there still remained disaffection at Benares, Lucknow,
Agra and other places. When it was believed that the excitement was allayed
another outbreak occurred at Lucknow. Lawrence's energetic measures
maintained order in Oude. The mutiny was only scattered, however. Within a
week Meerut, thirty-eight miles northeast of Delhi, and the largest
cantonment in India, was in a blaze. The story of the greased cartridges
had been capped by that of the bone dust. Some eighty-five of a regiment of
Sepoy cavalry refused to take the cartridges and were marched off to the
guard-house. During the afternoon of the following Sunday, when the
European officers were preparing for church, the imprisoned Sepoys were
liberated with others. They shot down every European they met.

[Sidenote: The Indian mutiny]

The mutiny became a revolt. The rebellious Sepoys marched on Delhi. When
the rebel troops came up from Meerut the English officers prepared to meet
them. Their Sepoys joined the mutineers. The revolt spread throughout
Delhi. In despair, Willoughby blew up the fort with 1,500 rebels who were
assaulting it. Only four of his command escaped. Willoughby himself died
six weeks afterward, while India and Europe were ringing with his name.
Fifty Englishmen whom the rebels had captured were butchered in cold blood.
Delhi on Monday evening was in rebel hands. The remaining officers on the
Ridge fled for their lives. Their subsequent suffering was one of the
harrowing features of the great convulsion. The revolution at Delhi opened
Lord Canning's eyes. He telegraphed for regiments from Bombay, Burma,
Madras and Ceylon.

[Sidenote: Lahore mutineers foiled]

On May 11, the news of the outbreak at Meerut was brought to the
authorities at Lahore. Meean Meer is a large military cantonment five or
six miles from Lahore, and there were then some four thousand native troops
there, with only about thirteen hundred Europeans of the Queen's and the
Company's service. There was no time to be lost. A parade was ordered on
the morrow at Meean Meer. On the parade-ground an order was given for a
military movement which brought the heads of four columns of the native
troops in front of twelve guns charged with grape, the artillerymen with
their port-fires lighted, and the soldiers of one of the Queen's regiments
standing behind with loaded muskets. A command was given to the Sepoys to
stack arms. Cowed, they piled their arms, which were borne away at once in
c