Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/345

 TIIK MAIN FIGHT. 301 disclose a massive body of Eussians pressing up chap, through the brushwood, at a distance of about a '__ hundred yards. The men of the 20th delivered ^d Period their fire, and thus manifesting their presence to the enemy's gunners on Shell Hill, drew upon themselves a storm of artillery missiles. Whilst still a good way off from Ihe column they under- stood that they were ordered to charge. They briskly worked their way forward under a power- ful fire of both artillery and small-arms, which was continually lessening their scanty numbers ; i)ut the obstacles interposed by rugged ground and thick brushwood soon distorted their line, and by making rapid movement impossible, precluded them from executing as yet what an English- man means by a ' charge.' Thus circumstanced they advanced firing. Before long, the exigencies of their hastened progress over obstructed ground had brought them into what one may call close skirmishing order. Their colours drew towards them some stragglers from other regiments, whom they welcomed into their fellowship. Presently they found that the enemy, whilst directly con- fronting them with his masses, was also overlap- ping their line on each of its flanks ; and there was obvious room for question as to what in such case they .should do ; but in the absence of any directions proceeding from higher authority, it was judged that their right course must still be ' to force the enemy back down the hill,' and therefore fight on to the utmost against the troops straight in their front. There ensued a combat