’“Pisansoldierysurprisedwhilebathing。”’remarkedDick，calmly。
’D’yourememberthepicture？It’sbyMichaelAngelo；allbeginnerscopyitThatscrub’salivewithenemy。’
Thecamel-corpsonthebankyelledtotheinfantrytocometothem，andahoarseshoutingdowntherivershowedthattheremainderofthecolumnhadwindofthetroubleandwashasteningtotakeshareinitAsswiftlyasareachofstillwateriscrispedbythewind，therock-strewnridgesandscrub-toppedhillsweretroubledandalivewitharmedmen。
Mercifully，itoccurredtothesetostandfaroffforatime，toshoutandgesticulatejoyouslyOnemanevendeliveredhimselfofalongstoryThecamel-corpsdidnotfireTheywereonlytoogladofalittlebreathing-space，untilsomesortofsquarecouldbeformedThemenonthesand-bankrantotheirside；andthewhale-boats，astheytoiledupwithinshoutingdistance，werethrustintothenearestbankandemptiedofallsavethesickandafewmentoguardthemTheAraboratorceasedhisoutcries，andhisfriendshowled。
’TheylookliketheMahdi’smen，’saidTorpenhow，elbowinghimselfintothecrushofthesquare；’butwhatthousandsof’emthereare！Thetribeshereaboutaren’tagainstus，Iknow。’
’ThentheMahdi’stakenanothertown，’saidDick，’andsetalltheseyelpingdevilsfreetoshowusupLendusyourglass。’
’OurscoutsshouldhavetoldusofthisWe’vebeentrapped，’saidasubaltern’Aren’tthecamelgunsevergoingtobegin？Hurryup，youmen！’
TherewasnoneedofanyorderThemenflungthemselvespantingagainstthesidesofthesquare，fortheyhadgoodreasontoknowthatwhosowasleftoutsidewhenthefightingbeganwouldveryprobablydieinanextremelyunpleasantfashionThelittlehundred-and-fifty-poundcamel-gunspostedatonecornerofthesquareopenedtheballasthesquaremovedforwardbyitsrighttogetpossessionofaknollofrisinggroundAllhadfoughtinthismannermanytimesbefore，andtherewasnonoveltyintheentertainment；alwaysthesamehotandstiflingformation，thesmellofdustandleather，thesameboltlikerushoftheenemy，thesamepressureontheweakestside，thefewminutesofhand-to-handscuffle，andthenthesilenceofthedesert，brokenonlybytheyellsofthosewhomtheirhandfulofcavalryattemptedtopurseTheyhadbecomecarelessThecamel-gunsspokeatintervals，andthesquareslouchedforwardamidtheprotestingofthecamelsThencametheattackofthreethousandmenwhohadnotlearnedfrombooksthatitisimpossiblefortroopsincloseordertoattackagainstbreech-loadingfire。
Afewdroppingshotsheraldedtheirapproach，andafewhorsemenled，butthebulkoftheforcewasnakedhumanity，madwithrage，andarmedwiththespearandtheswordTheinstinctofthedesert，wherethereisalwaysmuchwar，toldthemthattherightflankofthesquarewastheweakest，fortheyswungclearofthefrontThecamel-gunsshelledthemastheypassedandopenedforaninstantlanesthroughtheirmidst，mostlikethosequick-closingvistasinaKentishhop-gardenseenwhenthetrainracesbyatfullspeed；andtheinfantryfire，heldtilltheopportunemoment，droppedtheminclose-packinghundredsNocivilisedtroopsintheworldcouldhaveenduredthehellthroughwhichtheycame，thelivingleapinghightoavoidthedyingwhoclutchedattheirheels，thewoundedcursingandstaggeringforward，tilltheyfell——atorrentblackastheslidingwateraboveamill-dam——fullontherightflankofthesquare。
Thenthelineofthedustytroopsandthefaintbluedesertskyoverheadwentoutinrollingsmoke，andthelittlestonesontheheatedgroundantthetinder-dryclumpsofscrubbecamemattersofsurpassinginterest，formenmeasuredtheiragonisedretreatandrecoverybythesethings，countingmechanicallyandhewingtheirwaybacktochosenpebbleandbranchTherewasnosemblanceofanyconcertedfightingForaughtthemenknew，theenemymightbeattemptingallfoursidesofthesquareatonceTheirbusinesswastodestroywhatlayinfrontofthem，tobayonetinthebackthosewhopassedoverthem，and，dying，todragdowntheslayertillhecouldbeknockedontheheadbysomeavenginggun-butt。
DickwaitedwithTorpenhowandayoungdoctortillthestressgrewunendurableItwashopelesstoattendtothewoundedtilltheattackwasrepulsed，sothethreemovedforwardgingerlytowardstheweakestsideofthesquareTherewasarushfromwithout，theshorthough-houghofthestabbingspears，andamanonahorse，followedbythirtyorfortyothers，dashedthrough，yelli...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：