Mixed with the hum of round-shot came the vicious scream of shells, and presently one or two men and horses went down.
All this while Jack’s regiment and the 8th were kept perfectly still, while the regiments which had been in their front retired by squadrons behind them.
The 11th Hussars were just wheeling by Jack’s troop when a shell came screaming by and entered the body of a horse of the Hussars. It struck with a sickening squelch and then exploded, a horrible heap on the ground being all that remained of what a moment before had been a smart cavalryman. A second later a round-shot caught another Hussar on the foot, which it carried clean away. The gallant soldier glanced down and shifted himself in the saddle so as to retain his balance.
‘It’s only my foot,’ he said calmly; ‘the doctor’ll soon put that right;’ and he went on with his squadron.
Jack’s regiment was then in front, and round-shot and shell, to say nothing of musket-balls, began to whiz about them. The round-shot could be distinctly seen coming, and the men ducked as though to avoid them, though they often went twenty feet above their heads.
‘Don’t duck, boys—don’t duck,’ said Sergeant Linham, who sat apparently quite unconcerned, looking about him. ‘If a shot’s coming for you no amount of ducking will make it miss you, and in India it wasn’t considered the thing for men to bob about. Remember the motto of the regiment. Ha, hum!’
Not another man moved, and presently a round-shot came plump in among them.
‘Hallo!’ cried a dozen voices, ‘Benson’s down! he’s killed! No, he’s up! Hallo, Fred! are you hurt?’
‘Shook up a bit,’ said the Lancer in a dazed voice; ‘but the nag’s done for, I’m afraid;’ and that was true, for the poor animal’s head had been completely smashed by the shot.
The fire under which the cavalry still sat was getting very hot, when a trumpet rang out and the six-pounder battery with them opened fire. This seemed, however, to have little effect; then the nine-pounder battery opened, and their shells were seen to be exploding among the Russian cavalry and doing much damage. Presently a shell struck the limber of one of the Russian guns, which it exploded, just as another shell struck one of the guns, overturning it and killing several of the gunners.