Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/128

 106 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap horsemen. Two of these were side by side, and a the one on the left wore the cocked-hat which indicated the presence of a Staff-officer, and sug- gested indeed, at first sight, that the wearer might be the General who commanded the brigade ; but a field-glass corrected the error, showing instantly that the horseman who thus caught the eye from a distance was no more than a young lieutenant — Lieutenant Alexander Elliot, the aide-de-camp of General Scarlett. But to the right 01 the young aide-de-camp there was another horseman, on a thorough-bred bay, standing fully, it seemed, sixteen hands. To judge from his head-gear, this last horseman might seem to be no more than a regimental officer of dragoons — for he wore the same helmet as they did — but an outer-coat of dark blue, thrown on, it seemed, over his uniform, served to show that he must be on the Staff. Because of the bright contrast disclosed between the warm summer hue of his features and a drooping mustache white as snow, it was possible to see from afar that this officer must be General Scarlett. Of the two horsemen who kept them- selves a little in rear of the General, the one was his trumpeter, the other his orderly. This last man had attained to high skill as a swordsman, and was a valorous, faithful soldier. If it were not for the general spread of incredulity, it would be acknowledged that he drew his lineage from some mighty giantess of former ages, for he bore the .surname of Sliegog.
 * • little in front of the others. Of the two foremost,