at a village; and Havelock's men, after their
day's fight, lagged a little when, having gone over ploughed fields
and swamps, they came again under fire.

[Illustration: THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.]

But their general rode out under fire of the guns, and, smiling as a
cannon ball just missed him by a hairsbreadth, said:--

"Come, who is to take that village--the Highlanders or the 64th?"

That was enough: pell-mell went both regiments upon the enemy, who had
a bad quarter of an hour between the two.

Cawnpore was won; but, alas! the women and children had been slain
whilst their countrymen had been fighting for their deliverance. And
Lucknow was not yet to be relieved.

For after advancing into Oude Havelock found that constant fighting,
cholera, sunstroke and illness had so reduced his numbers that to go
on would risk the extermination of his force.

He therefore returned to await reinforcements. By the time these
arrived, Sir James Outram had been appointed general of the forces in
India; but he generously refused to accept the command till Lucknow
had been relieved, saying that, Havelock having made such noble
exertions, it was only right he should have the honour of leading the
troops till this had been done.

So he accompanied the army as a volunteer; and again the men fought
their way, this time right through the mutineers, accomplishing their
object by the first relief of Lucknow.

On the evening of 28th September, the soldiers reached the Residency,
where the British had been shut up for so long face to face with
death. The last piece of fighting was the worst they had had to face.
Fired at from roof and window by concealed foes, they marched on with
unwavering courage, and those who reached the Residency had a reward
such as can come to few in this life.

As the women and children frantic with joy rushed to welcome their
rescuers the stern-set faces of the Highlanders changed to joy and
gladness; hunger, thirst, wounds, weariness--all were forgotten as
they clasped hands with those for whom they had fought and bled.

"God bless you," they exclaimed; "why, we expected to have found only
your bones!"

"And the children living too!"

Women and children, civilians and soldiers, gave themselves up to pure
gladness of heart, and in that meeting all thought of past woes and
dangers faded away.

After a series of the most thrilling incidents the world has known,
Lucknow was finally relieved by Sir Colin C