Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/263

THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 241 'to your dressing!' 'Eight squadron, Right chap ■ squadron, keep back ! ' The increasing distance between the 4th Light Dragoons and the 8th Hussars soon became so great as to make Lord George Paget discard for the time all idea of reuniting them into one line ; and, accordingly, with his now isolated regiment, he continued to press forward at a rate which was in great measure dictated to him by the speed of the first line. He observed, however, that in his front there was another regiment which had also become isolated; for, in obedi- ence to Lord Lucan's direction — a direction never communicated to Lord George Paget — the 11th Hussars had by this time dropped back, so as to be acting in support to the left of the first line. In these circumstances, Lord George Paget de- termined that, by advancing in support to the 13th Light Dragoons, and by somewhat accelerat- ing his pace, he would try to align himself with the 11th Hussars. In coming to this determin- ation Lord George was governed only by the exigency of the occasion ; but it so happened that, without knowing it, he was bringing the disposition of the ' supports ' to that exact form which his Divisional General had intended to order ; for as soon as Lord George should succeed in overtaking the 11th Hussars, the second line would be formed, as Lord Lucan had intended, by two regiments. Meantime, however, and up to the moment when Lord George's purpose attained to completion, the three regiments vol. v. Q