Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/320

 298 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. CHAP. I. ' where Lord Cardigan was ; ' * and Mayow hav- ing replied that he did not know, it resulted that coionei Colonel Shewell, as the senior officer present, be- Shewell the. n „, .. . senior officer came charged with the duty of determining how emergency, the emergency should be met by the troops within reach of his orders. It does not, however, appear that there was much scope for doubt. After an almost momentary consultation with the senior officers present, including Colonel Mayow and Major de Salis, Colonel Shewell gave the word ' Eight about wheel ! ' and the squadron, with its adjunct of fifteen Lancers, came round at once with the neatness of well - practised troops on His charge, parade. Colonel Shewell and Major de Salis put themselves in the front, and Lieutenant Seager commanded the one squadron into which, as we saw, the remains of the 8th Hussars had been fused. Mayow led the small band of Lancers which had attached itself to the Hussars. The seventy horsemen rode straight at the fluttering line of gay lances which the enemy was then in the very act of forming. The three Rus- sian squadrons thus wheeling into line were at a recurring ; but commanders of course cannot be everywhere at the same time, and it must not be understood that when an officer asks this question, he inferentially suggests ground of blame against the general for not being visible at a particular moment and on a particular spot. It is right, however, to mention these dialogues ; because they show, or tend to show, a devolution of authority creating fresh responsibilities. Thus, for instance, it resulted from the dialogue given in the text that Colonel Shewell, as senior officer, became the commander of that part of the first line which was within reach of his directions.
 * This question of ' Where is Lord Cardigan ? ' will be found