Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/159

THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 137 did not, however, emerge into the open ground in chap rear of the column (where a line of Cossacks stood ' ranged in open order), but preferred to keep back and remain fighting within the column, taking, each of them, such direction as best consisted with the exigencies of personal combat. The enemy's horsemen, when visited by this fierce intrusion, had before long disclosed an inclination to be hanging in bevies upon the flanks and quarters of some particular Scots Grey singled out here and there as the object of their special attacks, and this in such numbers of instances that, after a while, there was, taking them all together, a whole multitude of these Russian assailants who — with- out intending retreat — had got to be facing to- wards their rear, and from this cause apparently it resulted that in seeking, as he naturally would, to be front to front with those who were most keenly besetting him, many a Scots Grey who al- ready had cut his road through from the front to the rear of the column, now once more found him self busied in riving the same mass of horsemen, but riving it in the opposite direction. Whether owing to this cause or some other, there set in, as it were, a back eddy, and numbers of the men of the Greys having now faced about were again cleaving paths through the column, moving this time, however, in directions which tended from its rear towards its front. In the earlier moments of the fight these men of the Greys had seemed to be almost furiously intent upon slaughter, but they now wore the more careless aspect of men who had proved their ascendant. Whilst charging