ed
bayonets, took up their position, ready to protect the guns.

It was my first responsible piece of action, in charge of the guns
alone, and as I saw the dire havoc my orders had caused, a curious
sickening sensation attacked me, and for a few moments all seemed dim.

Just then our Irish gunner Brian exclaimed, forgetful of discipline in
his excitement--

"Look at that now! Murther! what would my poor ould mother say, if she
saw what I've done?"

He had fired the second gun, and he stood scratching his ear with a
curiously perplexed look on his droll countenance. Then he brightened
up, and shook his head at the poor wretches who were crawling from among
the injured horses to get into shelter of the houses to right and left.

"Bedad!" he cried, fiercely, "I don't moind a bit. Come on, and I'll do
it again. I'd forgotten about the summer-house and the fire."

"'Tention!"

"Yis, sor. I beg pardon. It was me excitement."

But the enemy did not come on again; the lesson had been too terrible,
and we all stood there, hot with excitement and fretting against the
inaction; while preparations were being rapidly made behind us for
evacuating the residency, the infantry now manned the roof, keeping down
observations by a shot or two now and then at any of the enemy who
appeared at the windows of the houses near.

But I knew that before long they must know of our intention to retreat,
and I stood there with my men on the strain, and watching the people who
came to the help of the wounded and carried them away.

"Oh, murther!" muttered Brian, at last, as if his tongue would not rest
without speaking; "if Oi were a fut-artilleryman, I should desart. I
couldn't stand much of this."

"Will you be silent, sir!" I cried sternly.

"Sure, sor, it isn't me; it's me tongue, bad luck to it. But, beggin'
your hanner's pardon, would ye order one of the naygers to bring round a
dhrink o' wather."

I ordered a bucketful to be fetched, for we were all suffering from
thirst and from the unnecessary heat produced by our clothes, which,
like those provided for the British soldier, were utterly unsuited for
our work, everything being sacrificed for show.

The men drank the cool water with avidity, Brian looking at me with
twinkling eyes as he helped himself to a second pannikin.

"Talk about yer port wines and champagnes, sor," he said; "there's ownly
two things fit to dhrink, and one's whiskey, and the other's wather."