Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/364

 320 THE L5ATTLK OF INKERMAN. C H A P. VI. 3d Period. Ca]>ture of the demi- batterj'. Jjiinitcd efTect of the cajiturc. drew their swords and stood firm. The throng of the Russians came closing in, very many of them for some reason bareheaded, and numbers of them, in the words of a victim, 'howling like ' mad dogs.' Henry with his left hand wrested a bayonet from one of the Russians and found means to throw the man down, fighting hard all the time with his sword-arm against some of his other assailants. Soon, both Henry and Taylor were closed in upon from all sides and bayoneted again and again, Taylor then receiving his death- wounds. Henry received in his chest the up- thrust of a bayonet, delivered with such power as to lift him almost from the ground, and at the same time he was stabbed in the back and stabbed in the arms. Then, from loss of blood, he became unconscious, but the raging soldiery, infiamed by Religion, did not cease from stabbing his heretic body.* He received twelve wounds, vet survived. For the most part, the gunners drew off in time to save their lives, but those who lingered were bayoneted. The Russians, now undisturbed masters of the demi-battery, were presently doing their best — though only with pieces of wood — to spike the three captured CTuns ; but they disclosed no larger ambition, and did not undertake the real conquest that might seem to await them, if they should move on by their left along the crest, to attack in the flank an inviting line of artillery scarce supported by 300 foot. • See post, rrince MciitscliikoflF's ■lo.spalcli, rhap. viii. sec. ii.