then take all the
glory out of war, and reduce soldiers to a set of mere professional and
legalised cut-throats, whose duty it is callously to knock over so many
thousand men at the command of governments?"

"Bear with me a little," said I, "and hear me out. You misunderstand
me. I speak of war, not of warriors. As there is no `romance,' so
there is no `glory' in war. Many a glorious deed may be, and often is,
done _in connection with_ war. Such a deed is done when a handful of
brave men sacrifice their lives at the call of duty, and in defence of
country, as at Thermopylae. Such a deed is done when a wounded Prussian
soldier, dying of thirst on the battle-field, forgets the accursed
custom--war--which has brought him to that pass, and shares the last
drops of his water-flask with a so-called French enemy. And such a deed
is done, still more gloriously, when a soldier, true to his Queen and
country, is true also to his God, and preaches while he practises the
principles and gospel of the Prince of Peace, in the presence of those
with whom he acts his part in this world's drama. There is indeed much
that is glorious in the conduct of many warriors, but there is no glory
whatever in war itself. The best that can be said of it is, that
sometimes it is a stern yet sad necessity."

We dropped the subject here, having reached the point of the river where
our party was to cross to the Turkish shore.

The passage was soon accomplished by means of rafts, and many thousands
of Russians having already preceded us we experienced no opposition. It
was daylight when we rode into a village on the Bulgarian shore, and I
looked up sleepily at the cottages as we passed.

"We halt here," said Nicholas, with a yawn as he drew rein.

The officer in command of our party had already halted his men, who,
gladly quitting their saddles, streamed after us into the courtyard of
the village.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

SHEWS WHAT SOMETIMES HAPPENS IN THE TRACK OF TROOPS.

"Why, Nicholas," I exclaimed, looking round the inn, "I have been here
before. It is--it must be--the very place where, on my way up, I saw a
famous wrestling-match. Did I ever tell you about it?"

"Never; but come along, I must finish one part of my duty here without
delay by paying a visit. You can tell me about the wrestling-match as
we walk together."

I described the match with great interest, for my heart warmed towards
the chief actor and his family, an