Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/137

 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 115 a fight, till it raged like a consuming passion, cpap. From the exceeding tenacity of their nature, it __ J resulted that the combative impulses, when long baffled by circumstances, were cumulative in their effect ; and the events of the day — the capture of British guns under the eyes of our horsemen — the marching, the countermarching, the marching again, without ever striking a blow, and finally, the dainty dressing of ranks under the eyes of the enemy's host — all these antecedent trials of The tempei patience had been heating and still heating the at this time furnace by the very barriers which kept down the flame. If, with the Inniskillings, the impetuosity I spoke of was in a great measure aggregate, that yearning of the Scots for close quarters was, with many, the passion of the individual man, and so plain to the eye that the trooper became some thing other than a component part of a machine — became visibly a power of himself. English officers who were combative enough in their own way, yet saw with wonder not unmingled with a feeling like awe that long-pent-up rage for the fight which was consuming the men of the Greys. In the earlier part of the advance now at unavoidable length commenced by the three squadrons, there theadvau was nothing that could much impress the mind moments, of an observer who failed to connect it in his mind with the prospect of what was to follow ; and a somewhat young critic was heard to con- demn the advance by declaring it 'tame.' Tl truth is — and that we discovered before, whilst tracing the steps of Scarlett — that the Greys J)