VI tth Period 370 THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN. CHAP, these superb 77th men — we saw how they fought against Soimoiioff's masses — were disconcerted, it seems, by an order which struck them as wild, but also by a feeling that they did not know what they were to do. Except Lieutenant Acton him- self, who moved at their head whilst they marched down the Post-road by fours, they had no officer with them ; and there were not only many who grumbled, but some who even tailed off. Acton not being cautioned by any one, or otherwise guided, continued to move down the Post-road till he had entered the Quarry Ravine ; but when there, he soon found his right turned by a column moving up in the bed of the ravine along the old carriage-track. The rush and the whir of round- shot and shell Hying over his head at this time had become so loud, that he could not audibly convey any order except by bawling into the ear of some one soldier at a time ; and it was not without some difficulty and loss that he found means to draw his men back into the rear of the Barrier. There, however, the accession of this little force, with besides an importation of cartridges, proved ex- ceedingly welcome to our people, for it showed them that, despite their isolation, they had been The 'hay ueitlicr cut off uor forgotten. They were aided brought up. too before long by a company of the 49th which Lieutenant Astley had made bold to withdraw from its post on the right of the camp.* Haines
- The company until thu.s withdrawn was furnishing what
men called ' the hay picket ' ou ground overlooking the Tcher- naya valley.
