While they were still gazing awe-stricken at the ghastly piles of broken men, among which the litter-men were prowling in anxious search for wounded, a group of brilliantly clad officers came up from the French camp, where the rows of comfortable white tents set English teeth grinding with envy and chagrin. And among them they saw Prince Napoleon and Colonel Carron. Their father saw them in the redoubt and came up at once. "Glad to see you still alive, boys," he said cheerfully. "Hot work, wasn't it?" "Awful, sir. Were you in it?" asked Jack. "Oh yes. We came across there"--pointing to a burnt-out village on the river-bank--"and then up here. Here's where we got the guns up to relieve Bosquet. We've paid pretty heavily, but it's shown them what we're made of. You weren't in it, I suppose, Jim?" "No sir; we were waiting over yonder for some cavalry to come on, but they wouldn't. Worse luck!" "Your chances will come, my boy. And you, Jack?" "We had very little to do, sir. We were away in the rear there." "Your men did splendidly. Canrobert was just saying that he doubted if our men would have managed that frontal business as yours did." "They paid," said Jim. "And are still paying," said the Colonel, as they stood watching the French ambulances, with their trim little mules, trotting off towards the coast, carrying a dozen wounded men in quick comfort, while the English litter-men crept slowly along on their jogging four-mile tramp, which proved the death of many a sorely wounded man and purgatory to the rest. "Truly, your arrangements are not up to the mark." said Colonel Carron. "How have you stood the nights? Somebody was saying you had no tents." "Last night was the first time we've had any, and they've all been sent on board again," said Jack gloomily. "That's too bad. It's hard on the men." "We lose a number every night with the cold." "Bad management---- The Prince is off. I must go. Good luck to you, boys! I shall come over and look you up from time to time. Keep out of mischief!" And he waved a cheery hand and was gone, and the boys went down among the ghastly piles to do what they could. But it was heart-breaking work; the total of misery was so immense, and the means of alleviation so feeble in comparison. The French wounded were safe on board ship within an hour after they were picked up. It was two days before all the English were disposed of, though every man who could be spared set his hand to the work. In the afternoon of the second day after the fight, Jim was going wearily down the hill, after such a time among the dead and wounded as had made him almost physically sick. All the French, and he thought almost all the English, wounded had been seen to. The Russians had necessarily been left to the last.