long time unconscious, I saw, on awaking, a number of
armed Indians plundering the dead and wounded. One of the brown devils
approached me. When he saw me lifting myself up to grasp my revolver, he
rushed upon me brandishing his sword. I parried the first thrust at my
head with my right arm. Defenceless as I was, I was already prepared for
the worst. But at the moment, when the rascal was lifting up his arm
for another thrust, he reeled backwards and collapsed without uttering a
sound. It was Georgi, who had saved my life by a well-directed shot.

"She had accompanied the dragoons sent from our camp to recover the dead
and wounded, and had got considerably in advance of the horsemen. Hence
it had been possible for her to save me.

"I was too weak to ask her many questions, and my memory is a blank as
to the few moments of this meeting.

"For a week I lay between life and death. Then my iron constitution
triumphed. You can imagine, my dearest friend, how great my desire was
to see Georgi again. But she was no longer in the camp, and no one could
tell me where she was. She disappeared again as suddenly as she had
appeared on that day. This time I must make up my mind to the conviction
that I have lost her for ever. While on my sick bed I received a command
to repair to St. Petersburg. At the same time I was highly flattered to
learn that I had been promoted, and as soon as my condition permitted
it, I started on my journey.

"Pardon me, dear friend, for lingering so long over a personal matter,
which, after all, can have very little interest for you.

"You are as well informed as myself of the manifold changes of this war,
which has already destroyed the value of untold millions, and has cost
hundreds of thousands of promising human lives. I could almost envy you
for being still spared to be an eyewitness of the great events, while I
am condemned to the role of an inactive spectator. But I do not believe
the struggle will last much longer. The sacrifices which it imposes on
the people are too great to be endured many months longer. Everything is
pressing to a speedy and decisive result, and I have no doubt what that
result will be. For although the defeats and losses sustained by the
English are partly compensated by occasional successes, one great naval
victory of the allies would finally decide the issue against Great
Britain. Hitherto, both sides have hesitated to bring about this
decisive result, but all here are