He cut down one man who, he saw, was leading along Captain Norreys, who was bleeding freely from one or two wounds in the head. Bidding the captain take hold of his stirrup, Jack then laid about him furiously with his sword; but he would have been quickly cut to pieces had not Sergeant Barrymore come charging down with the rest of the men and put the Hussars to flight. Besides Captain Norreys, there was an officer of the 11th Hussars prisoner, and both these were rescued. Jack caught a riderless horse, bound up his officer’s head, and, putting a sword in his hand, mounted him and directed him down the valley. ‘Your gallantry will not go unrewarded, Blair,’ said the wounded captain as he started on his homeward ride. Meanwhile the other regiments of the Light Brigade had charged in amongst the guns and had prevented the Russians from carrying them off, for, after the first line of English cavalry passed through, more Russian artillerymen came flocking down and endeavoured to withdraw the guns. Their fire having been silenced by the first line, the 11th Hussars passed through the guns with but little damage, and Jack, with his handful of Lancers, saw them draw up in beautiful order, facing the Russian rear and preparing to charge down upon a large body of Russian Hussars and Lancers who faced them. ‘We must not be out of this,’ cried Jack, turning round to where Barrymore had been a few minutes before; but the sergeant had disappeared. ‘17th, follow me!’ cried Jack, waving his sword, and the troopers trotted off. They formed up on the left of the Hussars just as the colonel gave the word to charge, and away they went at the foe. These did not stand to receive the shock, but turned and fled, Lancers and Hussars pursuing them and sabring a good many. Maddened by the terrible charge they had made down that long valley, on which they had left the greater part of their comrades, the English went on till they had driven the Russians right back to the aqueduct against the Tractir Bridge. Then, overwhelming masses advancing on both flanks, they gave up the pursuit and halted. Officers shouted commands, and the trumpets sounded threes about, when the 11th wheeled and retired. Jack and his comrades had become separated from the Hussars in the charge and pursuit, and had gone on farther than any of the rest, having no officer to restrain them. Jack suddenly noticed that they were isolated, and that the other regiments had retreated. ‘What are we going to do now, youngster?’ asked a voice behind him, and turning he saw Veigh, the butcher, still smoking his black clay-pipe. ‘We must retire,’ said Jack; and seizing his bugle he sounded ‘threes about.’ The handful of Lancers had not gone far, however, when a whole cloud of Cossacks came charging down upon them. ‘Keep together!’ cried Jack, spurring out to the front; ‘knee to knee, we must cut our way through!’