have thought it, I have watched for you more than ever dog watched for his master, and you have come at last. You'll shut my eyes when I die. You'll see me decently buried. I shall have somebody with me that I can call my own, and perhaps when you are dead your bones will lie by my bones. O Robert, I care for nothing now. 'LORD, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace.'

But we have anticipated: then Robert did escape.
Yes. But how?

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE ESCAPE.

It was approaching the middle of October when an important change came over our friends in the hospital, which considerably affected their present as well as their future. Those fitful efforts of bombardment, which so painfully and tantalisingly marked the opening of the campaign, had already succeeded in teaching the inhabitants of the city what they had to expect. Occasional bursting of shells began to damage property and to destroy life, and the terrified inhabitants began already to feel that in the ensuing events there would be no small call upon Russian perseverance and patience. But before narrating the important circumstances which affected our friends within the town, I should say something about the English position outside; since curiously enough, without any intention, Leonard

was called upon to take part in proceedings which vitally affected the status of his faithful servant.

His regiment with the 3rd and 4th Light Divisions, had been moved up to the heights of Sebastopol, and bivouacked within long cannon range of the fortress itself. Thus Leonard had a full view of the city which at this moment had become the object of such universal interest.

The intense excitement had extirpated out of the bosoms of the soldiers the last remnant of their apprehension, and it was only when occasionally a stray shot fired into their position whizzed past them, or tore up the ground around them, that they were reminded of the real vicinity of death. Along the whole of their right side stretched the valley of Inkermann from the head of Sebastopol to Balaklava, in some places 1200, and in some, 1500 yards wide. The cliffs round Balaklava ran precipitately down on to the sea shore, while the upper ground consisted of a high undulating plain, seamed by deep ravines that yawned into the town itself. The harbour of Balaklava itself, lay in a cleft between high and steep mountains. There is one classical circumstance which should here be mentioned. Half-way between Cape Kherson and Balaklava, the coast line turns back at a sharp angle, at which point was the site of an ancient temple of Diana, which carries back the mind of the scholar to the days of Iphigenia and Orestes. An eye witness of the scene describes the whole of this peninsula of land, when seen under the rays of a warm sun, bounded by the continuous belt of the blue sea, and enlivened by the sight of the white city itself, as in the

highest degree cheerful and brilliant. It was from this site that the cannonade began, under the effects of which Europe so vainly imagined the city was immediately to fall. One difficulty at opening was, the at first laughed at, but afterwards respected device of the Russians under Menschikoff, in sinking eight of their largest ships across the entrance of their harbour, and thereby hindering the co-operation of our Fleet with our Army.

The first object was the preparation of the trenches, a matter as we learnt afterwards to our cost of no small fatigue and delay.

There were certain peculiarities in opening the siege of Sebastopol which make it different to any other siege on record. The city was not invested, and consequently the road from the interior was free for the introduction of provision and ammunition of every kind from the north; besides which, the point of the town which was attacked, being three miles in extent, the space at the disposal of the garrison enabled them to reply with at least as many guns as the besiegers could bring to attack them. Nevertheless in spite of these difficulties on the 17th of October at day-break, the silence was broken by such a peal of artillery as had scarcely ever before been heard; a hundred and twenty-six pieces, many of which were of the largest calibre, opened at once on the Russian defences, and were answered at once by a still larger number of equal range and power. The roar was tremendous, and shook the ground under the feet of the army across the whole peninsula. The round tower of Sebastopol suffered severely by the bombardment. It was during the hours of agonised excitement and in

terest raised by this cannonade that Leonard, who was called to but little active work, was gazing, whenever for a moment the wind blew aside the folds of the curtain of smoke, at the city with those peculiar emotions of interest and sensitiveness which belong to a youth who for a first time is made conscious of the extent of human suffering in the closely packed habitations of

man.

The Agamemnon and the Sanspareil had been achieving great things close to the very entrance of the harbour, showing that our fleet and our ships had not fallen from the prestige of their great name.

On a sudden, a burst of lurid flame, which spread its ample banner on the sky, floated through the air from the centre of the town. Leonard was from a height watching the point, and wondering what might be the sufferings of those who in the building had thus early fallen a victim to our fire. He little knew that those sheets of flame were rising above the heads of Dennis and his friends in the hospital.

It was late in the afternoon when Dennis, who had been sitting by the side of Robert Watson, his mind saddened with that awe which so much more broods over those who are not summoned to active work, than over those whose energies are immediately called into operation, and had been listening to the terrific explosions all around, feeling that every moment might be his last, was startled by shrieks and cries of agony which broke out in the lower part of the hospital. The smell of fire as well as the clouds of dense smoke, which quickly filled every part of the ward, convinced

Dennis that the hospital was on fire. Report had said that at least 400 human beings were lying helpless beneath its roof, whose fate in such a crisis was inevitable.

"Fly, fly," said Robert, "leave me, I charge you; Dennis, save yourself, you can't save me."

Dennis started up; the yells of the wretches, who bound by sickness to their beds, gazed with horror at the flames which were bursting in amongst them made John turn pale with horror and hesitate as to what to do. At that moment the door of the ward in which he was burst open, and three or four rushed out limping on wounded limbs pursued by the awful element, hoping to find safety in flight of any sort. "Fly, fly with me, Robert," said Dennis, "see if you cannot fly in such a moment." Using one of those almost superhuman efforts of which the human being is capable, Robert sprang from the bed, and borne rather than led by Dennis, made his way through clouds of smoke towards the door.

"Save me, take me with you, for the kind GOD's sake don't leave me,” cried the voice of Sally's husband as he saw Dennis's figure rushing by.

"What am I to do?" said he to his companion.

To stop to save him, with one already to guard and help, seemed certain destruction, but to go on and leave him in his helpless state, appeared to be against his duty as a Christian, and those peculiarly strong feelings which belong to our own people, when they are in positions to realise dependance on each other. His doubt was soon solved by the poor fellow seizing hold of his coat,