Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/302

 f 276 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP, the withdrawal of the defeated troops ; and if in ^' the minds of liussian oificers in that part of the field there yet remained any notion of trying to govern the retreat, their last hope was blasted by the new and ominons sign which then started Thegciriot full into viow. On the fatal knoll, whence evil knoll?" ' seemed alwaj's to come to the army of the Czar, there took place a sudden change. The horse- men with the white plumes were qnite suddenly withdrawn fro;p. .sight, and in a minute the knoll was surmounted with a scarlet arch. The arcli was an arch built of Eiiglisli troops ranged in line across the summit, and thence on either side stretching down the steep shoulders of the knoll. And this arch of formed troops rose up in the heart of what had been the liussian position. Moreover, it faced towards the south-cast, plainly showing that it was in the mind of the red- coats to cross the higher part of the Pass, and spring upon the flank of the troops which were retiring along the Great Causeway. Then, peihaps, if not long before, the most hopeful of the Russian officers wlio looked fn)ni the Pass or from the western slopes of the Koin-- gan^ Hill, would be constrained to acknowledge that their army had fallen under the mastery of that gracious-looking horseman long seen on the knoll, who managed his charger and his field-glass with one hand and a half-empty sleeve. And, indeed, the mastery was now so complete that to any poor jNIuscovitc soldier who M-as simply moving from the field with all the speed he had,