considerable portion of the town already gained.
How I readied Skinner's House with the
gun, I really scarcely know, all across the
esplanade, or open space in front of the
church; round shot were flying like cricket-
balls in a playground; bullets on the loose
were every moment singing in my ears;
and I kept perpetually hopping an involuntary
hornpipe in the endeavour to avoid
the showers of grape which kept pit-patting
all over the place. Yet I did reach it without
the loss of a bullock, unlimbered, put the
gun in position, covering as nearly as possible
the turn in the street of the bazaar, lighted
the port-fire, and took cover carefully in a
small shop on the opposite side to Skinner's
House, where there was a picquet of the
Fifty-second (Light Infantry), and also some
of the Buzbees, who did not, however, remain
long. The enemy maintained a very smart
fire down the street, though they wouldn't
show,—and I saw five men killed in about as
many minutes from simple carelessness in
exposing themselves; the picquets occasionally
returned fire, but in a very desultory manner.
All the men were dreadfully fatigued, and
more ready to drink or sleep than to fight,
while the enemy kept themselves so
carefully ensconced behind walls and shutters,
that it was mere waste of powder firing at
them, though they managed to pick off a
good many of our side.

At the bend of the lane there was a huge
tree, in which one Pandy had managed to
ensconce himself, and, dodging behind a large
branch, he avoided every shot we fired at
him, whilst three of our men fell beneath
his fatal aim. Two were wounded, and one
killed. Sitting close by me were two Afghan
Pathans, squatting on their haunches, smoking,
and calmly gossiping in Pushtoo. They
belonged, I think, to the Guides, but having
somehow or other got separated from their
corps, probably in the search for loot, had
thought my little nook, protected as it was
by the picquet and guns, as safe and comfortable
a place of refuge as they could find. I
touched one of these fellows on the shoulder,
and said to him, in Pushtoo,

"You Pathans are great shots; why don't
you knock th:it Pandy off that tree?"

"Sahib," said he, " since you wish it, I will
kill that Pandy; but why do not the red
coats kill him?"

So saving, he raised himself slowly, put
up his hookah, and proceeded with great
deliberation to load his matchlock, a weapon
with a barrel about six feet long, a straight
stick for a stock, round which the live-match
was wound, and very small bore. Down
this he poured a handful of very coarse
powder, over that rammed down the ball,
and over the ball a bit of cloth, then primed,
but all with the greatest gravity and solemnity;
then, salaaming to me, he dashed across
the street, avoiding a shower of balls, and
disappeared in a shop on the opposite side,
nor was he seen again for some time rather
to my alarm.

We had waited for about a quarter of an
hour, when suddenly, an old Pathan
clutched me by the arm, and pointed. I
looked out in the direction indicated, and at
that moment the gentleman in the tree fired at
us. Suddenly, from the roof of a house close
to the tree, up rose our friend, calm and
deliberate as ever. He shifted his aim two or
three times, and then fired, and over rolled
Pandy, from the tree to the roof, from the
roof to the street, shot through the forehead.

A grog-shop was found near our picket;
and several Parsee stores, or Europe-shops,
which sell everything, were broken open, in
consequence of which the British soldier was
soon either more than half-seas over, or
feasting on jams, preserves, sardines, and
other eatables.

The intoxication which prevailed amongst
our troops on the afternoon and night of the
fourteenth was truly frightful; worn out by
fatigue, and exhausted by want of rest, they
laid themselves down and slept, dead to every
sense of duty, or roamed about the city, mad
with wine, reckless of every danger. I have
heard from all military men whose opinion
is worthy of respect, that had the enemy
been aware of the state of our troops on the
afternoon of the fourteenth, and had they
mustered sufficient courage to have once
more rallied and attacked us, we must have
been infallibly driven from our position, and
forced to retire on the Cashmere Gate, if not
worse.

In the evening Skinner's House was selected
for head-quarter camp, and all the head-
quarter people came over and dined there;
it was protected to the rear by, I think, the
Kumaon Battalion or some Goorkha troops,
and to the front by one eighteen-pounder,
one six-pounder, and a picket of the Sixtieth
Rifles. Before dinner, the General himself
went all round, posted double sentries
everywhere, laid the guns himself, and saw that
everything was in good order. The enemy's
marksmen kept up a smart fire, but he
walked about and across the street, without
even seeming to be aware of it, though he
several times cautioned the men against
exposing themselves unnecessarily.

I had a dreadful night—constant alarms
and no sleep. This, in addition to all the
fatigue and excitement I had undergone in
the last few days, quite knocked me up, so
I was glad to be relieved next morning,
and find a little time for rest. My servants
arrived from camp with a change of clothes
and food; and, after a bath, sleep, and breakfast,
I sallied forth eager to hear tidings of
my friends—news which, when it did arrive,
was, alas! in but too many instances, of the
most mournful kind; a mere list of friends
destroyed or mutilated, comrades wounded or
slain.

In the afternoon I strolled out, wearing, of