The _Rodney_ was now seen standing in to support the _Agamemnon_ when she took the ground, and though exposed to a tremendous fire, she continued fighting her guns. It seemed almost impossible that she should escape destruction, but she still kept firing away till, two steamers going to her assistance, she at length got clear. Not till darkness came on did the battle cease, when the ships returned to their anchorage. Jack was thankful to find that Murray and the midshipmen had escaped, though five of his own crew and many more of the _Briton's_ had been killed. The next morning the "butcher's bill," as Jos Green called it, was made out, when it was found out that forty-four British seamen had lost their lives, and that two hundred and sixty-six had been wounded, while the _Albion_ and _Arethusa_ had been so knocked about in their hulls and rigging that the admiral sent them off to Malta to be repaired. The French ships presented a still more disabled appearance, and had lost altogether in killed and wounded under two hundred men. Then came the question, what had been done? and the opinion generally was that, although a good many of the Russians might have been killed, no essential damage had been done to the forts, and that it would be wiser in future for the ships to let them alone. "I suppose the work of the fleet is pretty well over," said Murray to Jack, who had gone on board the _Briton_, "unless we have to attack other places along the coast. You will probably be sent on that service, and I confess I envy you." "I hope we shall," was the answer; "though I am afraid that at present we shall be employed as a despatch-boat. I should like to see what is going forward on shore, and shall be glad if I can take a turn of duty with the naval brigade, but I have very little hopes of that." CHAPTER SIXTEEN. THE TORNADO AT BALACLAVA--THE ALLIED CAMPS--RUSSIAN CAVALRY AND HIGHLANDERS--THE FLYING TURKS AND THE HIGHLAND WIFE--CHARGE OF THE HEAVY BRIGADE--"INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH RODE THE SIX HUNDRED!"--DEATH OF CAPTAIN NOLAN--AFTER THE BATTLE--TOM AND ARCHIE PROPOSE TO LEAVE THE NAVY FOR THE ARMY, BUT THINK BETTER OF IT--THEIR VISIT TO THE GUARDS' CAMP--THE STERN REALITIES OF WAR--ATTACKED BY THE RUSSIANS--THE MIDSHIPMEN IN THE THICK OF THE FIGHT. The _Tornado_ had been ordered to proceed to Balaclava. She entered that landlocked harbour, on the southern end of the Crimea, on the evening of the 24th of October. As she was to remain there the whole of the next day, Jack resolved to take the opportunity of paying a visit to his brother Sidney, and seeing what was going forward before Sebastopol. There was no time to set off that evening; he, however, landed with his second lieutenant and some of his younger officers, including Tom and Archie, to have a look at the country, and to engage horses for the next day.