here, only too ready
and willing to transfix any man sufficiently foolhardy to attempt an
escape.

"This won't do," muttered Phil, whose wits had been at work. "It won't
do," he repeated almost unconsciously.

"What won't?" asked Tony brusquely. "It ain't over nice, I know, but I
can't see that anything's extra wrong."

"Where do you think we are marching to, Tony?" asked Phil. "You don't
know. Then I'll tell you. We are going due north, out of the Crimea
and into some part of the Russian interior. Once there, what chance
shall we have of ever getting back?"

"There you puzzle me, Phil," Tony answered, scratching his head. "I
suppose it's a long way off."

"Yes, a long way, Tony; but that is not the difficulty. The weather is
on the point of changing, and soon we shall have rain and snow. We must
get away within the next few days or not at all, so keep your eyes open
for the first chance that comes along."

"Trust me, mate," whispered Tony, unconsciously dropping his voice. "I
don't want to spend the next year or so in a Russian prison. A month's
been enough for me. But it'll be a job to get away from these fellows:
and what shall we do for food once we are free?"

"That we must chance, Tony. The main thing is to get safely away, and,
of course, we must make the attempt when it is dark. To-night our
guards, knowing we are close to the allied camp, will be extra watchful,
but a couple of nights later, when we are well on the way, and the
Russian field-army is between us and our friends, they are certain to
become slack and careless about keeping a watch. That will be our time,
and we must make the best of it. There are plenty of small farmhouses
scattered about this part of the Crimea, for it is famous for its
vineyards, and if the worst comes to the worst, we must break into one
and obtain food in that way. In any case there are grapes to be had in
abundance."

Having agreed that it was useless to attempt an escape for two days or
more, and that it was unnecessary to inform their comrades of their
intentions--for where two might chance to slip away, it was hopeless for
fifty or more to make the attempt,--Phil and Tony marched on stolidly.
Amongst the prisoners were Riflemen, Guards, and Highlanders, some
slightly wounded, and all more or less in a tattered and forlorn
condition, for head-gear had been for the most part lost, and the bright
red of tunics had long ago been dulled by lying on the