Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/122

 90 THE ENEMY'S GREAT NIGHT ATTACK. chap, ful of Zouaves. After leaving in the ' ap- ! ' proaches ' thus seized a large number of sailors who there wrought all the havoc they could, Khrouleffs force moved on in pursuit, and did this without being met by any blasts of artillery, since the Frenchmen retreating before it were re- treating on the completed parallel, and therefore masking its fire. Here, however, by this time were gathered the three French battalions which d'Autemarre had within reach ; and his force now opposed to the Eussians a resistance so strong that those of them who made bold to adventure beyond the parallel met only their deaths, whilst those who remained on its verge soon found themselves engaged in a hot and obstinate fight. To the enormous preponderance of numbers already enjoyed by the Eussians there now ac- ceded a new and unexpected advantage ; for — led forward by Enseigne Zavalichine — a little body of troops had by this time moved up a good way upon what one may call English ground along the edge of the Woronzoff Eidge ; and thus it came to pass that the French, whilst engaged against the host in their front, now suddenly found themselves stricken by a fire from across the ravine, and moreover from ground so far south that it took their troops in reverse. Under this serious trial, however, the French showed what on the whole may well be called excellent firm- ness ; * and the enemy on the other hand failed
 * General Todleben says that their left fell into a complete