‘Ochone, ochone!’ wailed the big Dragoon; ‘shure this will be a sad day for ould Con O’Callaghan. Larry was the apple of his eye, his favourite son, who followed in the ould man’s footsteps. Wirra, wirra, Larry darlint, spake to me!’ ‘Hush, comrade!’ said Jack; ‘poor Larry will never speak again!’ He had been killed by the splinter of a shell, and death must have been instantaneous, for the poor lad’s face still wore a kind of triumphant smile. They straightened his limbs, sheathed the sword still attached by the sword-knot to his wrist, and placed his trumpet and bugle on his breast. The Dragoon knelt beside his dead cousin in prayer for a minute, and Jack and Will stood bareheaded. Suddenly a faint scream broke on the night air, and Jack, looking behind him, saw a dark figure bending over a dead or wounded man. As he gazed he saw a gleam of steel, and in an instant, being suspicious, darted towards the spot. As he did so a tall, thin figure in a long, dark sort of gown darted away. Jack followed him, Will coming on behind. The man, who carried a little sack, ran swiftly, and the two Lancers chased him for some distance down towards the Russian lines before they overtook him. They then saw he was a hook-nosed villain with a long black beard, and Jack immediately grappled him. The fellow drew a knife and tried to stab Jack; but the latter seized his wrist and held it. Will coming up, they got the man on the ground, and, overpowering him, proceeded to bind him with the bridle of a dead horse. This done, they examined the bag he was carrying, and saw it was filled with gold epaulets, watches, rings, money, medals, even chevrons and sword-knots. ‘The scoundrelly villain,’ cried Jack; ‘he’s been robbing the dead and wounded!’ ‘If nothing worse,’ said Will. ‘Look at this!’ and he held up the knife which he had wrested from him. There was a dark, sticky fluid on the blade. Jack shuddered. ‘Blood,’ he said; ‘that accounts for the scream we heard.’ ‘What shall we do with him?’ asked Will. ‘Haul him back prisoner,’ replied Jack. ‘Blow his brains out,’ said Will. ‘Why be troubled with such a reptile?’ They were standing irresolute, when suddenly Jack cried, ‘By Jove, look there!’ Close behind them a number of men, some carrying lanterns, had crept up, and several with rifles in their hands were advancing rapidly towards the two Lancers. ‘Russians,’ said Jack. ‘We’re in a fix!’ ‘We must run,’ said Will. They started to do so, when _bang! bang!_ two reports rang out and two balls whizzed past them. ‘Let’s fall as though killed,’ said Jack; ‘perhaps they won’t trouble anything more about us.’ They did as Jack suggested, and lay still for a second. But rapid footsteps approaching, they felt themselves seized, and looking up saw the flat faces and dark-gray coats of several Russians. They were prisoners!