Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/194

164 CHECKED ADVANCE OF SUCCOURS. chap, from an interposition of chance — the problem way into Sebastopol had now been brilliantly sob ed. There remained to be accomplished indeed the vital, the difficult work of reinforcing the victors, and for that purpose moving down soldiery dis- tressingly exposed on their flank to the enemy's guns ; but the peril of even this task was of course greatly lightened by what the foremost troops had achieved ; for the succouring forces, this time, would face a courtine and a battery no longer bristling with armaments in the hands of their adversaries, but manned by comrades im- patient to greet them with outbursts of welcome ; and, although in their way towards this goal, they indeed would be running the gauntlet under powerful fire, they at least, under these new con- ditions, might perform their swift march, or make their yet swifter rush unencumbered with ladders and wool-sacks. the endeav- However, the gunners on duty at the eastern taroetiemV face of the Eedan were by this time devoting a care to the bulk of d'Autemarre's force which they had not bestowed on the head of his column. On his troops moving down with a mind to support the victorious assailants there poured from the Malakoff and from the eastern face of the Eedan a fire so destructive that it not this only caused them great losses, but checked their checked. advance. They did not definitively retreat, did not cease to be intent on the purpose of rein.
 * which asked how assailants conld break their