Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/201

BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 175 emerge from the thick ground and the channel of chap. the river ; but presently some small groups, and ' afterwards larf^er gatherino's of the red-coats, an- progress ° *= ° . , ' ^ of the battle peared upon the top of the river's bank on the then going , on under Russian side, and at length — passing almost at ^is eyes. right angles across Lord Eaglan's line of vision — there went on before him that eager tumultuous onset of the troops, led by Cod'rington, which we long ago saw them maintaining until they had seized the Redoubt. Lord Raglan knew that the distance between him and the scene of the struggle at the Redoubt was too great to allow of his then tampering with it ; for any order that he might send would lose its worth in the journey, and tend to breed confusion. And it was not in his way to assuage his impatience by making impotent efforts ; nor would he even give vent to his feeling by words or looks disclosing vexation. He had so great a power of preventing his animal spirits from droop- ing, that no one could see in his glowing counten- ance the faintest reflection of the sight which his eyes took in. His manner all the time was the manner of a man enlivened by the progress of a great undertaking without being robbed of his leisure. He spoke to me, I remember, about his horse. He seemed like a man who had a clue of his own, and knew his way through the battle. Watching the onslaught of Coclrington's brigade, Lord Raglan had seen the men ascend the slope and rush up over the parapet of the Great Re-