rm of the Guards. From all quarters came groans and cries, and
the midshipmen could not resist stopping to afford some relief to the
sufferers. Several Russians lay with their heads placed on the corpses
of their brother soldiers; some had their arms, others their legs, blown
away by round-shot. One poor fellow was still alive, though both his
thighs had been thus broken. He had strength to point to his lips, and
Tom, kneeling by his side, poured some water down his throat. The dying
man cast a grateful look at the young officer, but before they left him
he expired. Several had their heads blown off; others, who had their
faces carried away, presented the most dreadful spectacle.

At length Tom exclaimed, "There are some Guardsmen!" Several high
bearskin caps marked the spot to which he pointed; the first men they
came to were dead, but higher up the hill they saw more. One of them
was alive, with a bad wound in his side, and a shot through his arm; he
was apparently bleeding to death. Archie produced his bandages, while
Tom poured some brandy down his throat. It contributed to revive him;
Tom inquired eagerly if he had seen Captain Rogers.

"Yes, sir," was the answer; "he was marching on with the regiment when I
fell."

Having done their best to stop the blood flowing from the man's wound,
Tom and Archie hurried forward. Farther to the right the ground was
still more thickly covered with corpses. On examining them, Tom
observed that though many were Guardsmen, they did not belong to his
brother's regiment. Several officers lay dead, numerous Russians
mingled with the British. The greater number appeared to have been shot
by bullets, but several had been killed by the bayonet or sword, and
exhibited ghastly wounds. Apparently, the wounded officers had been
removed, for none were seen alive. Numerous helmets, knapsacks, and
other accoutrements thrown away by the Russians, together with the
greater number of their dead, showed that they had been put to flight by
the victorious advance of the British.

"This is terrible," cried Tom; "I had often pictured a battlefield, but
I had not fancied it anything like so horrible as this is."

"It must be worse to the poor fellows who lie scattered about us,
suffering fearful tortures from their wounds," answered Archie, "with
the prospect of dying from them; or even if they recover, being maimed
for life."

"I hope poor Sidney is not among them," exclaimed Tom,