Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/434

 390 THE BATTLE OF INKEKMAN. CHAP, they advanced, were slowly forcing back what ^^' remained of that little band of the ' Twentieth ' ith Period, which (under their chief Colonel Horn) we long jiinction ago saw fighting hard in the central parts of the 'Twentieth- field. Coloncl Hom having fronted, the Chasseurs formed up on his right, and these 450 Frenchmen, Thecoinbat Nvith the fcw scors of English beside them, main- lowed. taiued their ground for some time against both of the enemy's columns. The officers, French and English alike, devoted themselves to the task of personal leadership with a zeal unsparing of self; but the favourite hero of the moment — at least in the eyes of our people — was a particular French captain — a man distinguishing himself by his bravery, but conspicuous also from his excessive corpulence — who, by moving far out to the front with his cap on the point of his sword, gave the troops both a valiant example, and the cheering advantage of a laugh. But though fighting for some time with excel- lent steadiness, the men of this Anglo-French force did not so hotly follow their officers as to be undertaking any of those resolute bayonet- charges ])y which a few companies, and even in some instances small knots of soldiery, had wrought their wonders in the earlier hours of the morning ; and, this time, weight of numbers proved able to get the ascendant, or at the least, to avoid discomfiture. Failing any determination of the united Anglo-French force to try the bay- onet, it was only by fire that the conflict could be sustained ; and our few soldiery had nearly ex-