A grunt of assent went round the gathered prisoners, and far from being nervous or anxious lest a shell should knock the house about their ears, they sat there longing to hear the crash and make a dash for liberty. That such an eventuality might occur had evidently struck the Russians, for that night the doors of the prison were thrown open, and the prisoners ordered out with their blankets. Then they were marched under a strong guard to the harbour and ferried across. "Where do we go?" Phil asked the soldier who sat in the boat by his side. "That you will see," was the gruff reply. "But you leave the Crimea at once, and I do not envy you your long march. It is fine weather now, but as you get north you will meet the rains and cold winds, and you will wish yourself back in Sebastopol." Arrived on the northern bank of the harbour, the prisoners were grouped together, and a meal of hot coffee and bread given them. Then they set out, two ranks of armed guards marching on either side, while some twenty fierce-looking Cossacks hovered here and there, only too ready and willing to transfix any man sufficiently foolhardy to attempt an escape. "This won't do," muttered Phil, whose wits had been at work. "It won't do," he repeated almost unconsciously. "What won't?" asked Tony brusquely. "It ain't over nice, I know, but I can't see that anything's extra wrong." "Where do you think we are marching to, Tony?" asked Phil. "You don't know. Then I'll tell you. We are going due north, out of the Crimea and into some part of the Russian interior. Once there, what chance shall we have of ever getting back?" "There you puzzle me, Phil," Tony answered, scratching his head. "I suppose it's a long way off." "Yes, a long way, Tony; but that is not the difficulty. The weather is on the point of changing, and soon we shall have rain and snow. We must get away within the next few days or not at all, so keep your eyes open for the first chance that comes along." "Trust me, mate," whispered Tony, unconsciously dropping his voice. "I don't want to spend the next year or so in a Russian prison. A month's been enough for me. But it'll be a job to get away from these fellows: and what shall we do for food once we are free?" "That we must chance, Tony. The main thing is to get safely away, and, of course, we must make the attempt when it is dark. To-night our guards, knowing we are close to the allied camp, will be extra watchful, but a couple of nights later, when we are well on the way, and the Russian field-army is between us and our friends, they are certain to become slack and careless about keeping a watch. That will be our time, and we must make the best of it. There are plenty of small farmhouses scattered about this part of the Crimea, for it is famous for its vineyards, and if the worst comes to the worst, we must break into one and obtain food in that way. In any case there are grapes to be had in abundance."