commandant, and in every rank gaining their confidence and respect. During the whole of that period he had scarcely been for a single day absent from his corps. All the men who aided in this rescue of their officers were rewarded with promotion according to their ranks. The Havildar received also a present of 200 rupees, and the old pensioner 150 rupees.

Nor were Major Innes's party the only persons whom the soldiers of the 8th found concealed, and similarly preserved through the dangers of that night. Mrs Fagan, the wife of Captain Fagan, the engineer officer, has been already mentioned as being the only lady who at the first would not sleep at the artillery barracks. She had not passed a single night out of her own house; nor on the eventful night of the outbreak would she leave it. In the compound was the treasure-chest of the Engineers' department, under a Sepoy guard. On the first sounds of the firing, Mrs Fagan went out to the Havildar of the guard, and told him there were only.women and children in the house, and whatever might happen, she placed their lives in his hands. He said to her, "Go in, and shut all the doors and windows, and put out all the lights, and do not suffer a single person to enter the house, and I will answer for your safety with my own life!!" He could not save the Government treasure, which the guard under him plundered, but he fulfilled his pledge to her; and on the following morning Mrs Fagan and her family were given up uninjured to the European patrolling party who had come in search of them. For this act the Havildar received his well-merited promotion. The fearless Mrs Fagan, now, alas! a widow, is a living witness to the effect of boldness and confidence even on mutinous Sepoys! The treasure-chest of the 36th Native Infantry was protected by the guard, brought into the artillery lines at 10 o'clock the next day, with its contents of 10,000 rupees untouched.

*

The Subahdar of this guard, who had been mainly instrumental in preserving the treasure, and who had previously shown his fidelity by giving up men caught in the lines preaching treason, was rewarded with a first-class Order of Merit, and 1000 rupees; and all the rest of the guard who remained true were promoted.

The paymaster's treasure-chest was also protected by its guard, who were rewarded with promotion.

On the following morning it was found that nearly 140 of the 36th, of all ranks, had remained true, and of the 61st about 80. Of these a considerable number were Sikhs. Several young Sikh recruits, however, had been compulsorily drawn off by their comrades; but taking advantage of a violent dust-storm which came on when the mutineers were only a few miles out of cantonments, these men slipped away, and, crossing the Beas, made for their own homes in the Manjha country here they were quickly discovered, and brought before the civil authorities at Umritsur; but having told their plain ingenuous tale, they were liberated. Early in the morning Major Macmullen ordered another roll-call of the cavalry, when many more names appeared than on the previous night. These men were at once ordered to bring out their accoutrements for inspection; on many of them were found signs of blood and dust, betraying their owners as having taken part in the fray. These, about a dozen in number, were tried by drumhead court-martial, condemned, and shot. Some troopers also presented themselves at the regimental hospital and showed wounds-" grâp lugga," (grape-shot) said they, and they shared the same fate.t

The work of bloodshed and plunder scarcely lasted an hour and a-half. By a little after 12 o'clock at night the mutineers had collected together on the main road, and began their march for Phillour station. No sooner were they clear of the station than Lieutenant Sankey (Adjutant of Artillery Division) proposed that the

station should be patrolled, to keep down any tendency to looting on the part of camp-followers and bazar budmashes. Taking with him a division of Major Oliphant's troop, with a few of the Irregular Cavalry under Lieutenant Probyn, and some of her Majesty's 8th, he traversed the station, accompanied by Major Lake, thus reassuring the frightened denizens of the bazar (who now began to tremble for their property), and restoring peace and confidence. Subsequently, when the pursuing column moved out of Jullundhur, the Kuppoorthulla Rajah supplied the necessary guards for the public buildings, and the district police were brought in to protect private houses. "From the time the mutineers left (to use Captain Farrington's own words) not a fire took place, nor was there a single robbery."

About 3 o'clock in the morning, Brigadier Johnstone resolved on a pursuit; the column to consist of two hundred of her Majesty's 8th, under Colonel Longfield, with six guns, four of the European, and two of the native troop, under Major Olpherts. Captain Farrington brought in a hundred and fifty of the Rajah's sowars, and a small body of mounted civil police, with which he accompanied the pursuing column. It was nearly 7 o'clock before the force got clear of cantonments. There were some doubts as to the road taken by the mutineers-whether to Phillour or Hosheyarpore; but they had not proceeded far when they received refiable information that Phillour had been their route. With six hours' fair start, the mutineers were encamped on the parade-ground at Phillour, fraternising with the 2d Native Infantry who had swelled their ranks, when the pursuing column was marching out of Jullundhur.

Golden hours had been lost! hours, too, of comparatively cool night and early dawn; while before them now were scorching, blasting hours, each more scorching and blasting than the last, under a June sun! On they went, however, eager to overtake the rebels, and murmuring only at the delay that had already taken place. They had only marched

six miles, and reached Phugwarrah, where the signs of destruction and plundering which the mutineers had perpetrated on the way, incited them onward with renewed ardour, when the bugle sounded a halt. Here more time was lost, more golden hours fleeted by, with the only compensation, that about noon Nicholson's 2d Punjab cavalry, by a forced march, overtook them. As soon as these cavalry horses were a little rested, Captain Farrington, seconded by Major Olpherts and Lieutenant Nicholson, urged on the Brigadier the necessity of an advance, if he wished to save Phillour. At length a small force was allowed to advance, consisting of two guns of the European troop, with some sixty of the 8th King's on the gun-carriages, and the 20 Punjab cavalry under Lieutenant Nicholson. With these Major Olpherts pushed on to within three miles of Phillour, where they learned from two Sikhs of the 3d Native Infantry that their regiment had at once joined the mutineers, and that Colonel Butler and all the officers had escaped into the fort. A messenger sent off to Colonel Butler brought back word that the mutineers, finding the bridge of boats broken, had gone to a ferry some four miles farther up the river, and were there crossing over, but very slowly, as they had only three boats.

After some time the Brigadier came up with the main body of the column, and they then proceeded to the cantonments; but being utterly ignorant of the localities, not an officer of the force having ever been over the country, and Colonel Butler not sending out from the fort any officer of the 3d Native Infantry to guide them, the column took up their position for the night as they could, a short distance in front of the lines. There the men began to prepare for a night's rest after the excitement of the previous night and the fatigues of that day; when, about 10 o'clock, the sound of musketry, followed by heavy fire from a fieldpiece, dispelled all thoughts of sleep. Many a brave soldier, though jaded in body perhaps, and somewhat footsore, started up at the sound, and

longed to take part in the victory or the rescue, as it might be; but in ignorance of the country, and consideration for the men, the Brigadier refused to advance. What that firing was, and how it was brought about, involves a long though glorious tale; and the reader must be content to trace back his steps in point of time, and learn the progress of events in another quarter.

Early in the morning the mutineers had reached Phillour; they found a welcome greeting from the 3d Native Infantry. It is true that this corps had, in strange inconsistency, performed many acts of loyalty up to the last. A detachment of them had escorted two lakhs of ammunition to Umballa a few days before the outbreak; the whole regiment had volunteered to guard the siege-train to Delhi, when it became known that the Nusseeree battalion of Goorkhas at Jutogh had refused to march, and had conveyed it over the bridge of boats in perfect safety; and one company, under Lieutenants Alexander and Chalmers, had gone the whole way to Delhi, and remained true for some time. Yet many suspicious circumstances had occurred: fires had been frequent in the cantonment; emissaries from the regiment had tried to tamper with the Kuppoorthulla Rajah's men; and many other symptoms of disaffection had shown themselves. Moreover, there were grave reasons for believing that, on the arrival of the 33d Native Infantry from Hosheyarpore, who were to relieve them, to admit, of their going to Ferozepore,* they would have refused to march. That such a corps, therefore, would sympathise with the mutinous regiments from Jullundhur, and was really ready to receive them with open arms, there would be but little doubt. Yet the 3d Native Infantry behaved far more nobly even in their mutiny than many of the native regiments; all the officers were allowed to escape

untouched to the fort. Indeed, the guards turned out and presented arms to Colonel Butler as he passed by on his way there; nor was any of the injury which was perpetrated in the cantonments believed to have been the work of the Sepoys.

That morning, Mr Thornton, a young civilian, had ridden over from Loodiana to Phillour, some five miles distant, to pay the 3d Native Infantry. The money had been made over to the Pay Havildars in the fort, when a disturbance was suddenly heard in the lines; and Mr Thornton, seeing a party of Sepoys making for the bridge of boats, suspected mischief, and with great promptness made the Havildars instantly give back the money, and galloped off for the river: he reached the bank before the Sepoys, crossed the bridge, and had it immediately cut away behind him. He then galloped off for Loodiana, and reported what had happened. A message had in the mean time reached the Deputy Commissioner, Mr George Ricketts, from Umballa,+ that the Jullundhur troops had risen, and were marching down on Phillour; and that he must at once guard or destroy the bridge, and protect the fort at Loodiana. This fort is an old dilapidated building, only used for storing powder (of which 300,000 pounds were in it at that time) and leather for artillery accoutrements, while the Phillour fort contained the whole of the ordnance and made-up ammunition. The Loodiana fort was also guarded by a company of the 3d Native Infantry, who had detached guards at the Treasury and in the town. It was clear that, despite Mr Thornton's promptness, tidings of the arrival of the Jullundhur mutineers at Phillour had reached the Loodiana guard, for they at once seized the fort, closed the gates, and began dragging up and placing the few guns it contained along the rampart. The Treasury was also seized,

and held by its guard.

The 4th Sikhs, under Captain Rothney, had that morning marched in from Phugwarrah, a distance of five-and-twenty miles, with orders to halt until the arrival of the 33d Native Infantry from Hosheyarpore, who were coming in to relieve the 3d Native Infantry at Phillour, in order to overawe the latter corps, if, as was thought probable, they refused to evacuate Phillour, and march to Ferozepore.

It was about noon when Mr Ricketts, having made such arrangements as he could for the safety of the station, ordered off three companies of the 4th Sikhs, under Lieutenant Williams, the second in command, with a small force of the Rajah of Nabba's men, consisting of fifty cavalry and one hundred and fifty artillery, with two light field-pieces (one six-pounder drawn by horses, and a nine-pounder by camels), to oppose the passage of the river-his great object being to resist the main body of mutineers in their attempt to cross, and thus throw them back into the hands of the column, which he could not doubt would be in rapid pursuit from Jullundhur.

He himself galloped on ahead to the river's bank, crossed over in the Government ferry-boat, and ran up the opposite shore into the fort at Phillour, to get what information he could; but little or nothing was known there, save that the rebels had been seen quietly eating their breakfast on the parade-ground, and appeared and were believed to have pushed upwards to one of the ferries, having discreetly kept out of range of the fort guns. On his re

turn Mr Ricketts found Lieutenant Williams and his little party arrived at the bank. Here they learnt from a couple of villagers that the rebels were crossing at a ghat or ferry some four miles off. On they pushed; and what with heavy sand knee-deep, broken ground, and nullahs (ditches or natural drains) not always dry, it was nearly 10 o'clock at night before they had accomplished the distance. When they reached the spot indicated, not a watchfire was to be seen, not a sound heard, and they suspected treachery however, Mr Ricketts and Lieutenant Williams, each firmly grasping the arm of a guide, pushed

on. Suddenly a "challenge," then a second and a third, told them they had indeed come on the lair of the rebels. Without noticing the challenge of the pickets, they pushed on at a double, when the sentries began to fire on them, and fall back on their supports. The guns were at once unlimbered; but the horses attached to the six-pounder took fright, became unmanageable, and bolted, dragging after them tumbril and ammunition, into the midst of the rebels, where they were soon cut to pieces. The nine-pounder, however, was safe, and quickly opened fire, sending a round of grape into the part where the rebels could be dimly seen in the clouded moonlight. They returned the fire with musketry, when the Sikhs rushed up into line and delivered two splendid volleys. Now, however, it was clear that the struggle was to be maintained by themselves alone, for at the first volley the Nabba Rajah's cavalry and infantry bolted to a man. The gallant old commandant of the cavalry alone remained, and he bore himself bravely throughout,never, though wounded severely, leaving the post of danger. To make the following account of this heroic little adventure intelligible, a short account of the locality will be necessary. About three miles above Phillour fort there is a ghat or ferry, formed by the projection of a neck of land into the river, while the opposite bank also curves outwardly, and through this contracted channel, not above one quarter of a mile wide, the stream, especially at this season, when greatly

swollen by the melted snow, pours

down in considerable force. Across this channel the mutineers, having contrived to seize three small boats, had during the day passed over about sixteen hundred of their number, four hundred still remaining on the right bank, some of whom were in the act of crossing when the Sikhs began the attack. The main body as they crossed over began to concentrate on the curve of the bank, which, being undulating and covered with low brushwood, afforded a good and safe bivouacking-ground.

Directly the Sikhs opened fire, the rebels rose up and spread out, right and left, in the form of a cres

cent.

Lieutenant Williams at once threw out his men, who were not above one hundred strong, into skirmishing order, to prevent being outflanked. The imperfect light greatly favoured the Sikhs, for they could see the masses of the rebels, and direct their fire with tolerable accuracy and effect, while the return volleys did but little execution upon their own thin scattered line. Nobly was that solitary nine-pounder worked.* At one moment à volley from the right showed the rebels in force on that quarter: the gun was instantly pointed there, and a charge poured into them. The next moment a volley would come in from the opposite side, when round swung the gun as quick as thought, repaying them with interest. This was Mr Ricketts' special charge aided by the native officer and two or three gunners, he worked away incessantly-now loading, now spunging, now swinging it round; Lieutenant Williams, too, ever and anon giving a helping hand there but his duty lay more in moving about, and regulating his own gallant Sikhs.

For nearly two hours did they two, with a single gun, and not above one hundred Sikhs, hold their ground against sixteen hundred rebels, and keep them at bay in that curve of the river's bank, hoping and hoping on that the pursuing force, attracted by their firing, would soon be on the rear. But no signs of succour came. At length the ammunition began to fail; the fire of the gun slackened, that of the musketry became weaker: the men, too, were fagged; the long march of the night before, and the fatigues of the afternoon, began to tell on them. Suddenly, about midnight, the moon burst out from behind a cloud, dis

*

closing their position and the weakness of their numbers. The rebels saw their opportunity; the bugle sounded the "close up ; drawing in on every side, they poured in a murderous volley, to which the gallant Sikhs could reply but feebly. At this moment Lieutenant Williams,† waving his sword to cheer on his little band to make one effort more, received a wound under the right armpit. A Sikh caught him as he fell; Mr Ricketts instantly sprang to his side, and they carried him off to the rear, and, placing him on a camel, sent him in to Loodiana. The struggle was now over with their officer dangerously wounded, and their ammunition spent, it became hopeless to hold out longer; an orderly retreat was all that remained for them. This they effected admirably under the orders of Mr Ricketts, who himself brought off in safety the old gun that had done them such good service. Seizing the only two remaining camels, he harnessed them to the gun-carriage, and led them off the field. He passed the rest of the night looking to the wounds of the two brave officers of the Nabba's force (the commandants of the artillery and cavalry), who had so bravely stood by him throughout. The following morning the little force marched back into camp.§

How differently had that night been passed by the pursuing column ! Many a soldier heart was there,

"Like the war-horse, eager to rush on, Compelled to wait the signal blown."

But no signal sounded. Distinctly was the firing heard-each flash reflected in the sky; but no advance was allowed. At length (as we know why), the firing grew fainter in the distance, and gradually died away,