Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/112

 no THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. CHAP. I. Scarlett's resolve. The order he gave. ' Scarlett's ' three ' hundred. horse. Elliot, young as he was, had yet been inured to war, and he quickly was able to assure himself not only that powerful masses of Russian cavalry were gathered, and gathering, on the ridge, but that they fronted towards the South Valley and were looking down almost at right angles upon the flank of our marching column. Of course, the aide-de-camp instantly directed the eyes of his chief to the summit of the ridge on his left. For a moment, Scarlett could hardly accept Elliot's conclusion ; but in the next instant he recognised the full purport of what had happened, and per- ceived that he was marching across the front of a great mass of Eussian cavalry, which looked down upon the flank of his column from a distance of but a few hundred yards, and might be expected, of course, to charge down on it. This, then, was the occasion which fortune had proffered to the Russian cavalry. Scarlett's resolve was instantaneous, and his plan simple. He meant to form line to his left, and to charge with all six of his squadrons. Ac- cordingly he faced his horse's head towards the flank of the column, and called out, 'Are you ' right in front ? ' * The answer was, ' Yes, sir ! ' Then Scarlett gave the word of command, ' Left ' wheel into line ! ' The troops nearest to Scarlett were those which formed the left-hand column — that is, the 2d see, some portions of the Heavy Brigade were maivhing 'left 'in front.'
 * This was a very apt question ; for, as we shall afterwanls