Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/42

 12 THE FLANK MARCH. CHAP, the Ilia]-*, lie at once chose his course like a liJer II ' who had been familiar with the ground all his (lays, and soon struck into the lane or woodland road which bends up towards Mackenzie's Farm. The cavalry, as we saw, was moving through another part of the forest ; but jIaude's troop of horse-artillery, though in general commanded by Lord Lucan, did not now form a part of the recon- noitring column ; and having avoided the mis- take which led the cavalry into a bypath, it was now upon its assigned route, moving steadily along the woodland road. The road was just broad enough to allow^ the passage of a piece of artillery, with also one horseman alongside it; and at the time of the interruption which will aiuiiiding be presently recorded. Lord liaglan, fuUowed by aii'y^ofhis liis Staff in single file, was riding abreast of troops in, ,. ^ , , iiontofiiiin: the loromost gun, or perliaps a lew paces ahead of it. Lord Eaglan supposed that the reconnoitring column of cavalry and riflemen was in front of him, and from moment to moment, no doubt, he was expecting Lord Lucan's report. cause of If the cavalry had been leading the march through this lane, it would have been moving, of course, with the usual precautions, and an ad- vanced-guard preceding the column by a sufficing distance, and perceiving a hostile force in its front, would have been quick to carry back warn- ing to the main body. It chanced, however, as we saw, that our cavalry had missed the lane, and this is whv it was that Lord Laglan came tliis