r; nor a
tayspoonful of souchong, nor a thimbleful of bohay; nor the laste taste
in life of butther, salt or fresh; nor hot rowls or cowld!"

"In the name of heaven!" said Mrs. Van, growing very pale, "what is
there, then?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'll tell you what there is now," shouted I.
"There's

"Two drumsticks of fowls, and a bone of ham.
Fourteen bottles of ginger-beer," &c. &c. &c.

And I went through the whole list of eatables as before, ending with the
ham-sandwiches and the pot of jelly.

"Law! Mr. Gahagan," said Mrs. Colonel Vandegobbleschroy, "give me the
ham-sandwiches--I must manage to breakfast off them."

And you should have heard the pretty to-do there was at this modest
proposition! Of course I did not accede to it--why should I? I was the
commander of the fort, and intended to keep these three very sandwiches
for the use of myself and my dear Belinda. "Ladies," said I, "there are
in this fort one hundred and twenty-six souls, and this is all the food
which is to last us during the siege. Meat there is none--of drink there
is a tolerable quantity; and at one o'clock punctually, a glass of wine
and one olive shall be served out to each woman: the men will receive
two glasses, and an olive and a fig--and this must be your food during
the siege. Lord Lake cannot be absent more than three days; and if he
be--why, still there is a chance--why do I say a chance?--a CERTAINTY of
escaping from the hands of these ruffians."

"Oh, name it, name it, dear Captain Gahagan!" screeched the whole covey
at a breath.

"It lies," answered I, "in the POWDER MAGAZINE. I will blow this fort,
and all it contains, to atoms, ere it becomes the prey of Holkar."

The women, at this, raised a squeal that might have been heard in
Holkar's camp, and fainted in different directions; but my dear Belinda
whispered in my ear, "Well done, thou noble knight! bravely said, my
heart's Goliah!" I felt I was right: I could have blown her up twenty
times for the luxury of that single moment! "And now, ladies," said I,
"I must leave you. The two chaplains will remain with you to administer
professional consolation--the other gentlemen will follow me up stairs
to the ramparts, where I shall find plenty of work for them."

CHAPTER VII.

THE ESCAPE.

Loth as they were, these gentlemen had nothing for it but to obey,
and they accordingly followed me to the ramparts, where I proceeded
to review my men. The fort, in m