as
impossible to dislodge them, as the only entrance was strongly blocked
on the inside. After a time some gabions were collected, and having been
placed in position close to the loopholes, were lighted, but before the
defenders could be smoked out, a mortar fired against the door blew it
away, and the Russians surrendered. The gabions burning fiercely, the
officers became alarmed lest the fire should be communicated to some of
the surrounding magazines, and an attempt was made to extinguish the
blazing fragments. As this was difficult, sappers were set to work to
dig a trench and throw the excavated earth on the fire. While the men
were digging, four wires, communicating with mines, were found and cut.

While the Russian officers were surrendering, a desperate struggle was
carried on at the far end of the Malakoff enclosure, the Russians coming
over the parapets in three heavy columns. Khrouleff, the "fighting
general," being wounded, had been replaced by General Martinau. The
combatants fought hand to hand till, Martinau, losing an arm, and his
men being out of ammunition, Gortschakoff ordered them to give up the
struggle and fall back.

Between three and four o'clock a magazine blew up near the point where
the curtain joined the Malakoff, and the division at once ran back to
the French advanced trenches. This occurred at a moment when General La
Motterouge was wounded, but his men were rallied and got back into
position ere the smoke and dust of the explosion cleared away. The flag
of the Ninety-first Regiment was buried so deep that it was not found
till next day, when it was recovered still grasped tightly in the hands
of the lifeless officer who was carrying it when the explosion took
place.

When the Russians withdrew, General MacMahon, contemplating the
possibility of further explosions from undiscovered mines, in order to
minimize possible loss of life, sent back the brigade under Colonel
Decaen, whom he ordered to hold himself in readiness, and, if Vinoy's
brigade should be blown into the air, to come forward immediately and
replace it. Then, turning to General Vinoy, MacMahon observed, "It is
possible, General, that your brigade will be blown up, but Decaen will
replace you immediately, so we shall still hold our position." MacMahon
himself remained in the Malakoff with Vinoy's brigade.

During the afternoon it was reported to General Pelissier that large
numbers of Russian troops were crossing by the flo