ng. Unconscious of what had happened, and yet aware by
the rattle of distant musketry and the heavy booming of guns that a
battle of large proportions was in progress, they itched to be moving so
as to rejoin the battalion of Grenadier Guards and take their share in
the fight.

"Bother those fellows! When will they clear off and give us a chance?"
exclaimed Phil impatiently, anathematising the Cossack skirmishers who
still galloped about on the plain beneath in search of more fugitives.

"Why do not our horse attack them? The Light Brigade might easily sweep
the whole lot up and give us the opportunity of joining them as they
rode by. And we'd take it, Tony," he added enthusiastically. "We have
some scores to settle, and once the chance comes we'll have a smack at
those Cossacks."

"Never fear, Phil. Take it easy, old horse. The day is only just
beginning, and our chance will come. Do yer think all them cavalry of
ours will sit still and do nothing? Bet yer life they'll be sweeping up
here soon. Ah! Glad we stuck here so long. Look at them fellers
returning."

Tony pointed to a horde of mounted Russians, the flower of their
cavalry, which at this moment swarmed in disorder over the Causeway
heights, and swept down into the Tchernaya valley, still too much
unnerved to draw rein after their defeat by the Heavy Brigade.

"That looks well," muttered Phil. "We saw those fellows ride over half
an hour ago as cocksure of victory as possible. They've evidently had
rough handling. Why on earth does not the commander of our Light
Brigade charge them? He could take them in flank, and, broken as they
are, he could cut them to pieces. Charge! Why don't you charge?" he
shouted excitedly, standing up and raising his voice to the highest
pitch as though it could possibly reach right across to the Light
Brigade.

"Come down," cried Tony fiercely, dragging his friend to the ground.
"I'm ashamed of yer, young 'un. You'll be giving the whole show away,
and one of them Cossack chaps will be riding for us. Wait and we'll
have a go at 'em yet. Yah! why don't yer charge?" he said bitterly,
shaking his fist at the distant British cavalry.

But though the Light Brigade were ready enough for anything, as was yet
to be shown, their colonel still held them back. Posted as they were,
at the mouth of the valley and on some rising ground, they too had
witnessed every incident of the battle. They had seen the gallant
cha