CHAPTER III. THE IMMINENCE OF WAR. Off to Widdin--Strong Fortifications--Osman Pasha in Command--The Kalafatians at Work--Dr. Black--A Discreditable Englishman--Shooting on Sight--An Arrest and a Release--"Life off Black"--Egyptian Troops arrive--Zara Dilber Effendi--Osman Pasha's Ball--A Memorable Function--I get Plenty of Partners--Military Wall-flowers--The Ladies of Widdin--The Dance before the Fight--Three Beautiful Roumanians--An Angry Grandfather--Lambro Redivivus--Preparing for the Campaign--Some Forcible Dentistry--Religion of the Turks--The Wrestlers--Visitors from Kalafat--I pay a Return Call--Across the Danube into Kalafat--Dinner with the Roumanians--Pumping the Guileless Stranger--A Futile Effort--Frank Power--Nicholas Leader--Edmund O'Donovan--Wild Duck Shooting 56 CHAPTER IV. FROM WIDDIN TO PLEVNA. Declaration of War with Russia--An Ominous Silence--The First Shot--An Interrupted Luncheon--Under Fire at last--Disappearance of the Inhabitants--A Move Underground--Running the Gauntlet--Blowing up a Gunboat--Our Hospital shelled--Killing the Wounded--Operations under Fire--A Terrible Coincidence--How a Turkish Mother died--Some Marvellous Escapes--Circassians on a Raiding Expedition--Cattle-lifting on a Grand Scale--A Long Bombardment--Insignificant Losses--Osman Pasha in the Batteries--Rewarding a Good Shot--Circassian Peccadilloes--Osman Pasha's Plans--He is baffled by Red Tape--A Fatal Delay--Good-bye to the Kyrchehir--Marching out from Widdin--A Picturesque Bivouac--False Alarms--A Forced March--How the Russian Army was placed--Fall of Nicopolis--A Race to the Balkans--Sleeping in a Tomb--Pushing on to Plevna--A Terrible Night--Lost in the Bush--Many Cases of Sunstroke--Goose for Dinner--I flesh my Maiden Sword--A Record March--We cross the Vid at last--Arrival at Plevna 88 CHAPTER V. THE FIRST BATTLE OF PLEVNA.