him; and on the march one or other had often
dropped behind to have a talk with him.

The next morning the British troops moved forward to the attack, in
two lines. The 76th Regiment rushed impetuously against the
fortified village, and drove its defenders out at the point of the
bayonet. A tremendous fire was at once opened by the batteries
behind it but, without for a moment hesitating, the 76th charged
them, and were speedily in the thick of their enemies. The 1st
Bengal European regiment, which followed, seeing them almost
surrounded, ran down to their assistance; and were followed by the
Sepoys; and Holkar's infantry, unable to resist the assault, fled
to shelter of their next line of guns.

General Fraser himself led the attack upon these. They were also
carried; but the general fell, mortally wounded. Colonel Monson,
who now succeeded to the command, reformed the troops--who were in
some disorder, owing to the impetuosity of their charge--and led
them forward again. Battery after battery was captured. Numbers of
Holkar's men tried to cross the morass, but sank in the mud and
lost their lives. The rest took refuge under the walls of Deeg,
whose guns at once opened fire upon their pursuers.

While the tide pressed forward, unchecked, the Mahratta horse had
ridden down in the rear of the British; and had taken possession of
the first line of batteries, and had turned their guns upon their
late captors. The consequences would have been serious, had not
Captain Norford gathered together twenty-eight men of the 76th
Regiment, and led them against the Mahratta horse. These, staggered
by the daring with which this handful of men advanced against them,
fired a hasty volley and fled. Captain Norford was killed, but the
men took possession of the guns; which the Mahrattas, thinking that
the day was altogether lost, did not attempt to recapture.

As the fortress of Deeg was far too strong to be attacked by any
force unprovided with siege guns, the British drew back, until
beyond the range of its cannon; carrying off all the guns captured
in the batteries, eighty-seven in number. The total amount of
artillery employed against our troops was no less than one hundred
and sixty guns. Our loss was naturally heavy, amounting to over six
hundred and forty killed and wounded; while that of the enemy was
estimated at two thousand killed, or smothered in the morass.

The force encamped beyond the reach of the guns of Deeg, awai