Yule Logs

e to time they made demonstrations of an immediate attack, whereupon Holroyd would call a halt, and order the guns to unlimber; but the moment the enemy saw t

ho as senior officer assumed command, told us that Macleod had ordered him to retire from his position, leaving a strong piquet to cov

oken English. "The colonel's intention is to concentrate his force and stand on the defensive until Ste

owever, we must await Macleod's arrival, an

ited the arrival of Macleod with the other divisions, or the onslaught of the enemy, whichever should come

to cover his retreat, were having a very warm time of it. We became terribly anxious about them, and would have given worlds to know how they fared. Unfortunately we could only hear, not see the fighting; for

battling against terrible odds, began to slacken, then it suddenly ceased. We looked at one another

down his rugged cheeks; "they must have perished to a man. Would

body of the enemy appeared in sight, racing to join their comrades,

urn now! Meet them firmly, and, if needs must, let us die

howlin' haythins shall-" The gallant old fellow never finished the sentence, for at that moment a score

hots often do most harm-one "bullet found its billet

he light company, and several of the younger hands returned the fire without or

thinking about? Our chance is a poor one if you're going to lose you

ain-down the front ranks!" Instantly the order was obeyed: down on the knee dropped the front ranks

oving rapidly towards us, one column leading, the others in rear. As they drew nearer, the rear columns e

action, right and left; the centre sections of the right and left faces being warne

hree hundred yards of the square, when all three

d Vogelsang to the artillery office

r officer, and plump went the six-pound shells into the columns on our right and

reloaded the guns, for our foes were thrown into great confu

tillery subaltern; "shall I give them a

h horsemen wheeled round and charged down upon us, wi

usket-range, our standing ranks gave them a rattling volley, which knocked over several of them, including o

of the men even sprang forward as if to start in pursuit of the retreating hors

to drop a running ball into their muskets. "We will give them a still warmer welcome, my children!" he

eir wild career. Then the six-pounders opened on the columns attacking our right and left faces, and their salutation no mortal Turk could have withstood. The havoc produced as

up to our bayonets' points they rode, and discharged their pistols, and launched their javelins at us, killing and wounding several of our men. For a moment I feared the square would be

nks gave them a

TNO

no god but God