Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/196

 164 THE APRIL BOMBARDMENT. CHAP, begun the conflict there was now only one that VI. . remained undisabled. With that one gun, how- ever, the Captain still continued to fight. In compliance with the request of Captain Old- ershaw preferred, as we saw, at a time when he still had three guns undisabled, two fresh 'gun ' detachments ' had, by this time, come down to the battery ; but, considering the state of its parapet and of its armament reduced to one gun still remaining in a serviceable state, the Captain did not judge that this succour could now be of any great use. He thoughtfully, rightly determined that the men newly come should not be needlessly sacrificed in the des- perate service which had fallen to his own lot, and sent off all those he could spare to find shelter and peace in the empty battery near him.* In the midst of the havoc surrounding him, Captain Oldershaw with his now only gun was obediently working his battery to the enjoined limit of ' extremity,' when he found himself re- ceiving the visit of a brave and true - hearted soldier, who came because he divined that the battery must be in dire trouble. We saw Graham place himself in the 3d Par- allel and near to Oldershaw's battery with the double object of watching a hazardous experiment deeply interesting to our Engineers, and if pos- sible helping our gunners to 'get their range.' In that last object, however, he constantly found been then armed, and was unassailed by the enemy.
 * In the ' advanced No. VIII., ' which had not, as we saw,