iously retired, at
once seeing that his brigade would be destroyed before they could even
reach the guns, and they were now compelled to remain inactive while the
action continued, as their brethren in the light cavalry had been in the
morning. At this juncture a portion of the French cavalry--the famous
regiment of D'Allonville--moved forward, sweeping round the western base
of the Fedhoukine hills, up which they charged, rushing forward as fast
as the uneven nature of the ground would allow them, on the Russian
artillery and infantry posted there, and which had caused such fearful
loss to the light cavalry as they passed. As the French approached, the
artillery limbered up and galloped off to the eastward, while the
infantry quickly retreated, although not until many a gallant
Frenchman's saddle had been emptied. Some minutes of awful suspense had
passed since the last of the red line of cavalry had been seen rushing
into the smoke. Those posted on the height of Chersonese could discern,
as the smoke cleared away, a dark mass in the distance, and the
glittering of sword-blades, while the sounds of musketry and the
confused murmur of voices which came up the valley indicated that the
fight was still raging. The guns which had dealt death into their ranks
had ceased to roar. They had fought their way through, attacked, and
put to flight the Russian cavalry. Then breaking into several bodies,
after enduring a heavy fire from the rifles of the infantry, had wheeled
round and were making their way back towards the point from which a few
minutes before they had set forth in brilliant array. One body had to
encounter a whole regiment of lancers drawn up on their flank. Although
the Russians thrust at them with their long spears, every blow was
parried, and they passed by unscathed. At length, here and there a
single horseman was seen moving slowly back, he or his charger sorely
wounded. Now more and more appeared, several dropping as they returned,
the whole centre of the valley, as far as the eye could reach, being
strewed with bodies of men and horses. The number of those coming up
the valley now increased. Among them appeared the tall form of their
leader, he and his horse uninjured; then came larger parties, followed
by single horses and men on foot, still exposed to the fire from the
Woronzoff ridge. Presently a number of Cossacks came galloping up after
the retreating cavalry, spearing some, and taking othe