ge but a few hundred
yards away.

"Those were the voices I thought I heard, no doubt, when we first came
here," Jack said. "It's lucky we found these trees, for if we had
wandered about a little longer, we might have stumbled into the middle
of them. Now, sir, we had better finish the biscuits we put aside for
breakfast, and be off. It is quite evident the direct way to the camp
is close to us."

Saddling up their horses, and putting on the Cossack black sheepskin
caps and long coats, and taking the lances and carbines, the latter of
which were carried across the saddle before them, they mounted their
ponies and rode off, quitting the wood at such a point that it formed
a screen between them and the cavalry in the distance, until they had
gone well down the valley. They were unnoticed, or at any rate,
unchallenged by the party at the chateau, and, issuing from the
valley, rode out into the open country.

Far out in the plain they saw several Russians moving about, and
judged that these were occupied in searching those who had fallen in
the cavalry fight of the preceding day. They did not approach them,
but turning to the right, trotted briskly along, skirting the foot of
the hills. They passed through two or three Tartar villages whose
inhabitants scarcely glanced at them, so accustomed were they to the
sight of small parties of Cossacks riding hither and thither.

In one, which stood just at the mouth of the valley which they had
determined to enter, as a road running up it seemed to indicate that
it led to some place, perhaps upon the sea-shore, they found several
Russian soldiers loitering about. Lieutenant Myers would have checked
his pony, but Jack rode unhesitatingly forward. An officer came out of
one of the cottages.

"Any news?" he asked.

"None," Jack said. "The enemy's horse came out yesterday, through the
Baida valley, but we beat them back again."

"Where are you going?" the Russian asked.

"Down towards the sea," Jack answered, "to pick up stragglers who land
to plunder. A whole sotina is coming down. They will be here
presently," so saying, with a wave of his hand, he resumed his way up
the valley, Lieutenant Myers having ridden on, lest any questions
should be addressed to him. The road mounted steadily, and after some
hours' riding they crossed a brow, and found themselves at the head of
a valley opening before them, and between the cliffs at its end they
could see the sea.

They could scar