If the services of the marines and the two officers were needed, they were to remain.
Jack had therefore an opportunity of once more seeing the gallant 93rd, who were, as usual, spoiling for a fight, and also taking a hurried luncheon in his cousin's tent.
Balaklava had been temporarily fortified by Sir Colin, in his own slap-dash but soldierly fashion.
"I hope," said Jack to Dr. Reikie, "that we won't be sent back."
"I'm sure I won't be, man," said the doctor. "I fear, Jack, that surgeons will be more needed than even middies."
"Never mind, old man," said Jack, laughing; "we middies may sometimes make work for doctors to do."
But neither Jack nor the surgeon and marines were sent back—in truth, some of the red-jackets, poor fellows, never went back—so that honest Dr. Reikie, surgeon and naturalist, and his bold friend Jack, burning for honour, glory, and epaulettes, were present at the battle.
Now let me remind you that General Soimonoff was inside Sebastopol with his army, and that his orders were to issue therefrom near the mouth of the Careenage glen or ravine ([vide plan]), and effect a junction with Pauloff, who was to march his army from the heights beyond Tchernaya, across the causeway and the bridge over the river, and so meet and unite with the former. In fact, Menschikoff seemed to have known very little at all about the chasm or ravine with its inaccessible sides, and gave his orders as if it hadn't existed.
As for our forces, we had the Second Division, 3,000 men, lying ready to meet the wild cat. On the Victoria ridge was Codrington's Brigade, and with it marines—Dr. Reikie and Jack with his men both got stationed here; near to them was the Naval Battery, with its one gun—the others had been withdrawn where they could be used in the siege-batteries.
Codrington's forces and the marines numbered only 1,500, or rather less.