"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."