cool waters. This week's rest and change did Jack a great deal of
good, for he had been feeling the effects of the long strain of
excitement. He had had several slight touches of fever, and the naval
doctor had begun to speak of the probability of sending him down to
the hospital-ship at Constantinople. The week's rest, however,
completely set him up, and he was delighted with the receipt of a
budget of letters from home, written upon the receipt of his letter
announcing his safety.
None but those who have gone through a long and tedious campaign, or
who may be living a struggling life in some young colony, can know how
great is the delight afforded by letters from home. For a time the
readers forget their surroundings, and all the toil and struggle of
their existence, and are again in thought among the dear ones at home.
Retiring to some quiet place apart from their comrades, they read
through their letters again and again, and it is not till every little
item is got by heart, that the letters are folded up and put away, to
be re-read over and over again until the next batch arrive.
Jack, of course, had heard much of his family from his brother, but
the long letters of his father and mother, the large, scrawling
handwriting of his little brothers and sisters, brought them before
him far more vividly than any account could have done. Enclosed in his
father's letter was one with a Russian postmark, and this Jack found
was from Count Preskoff. It had been written six weeks after he had
left them, and had, curiously enough, arrived in England on the very
day after his own letter had reached home. The count wrote expressing
their anxiety regarding him, and their earnest hopes that he had
effected his escape. He said that his wife and daughters diligently
read every paper they could get from end to end, but having seen no
notice of the capture of two young Englishmen in disguise, they
entertained strong hopes that their friends had effected their escape.
The count said he was sure that Jack would be glad to hear that things
in Russia looked brighter; that it was rumored that the Emperor
Alexander intended on the occasion of his coronation to proclaim a
general emancipation of the serfs, and that other measures of reform
would follow. The party of progress were strong in the councils of the
new monarch. The decree for his own banishment from court had been
cancelled, and he was on the point of starting for St. Petersburg with
his wife and daughters. A personal friend of his own had been
appointed commandant of Berislav, and the late deputy commandant had
been sent to join his regiment in the Crimea. The countess and his
daughters were well, and Olga was studying English. He said that when
the war was over he intended with his family to make a tour through
the capitals of Europe, and hoped that they should see Jack in
England. This was very welcome news, and Jack returned to the naval
camp at the front in high glee.
One morning a lieutenant named Myers, asked Jack if he would like to
accompany him on a reconnaissance, which he heard that a party of the
Sardinian cavalry were going to push some little distance up the Baida
Valley. Jack said that he would like it very much if he could borrow a
pony. Mr. Myers said that he could manage this for him, and at once
went and obtained the loan of a pony from another officer who was just
going down into the battery. A quarter of an hour afterwards, having
taken the precaution to put some biscuits and cold meat into their
haversacks, and to fill their flasks with rum and water, they started
and rode across the plain to the Sardinian camp.
The lieutenant had obtained the news of the proposed reconnaissance
from an officer with whom he was acquainted on the Sardinian staff.
The news, however, had been kept secret, as upon previous occasions so
many officers off duty had accompanied these reconnaissances as to
constitute an inconvenience. On the present occasion the secret had
been so well kept that only some four or five pleasure-seekers had
assembled when the column, consisting of 400 cavalry, started.
Jack, accustomed only to the flat plains of southern and western
Russia, was delighted with the beauty of the valley through which they
now rode. It was beautifully wooded, and here and there Tartar
villages nestled among the trees. These had long since been deserted
by the inhabitants, and had been looted by successive parties of
friends and foes, of everything portable.
Presently they turned out of the valley they had first passed through
and followed a road over a slope into another valley, similar to the
first. For an hour they rode on, and then some distance ahead of the
column they heard the report of a shot.
"The Cossacks have got sight of us," Mr. Myers said. "We shall soon
learn if the Russians have any troops in the neighborhood."
Presently a scattered fire was opened from the walls of a country
house, standing embowered in trees on an eminence near what appeared
to be the mouth of the valley. The officer in command of the party
dismounted one of the squadrons, and sent the men up in skirmishing
order against the house. Two other squadrons trotted down the valley,
and the rest remained in reserve. A sharp musketry conflict went on
for a short time around the chateau. Then the Sardinians made a rush,
and their shouts of triumph and the cessation of musketry proclaimed
their victory.
At the same moment a soldier rode back from the cavalry that had gone
up the valley, to say that a strong body of the enemy's horse were
approaching across the plain. The order was given for a general
advance, and the cavalry trotted down the valley to join the party in
advance.
"Now, Mr. Archer," Lieutenant Myers said, "the best thing for us to do
will be to ride forward to that house up there. See, the attacking
party are coming back to their horses. We ought to have a good view
over the plain, and shall see the fight between the Sardinians and the
enemy. Besides, we may pick up some loot."
They soon reached the house, and, tying up their horses, entered. It
was a fine chateau, handsomely furnished, but short as was the time
that the Sardinians had held possession, they had already tumbled
everything into confusion in their search for plunder. Tables and
couches had been upset, closets and chiffoniers burst open with the
butt-ends of the swords or with the discharge of a pistol into the
lock. Looking-glasses had been smashed, valuable vases lay in
fragments on the floor, bottles of wine whose necks had been hastily
knocked off stood on the table. In the courtyard were signs of strife.
Three or four Cossacks and two Sardinian horsemen lay dead.
"We will go out to the terrace in front of the house," Mr. Myers said.
"From that we ought to have a view over the country."
Owing, however, to the trees which grew around, they were obliged to
advance 100 yards or so from the house before they could see the
plain. Then some half-mile out they saw the blue mass of Sardinian
cavalry advancing by squadrons. Still farther two bodies of Russian
horse, each nearly equal in strength to the Italians, were seen. There
was a movement among the Sardinian horse. They formed into two bodies
and dashed at the Russians. There was a cloud of dust, swords could be
seen flashing in the sun, a confused melee for a minute or two, and
then the Russians broke and rode across the plain, pursued by the
Sardinians.
"A very pretty charge," Mr. Myers said. "Now we'll go in and look at
the house. It will be fully half an hour before they return again."
They went in and wandered from room to room. The place had evidently
been tenanted until quite lately. Articles of woman's work lay upon
the table. A canary bird was singing in his cage. A fire burnt in the
kitchen, and a meal was evidently in course of preparation when the
first alarm had been given. The officers wandered from room to room,
and collected a number of little trifles to take home as remembrances,
small pictures of the Greek saints, such as are found in every Russian
house, a little bronze statuette, two or three small but handsomely
bound books, a couple of curious old plates; and Jack took possession,
as a present for his elder sister, of a small work-box beautifully
fitted up. Having made two bundles of their plunder, they prepared to
go out again to see if the Sardinians were returning, when Jack,
looking out of the window, uttered an exclamation of surprise and
alarm. One of the thick fogs which are so common in the Black Sea, and
on the surrounding coasts, had suddenly rolled down upon them, and it
was difficult to see five yards from the window. Jack's exclamation
was echoed by Mr. Myers.
"This is a nice business!" the latter exclaimed. "We had better find
our ponies and make our way down into the valley at once. Seeing how
thick the fog has come on, the Sardinians may not return here at all."
So saying, they hurried to the spot where they had tied up their
ponies, and, leading them by the reins, descended into the valley.
"The fog is getting thicker and thicker," Mr. Myers said. "I cannot
see three yards before me. We must listen for them as they pass, and
then join them, although it's by no means impossible that we may be
received with a shot."
Half an hour passed, and they grew more and more anxious. Another
half-hour, and still no sound was heard.
"I do not think they can possibly have passed without our seeing them,
Mr. Archer. The valley is a quarter of a mile wide, but we should be
sure to hear the trampling of the horses and the jingling of the
sabres."
"Yes, sir, I'm sure they have not passed since we got here. But they
may possibly have seen the fog coming on and have ridden rapidly back,
and passed before we came down, or they may have gone round by the
mouth of the valley parallel to this, which we left to cross into this
one."
"That is just what I have been thinking." Mr. Myers said. "What do you
think we had better do? It is quite impossible that we can find our
way back through such a fog as this."
"Quite impossible, sir," Jack said. "If we were to move from where we
are, we should lose all idea of our bearings in three minutes, and
should be as likely to go into the plain as up the valley."
"It's a most awkward position," Mr. Myers said anxiously. "Now, Mr.
Archer, you have had some sort of experience of this kind before. Tell
me frankly what you think is the best thing to be done."
"I have been thinking it over, sir, for the last half, hour," Jack
said, "and it appears to me that the best thing to do would be for me
to find my way up to the house again. I can't well miss that, as we
came straight down hill. I will bring back two of those Cossacks'
cloaks and lances. Then we had better move about till we come on a
clump of trees, and make ourselves as comfortable there as we can.
These fogs last, as you know, sometimes for two or three days. When it
gets clear, whether it is to-day or to-morrow, we will look out and
see whether there are any of the enemy about. Of course, as they know
the way, they can come back in the fog. If we see any of them, we must
put on the Cossack's cloaks, take their lances, and boldly ride off.
They are always galloping about in pairs all over the country; so that
we shall attract no attention."
"But if they catch us," the lieutenant said, "we shall be liable to be
shot as spies."
"I suppose we shall, sir," Jack answered; "but I would rather run the
risk of being shot as a spy than the certainty of being caught as a
naval officer, and imprisoned till the war is over."
"Well, Mr Archer, I certainly can suggest nothing better," the
lieutenant said. "Will you go up, then, and, get the cloaks you speak
of?"
Leaving his pony with the lieutenant, Jack made his way up the hill.
Fortunately, in their descent they had followed a small track worn by
persons going to and from the chateau from the valley, and he had,
therefore, but little difficulty in finding the house. He paused when
he reached the courtyard, for he heard voices in the chateau.
Listening attentively, he discovered that they were Russians, no doubt
some of the party who had been driven thence by the Sardinians, and
who had, upon the retirement of the latter, ridden straight back from
the plain. Fortunately, the fog was so thick that there was no
probability whatever of his movements being discovered, and he
therefore proceeded to strip off two of the long coats, reaching
almost down to the heels, which form the distinctive Cossack dress,
from the dead men. He took possession also of their caps, their
bandoliers for cartridges, worn over one shoulder, and of their
carbines and lances, and then retraced his steps down the hill to his
companion. Leading their ponies, they wandered aimlessly through the
fog for a considerable time before they came to some trees.
"If you will hold my horse, sir," Jack said, "I will just look round,
and see if this is a small wood. I shall lose you before I have gone a
yard, so when you hear me whistle, please whistle back, but not loud,
for there may be enemies close by for aught I know. I thought I heard
voices just now."
Searching about, Jack found that the clump of trees extended for some
little distance. Returning to the lieutenant, they entered the wood,
and moved a little way among the trees, so as to be out of sight if
the fog lifted suddenly. Then they loosened the saddle-girths,
gathered some sticks and lit a fire, and using the Cossack coats for
rugs, began to discuss the meal they had brought with them.
"If the Russians really advance again, and get between us and
Balaklava, I do not see how on earth we are to pass through them," Mr.
Myers said.
