en. Thereupon
Sher Singh's attempts at negotiation ceased, and his followers applied
themselves with ardour to making the besiegers' position as
uncomfortable as possible, by means of sorties and surprise attacks.
There was always the chance of an outbreak of disease in the British
camp, or even a successful diversion on the part of the revolted
Granthistan army, such as might compel the raising of the siege.

For some nights there had been no attempt at a surprise, and the
trenches had been advanced to a point at which it was intended to erect
a new battery to assail the portion of the city walls best adapted for
breaching. The construction of this battery was being busily pushed
forward in the dark, by the help of shaded lights, when the
working-party were fiercely assailed by a horde of the enemy, mounted
and on foot, who had poured silently through the gate nearest to the
threatened point, and almost reached the works before their presence
was detected. The whole of the British force stood to its arms, but
salutary experience had taught the leaders that sorties seldom came
singly, and only the troops nearest the point of attack were moved to
repulse it. On the further side of the city Gerrard had a hard task to
restrain the eagerness of his men, who could not see why they should be
kept out of the fight, and avenged themselves by detecting endless
imaginary sorties against their own position. It was a night of
peculiar blackness, and General Desdichado, who had been drawn from his
seclusion by the alarm, evidently found it trying to his nerves. His
agitation culminated at last in a wild charge into the darkness,
followed by as many of the Habshiabadis as could find their horses,
yelling and discharging their muskets into the night. Gerrard, hoarse
with his vain exertions, half amused and half disgusted, was left with
Rukn-ud-din and the Rajput Amrodh Chand and their men to defend the
camp. He turned to make an ironical remark to the former, but found
him standing like a statue, listening intently.

"Sahib, there come men from the city. As they crossed the bridge, I
heard their horses' feet on the planks."

"Let us go forward a short distance," said Gerrard, and they went out
into the gloom, the tumult of the Habshiabadis' charge on the left
growing faint in their ears. They could hear nothing of the advance
Rukn-ud-din thought he had detected, and Gerrard, concluding that the
man's ears had deceived him