never been
experienced. Yes, all was ready. Their guns were trained for the
ground over which British and French must pass; but not for an instant
did it occur to them that French and Turks might think of attacking the
cliffs on their left. The narrow road, its steepness, and the proximity
of their guns seemed to make such an attempt impossible, and, safe in
the thought, they brought every piece they possessed to bear upon those
slopes and vineyards across which the British were soon to march.

"Halt!" The command came hoarsely through the air and was emphasised by
the shrill notes of a bugle.

"Now, what is going to happen?" asked Phil. "Ah! I see; we are to get
into our proper formation, ready to march down to the river. Then I
suppose we shall deploy till we have ample elbow-room, and afterwards
make a dash for the Russian position."

Ten minutes later the British divisions were swinging along over the
green turf, their centre marching almost directly on the village of
Bourliouk, and the whole face to face with Menschikoff's huge army, and
destined to bear the brunt of the fighting.

The French and Turkish troops took but a small part in the battle.
Seeing the difficulty of the two cliff roads ascending the river-bank to
the left of his force, Menschikoff had failed to occupy them, as has
been mentioned, and had placed but few troops in the neighbourhood, for
the guns of the allied fleets commanded the cliffs. Taking advantage of
this, the lithe and active little Frenchmen were soon crowding the
narrow road in their front, and in an incredibly short space of time
their guns had been hauled to the top of the cliff, and from there
boomed out at the Russian batteries and long lines of massed infantry,
doing much execution and threatening them from their flank. Farther to
the right the Turks swarmed up the other road, and having gained the
cliffs, took up their position there.

Meanwhile the red lines of the British, who, it had been arranged,
should not be launched at the main army till the French had commenced
their flank attack, moved down the grassy slope, solemn and grand, and
as steadily as a mass of moving rock, the front line composed of the
Second and Light Divisions, the next of the Third and First Divisions,
in column formation, while behind them the Fourth Division marched in
echelon, with five regiments in rear as reserves.

Stretching for nearly two miles, with its right close to the village