Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/182

 160 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. CHAP. I. Attempts of our dragoons to rally. The pur- suit of the enemy by our dra- goons. to break, General Scarlett had at length cut his way through it. He had entered it, as we know, at the centre of its front, and at the head of the Greys. The part of the column from which he emerged was its left flank; and those of his people whom he then had the nearest to him were men of the Inniskilling Dragoons. We saw that even during the fight, and whilst still involved in the throng, the Scots Greys had endeavoured to rally ; and some way to their left, but in the same alignment, the Royals (having numbers of men of other regiments intermixed with their squadrons) were still re-forming their ranks ; but no other part of our Heavy Brigade had even attempted as yet to recover its state of formation ; and as it was inferred that the enemy might have some force on the other slope of the ridge which would be ready to act in support, our officers were more eager to rally their scattered troopers than to encourage pursuit. Indeed al- most at the instant of emerging from the depths of the column — he came out of it panting and vehement as though fresh from violent bodily effort* — Colonel Hodge had laid his commands on the two first trumpeters he could see, and caused them to sound the rally. Notwithstanding this desire to effect a rally at once, many of our dragoons pursued the retreat- ing enemy for some distance, but not with their left flank of the Russian column, saw Hodge in the act of com- ing out from it. lie also saw General Scarlett emerge.
 * Lord Lucan, who, as we saw, had ridden up hy the (proper)