Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/321

 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 299 distance from Shewell of something less than 300 chap. yards, and the two leading squadrons had already L established their line, but the third squadron was still in process of wheeling. Once more in this singular battle of horsemen, our people had before them a body of cavalry which passively awaited the charge. With his seventy against three hundred, Shewell needed some such counterbal- ancing advantage as that ; but he might have lost his occasion if he had been wanting in that swiftness of decision which is one of the main conditions of excellence in a cavalry officer, for it was to be inferred that upon the completion of the manoeuvre by their third squadron, the Eus- sians would charge down on our people. Colonel Shewell proved equal to the occasion. He lost not one moment. He was a man whose mind had received a deep impress from some of the contents of the Bible ; but those who might differ from his opinions still recognised in him a man of high honour who extended the authority of conscience to the performance of military duties ; and it has not been found in practice that a piety strictly founded on the Holy Testa- ments (taken fairly, the one with the other) has any such softening tendency as to unfit a man for- th e task of fierce bodily conflict.* to deliver a judgment on the merits of his lost comrade — has said of him, 'I knew the man with whom I had to deal — T ' knew that I was dealing with one of the most honourable, the ' most gallant, the most conscientious, the most single-minded ' man it has ever been my good fortune to meet with.
 * One of Shewell's companions in arms — a man well entitled