General awake and watchful, for
every now and then a heavy prolonged thud shook the air, telling of the
firing of great guns, and though Cawnpore was forty miles away yet every
man of the little army knew that the Gwalior mutineers, with a force far
exceeding any which Sir Colin Campbell could bring against them, were
pressing hard upon the handful of men who garrisoned the entrenchments.

Major Hughes delivered his letter. It contained an enclosure from
Brigadier Carthew, telling a sad tale. One after another the different
outposts had been taken, and given to the flames. The enormous force
opposed to them was literally crushing out the handful of the defenders
of Cawnpore, and unless immediate help came all were lost. Such were
the details, of which he was the bearer, and they were disastrous
enough. The note itself directed Brigadier Outram to move forward one
portion of the force early the next morning, Sir Colin Campbell
proposing to join the advanced guard.

"Major Hughes, you will be under arms by daybreak." "Good night" were
the only words which greeted him, as General Outram turned to his
aide-de-camp and summoned his staff round him to make his arrangements
for the advance.

"Take this to Brigadier Greathead. The 8th, the 2nd Punjaub Infantry,
with the 150th Regiment will form the advance," were the last words
which reached his ears as he stepped forth into the night, to find his
corps as best he might. A sentry, who had held his horse, pointed out
the lines of the 150th, and taking his way to a large tent which he
rightly conjectured to be the mess tent, the officers were soon roused,
and flocking around him.

"Do you remember I said you were a lucky fellow, Major," said Harris, as
he shook his commanding officer warmly by the hand, "that night when we
shot the tiger at Bellary?"

"I think you were the lucky fellow, then," replied Major Hughes,
laughing.

"Yes, but only fancy Colonel Desmond being sent home on sick leave.
Colonel Sedley invalided from the effects of that ball through the lungs
at Quatre Bras, and you joining just in time to take the command."

"Well, it was lucky, I must own. And what has become of Major Ashley?"

"Hit in the neck at the storming of the Dilkhoosha House,"--replied
Harris, now Lieutenant of the Light Company; "but here's Curtis."

"How are you, Curtis?"

"Glad to see you once more among us," was the reply, as that officer,
now the senior captain of the reg