A Gallant Grenadier: A Tale of the Crimean WarBrereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
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A Gallant Grenadier: A Tale of the Crimean War
Brereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
Crimean War, 1853-1856 -- Juvenile fiction
To this day Phil cannot quite recall what happened. If you press him he
will perhaps tell you that he recollects a young officer falling at his
feet, while a huge Russian prepared to bayonet him. Next moment the man
was down and Phil was standing over him, while Tony's rifle laid low
another who was in the act of dashing his friend's head to pieces with
the butt of his weapon.
On pressed the red line resistlessly and with never a pause, leaving
behind them friend and foe strewn upon the grass, and on, ever in front,
went the officers and the colours into the heart of the struggling mass
of grey. There was no need to call to their men and beg them to follow.
The British lion was aroused in desperate earnestness, and with grim
and awe-inspiring silence the men rushed on headlong and regardless of
bullet or bayonet. There was a crash, the bang, bang of an occasional
shot, and the clash of steel upon steel, and then the trample of
thousands of feet as the enemy gave way and fled.
Side by side Phil and Tony had fought their way into the middle of the
famous Vladimir regiment, and as the Russians turned, found themselves
mixed up with brawny Highlanders, who, with the light of battle in their
eyes, were pressing resistlessly forward. Suddenly Phil caught sight of
a figure in advance bearing a British colour. It swayed this way and
that, now endeavouring to get closer to the Highlanders, and next moment
swept forward as the retreating Russians slowly gave way and drove the
bearer before them.
"The colour! the colour!" he shouted frantically, dashing forward with
Tony at his heels. Scattering those who barred their path, they made
their way to the flag, and falling-in on either side, fought grimly to
help its bearer back to the ranks of the Highlanders.
"Thanks, my men!" shouted the young officer who supported the flag.
"Now, help me, and we'll get out of this hole. All together! Rush!"
With their weapons held well in advance, the three dashed at the enemy,
while the Highlanders, seeing the predicament into which the colour had
fallen, with a shout of wrath flung themselves in their direction. But
though beaten, the Russians had in no way lost courage, and, turning
fiercely, they bore the gallant Scotsmen back, while others opposed Phil
and his comrades.
"Rally, rally! The colour!" shouted Phil, thrusting right and left with
his bayonet, and turning just in time to discharge his rifle at a man
who was attacking them in rear.
So fiercely did the little band of three fight that the Russians in
their immediate neighbourhood gave way, and, standing in a circle round
them, glared at the gallant red-coats who had thus far been too much for
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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