Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/57

THE FLANK MAlX'If. 27 that, until he should he cither attacked or sum- chap. inoned, it was his duty to ofler resistance * L__ Upou learning the surrender of the Castle, LoniRag- Lord Kaglan once more rode lorward, and pres- Balaclava. eutly entered the little street which formed the main part of Balaclava. The people of the place were alarmed when Demeanour they thought of the consequences wdiich might hihitauu. be brought upon them by Colonel Monto's show of resistance. Their notion of what should be done may have been formed on the exigency of the moment, or else may have come down to them with their Greek or Asiatic traditions of conquering armies and suppliant towns. At all events, these poor people found a mute, touch- ing way of declaring their subnnssion and praying for mercy. Leaving clear a lane in the centre for Lord Eaglan and the horsemen who followed him, and the troops coming after, they went down upon their knees, and so remained, holding up, all the time, loaves of bread in their outstretched hands. They seemed to take heart when they lifted their faces and scanned the gracious looks of the English Commander; but still he was what their imaginations represented as terrible — the capturer of a place wdiich had greeted him Mith fire — and they could see — because The Kussians ascribe to Colonel Mouto cue of those heroic speeches which people are accustomed to invent in time of war ; but I am sure that the above is the real purport of the Colonel's answer, for Lord Eaglan so represented it to me just after having received it. Lord Raglan, I remember, said, ' 'i l.ere is ' often a gooil deal of practical diflicultA' in summoning.'