the ring of an occasional
shot breaking the calm stillness of the morning.

Behind the Cavalry Barracks, and close to the Allahabad road, corps
after corps formed up. There were Hope's and Inglis's brigades.
Shoulder to shoulder stood the men of those two splendid regiments, the
42nd and 93rd Highlanders, and there, too, laughing, joking, and putting
all notions of discipline at utter defiance, were the gallant tars of
the Naval Brigade.

Sir Colin Campbell seemed in high spirits, as regiment after regiment
marched past, and took up the position assigned it, the whole movement
being concealed from the enemy by the large buildings called the Dragoon
Barracks.

"How well the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Rifles look, Biddulph," he
said to the quartermaster-general, who stood by his side. "Captain
Wheatcroft, let Wyndham know that his guns should open."

Saluting with his sword, the dragoon officer dashed away, and in a few
minutes the calm silence of the morning was broken by the loud boom of a
single gun, quickly replied to from the town, and followed by one after
another, until the whole of Wyndham's artillery was hotly engaged, and
the firing on both sides the heaviest during the siege. Seated on his
horse, watch in hand, Sir Colin calmly listened to the deafening uproar.

"Captain Remington," said he, at last, beckoning to his side an officer
commanding a troop of horse artillery, "take the cavalry and with your
guns cross the canal higher up, threatening the enemy's rear. I think,
Biddulph, the fire from the entrenchments slackens, let the infantry
deploy into line."

All was now bustle and excitement as the orders to deploy were given,
and the various brigades were put into motion, the bugles of the Sikh
Infantry sounding merrily on the breeze, as the gallant fellows spread
over the plain in skirmishing order.

"The 53rd Regiment to support skirmishers," shouted Captain Dalzell of
the 93rd, and the regiment indicated moved off at the double.

To the light lay Brigadier Greathead's brigade, consisting of the 8th
and the 150th Regiments, and the 2nd Punjaub Infantry.

The whole line was now in motion, the enemy having been completely
deceived, the heavy firing from the entrenchments causing them to expect
an attack on their centre, which lay fully prepared right in front of
Greathead's regiments. So silently and so skilfully had the movement
been conducted, under shelter of the great buildings of the Dr