Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/101

THE BATTLE OF KALACLAVA. 79 about a thousand yards of him, Campbell gave a chap brisk order to his little body of foot, directing _J them at once to advance, and again crown the S^reddl?- top of the hillock. This was done at the instant P° 8ition8 - by the Highland battalion and the few score of English soldiers who had come up to range along- side it. The troops did not throw themselves into a hollow square (as is usual in preparing for cavalry), but simply formed line two deep. On this slender array all was destined to rest; for the two battalions of Turks which had hitherto flanked the Queen's troops were by this time without cohesion. It would seem that the dis- integration of the Mussulman force had begun at the moment when Campbell withdrew his line to the foot of the hillock, and was completed, some few instants later, upon the evident approach of the Russian cavalry. At all events, these two battalions of Turks were now dissolved or dissolv- ing. For the most part, both officers and men Flight of the Turks. turned and fled, making straight as they could for the port, and they cried, as they went. Ship ! ship ! ship ! By this defection in presence of the enemy's Position of advancing cavalry, Campbell was suddenly shorn after the of two-thirds of the numerical strength engaged Turks. in defending the gorge ; and the few hundred British soldiers who had hitherto constituted but a fraction of his force were now almost all that of Cossacks ; but Campbell estimated the number of these de- tached horsemen at a number very small by comparison, that is, at only 400.