The sides of the ravine immediately below the battery had long since been cleared of their brushwood, and each day the parties in search of fuel had to go farther away.

Upon the day after Jack returned to duty, he and Hawtry were told off with a party of seamen to go down to cut firewood.

Each man carried his rifle in addition to his chopper, for, although they had never been disturbed at this occupation, the Russians were known not to be far away.

The sailors were soon at work hacking down the undergrowth and lopping off branches of trees.

Some were making them up into faggots as fast as the others cut them, and all were laughing and jesting at their work.
Suddenly there was a shout, and looking up, they saw that a party of Russians had made their way noiselessly over the snowclad ground, and were actually between them and the heights.