up the
hill, and soon disappeared, for volumes of smoke were pouring from the
village of Bourliouk, which was now in flames, and, mingling with that
from the guns, enveloped the combatants in a dense cloud.

And as the line advanced into the thick of the fight, and while rifle
fire brought havoc to the ranks, the Russian skirmishers, still clinging
to their positions amongst the trees of the river-bank, picked off all
the stragglers, and even turned their volleys and the fire of a few
light field-guns upon the main body.

"Keep together, mate. We'll fight 'em side by side," shouted Tony,
closing up to Phil. "Got yer rifle loaded? Then keep yer charge till
we gets to close quarters. It'll come in handy then."

"Right! I thought of that," Phil shouted back. Then, closing up to
their comrades, they advanced at a rapid pace and flung themselves upon
the lines of grey-coated Russians.

To this day Phil cannot quite recall what happened. If you press him he
will perhaps tell you that he recollects a young officer falling at his
feet, while a huge Russian prepared to bayonet him. Next moment the man
was down and Phil was standing over him, while Tony's rifle laid low
another who was in the act of dashing his friend's head to pieces with
the butt of his weapon.

On pressed the red line resistlessly and with never a pause, leaving
behind them friend and foe strewn upon the grass, and on, ever in front,
went the officers and the colours into the heart of the struggling mass
of grey. There was no need to call to their men and beg them to follow.
The British lion was aroused in desperate earnestness, and with grim
and awe-inspiring silence the men rushed on headlong and regardless of
bullet or bayonet. There was a crash, the bang, bang of an occasional
shot, and the clash of steel upon steel, and then the trample of
thousands of feet as the enemy gave way and fled.

Side by side Phil and Tony had fought their way into the middle of the
famous Vladimir regiment, and as the Russians turned, found themselves
mixed up with brawny Highlanders, who, with the light of battle in their
eyes, were pressing resistlessly forward. Suddenly Phil caught sight of
a figure in advance bearing a British colour. It swayed this way and
that, now endeavouring to get closer to the Highlanders, and next moment
swept forward as the retreating Russians slowly gave way and drove the
bearer before them.

"The colour! the colour!" he shoute