red into the darkness, on the garden side of the fort, whence
the chief attack seemed to be coming. Suddenly a strong light was
seen near the gun tower, and it was found that the enemy had heaped
faggots against the walls. These, being constructed partly of wood,
gradually caught fire.

Mr. Robertson, with some of the levies, horse keepers, and
servants, at once set to work to extinguish the flames; but the
conflagration was too much for them. The troops in reserve were
then sent to aid them. The work was dangerous and difficult, the
flames raged fiercely, and the enemy kept up a tremendous fire from
behind the walls of the summer house. Nevertheless the men worked
their hardest, throwing down earth and water on the fire.

Many were wounded at the work. The fire was so fierce that large
holes had to be knocked through the lower stories of the tower,
through which to attack the flames; and it was not until ten
o'clock that the efforts of the besieged were crowned with success,
and all was again quiet. Nothing could have exceeded the bravery
and devotion shown by the native levies, the non-combatants,
officers' servants, water carriers, syces, and even the Chitralis.

Great precautions were taken to prevent similar attempts to fire
any of the towers. Earth was brought up, and water stored. The
water carriers slept with the great leathern bags which they
carried, full; and a special fire picket was organized. When, on
the evening of the 15th, the enemy again tried to fire the gun
tower, they were repulsed without difficulty. On the following
night a determined attack in force was made, on all sides of the
fort; but was defeated with much loss.

The enemy now began to make a great noise, with drums and pipes, in
the summer house. This lasted continuously for several days, and
one of the natives, who was aware that the enemy had started
tunnelling, guessed that this stir might possibly be made to drown
the noise of the mining. Men were put on to listen and, at
midnight, the sentry in the gun tower reported that he heard the
noise and, next morning, the sound was distinctly audible within a
few feet of the tower.

It was evident that there was no time to be lost and, at four
o'clock in the afternoon, Lieutenant Harley and a hundred men
issued from the fort, at the garden gate, and rushed at the summer
house. It was held by forty of the enemy, who fired a volley, and
fled after some sharp hand-to-hand fighting. The head