Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/124

 102 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. OH A P. When the extension of the Kussian front had 1 developed itself, Scarlett failed not, of course, to tkarietfs gee that, 'enorraousiy 'aF his thin line of two ranks was overweighted by the vast depth of the column before liiiin, the extent to which he was outflanked both on his right hand and on his left was hardly less overwhelming ; but whether he still expected that the 5th Dragoon Guards would align with the Greys, or whether he by this time understood that it would be operating on their left rear, he at all events looked trustfully to the help that would be brought him by this his own regiment as a means of resistance to the forces which were outflanking him on his left. Towards his right, however, he equally saw the dark squadrons far, far overlapping his front ; and, for the checking of these, he knew not that he had even so much as one troop close at hand, for he supposed at that time that his first line included the whole of the Inuiskil lings. Scarlett, therefore, despatched Captain Conolly, his brigade-major, with orders to bring forward one or other of the two regiments which had not marched off with the rest, and oppose it to the enemy's left. It seemed evident that, for the English, all rational hope must depend upon seizing the oc- casion which the enemy's halt was now proffer- ing; and to the truth of this conviction the Divisional General and his Brigadier were both keenly alive. Lord Lucan, indeed, grew so im- patient of delay that he more than once caused his trumpeter to sound the ' charge ; ' but Scarlett