"  Who  cries  '  halt  V  "  asked  Major  Bei'ger,  who  commanded
the  rear  squadron  of  the  Life  Guards.
"  1,"  said  Kelly.  "  Look  !  Lord  Uxbridge  awaits  our
coming  up,  in  order  to  charge  that  body  of  lancers  now,  at  this
moment,  in  close  column."

"  The  Life  Guards  must  continue  their  march.  The  hussars
are  to  cover  the  retreat — not  we."

"  But  observe  the  danger  to  all,  if  those  fellows  come  upon
us  unbroken  !"

"  That  is  not  our  affair."

"  The  eyes  of  both  armies  are  upon  us.  The  safety  of  our
own  army  depends  upon  us."

"  I  repeat  that  is  no  business  of  ours.     Forward  !"

Kelly,  fvdly  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  crisis
which  threatened,  indignant  at  the  unseasonable  prudence  of
his  superior  oflScer,  and  feeling  for  the  reputation  of  the  regi-
ment, called  out  once  more,  "  Life  Guards,  halt  I"  A  second
time  he  was  obeyed.  Raising  himself  in  his  stirrups,  and
holding  his  sword  at  the  utmost  stretch  upwards,  and  then
brandishing  it,  he  cried  in  a  voice  of  thunder :  "  Men,  will
you  follow  me  ?"  A  cheer  and  a  wheel  round  responded  to
his  appeal.  He  formed  them,  and  galloped  up  to  Lord
Uxbridge,  who  was  still  alone,  with  the  exception  of  his  staff,
on  the  spot  where  he  had  left  him.
This  was  perhaps  the  decisive  moment  of  the  fate  of  both
armies ;  for  by  this  time  the  mass  of  the  enemy's  heavy  cavalry
were  discovered  rapidly  advancing.  The  lancer  regiment
already  mentioned  was  now  in  charging   form.      The    Life


ABROAD    AND    AT    HOME.  211

Guards  made  a  similar  disposition.  Lord  Uxbridge  and  Kelly
placed  themselves  in  front.  "  Charge  !"  was  uttered  by  both,
and  at  it  they  went.
