Chapter XVIII: A Welcome Move

Weeks of discontent, sickness, and inactivity followed. Daily, dozens of stalwart men, who not many weeks before had left England in all the pride of glorious manhood, were stricken by the foul plague of cholera, died in a few hours, and, wrapped only in the blankets they had died in, were consigned to the earth.

Discipline became slack, the men grew beards and moustaches, dress regulations were relaxed, and wonder of wonders, the men were actually allowed to leave off their stocks!

The 11th Hussars, fresh from England, arrived to take up their quarters at Devna, and a very handsome show they made in their crimson overalls and richly laced pelisses; for those were the days before false economy had been introduced into the army and the soldier’s dress shorn of its chief attractions.

In the camp the distant boom of big guns besieging Silistria could be heard, and for three days a more heavy cannonade than usual was maintained. On the fourth day it absolutely ceased, and it was feared the gallant garrison who had made such a heroic defence had been overcome; but later the news was spread that the siege had been raised, and that the Russians were in full retreat, although the gallant young English officer who had been the heart and soul of the defence had met a soldier’s death in the trenches.

After their defeat the Russians had retreated so precipitately that their route could not be ascertained, and orders were received from Lord Raglan that Lord Cardigan should at once pursue them. The news reached Devna at two in the morning, and reveille was at once sounded.

‘Now, boys,’ said Sergeant Linham to Jack and Will, as he passed them, ‘we’ve got work before us, so sharpen your swords and be ready to parade at four A.M.’

‘Come on,’ said Jack to Will, ‘get your carving-knife, and I’ll turn the handle while you sharpen.’

Full of glee at the prospect of a change from dismal Devna, and at a chance of at last coming face to face with a real enemy, the trumpeters went off.

Jack’s regiment, with the 8th and 11th Hussars, started that morning at four; they carried no tents and bivouacked on the bare ground. For seventeen days and nights they scoured the banks of the Danube toward Rustchuk and Silistria; but beyond putting to flight several bands of Bashi-Bazouks, who had been at their old game of pillaging and ravaging, no sign of an enemy did they see, and they returned to Devna quite disabled for service owing to the number of sore backs among the horses.

After the death of Napper, Jack had succeeded in getting back Dainty, and owing to his excessive care she was in tolerably good condition on his return.

The ravages of cholera continued, and soon after the return of the reconnoitring party the ‘Death or Glory Boys’ could barely muster on parade two hundred lances out of the three hundred and sixty one who had left England three months before.

All sorts of rumours were current. Sometimes it was said that the war had been abandoned, and that the troops were to return to England without having struck a blow; sometimes it was said they were at once to proceed to Sebastopol. But still they stayed on at Devna, apparently forgotten, till one August day an aide-de-camp arrived from Lord Raglan, bearing orders for the cavalry and Light Division of infantry to return to Varna and embark, for whence no one seemed to know. No one, however, cared so long as they were going from Devna, and not one who gazed for the last time on the rich meadows and wooded heights, the verdant hillsides and the dancing waters of lake and stream, but hoped in his heart he should never see them again.

Varna was found much altered; the place was still packed with troops, both French and British, though thousands had died. They had been buried everywhere. Limbs could be seen sticking up out of the sand, dead bodies rose from the bottom of the harbour and bobbed about in a hideous fashion, while the places which had been set apart as cemeteries were full to overflowing.

Many of the regiments were merely skeletons; the 5th Dragoon Guards had lost so many officers and men that for a time it was disregimented and joined with the 4th Dragoons. Still, a move was at hand, and all were hoping to see the last of Varna.

Soon after Jack with his regiment returned to Varna a great fire broke out and raged for ten hours. A French spirit-shop had been set fire to by a Greek, and though the man had been cut down to the chin by a French officer the mischief had been done, and in spite of great efforts half Varna was laid in ruins, immense quantities of stores being lost.

The preparations for the embarkation were pushed forward; hundreds of transports filled the bay of Varna, and the fleet assembled there. The narrow lanes of the town were constantly blocked with mules and carts on their way to the beach with luggage, while the whole day long detachments of men were being marched down and embarked.

At last all were on shipboard and ready; but then another delay occurred while waiting for the French. After two days, during which time many more men died of cholera, the signal was given, and the huge armada stood out to sea. It was then known that their destination was Sebastopol, and Jack’s heart beat high with hopes that they would at least have one brush with the Russians.

Very bad weather was experienced; but, after a rough voyage of nine days, on a beautiful evening land was made and the anchors dropped. All craned their necks to get their first sight of that Crimea on which was to be fought some of the mightiest fights of modern days. Low lying, sun-scorched plains were seen, among which farmhouses and what was taken to be cattle could be distinguished. Those regiments which had bands made the bay echo with their music, and the trumpets of the cavalry added to the martial sounds.

Orders were given for the troops to disembark next morning, and Jack turned into his bunk feeling thankful that at last active work was before them.