CHAPTER EIGHT.
LOST IN THE CRIMEA.
"Bustle up, you boys! Put your kit together, Tony, as quickly as youcan, for we are off at last!" cried Phil excitedly, on his return onemorning from the tent which had been set apart for the orderly-roomclerks. "I have great news for you."
"What is it? Out with it, Phil!" came in a chorus from the nine men whoshared the tent with him. "A move at last! Hurrah! We're all precioustired of this place. Is it Russia we're off to?"
"No, not that, but Varna," answered Phil. "We sail to-morrow, I havebeen told, and with the French march against the Russians. It will bethe opening scene of a grand campaign, for I hear they are besiegingSilistria, in the province of the Danube."
"Then all them yarns about the Crimea, or whatever they calls it, andtaking Sebastopol, is all wrong 'uns," exclaimed Tony, with disgust."Never mind, boys. I expects Silistria's better than that. It'll bewarm at any rate; at least that's what people say; and I shall beprecious glad, for if there's anything that upsets me, it's freezingcold weather, and that's what we'll have in the Crimea."
"Anything's better, I reckon, than sticking in this here place," chimedin another. "What have we been doing? Simply drilling day and night,it seems, and eating our rations. Wasting time, I calls it. Then everychap has been sick. See how many of our poor fellows has died. Let'sget out of this, I says. Anything's better than sitting still."
There was a grunt of assent from all, for disease had already picked outmany victims from amongst the men of the combined armies, and inactionamongst a number of troops living in more or less confined quarters hadalready had disastrous results. Accordingly the move to Varna washailed with delight, and the men of the Guards embarked with feelings ofunmixed pleasure.
Arrived at Varna, a picturesque spot on the sea-coast, they found theFrench already there, and other troops arriving daily. Not longafterwards a French force set out to march towards Silistria, but withterrible results. Cholera had dogged their footsteps from Marseilles,and seven days after leaving the coast this dread disease attacked thetwo divisions under General Canrobert with malignant fury, bringing noless than 7000 of the unfortunate men to an untimely end. It was anawful example of sudden death, for in three days the divisions crawledback into Varna more disorganised and downhearted than if they hadsustained a terrible defeat.
"It is terrible!" exclaimed Phil when the news reached him; "and worsestill 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 alreadykilled many by causing dysentery. So beware of it, as you value yourlife."
Indeed, so certain was this, that the men were warned againstover-indulgence in fruit and vegetables, and the regimental doctorearnestly advised all to boil any water before drinking it. In spite ofthe warning, however, many were too thoughtless or too careless to heedit, and scarcely had the shattered ranks of the French crawled intoVarna when cholera broke out amongst the British. Of these there weresome 22,000, whilst the bulk of the garrison was composed of 50,000French and 8000 Turks. As if by the hand of the Destroying Angel thedread scourge spread through the camp, striking down men on every side,irrespective of race, creed, or age. Hundreds died, and the hospitalswere filled to overflowing. As for the still hale and hearty, they wentabout silently, and as if fearing to laugh or sing, for on all sidestheir comrades were dying. Instead they stared moodily at one anotherwith wide-open eyes which seemed to ask: "How much longer will thismisery last? When will our turn come to fall victims to this dreadfulscourge--this terrifying sickness which strikes silently and unawares,and yet so surely and so fatally that he upon whom its grip is fastenedcan scarcely hope to see the light of another day?" Phil often askedhimself these questions.
"The doctor has called for volunteers to nurse the sick," he said onemorning as he sat in the tent and looked at his comrades, whose numberswere already sadly diminished.
"What? Volunteers to nurse them with cholera!" exclaimed one inawe-struck tones.
"Yes, to nurse the cholera patients."
"He'll never get any--never!" said the man moodily. "It's bad enough toknow it's here amongst us. But who's going to run against it if he'sable to keep away? It's like shooting yourself."
"There's risk certainly," remarked Phil calmly, "but the doctors takeit, and so do their orderlies; and after all, one must die some day.Won't any of you fellows volunteer?"
No answer was returned, though Tony looked up at his friend with afrightened, half-guilty face, and then, like his comrades, staredmoodily at the ground.
"Well, good-bye, in case!" said Phil shortly, and stepped out of thetent.
"Here, what's this you're doing, Phil?" gasped Tony hurriedly, followinghim, and looking searchingly at him as if to read his inmost thoughts.
"I'm going to help, Tony. The men are dying like flies, poor fellows!and the hospital staff is simply overwhelmed. Volunteers are asked for,and I'm one. At any other time I wouldn't dream of it, but now it'sdifferent. Besides, this inaction is too trying, and I feel that I musthave something to occupy my thoughts."
"Don't say no more, mate, I'm with yer," Tony blurted out, flushing redwith shame and grasping his friend's hand. "It's just what a chap likeyou would do, and I'm blowed if I don't come along too."
It was a desperate undertaking for Tony, for, like all uneducatedpeople, he had a far greater dread of cholera than others betterinformed. But his friend's decision was enough for him, and, swallowinghis fears with a gulp, he wiped the perspiration from his forehead andfollowed Phil to the hospital.
"There, it's not half so bad as you imagined, and, for the matter ofthat, not nearly so serious an undertaking as I thought," said Phil,some two weeks later, as he and Tony sat on the door-step of thehospital, taking a little fresh air after their unpleasant work.
"No, 'tain't as bad, but it's trying," remarked Tony thoughtfully.
And he was right. It had been trying work. Gifted with considerablecommon sense and a fair education, Phil had rapidly picked up the dutiesof a nurse sufficiently well to be able to render real help to hiscomrades who were suffering from cholera, and was now in charge of alarge ward, with Tony to help him. And together they had worked day andnight, relieving one another, and earning the praise of doctors andpatients alike.
"You shall never regret this sacrifice," said the doctor gratefully. "Ihave already mentioned you to the colonel; and be sure, when honours aregiven at the end of the campaign, you will not be overlooked. I knowwhat it means to you, and that you would far rather face the guns of theRussians than this disease."
"It's not so bad, now we're used to it, sir," said Phil; "but I own I'dfar rather be in the fighting-line; not so much because I fear thedisease, as because it is so distressing to see all these poor fellowsdie in agony."
"Right, lad, right! I know what it means," the doctor answered, with asigh. "But, thank Heavens! the epidemic is abating."
By the middle of August there was a considerable decrease, though thefleet was suffering severely in spite of having severed its connectionwith the shore. A week later the number of cases was infinitesimalcompared with what it had been, and in consequence arrangements werepushed forward for another move.
"We shall go to the Crimea this time," said the doctor, who seemed tohave taken quite a fancy to Phil, and often indulged in a chat with him."Austria has moved 50,000 or more of her troops down Silistria way, andthe Russians have raised the siege and retired. Now we are going toshow them that war cannot be commenced with impunity on such trivialgrounds. It is supposed to be a secret, but Sebastopol will undoubtedlybe our object, and we shall endeavour to destroy it."
It was evident to all, in fact, that something was in the wind. A hugefleet of East Indiamen and other craft assembled off Varna to act astransports, and immense barges were prepared for the reception ofartillery. Stores, too, stood in enormous stacks
down by the shore, andeverything pointed to a change of quarters.
The news of a possible move spread like fire through the camp, and atonce the spirits of the soldiers rose. Despair gave way tocheerfulness, and whistling and singing were again to be heard. At lastcame the orders to embark, and on September 4th the British fleet, whichstretched away to the horizon, set sail for an unknown port, and with anagreement to meet the French and Turkish vessels _en route_. It isunnecessary to detail the vexatious dallying and delay that occurred.Had fixed plans been drawn out before the departure from Varna, theallied armies could have reached the Crimea and landed upon its shoresin three days, but nothing had been arranged. The fleets sailed hitherand thither aimlessly, it seemed, and finally anchored, while a partywas sent forward to reconnoitre. The natural result was that theRussians suspected that a descent was contemplated upon Sebastopol andat once prepared for emergencies, entrenching the landward face of thetown and fortress, which till then was almost devoid of batteries andfortifications.
But at last something was decided, and at daybreak on September 14th thehuge fleet of transports, now joined by French and Turks, dropped anchoroff Lake Saki, near Eupatoria, some 34 miles from Sebastopol.
The boom of a gun at once echoed along the shore, followed by a puff ofsmoke from a port-hole of the French flagship. At once a boat shot awayfrom her stern and made for the beach.
"Ah! the beggars!" exclaimed Phil. "They will be the first ashore. Whydoes not our general send a boat to race them?"
"Plenty of time, mate," growled Tony, no more pleased than his friend tosee their dapper allies to the front. "We'll show 'em yet; see if wedon't."
All eyes were fixed on the boat. It ran gently on to the beach, itscrew sprang out, and within a few minutes a flagstaff was erected, andthe tricolour run up to the accompaniment of a shrill "Vive l'Empereur!"faintly heard across the water.
"Yes, shout if yer like," cried Tony in disgust. "See how we'll showyer. It don't take much to put up a flag there on the shore, but waittill it comes to planting it in a fort; we'll be there with yer, andp'r'aps show yer the way."
"Come, come," laughed Phil. "It's all your jealousy. The French are abrave nation and can fight; though I'm glad to think that we have alwaysbeaten them. Ah! there goes another gun, and see, they aredisembarking."
"Yes, so they are; but look away over there," exclaimed Tony, pointingto the shore, where on an upland plateau, above the lake, some twohundred yards from the sea, stood five shaggy-looking ponies withfigures seated on their backs holding long lances in their hands.
"Cossacks!" remarked Phil. "They are watching us. It seems strangethat the Russians have made no preparations to oppose our landing, but Isuppose they were quite uncertain as to the exact spot we should hitupon."
Transferring their attention from the figures on the shore to the Frenchfleet, they watched, not without some amount of envy, the rapiddisembarkation of the soldiers. But very soon another gun boomed out,and boats dashed from the British men-of-war towards the transports.
"Now our turn has come," remarked Phil. "Come along, Tony. We'll getour kit strapped on, and then we shall be ready at any moment."
"Pass the word along there for Corporal Western," sounded across thedeck at this moment; and, hastily making his canteen fast, Philshouldered his Minie rifle and stepped up to the adjutant.
"Take two men," the latter ordered, "and mount guard over the boxes ofammunition. You will land with them and see them safely stacked out ofreach of the water, and remain in charge of them till you are relieved."
"I understand, sir," said Phil, saluting smartly by bringing hisdisengaged hand across to his rifle and striding away.
"Tony, I want you," he said, "and we'll take Sam Wilson as well. We'reto mount guard over the ammunition."
It was the first really responsible charge that Phil had had entrustedto him, and he felt proud of it. Taking Tony and Sam with him, theystacked the boxes which had just been hoisted from the hold, and whileone strode up and down in front, the other two sat down and waited forthe order to disembark. Soon it came, and the men, who had fallen in,two deep, slowly filed to the gangways.
It was a difficult undertaking to disembark so many, but with the helpof the sailors the greater part of the work was completed by nightfall.
"By Jove, it's really grand to see how those Jack Tars work," remarkedPhil. "They have made no end of trips to the shore already, and herethey are preparing to tow us."
Honest Jack indeed worked like a slave. As if to show hiscomrade-in-arms what he could do, and that he was master on the sea, hehanded each soldier down into the boats as tenderly as if he were achild, remarking: "Now sit down there, matey. It'll soon be over, andthis here swell's simply nothing;" or, "Hang on to that there ladderwith yer eyebrows. Yer ain't used to these monkey tricks, and I've seena better man than you let go and get a sousing."
Thomas Atkins listened to it all good-humouredly, and took his placeobediently, while the sailors pulled the heavy boats and flats ashore.
Phil and his charge were taken in a special boat, and on landing theboxes were carried up and stacked in the centre of the camp selected forthe Grenadier Guards. By this time the wind had risen, and rain hadcommenced to fall.
"It looks like raining all night, Phil," said Tony ruefully, staring upat the heavy clouds. "It's a fine look-out for us, for there ain't asingle tent amongst us."
"Then we're no worse off than our officers, Tony. I see, though, thatthose Frenchies are housed under tiny tents they call `_tentes d'abri_'.Why shouldn't we make a kind of hutch with these boxes. One of us mustdo sentry-go outside, of course, but the other two may as well keep dry,and for the matter of that there are sufficient boxes to make a regularhut big enough to lie down in, and high enough to cover the sentry."
"Lummy, that's a cute dodge!" cried Tony. "We'll fix it up at once.Come along, Sam; lend a hand before this rain goes through us."
The boxes were heavy, but within a quarter of an hour quite arespectable house had been formed, with a blanket for a roof, and theopening turned away from the wind. Into this two of them crept, whilethe third stood on guard under the covering. By this means, whileeveryone else in the British lines spent a miserable night, and wasdrenched to the skin, Phil and his comrades escaped the rain, and awokein the morning refreshed by a good sleep.
Phil was not relieved from his charge, but, with the two men helpinghim, remained on guard all the following day, when a native cart, calledan "araba", was provided for the carriage of the ammunition, and he wasinformed that he would be in charge of it, and must see to having itloaded before the troops marched.
"A precious nice game," snorted Tony, when he heard the order. "Here weare, stuck right in rear of the troops, in charge of a few boxes ofammunition. Why couldn't someone else have been chosen?"
"Don't you grumble," replied Phil severely. "We have a responsiblecharge, and for all we know we may have even more fun and adventure thanthe others. Now it's your turn for sentry-go, so out you get. You cangrumble there to your heart's content."
Tony departed abashed, and Phil and Sam looked on at the debarkation,which still continued. By the 17th all were ashore, save the sick, ofwhom there were still a large number. Even to a veteran soldier it wasindeed a most interesting sight to see the huge allied army assembled onthe upland slopes above the lake. In the distance the Turks, sittingcontentedly and composedly in their tents; the French, like so manyants, bustling hither and thither and busily superintending the mid-daymeal; and the lines of the British, now provided with tents for the fewdays before they marched from the shore.
It was a large force, and as many regiments were to make themselves forever famous in the course of the campaign, it will perhaps be advisableto explain how our army was divided.
In chief command was Lord Raglan, an officer who for many years hadlived a peaceful life, and had therefore little, if any, experience ofwarfare. His army consisted of six divisi
ons, each made up of severalregiments and commanded by a brigadier, or in some cases divided intotwo portions under different leaders.
The Light Division consisted of the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, 7thFusiliers, 19th Regiment and 23rd Fusiliers, under Major-generalCodrington, and the 33rd, 77th, and 88th Regiments, underBrigadier-general Buller.
The First Division, under the Duke of Cambridge, included the GrenadierGuards, the Coldstream and Scots Fusilier Guards, now the Scots Guards,with Major-general Bentinck in command, and the 42nd, 79th, and 93rdHighlanders, fine brawny sons of the heather, under Brigadier Sir C.Campbell.
The Second Division comprised the 30th, 55th, and 95th Regiments, underBrigadier-general Pennefather, and the 41st, 47th, and 49th, underBrigadier-general Adams.
The Third Division, under Sir R. England, was composed of the 1stRoyals, 28th, 38th, 44th, 50th, and 68th Regiments, commanded byBrigadiers Sir John Campbell and Eyre.
The Fourth Division, under Sir George Cathcart, consisted of the 20th,21st, and 63rd Regiments and of the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade. The46th and 57th Regiments, which were to form part of it, had not yetarrived, but were _en route_ from England.
The Cavalry Division, under Lord Lucan, was divided into a lightbrigade, under Lord Cardigan, which was made up of the 4th lightDragoons, the 8th and 11th Hussars, the 13th Dragoons, and the 17thLancers; and the Heavy Cavalry Brigade, in command of Brigadier-generalScarlett, which comprised the Scots Greys, 14th Dragoon Guards, 5thDragoon Guards, and 6th Dragoons, the first regiment not having yet putin an appearance.
It was indeed an immense force, and of course needed a huge commissariattrain to feed it.
On the 18th the allied armies moved out of camp towards the Alma, theFrench being on the right, next the coast-line, and supported there bythe guns of the fleets, while the brigade of Guards marched in rear.Phil took his place behind his regiment, and, slinging his rifle, actedas driver of the araba, while Tony and Sam trudged along on either side.
"It won't be long now before we hear guns," he remarked cheerfully fromhis elevated perch on top of the ammunition-boxes. "The Cossack fireswere only a couple of miles in front of us last night, and it isscarcely likely that we shall be allowed to advance far withoutopposition. So look out for squalls, you fellows."
"It's what we've come for, mate," Tony replied with a shrug of his broadshoulders, "but it strikes me as we'll have to be looking out fortrouble with this here old cart afore long. This wheel won't stand muchof this kind of jolting."
The roads were indeed in places extremely rough, and a foot or more deepin mud after the recent rains and the trample of the troops in advance.
"Didn't I tell yer so," cried Tony a moment later, as the araba sankalmost axle-deep and stopped abruptly. "Whip up them horses, Phil, orwe'll get left behind."
Phil promptly applied the whip, but to no effect, and before the cartwas again set in motion by the united efforts of his comrades and thehorses, they had lost a considerable amount of ground. Then, to theirintense vexation, one of the animals stumbled, and, falling upon theshaft, snapped it in two.
"What a misfortune!" exclaimed Phil, surveying the wreck. "But we arein charge of this ammunition, you fellows, and must bring it through.It is getting dark already, so I expect the troops will soon be halting.Lend a hand, both of you, and we'll splice this break, and catch theregiment up later on."
"You'll have to unload first, mate," Tony answered. "This weight is toomuch for one horse to keep up while we're mending, and besides, we'llget the job done in half the time if we take 'em both out and empty thecart."
Accordingly all three set to work and lifted the heavy boxes out. Thenthe horses were unharnessed, and with a length of rope and a batten ofwood a shift was made to mend the break.
"That will do, I think," said Phil at last, surveying the work withsatisfaction. "Now in with the animals, and let us get along as quicklyas possible. We must be a couple of miles behind the troops, butfortunately the road is clear, and though it is a dark night we ought toreach them without trouble."
Once more they set out on the road, and were congratulating themselveson the fact that they were close to the camp, when Tony called a halt.
"What are them coves over there?" he asked, pointing ahead to acollection of camp-fires, in front of which mounted figures wereflitting. "If them ain't Russians, I'm a Frenchie."
"They look remarkably like Cossacks, I must say, Tony," replied Philanxiously. "Stop here a few moments while I go forward and makecertain."
In another minute he had disappeared in the darkness. Walking boldlyforward for three hundred yards he then judged it wise to observe somecaution, and, stooping low, crept forward on the turf at the roadside,which completely muffled his footsteps. Suddenly a figure loomed up infront of him, followed by another, and, flinging himself on the ground,Phil crawled behind a growth of low bush and hastily hid himself fromview.
"There, Petroff," he heard a harsh voice say in Russian, "that is yourpost. Remain there till you are relieved. If these pigs of Englishmenadvance this way gallop back and warn us. See that you do not sleep, myman, or as the Czar, our master, lives, I will hang you to the nearesttree."
"Excellency, your orders shall be obeyed," the Cossack trooper answeredhumbly, and then, as his officer rode off, swore in a low but audiblevoice.
"Hang me to the nearest tree!" he muttered angrily. "Ah! Will he!Wait, your most noble excellency. Who knows how soon a bullet shall putan end to your threats, and should it come from behind instead of fromthese foreign pigs, then--ah, well! the fortune of war."
The man gave a stamp, as if to show his hatred, and, turning his horse,led it back a few paces. Phil at once rose to his feet and took to hisheels in the direction of the cart.
"We have lost our way," he said, on rejoining his friends. "I cannotimagine how it has happened, but perhaps the British camp lies in ahollow, and we have mistaken the Russian fires for theirs. We evidentlywent off to the left, and now we must keep to the right."
Whipping up the horses, they pushed on once more, but two hours passedand still there was no sign of the camp.
"We're lost, that's what it comes to," said Tony calmly. "What shall wedo, Phil? Seems to me 'tain't no use going ahead like this, for weshall be into the middle of the Russian army before long."
"That's what I'm afraid of, Tony. I think we had better stop here forto-night, and start again at daylight. We'll take the horses out andtie them on behind. No smoking, you fellows, and keep as quiet as youcan. A match might lead to our capture, and we don't want to see theinside of a Russian prison so early in the campaign."
"Then, if we're stopping here, I vote we prepare for the worst," saidTony. "Supposing daylight shows us Cossacks all round, we sha'n't standa chance. It won't take no more than an hour to build a wall with theseboxes, and it may come in useful, for it's better to lie behind coverand fire than stand out in the open."
"That's a good idea, Tony, and we'll see to it," agreed Phil readily."Now all together and get these horses out. Tie them with a long rope.In that way they will get a feed of grass, and as for water, there isplenty of dew falling to quench their thirst."
An hour later a wall some six feet long had been built close alongsidethe cart, leaving room for Phil and his friends to lie between it andthe wheel. Then, having done all that was possible, they ate a portionof the three days' rations which each carried in his haversack, and,wrapping themselves in their blankets, lay down to sleep, one of theirnumber, however, being left seated upon the boxes to keep guard.
Three hours later, when Phil's turn came for duty, the sky was alreadybrightening in the east, and he waited anxiously for daylight.Gradually the dawn lit up the sky, chasing the dark clouds away, andfinally banishing the grey mist which hung like a pall over the ground.Phil looked round in search of the British, but there was not a sign ofthem. A moment later a shout from behind attracted his attention, andturning, his heart leapt into his mouth at t
he sight of fivewild-looking Cossack horsemen spurring their wiry ponies towards thecart, with their long lances already lowered and ready for the charge.
A Gallant Grenadier: A Tale of the Crimean War Page 8