Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/128

 84 THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN. CHAP. At the end of their twenty-four hours of out- ^^' post duty, and always before break of day, the pickets used to be relieved, and there was there- fore a lengthened time every morning when, the old and the new pickets being all of them on out- post duty, a very large proportion of the Division was absent from camp. A system of pickets thus crossing the centre of Mount Inkerman, instead of skirting its front, did not purport, of course, to be one which could so overlook the approaches as to insure early know- ledge of any approaching attack; but, although Colonel Percy Herbert, the Assistant Quarter- master-General, used to pray that the chain should be looped forward in such manner as to secure the maintenance of an effective watch on the northern and north-western Spurs, he had always been answered that this was not to be done without either employing more forces than could well be spared for the purpose, or else in- curring the risk of having men surrounded and taken. The intermediate plan of keeping the pickets as before during the main part of the day and night, but causing them to patrol towards the front in the early morning, was an expedient of later days. As a part of the precautionary system of the 2d Division, two guns used to be kept, at this time, on what was called 'picket' duty — that is, they were placed on the Post-road, close in rear of the infantry tents, with their horses already ' liooked 'in.'