CHAPTER XXXVI.
‘THE SOLDIERS’ BATTLE.’
THE crashing volleys with which the picket Jack and Will had alarmed greeted the Russians were quickly echoed from right and left. The rattling of musketry was soon interrupted by the sharp, ringing report of field-guns, and along a great part of the British lines a heavy fire was opened.
The picket of the 41st were outnumbered a hundred to one; but they refused to give ground. For half-an-hour they maintained their position, and long before that time had elapsed both Jack and Will, possessing themselves of the rifles and cartridge-pouches of two men who had fallen, were bearing their part with their comrades of the line.
During the half-hour in which the picket stuck to their post, the Russians placed twenty-two heavy guns on the height known as Shell Hill, just in front of them. When these opened fire, and not till then, the gallant picket retired, not falling back, but moving away to their right.
A fierce struggle was then taking place between other Russian columns and a company of the 49th. Jack’s party joined these, and presently a British field-battery came groping its way through the mist in order to find a suitable place on which to unlimber and open fire. The ground was much encumbered with thick brushwood, and it was some time before they could unlimber. Even then they paused before opening fire, for the mist was so thick that they could not see whether Russians or English were before them.
Presently the 49th were assailed with so tremendous a fire that they fell back with loss, retiring to reform behind the guns. Before these latter could open fire, with yelps and shouts, dense masses of gray-coated, flat-capped Russians threw themselves upon the gunners, and a terrific hand-to-hand combat commenced. The men fired literally in each other’s faces; then muskets were clubbed, and a fierce mêlée ensued.
‘Fire a round of case,’ yelled the officer in command of the guns; but the enemy was in amongst the gunners.
A young lieutenant of artillery drew his sword, and crying to his men to do likewise and follow him, charged at the enemy. A shower of bullets greeted him and those who followed him, amongst whom were Jack and Will. Then the Russians, as though bewildered by the suddenness of this onslaught, halted, and in an instant men with swords, rammers, and sponge-staves were in amongst them, smiting them and hurling them back. One enormous gunner, having smashed a rammer on a particularly thick Russian skull, stood alone for some time, felling Russian after Russian with tremendous sledge-hammer blows of his fists. Then the Russians rallied, rolled on in irresistible numbers, drove back the defenders, and three of the guns were in the enemy’s hands.
The artillery lieutenant, borne back with the sullenly retreating infantry, loudly bewailed the loss of his beloved guns, and the men of the 41st and the 49th, reforming, poured such a galling fire upon the advancing Russians that they halted and wavered.
‘Men,’ cried the officer in command, ‘the enemy pauses; give them one more volley, then let them have the bayonet.’