knew.

"'Is there any one here,' said I, 'who will venture to reconnoitre
yonder troops?' There was a dead pause.

"'A thousand tomauns to the man who will bring me news of yonder army!'
again I repeated. Still a dead silence. The fact was that Scindiah
and Holkar both were so notorious for their cruelty, that no one dared
venture to face the danger. Oh for fifty of my brave Abmednuggarees!'
thought I.

"'Gentlemen,' said I, 'I see it--you are cowards--none of you dare
encounter the chance even of death. It is an encouraging prospect: know
you not that the ruffian Holkar, if it be he, will with the morrow's
dawn beleaguer our little fort, and throw thousands of men against our
walls? know you not that, if we are taken, there is no quarter, no
hope; death for us--and worse than death for these lovely ones assembled
here?' Here the ladies shrieked and raised a howl as I have heard the
jackals on a summer's evening. Belinda, my dear Belinda! flung both
her arms round me, and sobbed on my shoulder (or in my waistcoat-pocket
rather, for the little witch could reach no higher).

"'Captain Gahagan,' sobbed she, 'GO--GO--GOGGLE--IAH!'

"'My soul's adored!' replied I.

"'Swear to me one thing.'

"'I swear.'

"'That if--that if--the nasty, horrid, odious black Mah-ra-a-a-attahs
take the fort, you will put me out of their power.'

"I clasped the dear girl to my heart, and swore upon my sword that,
rather than she should incur the risk of dishonors she should perish
by my own hand. This comforted her; and her mother, Mrs. Major-General
Bulcher, and her elder sister, who had not until now known a word of our
attachment, (indeed, but for these extraordinary circumstances, it is
probable that we ourselves should never have discovered it,) were
under these painful circumstances made aware of my beloved
Belinda's partiality for me. Having communicated thus her wish of
self-destruction, I thought her example a touching and excellent one,
and proposed to all the ladies that they should follow it, and that at
the entry of the enemy into the fort, and at a signal given by me, they
should one and all make away with themselves. Fancy my disgust when,
after making this proposition, not one of the ladies chose to accede
to it, and received it with the same chilling denial that my former
proposal to the garrison had met with.

"In the midst of this hurry and confusion, as if purposely to add to it,
a trumpet was heard at the gate of