assault.

Fortunately there was ample shelter for the horses among the buildings,
which had been fortified and enclosed by a strong earthwork and
barricade under my father's orders; and here, with the women and
children for the most part in the partially underground cellarage of the
Residency, the gallant little garrison had still held out after Brooke's
departure, in spite of their thirst, and the constant harassing attacks
kept up by the enemy. They had again and again felt that all was over,
but still kept up the struggle till a sudden commotion in the city, and
the sight of fresh troops pouring in, seemed completely to crush out
their last hopes. For they had clung to the belief that Mr Brooke
would succeed in making their position known, and bring reinforcements,
but these had come to the other side. There had seemed to be nothing
left but to fight to the last, and, when the enemy mastered the
barricades, to retreat to the building beside that where the women and
children were, and apply a match to the magazine--finding death, but
avenging it upon their cowardly foes, who must have perished by hundreds
in the explosion, so large was the store of powder in the place.

Our arrival had been in the nick of time, and a scene of frantic joy had
ensued; but it was soon at an end, for the guns had to be worked again
after a very brief period utilised in getting them into position.

Still, small as was the reinforcement, it placed the powder-blackened,
ragged, haggard men--soldiers and civilians--in a far better position,
and they rushed to the batteries and loopholes, to help pour a rain of
bullets on the advancing enemy, while the dismounted lancers worked guns
which had been silent for want of help, and our six-pounders grew hot
with the rapidity of the fire.

"How long will the colonel be?" said Haynes, coming to my side for a few
moments, our men needing no encouragement, but fighting the guns with a
look of suppressed rage in their eyes, as if they were seeking to avenge
the blow which had fallen upon their captain.

"I cannot say," I replied. "Certainly not till dark."

"Then he will be too late," said Haynes, gloomily. "We shall never be
able to hold out till then. Danby is getting busier every moment."

"Yes; it's those black wretches on that big building," I said, pointing
at a place a little over a hundred yards away; and as I spoke, a bullet
whistled by my ear. "They have some of their best marksmen