of hoofs, a sudden halt, the jingle and rattle of harness,
and a moment after, bim--bom--bom--bom! at regular intervals; and I
waved my hand, and gave a faint cheer, for I could mentally see it all:
a troop of light-horse had charged twice; the infantry had come up at
the double; and now here were the horse-artillery, with their light
six-pounders, playing upon the retreating rebels where the cavalry were
not cutting them up.

That faint cheer of mine brought out some more; and then there was a
terrible silence, for the relief seemed to have come too late; but a
couple of our men crawled to the grating, where the air reviving them,
they gave another "Hurray!" which was answered directly.

And then there was a loud shout, the excited buzz of voices, the
crashing of a pioneer's axe against the framework of the grating; and
after a hard fight, from which our friends were beaten back again and
again, we poor wretches, nearly all insensible, were dragged out about a
quarter of an hour before the burning house fell with a crash. Then
there was a raging whirlwind of flame, and smoke, and sparks, and the
cellar was choked up with the burning ruin.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

How well I remember coming to myself as I lay there on the grass, with
our old surgeon, Mr Hughes, kneeling by my side; for it was our own men
that formed the infantry of the column, with a troop of lancers, and one
of horse-artillery. There was Colonel Maine kneeling by his wife, who,
poor soul, was recovering fast, and him turning from her to the
children, and back again; while it was hard work to keep our men from
following up the pursuit, now kept up by the lancers and
horse-artillery, so mad and excited were they to find only eight wounded
men out of the company they had left.

But, one way and another, the mutineers paid dear for what suffering
they caused us. I can undertake to say that, for every life they took,
half-a-dozen of their own side fell--the explosion swept away, I
suppose, quite fifty, just as they had attempted a surprise, and came
over from the south side in a night-attack; while the way in which they
were cut up in the engagement was something awful.

For, anxious beyond measure at not hearing news of the party left in
Begumbagh, Colonel Maine had at length obtained permission to go round
by that station, reinforce the troops, and then join the general by
another route.

They were making forced marches, when the