anced pickets fell back on the main position at once.
A heavy column of French advanced against a ruined wall, behind which
the 58th were lying. The wall was of considerable length, and in many
places had fallen and left wide openings. Here the 58th were posted.
Their colonel made his men hold their fire until the enemy were close to
them, when volley after volley was poured into them, so well aimed and
deadly that the enemy retired quickly into a hollow in their rear, then
wheeled round to the right, and while one column marched straight at the
newly-formed battery, another endeavoured to force its way round its
left and take it in rear.

The 28th Regiment stationed there opened a heavy fire on the force
attacking them in front, but the flanking column, now joined by a third,
forced its way in behind the battery. While some attacked it in the
rear, the rest penetrated into the ruins held by the 58th. Its colonel
wheeled back the left wing of the regiment, and after two or three
volleys, fell on the French with the bayonet. At this moment the 23rd
came up in support, and the 42nd advanced from the left, and, keeping on
the outside of the ruins, cut off the troops which had entered, and
after suffering heavy loss they were compelled to surrender.

The 28th had remained firmly at the front line of the redoubt, and they
and the 58th had hitherto been supporting simultaneously attacks in
front, flank, and rear. The arrival of the 42nd for a time relieved
them, but as the latter regiment approached the right of the redoubt,
the enemy's cavalry, which had passed round by its left, charged them
furiously and broke them. The Highlanders, however, gathered in groups,
and fought desperately until relieved by the fire of the flank companies
of the 40th, and the cavalry, passing on, were about to charge this
small force, when the foreign brigade came up from the second line and
poured such a heavy fire into the French cavalry that they fled.

[Illustration: GIVING A YELL OF DERISION AND DEFIANCE

_Page 323_]

As soon as the fire broke out, General Abercrombie, with his staff,
mounted and proceeded towards the point where the battle was raging.
On the way he detached his aides-de-camp with orders to different
brigades, and while thus alone with an escort of dragoons, some of the
French cavalry dashed at him and he was thrown from his horse. A French
officer rode up to cut him down, but he sprang at him, seized his sword,
and wr