for our own camp. They may be occupied by the French or
Turks, and as we could not answer their challenge, and our speech is as
likely to be taken for Russian as for English, we should run a great
chance of being shot or bayoneted before they discovered which side we
belonged to. No, decidedly, I am for slipping through."

Tony expressed his approval, and indeed it was the wisest course to
take, for as it turned out the batteries were manned by Turks, who, on
the following day, were to defend them valiantly, and the majority of
whom were to lose their lives in doing so.

At last the moment for setting forth arrived, and the state of
excitement into which Phil and Tony had worked themselves may be
imagined. This was the last struggle for freedom, the trump card upon
which their fortunes depended. If they failed to pass unnoticed through
the ground intervening between themselves and the batteries no doubt a
hoard of Cossack scouts would be quickly on their track, like vultures
on their prey, for the waning light had shown numbers of these shaggy
horsemen dotting the plain below. Still, the risk was no greater than
that which they had already run, and, buoyed with the hope of liberty on
the morrow, and, as Tony did not forget to mention again, a substantial
meal for the first time for many a long day, they vaulted into their
saddles and commenced to ride from the vineyard.

"Hark! What is that?" asked Phil suddenly, in a subdued tone of alarm.
"I am certain I heard something over there;" and he pointed towards the
Kamara heights.

Both listened intently, and distinctly heard the rumble of distant
wheels, and a dull, heavy sound as though of a large force of men
approaching.

"Back for our lives!" cried Phil excitedly. "It must be the Russian
troops coming this way. We must watch them, Tony."

"Ay, it's the enemy right enough," muttered Tony angrily. "Phil, them
chaps is always coming up against us and spoiling our fun. First they
stopped us from carrying that colour back, and then blest if a Cossack
cove didn't try for to keep us when we was bolting from the camp. He
paid for that, he did, and I expect he'll be more careful in the future.
Then them drunken swabs turned us out of what was house and home, if
yer can call an old rickety carriage such. Law! what a jolly time we
give them too! And now they are after us again, the brutes!" and with a
grunt of disgust Tony dragged the club from his belt, silent