"No, not that, but Varna," answered Phil. "We sail to-morrow, I have been told, and with the French march against the Russians. It will be the opening scene of a grand campaign, for I hear they are besieging Silistria, in the province of the Danube." "Then all them yarns about the Crimea, or whatever they calls it, and taking Sebastopol, is all wrong 'uns," exclaimed Tony, with disgust. "Never mind, boys. I expects Silistria's better than that. It'll be warm at any rate; at least that's what people say; and I shall be precious glad, for if there's anything that upsets me, it's freezing cold weather, and that's what we'll have in the Crimea." "Anything's better, I reckon, than sticking in this here place," chimed in another. "What have we been doing? Simply drilling day and night, it seems, and eating our rations. Wasting time, I calls it. Then every chap has been sick. See how many of our poor fellows has died. Let's get out of this, I says. Anything's better than sitting still." There was a grunt of assent from all, for disease had already picked out many victims from amongst the men of the combined armies, and inaction amongst a number of troops living in more or less confined quarters had already had disastrous results. Accordingly the move to Varna was hailed with delight, and the men of the Guards embarked with feelings of unmixed pleasure. Arrived at Varna, a picturesque spot on the sea-coast, they found the French already there, and other troops arriving daily. Not long afterwards a French force set out to march towards Silistria, but with terrible results. Cholera had dogged their footsteps from Marseilles, and seven days after leaving the coast this dread disease attacked the two divisions under General Canrobert with malignant fury, bringing no less than 7000 of the unfortunate men to an untimely end. It was an awful example of sudden death, for in three days the divisions crawled back into Varna more disorganised and downhearted than if they had sustained a terrible defeat. "It is terrible!" exclaimed Phil when the news reached him; "and worse still to think that the epidemic may come into our camps. If it does, God help us! for thousands will die. Remember our rule, Tony, no fruit. It is the most dangerous article of food at present, and has already killed many by causing dysentery. So beware of it, as you value your life."