunthroughallitsfivenosesasthesubalterndrewtheleverhomeTheemptycartridgesclashedonthefloorandthesmokeblewbackthroughthetruckTherewasindiscriminatefiringattherearofthetrain，andreturnfirefromthedarknesswithoutandunlimitedhowlingDickstretchedhimselfonthefloor，wildwithdelightatthesoundsandthesmells。
　　’Godisverygood——IneverthoughtI’dhearthisagainGive’emhell，menOh，give’emhell！’hecried。
　　Thetrainstoppedforsomeobstructiononthelineaheadandapartywentouttoreconnoitre，butcameback，cursing，forspadesThechildrenofthedeserthadpiledsandandgravelontherails，andtwentyminuteswerelostinclearingitawayThentheslowprogressrecommenced，tobevariedwithmoreshots，moreshoutings，thesteadyclackandkickofthemachineguns，andafinaldifficultywithahalf-liftedrailerethetraincameundertheprotectionoftheroaringcampatTanai-el-Hassan。
　　’Now，youseewhyittakesanhourandahalftofetchherthrough，’
　　saidthesubaltern，unshippingthecartridge-hopperabovehispetgun。
　　’Itwasalark，thoughIonlywishithadlastedtwiceaslongHowsuperbitmusthavelookedfromoutside！’saidDick，sighingregretfully。
　　’ItpallsafterthefirstfewnightsBytheway，whenyou’vesettledaboutyourmules，comeandseewhatwecanfindtoeatinmytentI’mBenniloftheGunners——intheartillerylines——andmindyoudon’tfallovermytent-ropesinthedark。’
　　ButitwasalldarktoDickHecouldonlysmellthecamels，thehay-bales，thecooking，thesmokyfires，andthetannedcanvasofthetentsashestood，wherehehaddroppedfromthetrain，shoutingforGeorge。
　　Therewasasoundoflight-heartedkickingontheironskinofthereartrucks，withsquealingandgruntingGeorgewasunloadingthemules。
　　TheenginewasblowingoffsteamnearlyinDick’sear；acoldwindofthedesertdancedbetweenhislegs；hewashungry，andfelttiredanddirty——sodirtythathetriedtobrushhiscoatwithhishandsThatwasahopelessjob；hethrusthishandsintohispocketsandbegantocountoverthemanytimesthathehadwaitedinstrangeorremoteplacesfortrainsorcamels，mulesorhorses，tocarryhimtohisbusinessInthosedayshecouldsee——fewmenmoreclearly——andthespectacleofanarmedcampatdinnerunderthestarewasaneverfreshpleasuretotheeyeTherewascolour，light，andmotion，withoutwhichnomanhasmuchpleasureinlivingThisnightthereremainedforhimonlyonemorejourneythroughthedarknessthatneverliftstotellamanhowfarhehastravelled。
　　ThenhewouldgripTorpenhow’shandagain——Torpenhow，whowasaliveandstrong，andlivedinthemidstoftheactionthathadoncemadethereputationofamancalledDickHeldar：notintheleasttobeconfusedwiththeblind，bewilderedvagabondwhoseemedtoanswertothesamenameYes，hewouldfindTorpenhow，andcomeasneartotheoldlifeasmightbeAfterwardshewouldforgeteverything：Bessie，whohadwreckedtheMelancoliaandsonearlywreckedhislife；Beeton，wholivedinastrangeunrealcityfulloftin-tacksandgas-plugsandmattersthatnomenneeded；thatirrationalbeingwhohadofferedhimloveandloyaltyfornothing，buthadnotsignedhername；andmostofallMaisie，who，fromherownpointofview，wasundeniablyrightinallshedid，butoh，atthisdistance，sotantalisinglyfair。
　　George’shandonhisarmpulledhimbacktothesituation。
　　’Andwhatnow？’saidGeorge。
　　’OhyesofcourseWhatnow？Takemetothecamel-menTakemetowherethescoutssitwhentheycomeinfromthedesertTheysitbytheircamels，andthecamelseatgrainoutofablackblanketheldupatthecorners，andthemeneatbytheirsidejustlikecamelsTakemethere！’
　　Thecampwasroughandrutty，andDickstumbledmanytimesoverthestumpsofscrubThescoutsweresittingbytheirbeasts，asDickknewtheywouldThelightofthedung-firesflickeredontheirbeardedfaces，andthecamelsbubbledandmumbledbesidethematrestItwasnopartofDick’spolicytogointothedesertwithaconvoyofsupplies。
　　Thatwouldleadtoimpertinentquestions，andsinceablindnon-combatantisnotneededatthefront，hewouldprobablybeforcedtoreturntoSuakin。
　　Hemustgoupalone，andgoimmediately。
　　’Nowforonelastbluff——thebiggestofall，’hesaid’Peacebewithyou，brethren！’ThewatchfulGeorgesteeredhimtothecircleofthenearestfireTheheadsofthecamel-sheiksbowedgravely，andthecamels，scentingaEuropean，lookedsidewayscuriouslylikebroodinghens，halfreadytogettotheirfeet。
　　’Abeastandadrivertogotothefightinglineto-night，’saidDick。
　　’AMulaid？’saidavoice，scornfullynamingthebestbaggage-breedthatheknew。
　　’ABisharin，’returnedDick，withperfectgravity’ABisharinwithoutsaddle-gallsThereforenochargeofthine，shock-head。’
　　TwoorthreeminutespassedThen——
　　’Webeknee-halteredforthenightThereisnogoingoutfromthecamp。’
　　’Notformoney？’
　　’H’m！Ah！Englishmoney？’
　　Anotherdepressingintervalofsilence。
　　’Howmuch？’
　　’Twenty-fivepoundsEnglishpaidintothehandofthedriveratmyjourney’send，andasmuchmoreintothehandofthecamel-sheikhere，tobepaidwhenthedriverreturns。’
　　Thiswasroyalpayment，andthesheik，whoknewthathewouldgethiscommissiononthisdeposit，stirredinDick’sbehalf。
　　’Forscarcelyonenight’sjourney——fiftypoundsLandandwellsandgoodtreesandwivestomakeamancontentfortherestofhisdays。
　　Whospeaks？’saidDick。