“Hallo, Archer,” a young ensign said, “if I had been in your place, I should have remained snugly on board ship.  A nice night we are in for!”

So long as the daylight lasted, the officers stood in groups and chatted of the prospects of the campaign.  There was nothing to do—­no possibility of seeing to the comforts of their men.  The place where the regiment was encamped was absolutely bare, and there were no means of procuring any shelter whatever.

“How big is that tarpaulin, Jack?”

“About twelve feet square,” Jack said, “and pretty heavy I found it, I can tell you.”

“What had we better do with it?” asked Harry.  “I can’t lie down under that, you know, with the colonel sitting out exposed to this rain.”

“The best thing,” Jack said after a minute’s consideration, “would be to make a sort of tent of it.  If we could put it up at a slant, some six feet high in front with its back to the wind, it would shelter a lot of fellows.  We might hang some of the blankets at the sides.”

The captain and lieutenant of Harry’s company were taken into consultation, and with the aid of half a dozen soldiers, some muskets bound together and some ramrods, a penthouse shelter was made.  Some sods were laid on the lower edge to keep it down.  Each side was closed with two blankets.  Some cords from one of the baggage carts were used as guy ropes to the corners, and a very snug shelter was constructed.  This Harry invited the colonel and officers to use, and although the space was limited, the greater portion of them managed to sit down in it, those who could not find room taking up their places in front, where the tent afforded a considerable shelter from the wind and rain.  No one thought of sleeping.  Pipes were lighted, and Jack’s two bottles of rum afforded a tot to each.  The night could scarcely be called a comfortable one, even with these aids; but it was luxurious, indeed, in comparison with that passed by those exposed to the full force of the wind.

The next morning Jack said good-bye to his brother and the officers of the regiment, to whom he presented the tarpaulin for future use, and this was folded up and smuggled into an ammunition cart.  It was not, of course, Jack’s to give, being government property, but he would be able to pay the regulation price for it on his return.  Half an hour later, Jack was on the beach, where a high surf was beating.  All day the work of landing cavalry and artillery went on under the greatest difficulties.  Many of the boats were staved and rendered useless, and several chargers drowned.  It was evident that the weather was breaking up, and the ten days of lovely weather which had been wasted at sea were more bitterly regretted than ever.  No tents were landed, and the troops remained wet to the skin, with the additional mortification of seeing their French allies snugly housed under canvas, while even the 4000 Turks had managed to bring their tents with them.  The natural