Chapter IV: From Widdin to Plevna

Declaration of War with Russia--An Ominous Silence--The First
Shot--An Interrupted Luncheon--Under Fire at
last--Disappearance of the Inhabitants--A Move
Underground--Running the Gauntlet--Blowing up a Gunboat--Our
Hospital shelled--Killing the Wounded--Operations under Fire--A
Terrible Coincidence--How a Turkish Mother died--Some
Marvellous Escapes--Circassians on a Raiding
Expedition--Cattle-lifting on a Grand Scale--A Long
Bombardment--Insignificant Losses--Osman Pasha in the
Batteries--Rewarding a Good Shot--Circassian
Peccadilloes--Osman Pasha's Plans--He is baffled by Red Tape--A
Fatal Delay--Good-bye to the Kyrchehir--Marching out from
Widdin--A Picturesque Bivouac--False Alarms--A Forced
March--How the Russian Army was placed--Fall of Nicopolis--A
Race to the Balkans--Sleeping in a Tomb--Pushing on to
Plevna--A Terrible Night--Lost in the Bush--Many Cases of
Sunstroke--Goose for Dinner--I flesh my Maiden Sword--A Record
March--We cross the Vid at last--Arrival at Plevna 88