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--In my Hospital again--Fearful Scenes of Suffering--Wounds, Filth, and Disease--Heavy Mortality--Antiseptics exhausted--Appearance of Gangrene--My Anatolian Soldier--Pyæmia Rampant 248