Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/482

 452 FOKKSIIADOAVS OF COMING TKOUELES. cii A P. such a kind as to have in it something of menace. '^'^- Lord liaglan, followed by his Staff, rode at once to the eastern edge of the Chersonese, and stationed liimself at a point from which he saw spread out hefore liim not only the M'hole plain of Balaclava, hut the slopes of the highlands beyond it. After a scrutiny of more than an hour, it at length became evident that, for the time, nothing ^vas about to be attempted against our flank and roar; -but still there remained the fact that the enemy in some force was once more operating in the field. The enemy, as we saw long ago, had been lately sending patrols into the neighbourhood of Tchor- goun, but now he showed himself frankly with a force of all arms, and seemed minded to threaten Balaclava. Thus close following upon that dark change of prospect in regard to the siege which had resulted from the ill fortune of the Fiencli on the previous day there was added noAv to the cares which encompassed Lord Baglan a visible presence of troops preparing to assail him in rear. The truth is that Liprandi by this time had been entrusted by Prince JNIentschikoff with the command of a detachment of all arms then iu course of assembling at Tchorgoun ; and now — already intent — he hung poising himself for the swoop which was destined to give the next Wed- nesday a place in cavalry annals.