reat deal of spirit. He jumped on to
the top of the mound overlooking the pits, and firing rapidly, shot
three Russians, one after the other, through their heads. A captain of
the Guards jumped right down into the pit, and was wounded through both
his wrists.

The Russians, however, at last took to flight, leaving three dead and
many more wounded. We took their rifles and ammunition from them, and
returned into camp, helping along the captain of Guards, whose wounds
had been bound up by my comrade Donald McKenzie, who has before been
mentioned.

We continued the same sort of work till the morning of the 25th of
October; while the Duke of Cambridge was instructing us what to do, news
was brought that the Russians were attacking Balaclava. We hastened to
join our respective regiments, and found the Russians in great force
attacking on all points. The Turks, who had charge of the outposts, had
been driven in, and the 93rd Highlanders, under Sir Colin Campbell, were
formed in line ready to receive the Russian cavalry as they advanced
towards the hill. A steady volley, at two hundred yards, sent the
Russians flying back, but, to the surprise of the Highlanders, not a man
fell from the saddle, when it was found that they were all strapped on
to their horses, so that the dead and wounded were carried out of the
fight. The Enniskillens and Scots Greys clashed right on the flanks of
the retreating cavalry, and cut them up terribly before they could get
back to the Russian army, which appeared with a strong force of
artillery on the opposite side of the valley.

It was shortly after this that the light cavalry, through a mistaken
order given by poor Captain Nolan, who was directly afterwards killed,
charged across the valley at the enemy's guns, other guns playing on
them from either side. If the French cavalry had not charged and helped
them, not a man would have escaped; as it was, they were fearfully cut
up, the greater number being killed or wounded. Still it was a sight to
make a soldier's heart beat quick as with their helmets glittering and
their swords flashing in the sunbeams, that gallant band dashed across
the valley. But it was sad to watch those who did escape, coming back,
many on foot, one wounded man between two others, some scarcely able to
sit their horses, very few unhurt; and to think what a gallant band they
had looked as they rode down the hill but a few minutes before.

We remained on the heig