on the Second Division, supported by a portion of the Light. Stout
old General Pennefather had had the supreme control throughout.

"I will not interfere with you," Lord Raglan said, as, standing by his
staff, he watched the progress of the fight from the ridge. "You know
your ground, as you have occupied it so long with your camp. I'm sure
I can trust you."

"Thank you, my lord. I'll do my best, never fear," replied
Pennefather.

"Their artillery fire is very troublesome, and must be over-mastered.
If I could only get up some of the siege-train guns to help you. Let
some one go back to the artillery park, and tell them I want a couple
of eighteen pounders."

An aide-de-camp at once galloped off with the order, but two or three
eventful hours elapsed before these guns were brought to bear upon the
action.

Pennefather's men, although for the moment triumphant, had their hands
full. They showed an undaunted front or "knotted line" of
fighting-men: the remnants of the pickets, fragments, and
odds-and-ends of many regiments, mixed up and intermingled, still in
contact with the enemy, and so far still without supports.

Officers came back rather despondingly to ask for help.

"I cannot send you a single man," was the firm reply to one applicant.
"You must stand your ground somehow."

"We should be all right, sir, but the men have run out of ammunition."

"It's no use. I can't give you a round. What does it matter? Don't
make difficulties. Stick to your bayonets. And remember you've got to
hold on where you are, or we shall be driven into the sea."

The want of cartridges was what the troops felt most direly. They
growled savagely and grumbled at the mismanagement that kept back
these indispensable supplies.

Only here and there the energetic action of a few shrewd officers did
something to mend the mischief.

Thus the Royal Picts benefited by the astute promptitude of
long-headed Sergeant Hyde. He was acting as quartermaster, and as such
had been left behind in camp, although sorely against his will, when
the rest of the regiment went out to fight. But he had heard the long,
well-sustained roll of musketry-fire, and it satisfied one not new to
war that a very close contest had begun.

"They'll soon fire away their cartridges at this rate," he said to
himself. "If I could only get the ammunition-reserves up to them! I'll
do it." And on his own responsibility he laid hands on all the beasts
in camp: spare cha