were hundreds of bodies all round, some still
burning and others half-burnt, and the stench was sickening. However,
the Begum's palace was the key to the enemy's position. During the day
large parties of camp-followers were brought in to drag out the dead of
the enemy, and throw them into the ditch which had given us so much
trouble to cross, and our batteries were advanced to bombard the
Imambara and Kaiserbagh.

During the forenoon of the 12th, I remember seeing Mr. Russell of _The
Times_ going round making notes, and General Lugard telling him to take
care and not to attempt to go into any dark room for fear of being
"potted" by concealed Pandies. Many such were hunted out during the day,
and as there was no quarter for them they fought desperately. We had
one sergeant killed at this work and several men wounded. During the
afternoon a divisional order by General Sir Edward Lugard was read to
us, as follows:--

"Major-General Sir Edward Lugard begs to thank Brigadier the Honourable
Adrian Hope, Colonel Leith-Hay, and the officers and men of the
Ninety-Third who exclusively carried the position known as the Begum's
Kothee. No words are sufficient to express the gallantry, devotion, and
fearless intrepidity displayed by every officer and man in the regiment.
The Major-General will not fail to bring their conduct prominently to
the notice of his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief."

During the day Sir Colin himself visited the position, and told us that
arrangements would be made for our relief the following day, and on
Saturday, the 13th, we returned to camp and rested all the following
Sunday. So far as I remember, the two men of the Fifty-Third,
Lance-Corporal Clary and his comrade, remained with us till after the
place was taken, and then returned to their own regiment when the
fighting was over, reporting to Lieutenant Munro that they had gone to
take care of his brother, Doctor Munro of the Ninety-Third.

There were many individual acts of bravery performed during the assault,
and it is difficult to single them out. But before closing this chapter
I may relate a rather laughable incident that happened to a man of my
company named Johnny Ross. He was a little fellow, and there were two
of the same name in the company, one tall and the other short, so they
were named respectively John and Johnny. Before falling in for the
assault on the Begum's palace, Johnny Ross and George Puller, with some
others, had been pl