A portion of the fleet had remained in possession of the Sea of Azof, and thenceforth the Russians had to depend upon land carriage.  This, however, mattered comparatively little, as the country was now firm and dry, and all the roads from Russia to the Crimea were available.

All their comrades had taken share in the work in the batteries and Jack learned to his surprise that Captain Stuart had been transferred to a larger ship, and that Mr. Hethcote had got his promotion, and now commanded the “Falcon,” Jack, in the first excitement of meeting him, not having noticed the changes in uniform which marked his advance.

After two hours’ conversation with his friends, Jack received a message that Captain Hethcote invited him to dine in his cabin, and here a quarter of an hour later he found not only the captain, but the first and second lieutenants.

After dinner was over, Jack was requested to give a full narrative of his adventures, which greatly astonished his auditors, and was not concluded until late in the evening.  The lieutenants then retired, and Jack was left alone with the captain, who signified that he wished to speak further with him.

“Well, Jack,” he said, when they were alone, “I did not think when I offered my uncle to get you a midshipman’s berth, that I was going to put you in the way of passing through such a wonderful series of adventures.  They have been sadly cut up at home at the news of your death.  I hope that you wrote to them as soon as you had a chance.”

“I wrote on the very day I crossed the frontier, sir,” Jack said.  “Besides I wrote twice from Russia, but I don’t suppose they ever got the letters.”

“And so you speak Russian fluently now, Jack?”

“I speak it quite well enough to get on with, sir,” Jack said.  “You see, I was speaking nothing else for five months.  I expect my grammar is very shaky, as I picked it all up entirely by ear, and no doubt I make awful mistakes, but I can get on fast enough.”

“I shall report your return to-morrow to the Admiral,” Captain Hethcote said.  “It is not improbable that he will at once attach you to the battery in front again.  The bombardment is to re-open next week, and the generals expect to carry the town by assault; though, between ourselves, I have no belief that our batteries will be able to silence the enemy’s guns sufficiently to make an assault upon such a tremendous position possible.  However, as they expect to do it, it is probable that they will like having an officer who can speak Russian at the front, as interpreters would, of course, be useful.  I suppose you would rather stay on board for a bit.”

“Yes, sir; I have had such a lot of knocking about since I left Breslau, that I should certainly have liked a month’s quiet; but of course, I am ready to do as ordered, and, indeed, as the fun seems about to begin at last, I should like to be in it.”

The next morning the captain sent his report to the Admiral, and received in reply a message that the Admiral would be glad if Captain Hethcote would dine with him that day, and would bring Mr. Archer with him.