A halt was made in a sheltered spot near the river, and close to the village of Mamaschia, which was entirely deserted by its inhabitants.
The worst cases of sickness were carried into the houses, and the rest prepared to make themselves as comfortable as they could in or under the wagons.

Stores of forage were piled by the village for the use of the convoys going up and down, and the drivers speedily spread a portion of this before their beasts.
The guard and such men as were able to get about went off among the orchards that surrounded the village, to cut fuel.

The boys' special guard remained by them.

When the doctor whom they regarded as their friend came up to them, he brought with him another officer as interpreter, who said in broken French,-- "Voulez-vous donner votre parole pas essayez echapper ?" Jack was as ignorant of French as of Russian, but Dick knew a little.
He turned to Jack and translated the question.
"Tell him we will give our words not to try and escape during the march, or till we tell him to the contrary." This was almost beyond Dick.
"Nous donnons notre parole pour le present," he said, "pour la marche, vous comprenez.

Si nous changons notre--I wonder what mind is," he grumbled to himself--"intention, nous vous dirons." This was intelligible, although not good French, and their friend, having shaken hands with them as if to seal the bargain, told the soldiers that they need no longer keep a watch on the prisoners, and then beckoned them to accompany him.