he fell into his proper place, and wound his sword-knot firmly round his wrist.

The British artillery soon silenced the guns from Meeanee which had been laid in a certain position and could not be readily shifted to meet an attack from a fresh point, and then the 'Bengal Tigers' advanced at a trot to the attack between the village and the wood, where the five thousand horse of the Ameers were massed,

The trot soon became a canter: they were getting very near now, and could not understand why the Beloochee cavalry sat still and indifferent to the coming onslaught. The glorious word "Charge!" was given and the thunder of the horses shook the ground.

"Halt! halt! for heaven's sake, halt!" yelled Major Parkhurst and one or two of his officers, who were leading the regiment, after traversing only a couple of hundred yards; and "Halt! halt!" was yelled from one to another until some control was obtained over the horses, and the regiment pulled up almost on the brink of a tremendously deep and broad nullah, flush with the ground on both sides, and therefore almost quite concealed until actually yawning at one's feet—a nullah that seemed as if it would hold the entire regiment, and be ready for more when they should arrive! The Belooch cavalry on the opposite bank absolutely

screamed for joy when they saw how completely their enemies had fallen into the trap; their ranks opened out like a flash of lightning, and a tempest of grape and round shot from concealed guns belched out on the 'Bengal Tigers,' standing helpless and in confusion on the wrong side of the nullah. In one moment more the corps, paralysed with astonishment as were both officers and men, would have wavered, turned, and fled ignominiously. Corporal Blunt saw his chance at last :

"Follow me!" he screamed to the troop nearest to him, and, docile as sheep under the fiery energy of the bold young lancer, the men, who were falling rapidly, gathered their horses together with a husky cheer, as they dashed away to their left front after their new leader. Just there the river took a slight bend inwards toward the thick wood, and inwards towards the extreme right flank of the Ameers' position. Blunt's eagle glance had detected that its banks narrowed considerably at the bend. With a wild wave of his sword above his head, he pressed his knees into his saddle, drove the spurs home with all his might, faced his splendid arab at the great yawning gulf before him, and in one tremendous bound the animal cleared it. Twothirds of the troop followed him; they fell with the utmost fury on the Belooch right, cut down the gunners at their guns, and drove the great body of cavalry

helter-skelter before them! Once the way was shown, the whole regiment-the survivors at least after the awful tempest of shot they had sustained-followed the lead of the gallant Blunt, charged home on the Ameers' side of the Fulailee, and pursued the cavalry for nearly three miles with great slaughter; the British infantry, still fighting desperately on the centre and left, saw the advantage that had been gained, raised a cry of victory, rushed once more up the terrible steep bank, drove the enemy from every point of vantage he held—and the great and glorious battle of Meeanee was won and lost!

The victory was complete. For miles and miles the flying army were scattered all over the plain, hacked and cut to pieces by the British cavalry now triumphant ; the entire camp of the Ameers fell into the hands of the victors, with all their standards, ammunition, food, and treasure; and the same day the conquered princes of Scinde came into Sir Charles Napier's camp and gave up their swords.

Some hours after the battle, Corporal John Blunt was lying in his tent, worn out with his exertions, faint from loss of blood (he had been severely wounded by a tulwar-cut in the thigh), and dazed with the fierceness of the fight. Suddenly the slip was pulled aside, and Major Parkhurst entered, introducing another officer, whom Blunt could not recognise in the shade of the tent.

"This is the man, Sir Charles!" said the Major, and then Blunt knew he was in the presence of the Commander-in-chief. He tried to get up; but instead he fell back with a low moan of pain.

"Do not stir, my brave fellow; do not stir. I did not know you were wounded, but I daresay we can find a plaster for it!" said Sir Charles, with a smile of kindness passing over his hawk-like features: "Major Parkhurst has been telling me of the way you saved his regiment-saved the battle almost, I may say; for from the moment of the cavalry success on their right the Beloochees began to give way; and he has also told me of his promise"

"Oh, sir!" gasped out Blunt, whose feelings were far too much for him in his present weak state: "I do not think of his promise!"

"Ah, but I do, you see. Yes, it shall be fulfilled if I can manage it; and I think I can after Meeanee! Now lie still like a good fellow, and I'll send my staff-surgeon to see to you."

The two then left the tent, and Corporal John Blunt went off in a swoon in the arms of Sergeant Hoskins, who was not one bit jealous of his brave comrade's success. Shortly afterwards Blunt was gazetted to a cornetcy in a Light Dragoon regiment-and thus 'Won his spurs!'

A DISASTROUS TRUMPET-CALL.

"A

CHAPTER I.

GOLD AND GLITTER.

ever

SPLENDID sight! a glorious sight as soldier saw!" said Lieutenant John Blunt, riding-master of Her Majesty's 'Royal Gallopers,' at a camp called Loah Tibbah on the 14th January, 1849. The person whom he addressed was Walter Brooklyn, a very young cornet of the native cavalry, and an officer-as was also Blunt, for certain reasons peculiar to the case-on the staff of a Brigadier of cavalry in Lord Gough's celebrated army, assembled at the outbreak of the second Sikh war. The young fellow, splendidly dressed in the gorgeous blue and silver uniform of his corps, and mounted on a magnificent Arab charger, placed his glass in his eye, glanced rapidly along the whole grand line of troops drawn up to await their General's inspection, and remarked with a painful mixture of effeminacy and conceit in his tone: "Aw, yas; look tolerably well, these fellows, on parade; but it's an intense baw, all