THE CAVES OF INKERMANN.
About a week after the charge, the remnant of the brigade made a rather
extended reconnaissance in the direction of Baktchi Serai, with the idea
of discovering whether any very large body of troops had been massed in
that direction.
The brigade descended from the heights, crossed the swampy ground, and
got across the Tchernaya or Black River by the ford. Thence they went on
for some distance in the direction of Mackenzie’s Farm; and as Jack
recognised the country he and his comrades, then so full of high spirits
after the victory of the Alma, had crossed over on the flank march, his
heart grew heavy within him. Where were those comrades now? Alas! they
were gone to await that final muster at which all must answer to their
names and give an account of their lives.
Many Cossack vedettes were seen, but these promptly retired from ridge
to ridge before the British cavalry, who, making a detour to their left,
skirted the Inkermann ruins, reforded the Tchernaya, and regained their
camp, having discovered nothing of any importance.
It was on the Friday following that a whole division of horse, foot, and
artillery were seen to be entering Sebastopol, and every one knew a
great battle was near at hand.
All day Saturday it poured with rain, and in the evening Jack and Will,
after vainly striving to light a fire with damp roots, gave it up, and
wrapping themselves in their cloaks retired inside their tent.
‘Do you know, Will,’ said Jack, ‘I can’t rid myself of a sort of feeling
of impending disaster.’
‘After Balaclava no disaster can trouble me much,’ said Will gloomily.
‘True; but after all the cavalry were the only sufferers there. If
anything happened to the whole army we should be in a hole if you like,
and with the reinforcements the Russians have been receiving lately they
must outnumber us and the French and Turks by at least two to one.’
‘I dare say.’
‘And tied up as we are, having to find all the pickets and guards, to
man the trenches, keep open our road to Balaclava and guard that, why,
if the Russians delivered an attack in force we couldn’t put ten
thousand men in the field to face them to save our lives.’
‘Cheerful outlook,’ growled Will.
‘And if the Russians should surprise us we shouldn’t stand a chance.’
‘Pile it on, Jack.’
Both lapsed into silence, then Jack started up. ‘Will, I can’t rest,’ he
said, ‘I feel something is going to happen. I’m going to creep by our
Light Division pickets and try if I can see or hear anything. I noticed
out by the Inkermann Heights dozens of places, ruins and caves, where
any one could lie safely hidden from sight, but could yet observe all
that was going on round them. Are you game to accompany me?’
‘You seem determined to run into unnecessary danger,’ said Will; ‘but if
you’re bent on going I’m with you.’
The rain by then had left off, and leaving their cloaks behind, so as to
be able to move more freely, Jack and Will left their lines.
They carried only pistols with them, relying upon their agility to keep
out of the way of any prowling Russian sentries or patrols. They made
their way past the camp of the Light Division, and creeping down a
ravine made towards the river. Emerging safely from the ravine, they
saw, some couple of miles in front of them, the lighthouse, which they
knew stood at the head of the roadstead of Sebastopol.
They then had the Karabel Faubourg of Sebastopol on their left; and
though it was too misty to see the lights of the town they heard the
church bells ringing. They ascended a slight hill, noticing that several
caves opened from it into the side of the hill. They entered one or two
of these, disturbing flocks of sea-gulls as they did so.
‘Rummy sort of place this,’ said Will.
‘Yes, tradition says that the original Tartar inhabitants lived in these
caves.’
‘Good luck to ’em,’ growled Will. ‘I should think they found it a pretty
chilly sort of life.’
It began again to drizzle with rain, and the two lads entered one of the
caves to get out of the wet. They remained there some time, Jack being
busy thinking, when he suddenly exclaimed, ‘Will, it must be getting on
towards morning. Doesn’t it strike you as strange that the church bells
in Sebastopol should be kicking up such a row at this time of night?’
‘It is a bit funny; but perhaps, as to-morrow’s Sunday, it’s one of
their saints’ days, and they’re sort of ringing him in.’
But presently they heard twelve o’clock chiming from the various
churches, and still the bells kept ringing.
‘Well,’ said Jack, ‘I’m going to try and get a bit nearer to the town to
see what’s up; the Russians are not ringing those bells for nothing.’
Accordingly, the two lads left the cave and began to descend the
somewhat steep sides of the hill. By some mischance they did not descend
at the same place they had gone up, getting on a much more steep part.
They found themselves slipping, and they turned sideways, grabbing at
the tufts of scrub as they went down. But presently these tufts ceased,
the ground was loose and stony, and helter-skelter through the mist Jack
and Will descended. They had almost reached the bottom of the hill when
Jack thought he heard voices. He called out to Will and tried to stop;
but the hill was too steep and he was going too fast.
A gruff challenge rang out; then a dozen flat-capped soldiers in long
coats almost to their feet loomed big in the fog, and with a crash Jack
and Will dashed into them. Several cries, either of anger or fear, rang
out; then _bang! bang!_ went a couple of rifles.
‘Come on,’ cried Jack; ‘let’s dash through them!’
A heavy hand was laid upon him; but he tore himself free. Another man
advanced towards him, but Jack’s pistol was in his hand, and he shot the
fellow in the leg. He was then free; but, turning, he saw Will in the
grasp of two Russians.
The man whom Jack had shot had dropped his rifle, and this Jack
instantly picked up. He pointed it at one of Will’s captors and pulled
the trigger. The man fell. A crashing blow with the butt-end on the
shoulder of the second Russian made him release his hold.
‘Come, Will,’ cried Jack; and before the other astonished Russians could
do anything they dashed away up the hill.
They were soon out of sight in the mist; but several shots were fired in
their direction, the balls chipping up the rocky ground around them. The
heavy, crashing footsteps of the Russians could be heard behind them
too, and it was clear they were not going to be allowed to escape with
impunity.
Jack and Will struggled and panted up the hillside, and, being lighter,
got along quicker than their pursuers.
‘There’s a cave,’ cried Will; ‘into it, Jack.’
The two dashed in; but the pursuing Russians had seen them, and one
fellow ran up and fired his rifle into the black opening. The ball
whizzed uncomfortably near Jack’s head.
‘Let’s throw ourselves down,’ said Will, and this they did; luckily,
indeed, for several other bullets were fired into the cave.
The lads could hear the Russians outside talking and stamping about.
Presently there was a glare, and a big Russian, stooping, entered the
cave, carrying a lighted lantern. He was followed by several others, all
having rifles with fixed bayonets in their hands.
Jack and Will could see the Russians though they themselves remained
invisible.
‘If those pasty-faced scoundrels get hold of us,’ said Jack, ‘it’s all
over with us. Will, we must put out that light. Load your pistol.’
On hearing Jack’s voice the Russian stopped, and one man, pointing his
musket, fired. He imagined the lads were standing though, and again
fired too high.
‘Are you loaded?’ whispered Jack.
‘Yes.’
‘Take aim at the man with the lantern, and when I say, “Now!” fire at
him.’
‘Now!’
Two reports rang out; there was a groan and a strong smell of gunpowder.
The lantern had been dashed to the ground and extinguished, and judging
by the sounds, the other Russians were beating a hasty retreat.
All remained silent for some time, then Jack said, ‘We’ve driven them
off for the moment; but I should not be surprised if they waited at the
mouth of the cave for us. If they do catch us our fate is sealed. After
our usage of them they won’t trouble to take us prisoners.’
The lads sat down and waited for what seemed ages, but which was in
reality about an hour. Then they crept noiselessly to the mouth of the
cave and looked out.
There, sitting round a small fire which they had somehow managed to
make, were nine Russian soldiers, one having his hand bound up. Their
muskets were all close handy, and they seemed ready to leap to their
feet at a moment’s notice.
Jack and Will crawled back again into the cave, and spite of themselves
presently fell asleep. How long Jack slept he had not at the moment the
faintest idea. He awoke Will softly.
‘Hist,’ he cried, ‘be silent; we’ll go and see if the Russians are still
watching.’
They got up and blundered slowly along in the pitchy darkness, but they
did not come to the mouth of the cave.
‘Funny,’ said Will; ‘seems we’ve come a tremendous distance, and it’s
strange how fresh the air is in here.’
‘I wonder whether there is more than one exit,’ said Jack.
On and on they crept till presently a faint, very faint light, or rather
less dense blackness, appeared before them. They hastened, and soon
found themselves at a mouth of the cave; but it did not seem the one
they had entered by. Anyway, no Russians were in sight.
Jack and Will crept out and looked about them.
There, a good distance away on their right, was the glimmer of a fire,
and dim forms could be seen round it.
‘That’s it. This is another exit--hurrah!’ cried Jack. ‘We’ve done them
after all.’
Silently the lads stole away, keeping up on the side of the hill. For
half-an-hour they kept on; then they began to wonder where they were.
The night was so dark and the mist so thick that it was impossible to
tell in which direction they ought to go to reach the British camp.
‘Seems we’ve been on a wild-goose chase,’ growled Will.
‘I’m afraid we have,’ said Jack, ‘and the fact that we can’t see the
moon prevents my being able to take our bearings.’
They descended the hill, and getting on marshy ground knew they must be
near the river.
‘This is lucky,’ said Jack, ‘for we know that if we keep the river on
our left we must be going towards our camp. If we keep along the ridge
on our right we shall strike the outposts of the Light Division.’
‘And very likely get shot for our trouble,’ said Will, who was wet and
tired.
They climbed up the ridge and reached the top, when by a common impulse
they stopped. Borne upward faintly on the misty, wet-laden air, was a
rumbling, grinding noise, accompanied by a kind of sullen hum like the
buzzing of millions of bees.
‘Do you hear that, Will?’ cried Jack, clutching his companion’s arm.
‘Guns,’ said Will.
‘Men,’ said Jack, ‘in thousands too.’
‘Let’s make sure,’ said Will.
They descended the side of the ridge and presently through the mist
could make out the ghostly forms of men marching in files closely
packed, passing, passing, apparently without end. Then came the grinding
of wheels on the gritty ground, accompanied by the jangling of chains
and harness, as gun after gun went by.
Jack and Will reascended the ridge, and then far away on their left
similar sounds of marching thousands and numberless guns could be heard.
‘The enemy is marching in overwhelming numbers,’ said Jack. ‘Our camp is
asleep. In this fog it will be surprised. Will, come on; on our efforts
perhaps depend the lives of hundreds of our countrymen.’
‘We must give them warning,’ said Will; and at top speed the intrepid
Lancers started off. On and on they went, directed by the sounds of the
advancing Russians.
These, to some extent, they were presently enabled to leave behind; but
on the right and left ominous rumblings could still be heard.
Blundering, falling, running, Jack and Will tore on, their one idea
being to put their countrymen on their guard. Sometimes they were so
close to the Russians that they could almost have touched them, but
Providence always protected them. Presently they struck a road, and this
they raced along till, emerging suddenly from the fog, a quick challenge
fell upon their ears.
‘Halt! Who goes there?’
‘Friends,’ panted the lads; ‘two of the 17th Lancers.’
‘Stay where you are,’ returned a stern voice, and in an instant several
men belonging to a picket of the 41st Regiment advanced and seized them.
In a few breathless, impassioned words Jack told of the danger.
‘Give the alarm,’ he panted, ‘the Russians in thousands are advancing
upon you.’
The curious humming buzz of the advancing hordes could be distinctly
heard by all. The sergeant sent for the officer of the picket, which had
just been newly posted. He heard what Jack and Will had to say, and
asked them how they came to be outside the British lines. Being
answered, he said calmly, ‘Return at once, sergeant, and tell the
officer in command of the relieved picket what you’ve heard. Then go and
alarm the camp.’
He then went up to the brow of the hill in front, Jack and Will with
him. Soon, very soon, just as day was breaking, he saw close upon him
the leading columns of two Russian battalions. He fell back and gave his
men the order to deliver their fire.
Three crashing volleys rang out, and the advancing columns, taken by
surprise and thus suddenly greeted, fell back.
The battle of Inkermann, the most sanguinary struggle that has taken
place since war cursed the earth, had begun.