Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/102

 80 THE RATTLE OF BALACLAVA. OI1A P. I. His words to the men. Their an- swer to his appeal Continued advance of the detached Russian squadrons. remained to him upon the hillock in front of Kadikoi * Whilst he waited the movements of an enemy who was altogether some 24,000 or 25,000 strong, he could not help seeing how much was now made to depend upon the steadfastness of the few hundred men who remained with him still on the hillock. He had, however, so great a confidence in his Highlanders that he judged he could safely impart to them the gravity of the occasion. He rode down the line, and said : * Re- ' member there is no retreat from here, men ! ' You must die where you stand ! ' f The men cheerily answered his appeal saying, 'Ay, ay, ' Sir Colin; we'll do that.' + It was whilst our men were still lying on their faces at the foot of the hillock that the four Rus- sian squadrons began their advance ; and it is said that the mission of this detached force was to try to seize one of the batteries connected with the inner line of defence. The horsemen, it seems, rode on, not expecting a combat with infantry ; when suddenly they saw the slender line of the Highlanders springing up to the top of the hillock. Not unnaturally the Russian horsemen imagined who manfully stood their ground. It would he a great error to question the courage of the fugitives. The one bane of the Turkish forces is the want of officers to whom the men can look up. Without that ingredient cohesion is apt to fail, however brave men may be. + These words were beard by Lieutenant (now Major) Bur- roughs, the officer then in command of the 6th company of the t And tbese.
 * I say almost, because there were men among the Turks