re on the shore, but wait
till it comes to planting it in a fort; we'll be there with yer, and
p'r'aps show yer the way."

"Come, come," laughed Phil. "It's all your jealousy. The French are a
brave nation and can fight; though I'm glad to think that we have always
beaten them. Ah! there goes another gun, and see, they are
disembarking."

"Yes, so they are; but look away over there," exclaimed Tony, pointing
to the shore, where on an upland plateau, above the lake, some two
hundred yards from the sea, stood five shaggy-looking ponies with
figures seated on their backs holding long lances in their hands.

"Cossacks!" remarked Phil. "They are watching us. It seems strange
that the Russians have made no preparations to oppose our landing, but I
suppose they were quite uncertain as to the exact spot we should hit
upon."

Transferring their attention from the figures on the shore to the French
fleet, they watched, not without some amount of envy, the rapid
disembarkation of the soldiers. But very soon another gun boomed out,
and boats dashed from the British men-of-war towards the transports.

"Now our turn has come," remarked Phil. "Come along, Tony. We'll get
our kit strapped on, and then we shall be ready at any moment."

"Pass the word along there for Corporal Western," sounded across the
deck at this moment; and, hastily making his canteen fast, Phil
shouldered his Minie rifle and stepped up to the adjutant.

"Take two men," the latter ordered, "and mount guard over the boxes of
ammunition. You will land with them and see them safely stacked out of
reach of the water, and remain in charge of them till you are relieved."

"I understand, sir," said Phil, saluting smartly by bringing his
disengaged hand across to his rifle and striding away.

"Tony, I want you," he said, "and we'll take Sam Wilson as well. We're
to mount guard over the ammunition."

It was the first really responsible charge that Phil had had entrusted
to him, and he felt proud of it. Taking Tony and Sam with him, they
stacked the boxes which had just been hoisted from the hold, and while
one strode up and down in front, the other two sat down and waited for
the order to disembark. Soon it came, and the men, who had fallen in,
two deep, slowly filed to the gangways.

It was a difficult undertaking to disembark so many, but with the help
of the sailors the greater part of the work was completed by nightfall.

"By Jove, it's really