Company came and told me that he had discovered a way to the citadel,
and begged me to put myself at the head of a few men there collected. Of
course I did so, and in a short time we found ourselves in a large
courtyard, with stables, &c., full of horses and Beloochees; right under
the windows of the citadel. These men cried out for "aman," or "mercy;"
but the soldiers recollecting the treachery that had been practised at
Ghuzni in a similar case were going to shoot the whole kit of them. Not
liking to see this done, I stopped their fire, and endeavoured to make
the Beloochees come out of their holes and give themselves up. I was
standing at this time in the centre of the court, and had heard a few
shots whizzing rather close over my head, when I suddenly received a
shock, which made me think at the moment I was smashed to bits, by a
ball from a ginjall, or native wall piece. I was knocked senseless to
the ground, in which state I suppose I lay for a few minutes, and when I
came to myself I found myself kicking away, and coughing up globules of
clotted blood at a great pace. I thought at first I was as good as done
for; however, on regaining a little strength, I looked around, and
seeing none of our men in the place, and thinking it more than probable,
from what I knew of their character, that the very men whom I had been
endeavouring to save might take it into their heads to give me the
"_coup de grace_" now I was left alone, I made a desperate effort, got
on my legs, and managed to hobble out, when I soon found some of our
men, who supported me until a dooly could be brought, into which I was
placed, and was soon on my way to the doctor.

You may imagine my feelings all this time to be anything but pleasant. I
still continued coughing up blood, which was flowing also pretty freely
from my side. The idea that you may probably have only a few hours
longer to exist, with the many recollections that crowd into your mind
at such a time, is anything but a delightful one; and the being so
suddenly reduced from a state of vigorous activity to the sick, faintish
feeling that came over me, by no means added to the _agremens_ of my
situation.

I well recollect being carried through the gate, where General Willshire
with his staff and the officers who had been left with the reserve
companies were, and who all pressed forward to see who the unfortunate
fellow in the dooly was, when the low exclamation of "Poor Holdsworth!"
and t