Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/108

 86 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. CHaP west (without being assailed by our cavalry), that ! at length it incurred two shots, both discharged from the line of batteries which fringed the edge of the Chersonese. Checked apparently by this fire, the Russian cavalry, which had previously seemed to be one immense column, now showed itself to consist of two distinct masses, and during some moments it seemed disposed to fall back ; its change but presently, the whole force, acting closely to- gether, wheeled obliquely aside towards the line of the Woronzoff road, and began to cross over the Causeway Heights, as though minded to invade the South Valley, or else, at the least, to survey it. Lord Cardigan's brigade had just been moved to a position more advanced than before, and it now fronted towards the east. Therefore, although the configuration of the ground was such as to keep General Ryjoff in ignorance of what he had on his flank, yet, when he thus passed over the heights, he was moving (obliquely) across the front of our Light Cavalry. So far as I have heard, there is no ground at all for believing that, when the Russian horse thus wheeled and faced to the south, it had yet had a glimpse of the foe with which, in hard fight, it was destined to be presently striving; its sudden but as soon as the foremost horsemen of the lead of a great^ ing column had moved up to the top of the ridge, they all at once found that a great occasion was come. Long before the flight of the Turkish battalions in the gorge of Kadikoi, Lord Raglan's sure glanc< opportunity.