Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/284

 240 THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN. CHAP. VI. id Period. The Russi- ans thrown back some paces : their rally ; more men of the Guards now out on the Ledgeway : the fighting there. pet when he found himself met by a Russian officer of great stature, who was heading the at- tack at this spot, and vehemently calling forward his men. Upon seeing Burnaby, the Eussian offi- cer sprang at him sword in hand, but Burnaby parried ; and before his assailant could again raise the arm, brought him down by a cut so delivered on the side of the head, that the tall leader fell, and died at once with a groan. Then, still fol- lowed by five or six men, and getting quit of his two next assailants with nothing worse than a shot through his bearskin, Captain Burnaby made a dart at the thick of the troops confronting him. Surprised, and for a moment confounded, the mass of the Eussians fell back several paces in avoidance of this sudden lunge ; but they present- ly rallied, and a number of their people swarmed forward in bevies undertaking to clear the front. On the other hand, Burnaby's original following of six or seven was by this time a little increased. Before long, he had with him more men belonging to his own company ; and, whilst also Sir Charles Eussell, with his valiant man Anthony Palmer, approached this part of the Ledgeway, there came besides from the left Captain Kinloch and Captain Eobert Lindsay of the Scots Fusiliers, with a few more men of the Guards. All these springing forward opposed themselves singly or in knots to the thickening flakes of the Eussian infantry thrown out in front of the columns ; and hence it resulted that on the narrow belt of ground then dividing our English line from the enemy's aggre-