which had preceded it. The
75th and 76th Regiments, deeply ashamed of their conduct on the
preceding occasion, volunteered to a man; and they, with the other
European regiments and five regiments of Sepoys, under the command
of Colonel Monson, moved out to the attack at three in the
afternoon. Nothing could exceed the courage which they displayed,
and their conduct rivalled that of the storming party at the siege
of Badajos; but they were fighting against impossibilities. The
bastion could not be climbed. Some of the soldiers drove their
bayonets into the wall, one above another, and attempted to climb
up by these steps; but were knocked down by logs of wood, large
shot, and other missiles. Others attempted to get in by the shot
holes that had been made, here and there; but as only one man could
enter at a time, they were killed before a footing could be
obtained. All this time a terrible fire was maintained by the enemy
against our men, showers of grape and musketry swept their lines,
pots filled with gunpowder and other combustibles exploded among
them, bales of cotton dipped in oil fell flaming in their midst.

For two hours the hopeless conflict was maintained. Then the order
was given to retire, and the men fell back; having lost, in killed
and wounded, nine hundred and eighty-seven of their comrades. Thus
the four assaults had cost the army three thousand two hundred and
three of its best soldiers. The force was still further weakened by
a large number of deaths from dysentery and fever, the result of
the miasma rising from the marshes.

The camp was now shifted to drier ground, to the northeast of the
town, the movement being harassed by the enemy's horse. The rajah,
who had been jubilant over his success, looked grave when the new
encampment was fixed.

"They have not done with me, yet," he said to Harry. "Why do they
not go, now they see that they cannot take the place?"

"Because were they to do so, Rajah, half India would be in arms
against them in a fortnight. Never before, since we set foot in
India, have such defeats been inflicted upon us; and Lord Lake
cannot march away and so own himself entirely beaten. Never before
has an English general out here so blundered.

"Still, although unable to take Bhurtpoor, General Lake knows well
enough that he can easily repulse all attacks on his camp. He
knows, too, that the greatest efforts will be made to send up
reinforcements. Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta