he
bullet, shearing, as I have said, through one hundred and thirty-five
probosces. Heavens! what a howl there was when the shot took effect!
What a sudden stoppage of Holkar's speech! What a hideous snorting of
elephants! What a rush backwards was made by the whole army, as if some
demon was pursuing them!

Away they went. No sooner did I see them in full retreat, than, rushing
forward myself, I shouted to my men, "My friends, yonder lies your
dinner!" We flung open the gates--we tore down to the spot where the
elephants had fallen: seven of them were killed; and of those that
escaped to die of their hideous wounds elsewhere, most had left their
trunks behind them. A great quantity of them we seized; and I myself,
cutting up with my scimitar a couple of the fallen animals, as a butcher
would a calf, motioned to the men to take the pieces back to the fort,
where barbacued elephant was served round for dinner, instead of
the miserable allowance of an olive and a glass of wine, which I had
promised to my female friends, in my speech to them. The animal reserved
for the ladies was a young white one--the fattest and tenderest I
ever ate, in my life: they are very fair eating, but the flesh has
an India-rubber flavor, which, until one is accustomed to it, is
unpalatable.

It was well that I had obtained this supply, for, during my absence on
the works, Mrs. Vandegobbleschroy and one or two others had forced their
way into the supper-room, and devoured every morsel of the garrison
larder, with the exception of the cheeses, the olives, and the wine,
which were locked up in my own apartment, before which stood a sentinel.
Disgusting Mrs. Van! When I heard of her gluttony, I had almost a mind
to eat HER. However, we made a very comfortable dinner off the barbacued
steaks, and when everybody had done, had the comfort of knowing that
there was enough for one meal more.

The next day, as I expected, the enemy attacked us in great force,
attempting to escalade the fort; but by the help of my guns, and my good
sword, by the distinguished bravery of Lieutenant Macgillicuddy and
the rest of the garrison, we beat this attack off completely, the enemy
sustaining a loss of seven hundred men. We were victorious; but when
another attack was made, what were we to do? We had still a little
powder left, but had fired off all the shot, stones, iron-bars, &c. in
the garrison! On this day, too, we devoured the last morsel of our food:
I shall