The men clambered up and swept away into the darkness with shouts and cheers and clash of steel, and Eager was left alone in the trench with the fallen ones. Up from below rose an awful turmoil, lit now and again by receding flashes, then a final British cheer, and one more sortie was repulsed. It was only next morning that he learned the size of it. "They say there were about fifteen thousand of them out last night," said one of his friends. "One lot went for the French over by the Mamelon, and the rest came up here." "Gordon's men say he was on top of the trench chucking stones at the beggars as they came up----" "I saw him," said Eager. "He was standing just above me, shouting to his men and flinging stones as hard as he could. Then they fixed bayonets and went downhill like an avalanche." "You'd no right to be there, my boy." "I suppose not. I went to see what was up, and fell into a trench, and ran on with the rest. Was the Colonel hit?" "Couple of bullets in him, but not deadly." "It's amazing to me that any one comes through alive." "Yes, it feels like that at first, but you get used to it." "Did we lose many?" "Pretty heavy; but there are four or five Russkis to each of ours. Ground's thick with 'em. They'll want an armistice to clean up, I expect--generally do." And, sure enough, the Russians presently requested a truce to pick up their men; and before long the white flags were flying on the batteries, and the men of both sides streamed out into the open, picked up their dead and wounded, and took stock of one another. This was the chance Eager had been waiting for, and he went down to the debatable ground between the lines with the rest. It was a horrible enough sight--a couple of thousand dead and wounded men strewn thick in that narrow space; but the stretchers were busily at work, and he had his own inquiries to make. A number of Russian officers were strolling about, dressed in their best and smoking their best cigars, and quite ready for a talk. He approached one, lifted his hat, and asked in French: "I wonder if monsieur could afford me some information?" At which the Russian smiled, and his blue eyes twinkled. "With pleasure, monsieur. We have at this moment one hundred thousand men in there and five thousand guns, and provisions for fifteen years, and when they are used up we have five times as many more to come." "If you could give me a satisfactory word about two young officers, prisoners in your hands, you would ease some very sore hearts at home, monsieur. That is all I ask. I have come all the way from England to get news of them." "If I can, monsieur. What are their names?" "Carron; two brothers--one in the Engineers, the other in the Hussars." "_Tiens!_ Yes--Carron! I know them. Some of our guns have the same name. They are well, monsieur. I saw them only yesterday." "Thank God for that! And I thank you, monsieur, most gratefully."