But you'll see when we go at them we shall make short work of them." "Well, I hope so, Mr.Archer," Dick Simpson said, shaking his head ominously, "but I'm dubious about it." By this time the oxen and men had recovered their breath, and they again set to at their tiresome work.

Although the weather was fine and the position of the camps high and healthy, the cholera which had ravaged their ranks at Varna still followed them, and during the three first weeks in the Crimea, the Allies lost as many men from this cause as they had done in the Battle of Alma.
By the 4th of October forty pieces of heavy artillery had been brought up to the front, and the work of the trenches began in earnest.
On the morning of the 10th the Russian batteries for the first time opened a heavy fire upon us.

But the distance was too great for much harm to be done.

On the 11th the Russians made their first sortie, which was easily repulsed.
On the 17th of October the bombardment commenced.

The French and English had 117 guns in position, the Russians 130.