pon a
folded-up blanket on top of the boxes, and the cavalcade started, Tony
and Phil forming the flank guard, and proudly riding their
newly-acquired steeds.

"I should have liked to give those poor fellows a decent burial," said
Phil with a sigh of regret as they rode away, "but it is impossible. We
haven't any spades or picks, and, above all, it would not do to wait."

"Don't worry about that, mate," one of the troopers answered. "Their
chums is certain to come over and see to that, for these Russians ain't
bad chaps when you take 'em all round, and I hear they're as kind as
possible to one another."

An hour later the party rode into camp and caused quite a sensation.

"Why, Corporal Western, we gave you up for lost!" said the adjutant of
the Grenadiers, coming out to meet them. "We made sure you had been
killed or captured, and now you turn up with prisoners. How has it
happened?"

"Quite simply, sir," Phil answered, with a smile. "We were left behind
when the shaft of our cart broke, and then we took the wrong road. This
morning we were attacked, and beat off five Cossacks. Then others
appeared, and just as we were thinking of giving in, a patrol of
dragoons rode up."

"Giving in!" exclaimed Sam in high disdain from his elevated seat.
"Tell you what it is, sir. That Corporal Western don't know when the
time to hoist the white flag arrives. He meant sticking to it, so we
just backed him up."

"Whoever was the cause of your holding on, my lads, it's much the same
in the end," exclaimed the officer heartily. "You have done well, and
your names shall be mentioned to the colonel. Now you had better see
what the cooks have left, while the doctors take your wounded comrade in
charge."

Handing the cart over to the quarter-master, Tony followed Phil to the
cook's fire, and both were soon devouring a meal of bully beef and
bread, for they were almost famished, having been too much engaged and
too highly excited to eat while threatened by the Cossacks.

They found the Allies encamped a few miles from the River Alma, and
almost in sight of the Russian position.

"It'll be hot work to-morrow," said one of the sergeants that evening,
as they sat wrapped in their blankets round the fire. "The enemy has
chosen a splendid position along the heights the other side of the
river, and I expect our job will be to turn him out. It will be a big
fight, or I'm mistaken, and as we shall all have plenty to do I'm