it all comes back; the dazzling sunshine flashing from arms
and accoutrements; the stern, sun-browned, determined faces of the men;
and, with their shadows looking dwarfed and strange, there were the
three huge elephants nodding their heads and swinging them from side to
side, as they writhed and curled their trunks, lifting first one foot
and then the other, impatient to be on the move.

At last the word was given, and as the foot regiment stepped out toward
the opening in the main street, along which we were to pass, our advance
was on the way, in a quick walk, which, as we entered the street held by
the foot company, which opened and stood back on either side to let us
pass, became a trot with the horses' hoofs clattering and the guns and
limber wheels rattling loudly.

There was a disposition on the part of the men to give us a cheer as we
passed, but a stern command stayed them; and on we went, feeling that we
had, after all, an easy task to perform, for everything was so still.

I was with the two centre guns, and I glanced back to see that, as our
last man passed, the company of foot marched after us. Then Brace gave
a sharp order, the trumpet rang out, and we thundered on at a gallop,
for he had seen the meaning of the silence; the enemy had either
received a hint from one of the native followers, who must have
deserted, or have divined our probable course of action, for suddenly
men appeared on the tops of the houses on either side of the road, and
began firing, while right in front a body of sepoys, followed by a
squadron of horse, occupied the street from side turnings to block our
way.

I expected to hear the halt called for the guns to be unlimbered, so as
to clear the road before us, but Brace kept to the plans laid down for
his guidance. Passing almost unscathed among the bullets which pattered
around, we increased our pace, dashing straight at the natives in front
with such a roar of horse hoof and wheel, accompanied by so fierce a
cheer, that before we reached them the mutineers broke and fled into the
shelter of the side streets, and we thundered by, our advance cutting up
the stragglers who could not escape, and soon reaching the suburbs, and
then the open plain. Here Brace halted upon a mound, from which there
was a good view of the road by which we had come, while just behind was
a dense tope or patch of forest that would give our infantry a
tremendously strong position, and from which they we