Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/266

 240 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. Cii A 1'. now coming on with a mind to turn his left flanlc, • and march straight down through the chasm. In an instant, his ready niauceuvre brought the Vladimir troops to a lialt; and men seeing the stately battalion thus adapting its front to the exigency, and stopping the enemy's column, might well enough say that the colonel was handling his fine slender English blade with a singular grace — with the gentleness and grace of the skilled swordsman, when, smiling all the while,
 * ta effect, he parries an angry thrust. In the midst of its

Kazan Column.s. Vladimir Column. oo /^ Grenadier Guards. pride and strength, the Vladimir found itself checked, nay, found itself gravely engaged with troops so few as to comprise hut half a company of our Guardsmen. They were aided, however, by Dalrymple with the company of the Scots Fusilier Guards which we saw him bring up ; for he put his line into conformity with the change of front effected by Percy ; and the like was done also by those few other soldiers under Berkeley and Hume who had ranged themselves on Colonel Hood's left. Thus the fire of perhaps altogether some six or seven score of men was brought to