176 WATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP, doubt. Then moments, then whole minutes — ^' precious minutes — elapsed, and he had to bear the anguish of finding that the ground where he longed to see the supports marching up was still left bare. Then — a too sure result of that de- fault — he had to see our soldiery relinquishing their capture and retreating in clusters down the hill. A Frcnci. Morcover, at that moment affairs were going ill ^inpo'n with the French. The appearance of our Head- quarters on the knoll had been marked by our Allies as well as by the enemy ; for now a French aide-de-camp, in great haste, came climbing up the knoll to seek Lord Raglan. He seemed to be in a state of grievous excitement ; but perhaps it was the violence of his bodily exertion which gave him this appearance, for he had quitted his horse in order the better to mount the steep, and lie rushed up bareheaded to Lord Eaglan, but so breathless from his exertions that for a moment he could hardly articulate ; and when he spoke, he spoke panting. He persisted in remaining Hi8 mission, uucovcred. What he came to ask was that Lord Itaglan would give some support to the French ; and, as a ground for the demand, he urged that the French were hardly pressed by the enemy ' My Lord,' he said — ' my Lord, my Lord, we have ' before us eight battalions ! ' * One could see, or imagine that one saw, what was passing in Lord Raglan's mind. He was pained by thinking that,
- '^ililonl, iiiilorJ, iious avons devaiit nous huit bataillons.'
1 heard liiia say those words.
