Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/236

 206' EFFECT PEODUCED BY THE CHAP, troops from the famous earthwork* The pves- XIII .. _ ence of these youths proved apparently all that was needed for making of the Moslem hordes a faithful, heroic, and devoted soldiery. Upon ground known to be mined they stood as tran- quilly as upon any other hill-side. ' It was im- ' possible,' said Nasmyth's successor in the Arab Tabia — 'it was impossible not to admire the cool ' were shot in the space of five minutes while ' throwing up earth for the new parapet, at which ' only two men could work at a time so as to be ' nearest bystander, who took the spade from the ' if he were going to cut a ditch by the road-side.' Indeed, the childlike trust which these men were able to put in their young English leaders, so freed them from all doubt and question concern- ing the wisdom of the orders given, that they joyfully abandoned themselves to the rapture of fighting for religion, and grew so enamoured of death — so enamoured of the very blackness of the grave — that sometimes in tlic pauses of tlic figJit a pious jNIussulman, intent on close fighting and blissful thoughts of Paradise, would come up with a pickaxe in hand, would speak some touching words of devotion and gratitude to Butler and Nasmyth, and then proudly fall to work and dig • I take it that tliis is what was meant by Nasmytli's ex- pression, 'peculiar inducement.' The man upon whom the 'peculiar inducement' wns brought to bear was one whom Butler had dragged out bodily from his hiding-place.
 * indifference of the Turks to danger. Three men
 * at all protected ; and they were succeeded by the
 * dying man's hands and set to work as calmly as