Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/211

 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 189 presently despatched a reminding and accelerat- chap. ing message to Lord Lucan ; but the announce- l ' ment of the artillery -teams coming up to carry off English guns may well have determined his choice of the moment for taking the step, and it gave him an opportunity — which, even in a mo- ment of anger, his kind and generous nature would incline him to seize — an opportunity of softening the communication he had to make to the commander of his cavalry ; for evidently the pressure which was to be applied to Lord Lucan would be relieved in some measure of its inculpa- tory aspect, by basing the necessity for instant action upon a new fact. Accordingly, Lord Rag- lan determined to repeat with increased urgency his hitherto disobeyed order for the advance of the cavalry, and to give to its commander a fresh motive for despatch, by pressing upon him the special object of endeavouring to prevent the enemy from carrying off the guns. This deter- mination he expressed in terms intimating that the Quartermaster-General, who was close at his side, should give immediate effect to it. With The 'fourth a pencil, and a slip of paper rested upon his sabretash, General Airey quickly embodied in a written order the instruction thus given him ; but before Lord Raglan allowed the paper to go, he dictated some additional words which Airey at once inserted. The paper when thus completed became what men have called ' the ' fourth order.' *
 * The terms of the order will be given in a later ]>age.