Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/341

 THK MAIN I'lOll'l'. 297 his left (where a body uf English troops could be chap. seen) ; and although, after losing some men and '. having his horse shot under him, he was so far 2d/'eriod coerced by troops outflanking and working round him as to be obliged to fall back to Hill Bend and take shelter under the field - work, there is reason for believing that the presence of his little force deflected the course of the advancing masses by making them incline towards their right, and prevented them from then seizing the advantage presented by the open Gap. This manceuvre of Upton's, however, was only a brief one, not preceded or followed by any other like efforts ; and (having before seen the failure of every attempt to get troops for the Gap from either the French or Sir George Cathcart) we now know completely the circumstances under which it became possible for a liikoutsk battalion to move up unimpeded from the Quarry Ravine and plant itself in the rear of both Cathcart and the Duke of Cambridge. The handful of English maintaining their unequal conflict in front of Home Eidge could do nothing to check such a movement; but, on the other hand, the very niusion stubbornness with which they fought became a bj^tife stui. p. ■, . 1 l^ f ,• bonniess of source oi misapprehension, and thereiore oi theflgutat danger, for their lengthened resistance made it seem that they must be in strength near the Barrier, and could answer against any flank move- ment proceeding across their right front. Men imagined a line of battle where in truth there was only an outpost.