Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Juvenile fiction; Seafaring life -- Juvenile fiction
Without further discussion as to the wisdom of their proceeding, they
trotted on eastward along the Woronzoff Road, keeping a bright look-out
ahead, in order that they might avoid getting under the fire of the
Russian riflemen who might be advancing along the causeway. Before
leaving the hills of Balaclava, they had observed that the Russians had
not got farther west along the causeway than Number 3 redoubt, known as
the Aratabia redoubt. On they went, till they reached a height a little
to the west of Number 4 redoubt, whence they had an excellent view up
and down the North Valley, as well as across it to the Fedoukine Hills,
where they saw that the Russians were strongly posted.
The Light Brigade had by this time moved from its former position down
into the western end of the North Valley, where also the heavy cavalry
regiments were drawn up, as well as the magnificent body of French
cavalry, under General Maurice. Far-off, at the distance of a mile and
a half, they could see a large battery of Russian guns, supported by
enormous masses of cavalry. Jack and his companions continued their
comments on all they saw.
"To my mind," observed Jack, "the first thing to be done would be to
retake the redoubts and prevent the Russians from carrying off the guns
they captured from the Turks. I suppose that is what General Cathcart
will do when he reaches the causeway, though he is a long time coming;
and if I were Lord Raglan, I should be in a considerable rage with him.
I only wish we had a few hundred of our bluejackets; we should very
soon, I suspect, be masters of one or more of the redoubts the Russians
have got hold of."
"See, see!" cried Tom; "here comes an aide-de-camp from Lord Raglan; for
my part, I believe that the cavalry will do the work if General Cathcart
does not come up in time."
Just as this remark was made, the English infantry were seen descending
along the Woronzoff Road. As they marched on they left some troops in
the two western redoubts deserted by the Turks; and the naval officers
had to move down the hill a little way to allow them to pass on to
Number 4 redoubt, close to which General Cathcart halted his troops. As
he did so, a cloud of skirmishers were seen advancing along the causeway
towards the Russians in front of the Aratabia. Here the general
appeared to have made up his mind to remain, instead of advancing and
driving the Russians before him, as Jack thought he would do. Having
got clear of the English infantry, the naval officers again took up
their post on the top of the hill, whence they could look directly down
on the Heavy and Light Cavalry Brigades, near which they distinguished
Lord Lucan, the general commanding them.
"I wonder nothing is being done," exclaimed Jack at length; "if they
don't look sharp about it, those Russians will carry off the Turkish
guns in spite of them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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