Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/313

 THE MAIN FIGHT. 269 action without his sword, but he uttered a self- chap. . . 1 VI inspiriting prayer for the welfare of his soul, ' without deigning to ask from God any mere pro- -'^^^''^^ longation of life ; and when he had got his hold of a firelock — choosing one, by the blessing of Heaven, which had the bayonet fixed — he was a formidable antagonist for even the most pious soldier of Russia's orthodox Church. Here and there, some moments before, he had heard orders given or repeated; and, as they were all to the same effect, and all consistent with the dictates of his own soldierly instinct, he had one at least of the requisites for conducting a difficult enterprise, — that is, a clear, steadfast idea. Wolseley spoke a few words to the men within range of his voice, and told them what they now had to fight for was — not victory only, but — Life. Then, the minds of his hearers being ripe, he gave them the word of command : ' Fix bayonets, ' charge, and keep up the hill ! ' * The soldiery answered him with a burst of hurrahs, sprang forward to the charge, and in the next instant were tearing their way through the thicket of Russians. They suffered, it is believed, heavy loss in proportion to their scanty number ; -f- but they achieved their purpose, and came out at length on the southern or English side of the close figliting, and still in the close presence of the enemy, there should have been men with their bayonets uiifixi d, but so it was. t The loss was estimated by l^octur Wolseley at not less tlian one hair.
 * It may seem .strange that amongst soldiers long engaged in