Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/356

 33U TUH HALT OX THK r II Ai". posed to view. From this, and from other circiim- J_|_- stances, it happened that not only the wounded Russians, but also the English soldiers mounting guard at the spot, were forgotten, and left without food for many hours. lUit happily there was a man at Headquarters whose sense of honour and duty was supported by a strong will, by resistless energy, and a soundness of judgment and com- mand of temper rarely united with great activity, llomaine came to know that these poor wounded Russians were lying untended, and he judged that, inless they were cared for, there would be a last- ing blot upon the honour of the English name. An officer of the common stamp who had got to be possessed with such a feeling would have cheaply discharged his conscience by making a communication to Lord Raglan, or some other ' pioper authority.' It was not so that the task was passed on, and got rid of. Knowing the weight of the cares pressing upon the chief, Ro- maine did not appeal to Lord Raglan, but began to act himself, giving no repose to any whose aid he needed, but disturbing nobody else. Under the power of his generous indignation and strong will all lethargy slowly gave way ; and, having obtained four liumlred pounds of biscuit, and the number of hands that were needed to aid him in the undertaking, he toiled at his good work until there was no one in all those prostrate ranks of wounded men who had not been tended with the olfer of food and water. It was from seven in the evening until half-past eleven at night that lie