ad laboured almost incessantly for four nights
and days, were able to lie down for some hours.

That night passed quietly. Holkar had probably heard, from
adherents in the town, of the retrenchment that had been formed;
and Colonel Ochterlony believed that the absence of any movement
towards the breach was a sign that he was making preparations for a
sudden attack at some other point. Sentries were placed along the
walls facing the encampment of his army and, just before dawn, the
discharge of a musket, at the Lahore gate, showed that it was
against it that the enemy's attack was directed.

The Sepoys had been bivouacked in an open space, in the centre of
the city, and they at once proceeded to the point threatened. In
the dim early morning light, a great mass of men could be made out
approaching and, at the same moment, fifty guns opened fire on the
gate, to cover their advance. The cannon on the bastion by the gate
replied, directing their fire on the infantry column. These,
however, pushed forward with loud shouts. Many of them carried
ladders and, although suffering heavily from the musketry
fire--opened as soon as they came within easy range--they placed
the ladders against the wall, and strove to climb them. The face of
the wall was flanked by the bastion and, from this, an incessant
fire of musketry was maintained by a strong force of Sepoys; while
others repulsed, with the bayonet, the efforts of their assailants
to gain a footing, and hurled backwards many of the ladders.
Holkar's men, who had expected to effect a surprise, and carry the
wall before its defenders could arrive there, soon lost heart and
in a short time fled, leaving most of their ladders behind them.

The little garrison remained under arms all that day and the next
night, expecting another assault. But, on the morning of the 15th,
Holkar and his army were seen marching away in the distance and, on
the 18th, Lord Lake arrived.

Harry had not taken part in the defence of Delhi. He had, on the
day before Holkar's army arrived before the city, ridden out to
Sekerah, some five-and-twenty miles away. It was some distance
beyond any point he had hitherto reached; but the petty rajah, who
held a wide jagheer, could put five hundred men in the field. A
small British force had been stationed there; but it had been
recalled, at once, when Harry brought the news of the probable
approach of Holkar. The rajah then promised to send three hundred
of his