8 THE STRAIN ON OUR MEN. chap, enemy ever restless and aggressive in his use of 1 — . the pickaxe and spade, and finally to prepare for the object of supporting the French on their right, if ever, in the future, disposed to assault the Flagstaff Bastion — this was all that in the way of siege-work our people were able to do. They did no less than their utmost ; yet in face of the mighty defences by this time piled up before them they could not at all make sure, nay indeed could scarce venture to hope that they would once more be able to win for the French such immunity in the direction of their right front as was given them — though given in vain — on that 17th of October when under the fire of our guns the Malakoff Tower was silenced and the Great Redan lay in ruins. The great Only those who have formed some conception strain put „ , . . . . on their or the hardships undergone by our army at the time of the ' Winter Troubles ' will fully imagine the strain that was put on its fortitude by the exigencies of siege-work and continuous strife with the enemy, superadded to the bare task of living or painfully trying to live ; * yet some- times it happened that the nature, though not the extent, of the struggle maintained, and the imperious domination of military exigencies over other dire needs, could almost be learnt at a glance. In the midst of its most grievous straits for want of other means of land-transport, one might too often count several hundreds of our weary soldiery — every man of them heavily laden
- See ante, vol. vii. chap. viii.
fortitude.
