The French 7th Regiment advanced; some English troops who had been driven back formed up beside them. The French deployed right in the face of the advancing Russians. They delivered a volley and were reloading when a panic seemed to seize them. They saw the Russians would be upon them before they had finished loading, and they had not that calm confidence in their prowess which enables the British to charge home with the bayonet. They began to fall back, when General Pennefather, in strong, vigorous language, bade them stand; many of his officers did likewise, and the English soldiers on their left shouted out encouragingly. The French soldiers listened; they took heart, but the Russians were then only a few paces from them. Suddenly the enemy’s leading battalions halted, and began to gaze nervously over their shoulders. A tremendous tumult broke out behind them. They saw their supporting battalions reel and stagger, then weaken. The English around their General, looking from the vantage of their seats on horseback, saw the gallant Daubeney with thirty men of the 55th dash at the flank of the whole Russian battalion, strike in, lose itself in the horde of Russians; then--by stabbing, kicking, punching, heaving--literally tear a way through from flank to flank, throwing them into fearful disorder. This disorder spread to the first battalion of Russians, who, thinking they were attacked by numbers, wavered. General Pennefather gave a tremendous cheer, those with him took it up; the handful of English on the flank of the French sprang forward, and a fierce fight began. The French officers cried out, ‘Drummers to the front.’ In an instant they were beating a _pas de charge_; the French gave a cry, and with levelled bayonets dashed on the foe, who were driven down the hill with great slaughter. The Russians this time, however, were in grave earnest. They rallied, and again attacked along the whole line with great vigour. But the British artillery had gained the ascendant, and was doing enormous damage with two eighteen-pounders which Lord Raglan had caused to be dragged up to the front. The whole of the Russian battalions concentrated their fire on these guns; and although they struck down one-tenth of the men working them, so magnificently were they handled that they smashed up gun after gun of the Russians and effectually quieted their fire. It was then that every available man was brought up to repel the final Russian attack. More French troops arrived, with them being a cavalry regiment, the 4th Chasseurs d’Afrique. They passed close by Jack, and to his surprise he saw the remnants of the Light Brigade, the whole only two hundred strong, acting in support of the French cavalry.