h on and carry the other, which was the nearest to the fort.
At the same time, our artillery were brought into position, and covered
our advance.

The plot now began to thicken, and altogether the whole affair was the
most exciting thing I ever experienced, and beat Ghuzni out of the pit.
We moved steadily on, the guns from the redoubts blazing at us as fast
as they could load them; but they were very inferior workmen, and only
two shots struck near us, one knocking up the dust close to us, and
bounding over our heads, and the other whizzing close over our leading
company; however, they kept their ground till we arrived at the foot of
the hills, when our artillery having unshipped one of their guns, and
otherwise deranged their redoubts, they exploded their powder, and
retired, some leisurely, but most in the greatest disorder. Here, again,
we had occasion to regret having no cavalry, as a troop or two would
have effectually cut off or dispersed them. On reaching the top of the
hill which they had abandoned, we found ourselves within a quarter of a
mile of the lower end of the town, with the Beloochees making the best
of their way towards the gate, which was open to admit them. Captain
Outram here rode up to us, and cried out, "On men, and take the gate
before they can all get in." This acted like magic on the men. All order
was lost, and we rushed madly down the hill on the flying enemy, more
like hounds with the chase in view than disciplined soldiers. The
consequence was, we were exposed to a most galling fire from the
ramparts, by which several of our best men were put _hors de combat_;
the fugitives were too quick for us, and suddenly the cry was raised by
our leading men, "The gate is shut." All was now the greatest confusion,
and shelter was sought for wherever it could be found. Unluckily a rush
was made by the greatest part of the regiment to an old shell of a
house, which could scarcely afford cover to twenty men, much less to the
numbers who thronged into it, and who were so closely jammed that they
could not move; and so the outside portion were exposed to the fire from
the left bastion of the town, which completely out-flanked them, and
from which the matchlock-men kept pouring in a cool and most destructive
fire upon this dense mass with the utmost impunity; while a wide,
broken-down doorway in the centre exposed them to a fire from another
bastion in their front, if ever they shewed their nose for an insta