As the Russians approached, a few eager spirits would have rushed
forward from their ranks to encounter their foe in the open plain; but
Sir Colin's trumpet voice checked them with a fierce--
"Ninety-third! Ninety-third! None of that eagerness!"
And then a minute or two later came the signal for the whole line to
advance. The Highlanders, and those with them, swiftly mounted to the
crest of the ridge, and met the charging cavalry with a withering
volley. A second followed. The enemy had no stomach for more; reining
in their horses, they wheeled round and fell back as they had come.
This, however, was only the beginning of the action. Heavy columns of
the enemy now appeared in sight, cavalry and infantry, with numerous
artillery crowning the eastern hills. A portion occupied the redoubts
abandoned by the Turks, and the attitude of the Russians was so
menacing that it seemed unlikely we could stay their onward progress.
For the moment no troops could be interposed but the British
cavalry--the two brigades, Light and Heavy--which had their encampment
in the plain, and had been under arms, commanded by Lord Lucan, since
daybreak.
"We must have up the First and Fourth Divisions," Lord Raglan had
said, when he arrived on the battle-field soon after eight in the
morning; at first he had treated the news of the Russian advance
lightly.
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