Europeans at Meerut saw and heard
nothing.

Nothing was noted on that Sunday morning except the absence of native
servants from many of the houses, and that was supposed to be
accidental. Morning service was followed by the midday heats, and at
five o'clock in the afternoon the Europeans were again preparing for
church. Suddenly there was an alarm of fire, followed by a volley of
musketry, discordant yells, the clattering of cavalry, and the bugle
sounding an alarm. The sepoys had worked themselves up to a frenzy of
excitement; the prisoners were released with a host of jailbirds; the
native infantry joined the native cavalry, and the colonel of one of the
regiments was shot by the sepoys of the other. Inspired by a wild fear
and fury, the sepoys ran about murdering or wounding every European they
met, and setting houses on fire, amid deafening shouts and uproar.

Meanwhile there were fatal delays in turning out the Europeans. The
Rifles were paraded for church, and time was lost in getting arms and
serving out ball cartridges. The Carabineers were absurdly put through a
roll-call, and then lost their way among the shops and gardens.
Meanwhile European officers were being butchered by the infuriated
sepoys. Men and women were fired at or sabred while hurrying back in a
panic from church. Flaming houses and crashing timbers were filling all
hearts with terror, and the shades of evening were falling upon the
general havoc and turmoil, when the Europeans reached the native lines
and found that the sepoys had gone, no one knew whither.

The truth was soon told. The mutiny had become a revolt; the sepoys were
on the way to Delhi to proclaim the old Mogul as sovereign of Hindustan;
and there was no Gillespie to gallop after them and crush the revolt at
its outset, as had been done at Vellore half a century before. One
thing, however, was done. There were no European regiments at Delhi;
nothing but three regiments of sepoy infantry and a battery of native
artillery. The station was commanded by Brigadier Graves; and there were
no Europeans under his orders excepting the officers and sergeants
attached to the three native corps. Accordingly telegrams were sent to
Brigadier Graves to tell him that the mutineers were on their way to
Delhi.

Monday at Delhi was worse than the Sunday at Meerut. The British
cantonment was situated on a rising ground about two miles from the
city, which was known as the "Ridge." The great magazin