For a few moments Jack half-expected to be immediately despatched, for ominous tales about the treatment of wounded and prisoners by the Russians had found their way to the camp of the Allies. Instead, he and Will were raised to their feet, and on the group with the lanterns approaching Jack saw, to his surprise, several officers of high rank. One, a handsome man with a white moustache, on whose breast several orders glittered, spoke sharply to his companions, some of whom spoke in reply. Then the scoundrel whom the Lancers had bound was discovered, on which the Russian officers spoke rapidly together. Then a couple of soldiers came and felt over Jack’s and Will’s uniforms, as though to find out whether they had any ill-gotten gains concealed about their persons. The action was so significant that Jack cried out, ‘Good Heavens, they can’t think we’ve anything to do with that vile wretch! Can’t they see by our uniforms we’re English soldiers?’ ‘If you are,’ said a voice in excellent English, ‘why are you prowling about on the battlefield? Do you not know you are liable to be shot as spies?’ Jack turned in surprise and saw he was addressed by an officer in a handsome uniform of green and silver. ‘You cannot mistake us for spies, sir,’ he said respectfully, ‘seeing we are in uniform.’ The white-moustached officer now spoke, and the officer in green said, ‘General Liprandi wants to know at once who you are, and what you are doing here?’ ‘We are English Lancers, and we came to see if we could succour any of our wounded comrades.’ ‘You are both very young.’ ‘We are trumpeters.’ ‘And what is this man?’ Jack related what had happened; and on the officer translating to the General, he gave a curt command; when two of the soldiers, despite the screams of the wretch, knelt the fellow up, levelled their muskets at him, and shot him dead. ‘Sharp work,’ said Will, shuddering, ‘but served the scoundrel right.’ That being finished, the officer, translating for General Liprandi, said, ‘Do you belong to one of the regiments which charged down the valley this morning?’ Jack replied that they did, and that they were both in the charge. General Liprandi took a lantern and held it up to their faces; then noticing the skull and cross-bones on the buttons of their jackets, asked, through his interpreter, how they came to have such a badge. On Jack replying, the General, with a small penknife, cut two of the buttons from his jacket and put them in his pocket. He then asked, ‘Were not all your men and officers drunk when they charged this morning?’ ‘On the contrary,’ replied Jack, ‘none of them had even broken their fast.’ This the General did not seem inclined to believe, when, an idea striking Jack, he said, ‘If you like to look in the haversacks of any of my dead countrymen you will doubtless find their day’s rations untouched!’ This was done, and the General actually inspected the food found in the haversack of a dead Hussar.