. I expects Silistria's better than that. It'll be
warm at any rate; at least that's what people say; and I shall be
precious glad, for if there's anything that upsets me, it's freezing
cold weather, and that's what we'll have in the Crimea."

"Anything's better, I reckon, than sticking in this here place," chimed
in another. "What have we been doing? Simply drilling day and night,
it seems, and eating our rations. Wasting time, I calls it. Then every
chap has been sick. See how many of our poor fellows has died. Let's
get out of this, I says. Anything's better than sitting still."

There was a grunt of assent from all, for disease had already picked out
many victims from amongst the men of the combined armies, and inaction
amongst a number of troops living in more or less confined quarters had
already had disastrous results. Accordingly the move to Varna was
hailed with delight, and the men of the Guards embarked with feelings of
unmixed pleasure.

Arrived at Varna, a picturesque spot on the sea-coast, they found the
French already there, and other troops arriving daily. Not long
afterwards a French force set out to march towards Silistria, but with
terrible results. Cholera had dogged their footsteps from Marseilles,
and seven days after leaving the coast this dread disease attacked the
two divisions under General Canrobert with malignant fury, bringing no
less than 7000 of the unfortunate men to an untimely end. It was an
awful example of sudden death, for in three days the divisions crawled
back into Varna more disorganised and downhearted than if they had
sustained a terrible defeat.

"It is terrible!" exclaimed Phil when the news reached him; "and worse
still to think that the epidemic may come into our camps. If it does,
God help us! for thousands will die. Remember our rule, Tony, no fruit.
It is the most dangerous article of food at present, and has already
killed many by causing dysentery. So beware of it, as you value your
life."

Indeed, so certain was this, that the men were warned against
over-indulgence in fruit and vegetables, and the regimental doctor
earnestly advised all to boil any water before drinking it. In spite of
the warning, however, many were too thoughtless or too careless to heed
it, and scarcely had the shattered ranks of the French crawled into
Varna when cholera broke out amongst the British. Of these there were
some 22,000, whilst the bulk of the garrison was comp