January 1855
It was worse because nobody heard them coming and nobody saw them leave. The pickets had been on full alert all night, the sergeants had checked them regularly and Elliot, the duty officer, had kept to his strict routine. Yet the Cossacks had still got through to Maxwell"s tent.
"I never left my post," Elliot sounded ashamed.
"You must have been utterly lax to allow the Russians past you!" Major Snodgrass was red in the face, either from rage or because he had been drinking. Jack suspected it was more likely to be the latter, tinged with a high dose of fear in case the Cossacks came after him next.
"The Cossacks are expert at this sort of thing, sir," Jack knew it was unwise to disagree with a senior officer, but he did not like Snodgrass and saw that Elliot was colouring
