had a
narrow escape of being killed. A shot from one of the Russian
rifle-pits "as nearly as possible did for me," he wrote; "the bullet
was fired not 180 yards off, and passed an inch above my nut into a
bank I was passing." His only comment on this is very characteristic:
"They are very good marksmen; their bullet is large and pointed."

This was the first but not the last escape he had during the siege.
One of his brothers, writing home some three months later, a few days
before the assault on the Redan, wrote as follows: "Charlie has had a
miraculous escape. The day before yesterday he saw the smoke from an
embrasure on his left and heard a shell coming, but did not see it. It
struck the ground about five yards in front of him and burst, not
touching him. If it had not burst it would have taken his head off."
Of this later shave Gordon himself says nothing, but he describes a
somewhat similar incident, which had, however, a fatal result. "We
lost one of our captains named Craigie by a splinter of a shell. The
shell burst above him, and by what is called chance struck him in the
back, killing him at once."

During the three months March, April, and May, the siege languished,
and Gordon apologises for the stupidity of his letters with the
graphic observation: "It is not my fault, as none of the three
nations--French, English, or Russian--will do anything."

At the end of May, however, there was a renewal of activity. General
Pelissier succeeded to the French command, and, unlike his
predecessors, made it his primary object to act in cordial
co-operation with the English commander. He was also in favour of an
energetic prosecution of the siege, with the view to an early
assault. All the batteries were by this time completed, and 588 guns,
with 700 rounds in readiness for each gun, were opposed to the 1174 in
the Russian fortress. It only remained to utilise this terrific force,
and at last orders were given for the commencement of what was known
as the third bombardment. After nearly two days' incessant firing the
French stormed the Mamelon and two advance redoubts. These were
successfully carried and held, at the same time that the English
stormed a position called the Quarries, close under the formidable
Redan. Of this bombardment Gordon gives in one of his letters a very
good description:--

"On the 6th we opened fire from all our batteries. I was on duty
in the trenches. I could distinctly see the Ru