Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/144

 100 THE WINTER TROUBLES. CHAP. V. Question of 'metalling' a road aftt^r the 17tli of October. siege, and upon the duty of covering it at the most imperilled point, but engaged his strength so unsparingly in those heavy tasks, that (aftcii also providing for the defence of Balaclava) he was destined ere long to find himself with hardly men enough left for even the usual camp duties. He thus ventured to engage his whole strength, although neither receiving nor expecting any other than small reinforcements ; (^'^) hut his eagerness to take part in striking the concerted blow with all the might he could command had the warrant of cogent motives. For the fortress before him was not only that coveted prize, that object of the campaign, and indeed, one may say, of the war, on which England had stead- fastly set her heart, but was also the haven — the only haven outside the grave — in which he could hope to find for his troops a little rest from suffering, a little rest from toil.(^^) Thus — and not for weak reasons — Lord Raglan's whole army stood committed to siege or field duties ; and having now besides ascer- tained that he could not obtain by hire the labour required, we are peremptorily forced to conclude that, down to the moment when the prospects of the Allies were overcast on the 17th of October, he was never so circum- stanced that he ought to have tried to construct a stone -laid road between Balaclava and the camp.(i^) But when the disappointing experience of the 17th of October had proved that the fall of Sebastopol would not take place on that day,