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410 At eight o'clock on the morning of the 10th another spy brought the news that the Krishin redoubt had been abandoned. He was so confident of the truth of his assertion that he offered to go along with the Russians and lead the way into the redoubt at the risk of being killed if his statement were false. General Skobeleff ordered a cautious advance in the direction of the Krishin redoubt, and in a short time the Russians were in possession of it, no resistance being offered. It was now certain that the sortie was to begin at daybreak, and word was sent along the whole Russian line to be ready for it. Skobeleff ordered the captured positions to be put immediately in a state of defence in case the Turks should fail in the sortie and then try to retake them.

In the gray of the morning the stillness was broken suddenly by the booming of some thirty or forty cannon, that announced the aggressive action of the Turks. They were trying to cut their way out of Plevna, and this was the opening of the movement. During the night they had withdrawn their troops from their various positions, all the way from Grivitza to the Green Hills, and concentrated for one last attempt. If they should fail, surrender was inevitable, for it would be impossible for them to retake the Krishin and other redoubts, into which the Russians had thrown their own men and were ready to pour a destructive fire all over Plevna. The Russian artillery replied with great promptness, and then came the rattle of the infantry fire as the Turkish masses deployed and came out to the front of the Russian line. The attack was directed against the position of the grenadiers north of the Sophia road, and was made under cover of the wagon-train, which the Turks brought with them as a sort of moving breastwork. So many of the bullocks drawing the wagons were killed or frightened into running away that this strategy did not long avail, and then the Turks made a dash upon the line