As a matter of fact Gay did not start on that night. Czetwertinski and I went out with him to the outposts to see him off; but it was plain that the psychological moment was not yet. It was a bright moonlight night, and we could see the Russian vedettes sitting on their horses all round us. A cat could not have got through the lines without being seen, let alone a man on horseback; and the captain in command of our outpost absolutely refused to allow the attempt to be made, pointing out that it meant certain capture and death for all the party. On the following night, however, Gay and his escort got away. We heard afterwards that they had a lively time of it, for they were chased by Cossacks, and fired on repeatedly by startled Russian sentries. It was only through the speed and bottom of their horses that they reached Orkhanieh in safety, and thence made their way to Sofia. Gay had a quarrel with Lauri before he went, and the result was that the little German artist stayed behind with me. CHAPTER X. THE INVESTMENT OF PLEVNA. Lauri and the Sausage--A Diet of "Poiled Peans"--The Ways of a _Parlementaire_--Politeness on the Battle-field--Indefatigable Burrowing by the Turks--Skobeleff's Annoyance--A Visit to a Redoubt--Russian Artillery Practice--I lose my Groom--Geese, and how to get them--I go out reconnoitring--We have a Hot Ten Minutes--Looking out for a New Horse--A Grand Charger lost--We retire on Netropol--The Use of Artillery--The Russians attack our Convoy--We lose our Medical Stores--A Humorous Russian Prisoner--Afternoon Coffee with Sadik Pasha--A Call made under Difficulties--The Uninvited Guest--Kronberg my Colleague--He saves a Supposed Spy--A Visit to Sadik Pasha--Coffee under difficulties--In my Hospital again--Fearful Scenes of Suffering--Wounds, Filth, and Disease--Heavy Mortality--Antiseptics exhausted--Appearance of Gangrene--My Anatolian Soldier--Pyæmia Rampant.