Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/391

 COMI'.AT OF TIIF 2GTII OF OCTOBFR. i^GO conflict; and apparently, he also cherished a hope CHAP, that he might be able to fasten himself upon some ' part of the Inkerman heights, for his troops were to carry entrenching tools. In the combat thus rapidly planned the Russians circum- . * stances did not engage any formidable number of troops, giving an ° & J. r interest to but whilst fighting it on the predestined ground, the 'Lesser & & r O > ' Inkerman '« they rehearsed, as it were, the attack which soon combat, would be made in great earnest; and, on the other hand, their English opponent defended the heights on a plan which afforded a marked and interest- ing contrast to the one his successor adopted in the subsequent trial of strength. Thus a narra- tive of the earlier combat will help in more ways than one to illustrate the story of ' Inkerman.' It was only in general by the presence of a The enemy** J ° •» i ^ dominion Cossack vedette that the enemy displayed his over the J * » northern real power on the northern part of Mount Inker- v^tot man ; but he there nevertheless (with the aid of inkerman ■ a few concealed riflemen) maintained an undis- puted dominion ; for the ground could be searched by his batteries in the Karabel Faubourg as well as by fire from his ships. So complete was his mastery that, when now he determined to issue in force from the Karabel Faubourg, to ascend Mount Inkerman, to traverse its northern part from west to east, and then — bringing round his left shoulder — to begin his advance towards Shell Hill, he rightly took it for granted that he might of the great fight there destined to be raging ten days after- wards — this combat of the 26th of October was often called the 'Little Inkerman.' VOL. V. 2 A
 * Taking place as it did on ' Mount Inkerman ' — the scene