Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/125

 THE ENEMY'S GEE AT NIGHT ATTACK. 93 nished the ' working-parties ' employed- that night, chap. under the guidance of Colonel Tylden of the ! Eoyal Engineers, and the remaining 300 he kept higher up in reserve. Colonel Kelly enjoyed an advantage which of course for one acting at mid- night was beyond measure great — that of having at his side Major Gordon (the directing engineer of the ' Gordon's' or ' Eight Attack' siege- works), who thoroughly well knew the ground.* Marking all that through darkness and storm the eye and the ear could still tell him of the conflict sustained by the French, and learning thus that — though slowly — the enemy had car- ried their trenches, Colonel Kelly divined that the Eussians would very soon turn to their right, and try to make a sweep along the ground in his rear, where the 300 men he had furnished were busy with pickaxe and spade. To prepare against any such onset, Colonel Kelly made these dispo- sitions: — Not disturbing at all the detachment composed of the ' 97th men ' which formed the extreme right of the line, and was critically cir- cumstanced, but resorting instead to the two next detachments (troops furnished by the 77th and 88th regiments), he shifted them both from their places in the advanced trench, and drew them up at right angles to it, the 77th men fore- most, in skirmishing order, supported by the 88 th men in line.t To take up the positions eral Sir Willian Gordon, K.C.B. f These dispositions were highly prized by the gifted officer
 * The greatly distinguished officer who was afterwards Gen-