The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-16

had vowed weeks before that if ever any
one Of that regiment fell to my care, if
devoted nursing could save him he should
have it.
''Ah, monsieur, owe you great debt of
gratitude. and for your sake, the whole of
your gallant corps. You saved the life of
nv only brother-yOu robbed him Of the
results of his daring enterprise, but you
saved his life. Capt. Fleming has lowered
between life and death for weeks. but our
doctors now hold forth hopes. It will be
my pride to restore him to you cured, when
! our rules permit. He will write to you him.
self as soon as he is able, but he is too weak
to hold pen at pre- ent.
Accept, monsieur, the profoundest assur-
ances of my gratitude and friendship.
Yonrs very faithfully,
MARIE IvANHoFF."
WELL" said Brydon, as Byng finished.
Pm awfully glad Hugh Fleming is alive
and likely to get all right again. You seem
to have unwittingly done him good turn
in saving Ivanhoff's life. whoever he may
be. Do you recollect anything about itF'
80, yes" said Tom; II never knew his
name, but the writer of this can only be the
sister Of the SPY l took that day in the adj
vance. l remember now he inquired par
ticularly what my name was before he was
marched off TO headquarters"
Il suppose they've got him in prison
somewhere down at Constantinople," said
Brydon.
~ fancy So" said Byng. ~ only know
that he was shipped off from this to be de-
tanned prisoner"
"Fleming's very fortunate" said the sur
geon OF the regiment, who had been listen
ing to the discussion. I'VE have seen what
the inside of Sebastopal is like; the place
literally reeks of carnage. Any fellow
badly wounded the last few days OF the
siege stood but a poor chance of pulling
through there. Batchi Serai believe to be
charming place; only hope we shall have
chance to see it next spring."
''Thatll depend, Doctor" said Brydon
with quiet smile. how many of us get up
Mackenzie Heights. The Russians will
very likely set us pretty stiff nut to crack
there"
And then lively discussion ensued as to
IN what direction the advance would be
made next year, in the midst of which Tom
Byng suddenly recolleoted that it was in
cumbent upon him to write a letter to
Hugh, and also another of thanks to
Madamoiselle Ivanhoff, for all her care and
attention preparatory to the return of the
warrior of the Don to his own people.
These ready, and the Cossack was soon dis
covered fraternizing amazingly with the
little knot of soldiers under the presidency
OF Mickey Finn, and after grinning fare
well to his entertainers, departed in the di-
rection OF the Tcheruaya with Toms mis-
sives.
One of the first things that occurred to
Byng after his emissary had departed was
that he must now write to Miss Lynden,
and tell her about Hugh. He had rather
expected to near from that young lady, and
singularly enough had been little disap-
pointed that he had not done So Why he
should be anxious to hear from Nellie, it
would be hard TO say, but that her letters
usually contained some ellusion to Frances
Smerdon may perhaps account for it.
They are all alike" be muttered, puffing
savagely at his pipe. There's Hugh, now
he's got bit round, fretting his heart out
about that girl, and she-well, she's appar-
emily resigned and prepared for the worst
Shouldn't wonder II she will feel as disap-
pointed as Jim Lockwood vowed the regi-
ment all were, at my coming to life again.
Daresay she thinks one sweetheart at home
worth half a dozen in the Crimea. There
what brute am to go on abusing as nice
girl as ever | met. Don't know she's
been crying her eyes out about Hugh. /
don't know what's come to me of late. Get
ting sick of the whole beastly business,
suppose. or else my livers out of order.
Now you fellows, he continued, addressing
two or three of his brother officers who
were Longing in front of the mess hut,
"Who's for a canter to the Phoros Pass and
backp
Tom Byng's distontent with womaukind
would have be0n very much modified had
he made different reply TO Miss Smerdons
note. Frances only wanted encourage
ment to open very hot correspondence
with Maj. Byng, but he was not very likely
to hear from her, or even Of her, again now.
be couldn't guess that Miss Lynden and her
father had disappeared from all knowledge
of their old friends and even that the LETT
ter he had just written to her was des-
tiued to be many a long day before it
reached her hands. Indeed, Tom Byng was
fated to be kept in profound ignorance of
all that was happening to his late friends,
not only until he reached England, but even
for some time afterward. They had u
| glorious ride that afternoon through the
valleys of Vanoutka aud Baidar, right
away through that quaint, rocky arch
which forms the Phoros Pass till the stood
on the winding road on the edge of the
| cliffs that leads TO Aloutka, with the Black
Sea shimmering In the light of the setting
sun ike placid lake at their feet. Who
could have thought to look at that now
tranquil piece of water it could ha We
wrought such wild work as it had last No.
vember, when it had thrown big ships
about as if they had been corks, and sent
the BLACK Prince" crammed with ur-
gently wanted stores, pitilessly to the bot
| tom.
1n6n they turned the ponies about and
rode homeward with an assurance very diff
ferent from that of the bulk of the army
the preceding October. to whit that they
would find plentiful and comfortable din
ner awaiting them.
"Well," said Tom Byng as they entered
the mess hut, ''this is a considerable i'm
provement from what we know our fellows
had to go through last winter Talk about
campaigning 1t would trouble you to i'm
prove much upon this, oven at home. Show
me mess-room in England where the
sybarites have got fireplace like that, and
with cedar logs burning in It,"
YES" said Brydon, "the room quite
smells as if we were disappointed sketch
ing party burning our pencils. What's
dining on silver to dining with such appe-
titles as we've got9 And then to think that
we've done with all that COMPOUNDED trench
work"
YES" reioined Tom, whatever may be
before US next spring, l devoutly hope We
shan't be in for another siege. It's our first
experience of the real thing, and we'll trust
the lighting will take some other form in
future"
The mess-hut of the til was indeed
noble apartment for regiment in the field.
-Four officers quarters had been thrown to-
gether to form it, and large brick fireplace
and chimney built in at one side. Crate
there was none; this was large open chin
ney place such as you may see in old castles
and country houses in England, meant only
for the burning of wood, and therein
| famed night and day two or three mighty
| cedar logs, which were constantly repen-
ished for that fire was attended with as