Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/127

THE MAIN FIGHT. 83 the Guards, stretched thence northwards to the chap, VI Hank of the Kitspur, passed looping across the L_ head of the lukernian Tusk, and thence turned back to the barrier or Main Picket Wall, the station occupied by the 'field-officer of the day.' Eeappeariug (after a break) near the head of East Jut, the line passed in a south-westerly direction across the folds of Shell Hill, went on to the edge of the upwold, and thence following the steeps part -way down sought to link itself with that chain of the Light Division pickets which began near Mikriakoff Farm in the bed of the Careenage Kavine, and ascended to the right Lancaster bat- tery on the slopes of the Victoria Ridge. Of course the scope of the ground thus watched could be varied from time to time as circum- stances might command ; and at night in .par- ticular, as is usual, the men who had watched during daylight from the brows of the hills were conmionly drawn back so far as to avoid being seen on the sky-line ; but even, irrespectively of that precaution, the chain in some places at dusk was often a good deal retracted. The Eussian vedette always rooted to one spot of ground was near, very near to our sentries, but in general remained hidden from them by the bend of the hill, and it was not the habit of our riflemen to go beyond bounds in order to disturb the lone horseman. People gazing from the west used to wonder how Eussia and England in the persons of their outermost sentries could be always so near and so peaceful.