CHAPTER XXXI.
‘THE THIN RED LINE.’
THE booming of that first gun from Redoubt No. 1 was the opening note heralding in a day that will live long in the history of Britain. The first report was followed quickly by others, both from the first and other redoubts, and the vedettes came in at a smart trot.
An enormous force of Russians, horse, foot, and artillery, was advancing upon Balaclava, they said. After events showed that twenty-five battalions, thirty-four squadrons, and seventy-eight guns, nearly twenty-five thousand men in all, was the actual number.
The guns from the Turkish redoubts were quickly replied to by a tremendous fire from several Russian batteries. The picket was ordered to fall back towards the camp.
The whole of the Light Brigade had stood to their horses an hour before daybreak as usual, and had just received the command, ‘File to your lines!’ when the guns of No. 1 Redoubt opened fire. They immediately received orders to mount and advance, meeting Jack’s troop on their way. The whole were then halted with a troop of horse artillery, just to the right of No. 3 Redoubt, under the southern slopes of the Causeway Heights. Here they got a good view of what was going on.
On their right front dense masses of Russians, having silenced with their artillery the guns in No. 1 Redoubt, were advancing to the attack, while other columns were preparing to storm Canrobert’s Hill. On their right flank was Balaclava, the slight defence in front of it being held by the Royal Marines, a hill to the left of Kadikoi being crested by Sir Colin Campbell with the 93rd Highlanders. The heavy cavalry was on the right of the Light Brigade. The Fedioukine Hills on the left front, across the Woronzoff Road, were crowded with Russian infantry and cavalry, while Lord Raglan with his staff had taken up a position to the left rear on the Sapoune Ridge.
Jack had hardly time to take in all these details when a sort of guttural yell in front, accompanied by crashing volleys of musketry, announced the fact that the Russian infantry were attacking the redoubt.
Captain Maude’s troop of horse artillery opened fire on the Russians and maintained it for some time. Presently the Lancers saw on their flank a stretcher being carried by. On it, horribly wounded, lay the gallant Captain Maude. Soon the ammunition of the horse battery was exhausted, and it had to retire till the ammunition wagons should arrive.
By that time the Russians were swarming across the ditch and over the feeble parapet of No. 1 Redoubt. The Russians outnumbered the Turks by ten to one, yet the latter maintained an obstinate bayonet-fight until sheer weight of numbers crushed the Turks and they fled, or at least about a third of them did. Two-thirds they left dead—for the Russians could be depended upon to slay all the wounded—in the fort behind them.
‘By George, the Bono Johnnies are running!’ exclaimed Pearson; ‘they’ve bolted.’