Jack Archer: A Tale of the Crimea

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  A FORTUNATE STORM

  The fog seemed to get thicker and thicker as the day went on. Atnightfall, when it became evident that no move could be made beforemorning, they gave a biscuit to each of their ponies, cut some grassand laid it before them, and then, wrapping themselves in the Cossackcloaks to keep off the damp fog, were soon asleep. At day-break thefog was still thick, but as the sun rose it gradually dispersed it,and they were shortly able to see up the valley. They found that intheir wandering in the mist they must have moved partly in a circle,for they were still little more than a quarter of a mile from thepoint where they had left it to ascend to the chateau. Round this theycould see many soldiers moving about. Looking up the valley, theyperceived lines of horses, picqueted by a village but a few hundredyards away.

  "Those were the voices I thought I heard, no doubt, when we first camehere," Jack said. "It's lucky we found these trees, for if we hadwandered about a little longer, we might have stumbled into the middleof them. Now, sir, we had better finish the biscuits we put aside forbreakfast, and be off. It is quite evident the direct way to the campis close to us."

  Saddling up their horses, and putting on the Cossack black sheepskincaps and long coats, and taking the lances and carbines, the latter ofwhich were carried across the saddle before them, they mounted theirponies and rode off, quitting the wood at such a point that it formeda screen between them and the cavalry in the distance, until they hadgone well down the valley. They were unnoticed, or at any rate,unchallenged by the party at the chateau, and, issuing from thevalley, rode out into the open country.

  Far out in the plain they saw several Russians moving about, andjudged that these were occupied in searching those who had fallen inthe cavalry fight of the preceding day. They did not approach them,but turning to the right, trotted briskly along, skirting the foot ofthe hills. They passed through two or three Tartar villages whoseinhabitants scarcely glanced at them, so accustomed were they to thesight of small parties of Cossacks riding hither and thither.

  In one, which stood just at the mouth of the valley which they haddetermined to enter, as a road running up it seemed to indicate thatit led to some place, perhaps upon the sea-shore, they found severalRussian soldiers loitering about. Lieutenant Myers would have checkedhis pony, but Jack rode unhesitatingly forward. An officer came out ofone of the cottages.

  "Any news?" he asked.

  "None," Jack said. "The enemy's horse came out yesterday, through theBaida valley, but we beat them back again."

  "Where are you going?" the Russian asked.

  "Down towards the sea," Jack answered, "to pick up stragglers who landto plunder. A whole sotina is coming down. They will be herepresently," so saying, with a wave of his hand, he resumed his way upthe valley, Lieutenant Myers having ridden on, lest any questionsshould be addressed to him. The road mounted steadily, and after somehours' riding they crossed a brow, and found themselves at the head ofa valley opening before them, and between the cliffs at its end theycould see the sea.

  They could scarcely restrain a shout of joy, and, quickening theirspeed, rode rapidly down the valley. Presently they perceived beforethem a small village lying on the sea-shore, to the left of whichstood a large chateau, half hidden among trees.

  "Do you think it's safe to ride in?" Mr. Myers asked.

  "Most of these villages have been found deserted, sir," Jack said, "byour fellows when they landed. I'm afraid we are beyond the point towhich they come, for I should think we must be twenty miles fromBalaklava. However, there are not likely to be any troops here, and weneedn't mind the Tartars."

  They found, as they expected, that the village was wholly deserted,and, riding through it, they dismounted at the chateau. The doors werefastened, but, walking round it, they perceived no signs of life, and,breaking a window, they soon effected an entrance.

  They found that the house, which was of great size and evidentlybelonged to a Russian magnate, was splendidly furnished, and that ithad so far not been visited by any parties from the ships. Some finepictures hung on the walls, choice pieces of statuary were scatteredhere and there, tables of malachite and other rare stones stood about,and Eastern carpets covered the floors.

  "We are in clover now, sir," Jack said, "and if we could but charter aship, we should be able to make a rich prize. But as our ponies canonly carry us, I'm afraid that all these valuables are worthless tous."

  "I'd give the whole lot of them," the lieutenant said, "for a goodmeal. At any rate, we are sure to find something for the ponies."

  In the stables behind the house were great quantities of forage andthe ponies soon had their fill.

  The officers, taking some corn, of which also there was an abundance,hammered a quantity between two flat stones, and moistening the roughflour so obtained, with water, made two flat cakes, with which, bakedover a wood fire, they satisfied their hunger. A consultation was heldwhile they ate their meal, and it was agreed that as the place wasevidently beyond the range of boats from Balaklava, they had betterride along the cliffs till they reached some village, where, as theywould find from the state of the houses, parties were in the habit ofcoming.

  After a couple of hours' stay to give the horses time to rest, theyagain saddled up and took the road along the coast. After riding twomiles along the edge of the cliffs, they simultaneously checked theirhorses, as, upon mounting a slight rise, they saw before them thetents of a considerable party of Russian soldiers. As they had pausedthe moment their heads came above the level, they were themselvesunobserved, and turning, they rode back to the chateau they hadquitted, where, having made their ponies comfortable, they prepared topass the night. There were plenty of luxurious beds, and they sleptprofoundly all night. In the morning they went down to the sea. Not avestige of a boat was to be seen, and they began to question whetherit would not be possible to make a small raft, and to paddle along thefoot of the cliffs.

  "We need not trouble about that now," Lieutenant Myers said, "for,unless I am mistaken, we're going to have a regular Black Sea gale inan hour or two. The wind is freshening fast, and the clouds bankingup."

  The lieutenant was not mistaken. In an hour the wind was blowing infurious gusts, and the sea breaking heavily in the little bay.

  Having nothing to do, they sat under the shelter of a rock, andwatched the progress of the gale. The wind was blowing dead along theshore, and grew fiercer and fiercer. Three hours passed, and thenLieutenant Myers leaped to his feet.

  "See," he said, "there is a boat coming round the point!"

  It was so. Driving before the gale was a ship's boat, a rag of sailwas set, and they could see figures on board.

  "She is making in here!" the lieutenant exclaimed. "Let us run downand signal to them to beach her at that level spot just in front ofthe village. No doubt it is some ship's boat which came out to picnicat one of the villages near Balaklava, and they have been blown alongthe coast and have been unable to effect a landing."

  The boat's head was now turned towards shore, the sail lowered, andthe oars got out. So high was the sea already, that the spectatorsfeared every moment she would be swamped, but she was well handled,and once in the little bay the water grew smoother, and she soon madeher way to the spot where the officers were standing. The latter wereastonished when the men leaped out instantly, and, without a word,rushed at them, and in a moment both were levelled to the ground byblows of stretchers. When they recovered from the shock andastonishment, they found the sailors grouped round them.

  "Hallo!" Jack exclaimed in astonishment, "Mr. Simmonds, is that you?What on earth are you knocking us about like that for?"

  "Why, Jack Archer!" exclaimed the officer addressed, "where on earthdid you come from? and what are you masquerading as a Cossack for? Wesaw you here, and of course took you for an enemy. I thought you wereup at the front."

  "So we were," Jack replied, "but, as you see, we are here now. This isLieutenant Myers, of the 'Tartar.'"

  "I'm awfully
sorry!" Mr. Simmonds said, holding out his hand, andhelping them to their feet.

  "It was not your fault," Mr. Myers answered. "We forgot all about ourCossack dresses. Of course you supposed that we were enemies. It isfortunate indeed for us that you came here. But I fear you must put tosea again. There is a Russian camp two miles off on the hill, and theboat is sure to have been seen."

  "It will be awkward," Lieutenant Simmonds said, looking at the sky,"for it is blowing tremendously. I think, though, that it is breakingalready. These Black Sea gales do not often last long. At any rate, itwould be better to take our chance there than to see the inside of aRussian prison."

  "If you send a man along the road to that crest," Lieutenant Myerssuggested, "he will see them coming, and if we all keep close to theboat, we may get out of gunshot in time."

  A sailor was accordingly despatched up the hill. The instant hereached the top he was seen to turn hastily, and to come running backat full speed.

  "Now, lads," Mr. Simmonds said, "put your shoulders to her. Now, alltogether, get her into the water, and be ready to jump in and push offwhen Atkins arrives."

  When the sailor was still a hundred yards away the head of a column ofRussian infantry appeared over the crest. When they saw the boat theygave a shout, and breaking, ran down the hill at full speed. Beforethey reached the village, however, Atkins had leaped into the boat,and with a cheer the men ran her out into the surf, and scrambled in.

  "Out oars, lads, and row for your lives!" Mr. Simmonds said, and, withsteady strokes the sailors drove their boat through the waves.

  The Russians opened fire the instant they reached the beach, but theboat was already 150 yards away, and although the bullets fell thicklyround, no one was hit.

  "I think, Mr. Myers," Lieutenant Simmonds said, "we had better lay-to,before we get quite out of shelter of the bay. With steady rowing wecan keep her there, and we shall be out of range of the Russians."

  Mr. Myers assented, and for two hours the men, rowing their utmost,kept the boat stationary, partly sheltered by the cliffs at the mouthof the bay. The Russians continued to fire, but although the boat wasnot wholly beyond their range, and the bullets sometimes fell near,these were for the most part carried to leeward by the wind, and not asingle casualty occurred.

  "The wind is falling fast," Lieutenant Simmonds said. "We could show arag of canvas outside now. We had best make a long leg out to sea, andthen, when the wind goes down, we can make Balaklava."

  For four or five hours the boat was buffeted in the tremendous seas,but gradually, as the wind went down, these abated, and after runningtwenty miles off the land, the boat's head was turned, and she beganto beat back to Balaklava. It was eleven o'clock that night beforethey reached the "Falcon," officers and men completely worn out withtheir exertions.

  Jack found to his satisfaction that no report of his being missing hadbeen received by the captain, and next morning at daybreak he andLieutenant Myers walked up to camp, regretting the loss of theirponies, which would, however, they were sure, be found by the Russianslong ere they finished the stores of provender within their reach.

  Upon reaching camp they found that their absence had not been noticeduntil the afternoon of the second day of their absence. They had beenseen to ride away together, and when in the evening they were found tobe absent, it was supposed that they had gone down to Balaklava andslept there. When upon the following day they were still missing, itwas supposed that the admiral had retained them for duty on boardship. The storm, which had scattered everything, had put them out ofthe thoughts of the commanding officer, and it was only that morningthat, no letter respecting them having been received, he was about towrite to their respective captains to inquire the cause of theirabsence. This was now explained, and as they had been detained bycircumstances altogether beyond their control, they escaped without areprimand, and were indeed warmly congratulated upon the adventuresthey had passed through.

  In the meantime the cannonade had been going on very heavily in front.The Russian outworks were showing signs of weakness after thetremendous pounding they were receiving. The French were pushing theirtrenches close up to the Malakoff, and upon both sides the soldierswere busy with pick and shovel. On the night of the 30th August atremendous explosion took place, a Russian shell exploding in a Frenchammunition wagon, which blew up, killing and wounding 150 officers andmen.

  On the following night the naval brigade astonished the camp by givingprivate theatricals. The bill was headed "Theatre Royal, NavalBrigade. On Friday evening, 31st August, will be performed, 'Deaf as aPost,' to be followed by 'The Silent Woman,' the whole to concludewith a laughable farce, entitled 'Slasher and Crasher.' Seats to betaken at seven o'clock. Performance to commence precisely at eight.God save the Queen. Rule Britannia." The scenes were furnished fromH.M.S. "London." The actors were all sailors of the brigade, theladies' parts being taken by young boatswains' mates. Two thousandspectators closely packed were present, and the performance wasimmensely enjoyed in spite of the fact that the shell from the Russianlong-range guns occasionally burst in the neighborhood of the theatre.

  The French had now pushed forward their trenches so far that fromtheir front sap they could absolutely touch the abattis of theMalakoff. On the 3d the Russians made a sortie, and some heavyfighting took place in the trenches. The time was now at hand when thelast bombardment was to commence. The French began it early on themorning of the 5th. They had now got no less than 627 guns inposition, while the English had 202. The news that it was to commencewas kept a profound secret, and few of the English officers knew whatwas about to take place. Our own trenches were comparatively empty,while those of the French were crowded with men who kept carefully outof sight of the enemy.

  Suddenly three jets of earth and dust sprung into the air. The Frenchhad exploded three mines, and at the signal a stream of fire threemiles in length ran from battery to battery, as the whole of theirguns opened fire. The effect of this stupendous volley was terrible.The iron shower ploughed up the batteries and entrenchments of theRussians, and crashed among the houses far behind. In a moment thehillside was wreathed with smoke. With the greatest energy the Frenchworked their guns, and the roar was continuous and terrible.

  For a time the Russians seemed paralyzed by this tremendous fire;lying quietly in their sheltered subterranean caves, they had nothought of what was preparing for them, and the storm which burst uponthem took them wholly by surprise. Soon, however, they recovered fromtheir astonishment, and steadily opened fire in return. The Englishguns now joined their voices to the concert, and for two hours thestorm of fire continued unabating on both sides.

  After two hours and a half the din ceased, the French artillery-menwaiting to allow their guns to cool. At ten o'clock the French againexploded some mines, and for two hours renewed their cannonade ashotly as ever. The Russians could be seen pouring troops across thebridge over the harbor from their camps on the north side, to resistthe expected attack. From twelve to five the firing was slack. At thathour the French again began their cannonade as vigorously as before.

  When darkness came on, and accurate firing at the enemy's batterieswas no longer possible, the mortars and heavy guns opened fire on theplace. The sky was streaked with lines of fire as the heavy shellsdescribed their curves, bursting with heavy explosions over the town.Presently a cheer rose from the spectators who thronged the crest ofthe bill, for flames were seen bursting out from one of the Russianfrigates. Higher and higher they rose, although by their light theRussians could be perceived working vigorously to extinguish them. Atlast they were seen to be leaving the ship. Soon the flames caught themast and rigging, and the pillar of fire lit up the whole town andsurrounding country. Not a moment did our fire slacken, but noanswering flash now shot out from the Russian lines of defence. Allnight the fire continued, to prevent the enemy from repairing damages.

  The next morning the English played the principal part in the attack,our batteries commencing at daylight, and continuing t
heir fire allday. The Russians could be seen to be extremely busy. Hitherto theyhad believed that the allies would never be able to take the town; butthe tremendous fire which the allies had now opened, and the closeapproach of the French to the Malakoff, had clearly shaken theirconfidence at last.

  Large quantities of stores were transported during the day to thenorth side, and on the heights there great numbers of men were seen tobe laboring at fortifications. The Russian army in the field wasobserved to be moving towards Inkerman, and it was believed that itwas about to repeat the experiment of the Tchernaya and to make adesperate effort to relieve the town by defeating the allied armies inthe field.

  All that night the bombardment continued without intermission, thetroops in the trenches keeping up a heavy musketry fire upon theenemy's works, to prevent them from repairing damages in the dark.

  The next day was a repetition of those which had gone before it. TheRussians replied but seldom, and occasionally when the smoke blewaside, it could be seen that terrible damage was being inflicted onthe Russian batteries. At dusk the cannonade ceased, the shellbombardment took place, and at eleven a tremendous explosion occurredin the town.

  The Russians from time to time lit up the works with fire-balls andcarcasses, evidently fearing a sudden night attack. During the day agreat council of war was held; and as orders were sent to the surgeonsto send all the patients in the hospital down to Balaklava, and toprepare for the reception of wounded, it was known that the attackwould take place next day.

  Although the Russian fire in reply to the bombardment had beencomparatively slight, from the 3d to the 6th we had three officers andforty-three men killed; three officers and 189 men wounded.

  During these days Jack had been on duty in the batteries, and thesailors had taken their full part in the work.

  There was some disappointment that night in the naval camp when it wasknown by the issue of the divisional orders that the sailors were notto be engaged in the assault. Jack, however, aroused the indignationof his tent-mates by saying frankly that he was glad that they werenot going to share in the attack.

  "It is all very well," he said, "to fight when you have some chance ofhitting back, but to rush across ground swept by a couple of hundredguns is no joke; and to be potted at by thousands of fellows inshelter behind trenches. One knows what it was last time. The Frenchsend 12,000 men to attack a battery, we try to carry an equally strongplace with 1000. If I were ordered, of course I should go; but I tellyou fairly, I don't care about being murdered, and I call it nothingshort of murder to send 1000 men to attack such a position as that. Weused to say that an Englishman could lick three Frenchmen, but wenever did it in any battle I ever heard of. Our general seems to thinkthat an Englishman can lick ten Russians, although he's in the open,and they're behind shelter, and covered by the fire of any number ofpieces of artillery."

  "But we're certain to get in to-morrow, Jack."

  "Are we?" Jack questioned; "so every one said last time. It's all verywell for the French, who are already right under the guns of theMalakoff, and have only twenty yards to run. When they get in anddrive the Russians out, there they are in a big circular fort, just asthey were in the Mamelon, and can hold their own, no matter how manymen the Russians bring up to retake it. We've 300 yards to run to getinto the Redan, and when we get in where are we? Nowhere. Just in anopen work where the Russians can bring their whole strength down uponus. I don't feel at all sure we're going to take the place to-morrow."

  "Why, Archer, you're a regular croaker!" one of the others said. "Weshall have a laugh at you to-morrow evening."

  "I hope you will," Jack said; "but I have my doubts. I wish to-morrowwas over, I can tell you. The light division are, as usual, to bearthe brunt of it, and the 33d will do their share. Harry has had goodluck so far, but it will be a hotter thing to-morrow than anything hehas gone into yet, unless indeed the bombardment of the last threedays has taken all heart out of the Russians. Well, let's turn in, forits bitterly cold to-night, and I for one don't feel disposed fortalking."