,
and every European who came in the way of the sepoys was cruelly
murdered.

* * * * *

Such was the state of things found by Havelock when he landed in Bombay
from Persia, and was immediately sent on by the governor by sea to
Calcutta, to resume his appointment of adjutant-general to the royal
troops in Bengal. On the way his ship was wrecked, and he had to put in
to Madras, where he heard that the commander-in-chief was dead, and
that sir Patrick Grant, an old friend of Havelock's, had been nominated
temporarily to the post.

As soon as possible Havelock hurried on to Calcutta in company with
Grant, and there the news reached them that Lucknow was besieged by the
celebrated Nana Sahib, the leader of the sepoys and a skilful general,
and that a force was being got ready to go to its relief.

'Your excellency, I have brought you the man,' said Grant to lord
Canning as he presented Havelock, and the command of the 64th and the
78th Highlanders was entrusted to him. These last he knew well, as they
had been with him in Persia, and he thought them 'second to none' in the
service.

But before you can understand all the difficulties Havelock had to fight
with I must tell you a little about the towns on his line of march.

* * * * *

The instructions given to Havelock were to go first to the important
city of Allahabad, situated at the place where the Ganges joins the
Jumna. Allahabad had revolted in May, and the English garrison now
consisted mainly of a few artillerymen between fifty and seventy years
of age. Benares, the 'Holy City' of the Hindoos, a little further down
the Ganges, had been saved by the prompt measures of the resident and
the arrival of colonel Neill with a detachment of the 1st Fusiliers. The
soldiers had come up from Madras and were instantly ordered to Benares,
but when they reached the Calcutta station they found that the train
which was to take them part of the way was just starting.

The railway officials declared that there was no time for the troops to
get in, and they would have to wait for the next train--many hours
after. For all answer Neill turned to his troops, and told them to hold
the engine driver and stoker till the company was seated. But for this
the soldiers could not have got to Benares in time, for that very night
had been fixed for the revolt.

Having put down the rising at Benares, Neill pushed on over the ei