was educated in the North of France, came home at seventeen, decided to become an artist, worked hard until I was admitted into the Royal Academy Schools - then spent all my spare pocket-money in night classes and accessories of canvas and colours, made several attempts to ingratiate myself with editors, and by a stroke of good fortune started as Special War Artist of The Graphic."

"And what were your impressions of your first battle ?"

"A gradual awakening,' then a few shots here and there, increasing to a deafening roar. I shall not forget my sensations when the first cannon, near which I was sketching, opened fire and the air was filled with smoke, and now and again there was a terrible explosion and a flash of fire. It was not, however, till the

Turks returned our fire and I had witnessed

Refugees outside the Opera House, Volo. A snapshot by Mr. Villiers.

Mr. Frederic Villiers.

the bursting of the first shell that I appreciated the terrible realities of war. Before the report of that explosion had passed away poor fellows were lying round writhing in mortal agony and horribly mutilated. That sight unnerved me for a moment, but the swift whiz of a bullet soon brought me to my senses. The same night we retreated under a heavy fire and a torrent of rain. The Servians were defeated in every engagement during that campaign, though I was not present at the decisive fight at Djunis, as I had instructions from my paper to join the Turkish army if possible; so I journeyed from thence to Rustchuk and on to Constantinople. There I fell in with a colleague, and, travelling as his secretary, procured many

sketches of the Bulgarian atrocities. Then shortly an armistice was proclaimed, and I went back to Constanti

nople."

"And from

there?"

"Journeyed

to Russia, passing over the frontier from Yassy as a grocer's assistant, for I could not enter the country as an English correspondent. I avoided suspicion en route by taking my notes on my thumb-nail and transferring the same with details

when I got back to my hotel. It was not till later that the long expected war broke out, and I had time to return to England and renew my kit it was

in April '77. I saw the first shot fired across the Danube; and I also heard the last shots of the campaign in the valley of Maritza."

"And what is the most interesting fight you witnessed in this campaign?" "Plevna: because it was naturally a very