With his regiment stilled, the rest of the units in the line caught up and took up their position on the flank. As the last of the cavalry continued the pursuit up the hill, Arthur turned his attention to the right flank. Baird’s brigade was still advancing and had pulled a short distance ahead of Arthur’s line.The centre regiment of the brigade, the King’s 74th Foot, was at the front of the line and as Arthur watched it broke into a trot as it neared the crest of the hill. Arthur frowned. The commander of the regiment was bound to get a roasting from Baird for letting his men disrupt the formation. Already, the tall figure of the brigade’s commander was visible galloping his mount forward to catch up with the 74th. But before Baird could reach them, the crest of the hill above was suddenly filled with horsemen as they poured forward, charging straight at the 74th. The regiment halted as one and just had time to loose off one volley before they were struck by the swarm of enemy cavalry. Arthur could just make out Baird as he reined in and took charge of his errant regiment. As the flanking regiments came forward they too were forced to halt and engage the enemy cavalry. The sounds of pistol and musket fire crackled across the slope of the hill and then Arthur saw that, behind the cavalry, a column of infantry had appeared. While their cavalry attacked the 74th they would have the chance to approach Baird’s infantry without coming under fire.Then it would be a question of hand to hand fighting in which the enemy would have a good chance of carrying off a victory against Baird’s men.

Arthur turned back to his regiment.‘The 33rd will advance at the double!’

The red line rippled forward, up the hill, a short distance from the struggle engulfing Baird’s brigade. As they advanced Arthur kept glancing to the side, gauging the distance between his men and the desperate melee away to his right. When the 33rd had advanced a quarter of a mile beyond Baird’s formation Arthur halted them and, leaving the light company to protect his flank, he wheeled the rest of the regiment to the right, in a line facing the enemy column hurriedly marching down the slope towards Baird’s brigade.With bayonets fixed there was risk of injury when loading and Arthur knew it was best that it was done before they closed on the enemy.

‘Reload!’